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EA scores hit with ‘Fight Night Round 2’

Not since Clubber Lang laced up his gloves has boxing been more amusing than in “Fight Night Round 2.”

Electronic Arts has been making boxing games for quite some time now, but with the release of “Fight Night 2004” last year, they completely reinvented the genre.

Control changed with players using the left analog stick to move their boxer around and using the right to throw punches. Would-be boxers used different movements of the right analog stick to throw jabs, hooks and uppercuts. Using the same stick for all punches made it easy for players to string together long combos, adding a hint of realism to what was traditionally an arcade boxing title.

New to the game-play side of “Round 2” are two additions: haymaker punches and clinching. By winding up their punch for a couple of seconds, players can unleash a powerful haymaker strike that will send opponents reeling. Clinching is a sort of last-ditch attempt to regain health before being knocked out. It adds a nice twist to game play, allowing players to delay hitting the canvas so long as they can secure a clinch. However, it can become pretty frustrating in harder fights, as the computer continually blocks punches and clinches them whenever gamers are close to a knockout.

People who played the first title will quickly notice the tremendous upgrade that visuals have gotten in “Round 2.” Player models are composed of many more polygons, giving every boxer a smoother, more realistic appearance.

Boxers’ faces take a great deal of punishment over the course of every fight, giving visual cues to the damage inflicted in the ring. If your fighter takes a few too many hooks to his left eye, it could get cut open or swell shut. Sweat drips from fighters’ bodies and blood streams from open wounds.

Playing off of the detail of damage incurred by boxers, EA has created a new element between rounds in a fight. Players are given the option of being their own cut man, trying to take down any swelling or bleeding that their fighter is experiencing. It may not seem like a huge step forward, but having to deal with the damage they receive in a round first-hand brings players into the experience that much more.

The audio of “Round 2” is fairly generic, but still worlds beyond its predecessor. EA added actual commentary from Joe Tessitore, a boxing analyst for both ESPN and Fox. Tessitore does a good job of keeping up with the action in the ring, but gets repetitive after a few fights. The soundtrack is comprised of a handful of hip-hop tunes that manage to fit with the overall vibe of the game.

Easily the most appealing part of “Fight Night Round 2” is its career mode. Players are given the chance to create their own fighter, with excellent customization options. Gamers can tweak every minute detail of their boxer right down to how thick his eyebrows are.

After creating their fighter, players start out in amateur boxing matches. Once players decide to go professional (they can do so at any time) they begin fighting their way up the ranks.

Before every match, players get to decide how to spend their hard-earned cash, whether it’s on new gloves and shorts or to pay a trainer dedicated to improving their fighter’s speed or power. They then get to choose which mini-game to play of three choices. Two are painfully simple, but the one that improves a boxer’s speed and agility is quite frustrating. After training, players are treated to a before and after representation of their boxer, showing any progress achieved in the session.

For the most part, career mode is quite satisfying. As players get toward the upper-ranks of their weight class, fights can be nearly impossible unless properly trained for. This adds even more realism to the title, making gamers work to earn title shots and the belt itself.

While the game isn’t revolutionary, it provides boxing enthusiasts and casual fans alike with a satisfying experience while continually evolving already solid game play. “Round 2” is a welcome addition to any video game collection.

Grade: A/B