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Wrestling games may have a headlock on the video game industry with almost every WWF or WCW title
making the top ten lists upon release, but there is a new grappling title out there and it's laying the smackdown on WWF and WCW's empires.
Crave has spent a great deal of time on their latest game based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) controversial series of pay-per-views. For those unaware of the UFC, the organization showcases real fighters who use different styles, such as karate or boxing, and fight it out in real, unscripted fights, until one-man gives up. Crave has taken on the task of replicating the awesome, adrenaline pumping sport. Their hard work has resulted in one of the best all-around games on the Dreamcast or any other system out there.
Right from the opening video, using the song Crush 'Em by Megadeth, you know you're in store for one hell of a ride. The graphics in this game are friggin' unbelievable, right down to bruises, body hair and tattoos. These guys look exactly like their real life counterparts. Unfortunately, the only people I knew were Frank Shamrock and Mark Coleman. Still, the lack of known UFC stars didn't throw me off, because the gameplay is absolutely incredible. They can put UFC legends like Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie and Tank Abbot in the next game.
The stars in the game aren't important. This game is about the fighting. There are almost 3000 moves to perform on your opponent and for every move, there is a countermove and for every hold, there is a reversal. You are never out of the game, because there is always a way to turn a negative into a positive. A lost situation turns into a win when you reverse a hold fast enough. That's what makes this game so damn cool. It's incredible. At first, it's tricky to get a handle on it, but the more you play, the more you realize the moves are pretty easy to control.
Your fighter enters the octagon ready for a fight. He can be anything from a kick boxer, to a shoot fighter or a wrestler. The fighting style you choose depends on the fighter you pick-so pick wisely. "Big" John McCarthy, the famed official in all the UFC pay per views, is also the referee for this game. He is known for the rubber gloves he wears so that you don't bleed all over him.
Before he lets the combatants get it on, your fighter poses, warms up and even grunts as he tries to intimidate his opponent. As you fight, your fighter even starts to breathe heavier as the match goes longer. The matches can take anywhere from five second, which I painfully found out to be true, or fifteen minutes, which I still haven't lucky enough to achieve.
There are also some fantastic modes to choose, from the Road to the Championship mode to the career mode, where I made Royce Gracie and still lost. Damn! Still, although I get my ass kicked more often than not, but that hasn't deterred me. I welcome the challenge. Let's get it on.
This game may sound difficult to many gamers, but there is no need to worry. Yes, there are a lot of holds to master, but they are learned rather easily. You, the gamer, should sit back and enjoy the show. Right from the walk to the caged octagon ring, the adrenaline begins to pump you up. This game is the most realistic I have ever played! Right down to the wires on the ground leading to cameras, pyro, 3D fans, and the cage itself are just so breathtaking, just adds to the intriguing realism of the UFC.
Badseed's Bottomline: 10 out of 5. This game goes off the scale. I couldn't do it justice by giving it a five out of five. I mean this game is great when you play it on your own and even better when you play with friends. You laugh when you walk up to your opponent only to get hit with one punch and lose. You cry when you think you have the game won, but your opponent gets one hand free and jacks you up, ending a promising win. You go nuts when you reverse a hold and watch as your opponent taps out, giving you a hard earned victory. What a game. I still can't believe my eyes. It's amazing, breathtakingly realistic and whole lot of fun to play. Mindless violence combined with intricate strategy truly blows the mind and makes you take notice. How many titles out there really bring out that type of reaction?
Comments or questions about the UFC game or article can be sent to me at Bandwidth@ybfree.com