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Ready 2 Rumble Boxing : Rd 2 (PS2) ReviewBackground Info
R2R2 features the original 13 boxers and another 10 newbies, including a few celebrities. Somehow the
bizarre Michael Jackson has made his way to yet another console title this year (Space Channel 5 on the
Dreamcast being the first). Any game with the King of Pop (to some I guess) has to be good, right? Well,
from my impressions, Midway has another great arcade boxing title on their hands. Read on to see why.
Presentation/Graphics : 88
Boxer animations make up the chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Some sweet moves are shown
repeatedly over the course of the game. Some nuts are thrown on top that represent things like black eyes
which develop during a fight. Finally, you can't forget the cherry. The cherry in R2R2 is represented by
the subtle things in the game.
A bout starts with Michael Buffer making the introductions. The tuxedo-clad Buffer holds the microphone
in one hand while the other arm is outstretched in a welcoming tone. Next, each boxer is shown with a
short animation sequence. The graphical quality of each boxer is unbelievable. Aside from the intricately
modeled faces, the trunks and costumes have eye-appealing colors and textures. Afro Thunder's huge 'fro
bounces around as he hops on the canvas, and Selene Strike gets a little jiggly (looks like Selene had a little
augmentation since the first title and earned the title a Teen rating). Once the boxers touch gloves, the fun
really begins.
Take Mama Tua for instance. She's a lean 400 pounds and is rather disgusting to look at. You get the
shivers looking at this mass of a woman wearing a top that shows just a little too much skin. It's actually
kind of gross. Whack her across the face or body and you can just feel the fat vibrate. Yuck. There's also
Robox Rese-4, a robot making his debut. His head is actually comprised of a punching bag that hangs from
some structure attached to his back. As you punch his head, it rattles back and forth like a speed punching
bag. The animation of the bag never skips a beat and makes the game a visual treat.
Presentation/Audio : 85
To compensate for the repetitive dialogue, R2R2 makes up for it with some great sounding punches. The
sound of glove contact is the best you'll hear in a boxing title. The air escaping the gloves is perfectly
sampled. Strong hits are usually accompanied by the groans of their victims. If you get knocked down
enough, you'll undoubtedly see the "dream sequence" knockdown. In this scenario, you see the referee
standing over you counting. The image is somewhat blurred and the speech slurred to give you the
impression of being punch drunk.
Interface/Options : 80
The available game modes include arcade, championship, team battle, and tournament modes. In the
arcade mode, you select one of the available boxers and battle to the top. You have three chances to defeat
each opponent on your way to the top. The tournament mode lets you set up a boxing tournament. While
R2R2 only supports two players at a time, this mode essentially allows up to 8 individuals to take turns and
play in a winner-takes-all tournament. In the team battle mode, you select a team of up to eight boxers and
face off against a human or computer controlled team. Finally, the championship mode sticks you at the
bottom of the ranks. In this mode, you have to train and box your way to the top.
Gameplay : 83
If playing against the computer, perceptive gamers will quickly latch on to the strategy of their AI
opponent. You can predict when an opponent will attack and have a counter-punch ready and waiting.
This is effective no matter the situation. If you are using a boxer with a short reach against one with a long
reach, you need to recognize your opponent's tendencies to win the match. You also need to learn the
counterattacks of the AI opponents. There are many punches available, and some of your punches leave
you wide open to a counterattack. To be successful you really have to understand both the offensive and
defensive natures of the boxers.
As you make significant contact, the health of the opponent diminishes. The amount of decrease is related
to the strength of the punch. A blue bar below each boxer's health meter shows the current strength of a
punch. As soon as a punch is thrown, the meter drops and refills based on the boxer's attributes. Should a
boxer's health meter drop to zero, he hits the canvas for the 10 count. The fight is over if either boxer is
knocked down a certain number of times or when the final bell chimes and a decision is made. If you
unload enough power punches during a fight, you start to spell out the word RUMBLE. Once spelled, you
can hit the R1 and R2 buttons simultaneously and enter the rumble mode. In this mode, your gloves
sparkle and you can throw some rapid fire shots across the bow. Or, you can wait and spell RUMBLE
twice or even three times. With each subsequent spelling, the barrage of hits is more damaging.
While simple in theory, the game grows difficult in practice. One of my complaints about the original
version of the game was its ease. Not so here. R2R2 plays tough, particularly as you close in on the top
boxer, Rumbleman. Rumbleman is one tough cookie who at times borders on a cheating little bugger.
He'll unleash a rapid fire succession of body punches that will leave your boxer gasping for air. You'll cry
foul as this unstoppable attack depletes your boxer's health. On the hard difficulty level, most of the
boxers offer a decent amount of challenge, and Rumbleman is next to impossible. You can beat him with
the right strategy, which I'll leave to you. Even on the medium difficulty level I was challenged somewhat,
particularly by Rumbleman.
Making it to the top occurs in either the arcade mode, where you can unlock additional boxers, or the
championship mode. In the latter mode, you select a boxer and aim for the top. A calendar shows potential
prize and title fights. The prize fights earn you cash, while the title fights line your pockets and move you
up through the ranks. Along the way you can train your boxer. Training can either be manually or
automatically performed. If performed manually, you have the potential for improving your attributes
faster. The training exercises range from Parappa the Rappa style aerobics training to the Whack-a-Mole
style Rumble Pad exercise. These mini-games are challenging, though some may easily bore. And once
you make it to the top once, you may wonder what incentive there is to try again.
Replay Value : 78
Overall : 84
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