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Sega Dreamcast Reviews Ready 2 Rumble Round Two The sport of boxing is commonly referred to as "the sweet science;" however, in my opinion, Ready 2 Rumble 2 is nothing but a child's vinegar and baking soda volcano. Yet that isn't to say such a thing is bad-quite the contrary, such as games as Sega's own Virtua Tennis have proved the stranglehold simplicity has over the market. Now Midway, the undisputed champion of arcade gaming has returned with a sequel to last year's mini-hit Ready 2 Rumble. Is it a resurrection of the wondrous Punch-Out!! Series of the 80's or just a rushed sequel to last year's mediocre title? I remember my anticipation of last year's R2R. It promised the return of a genre unheard of for the past five years with guaranteed mindless and captivating gameplay. My expectations were sky-high as I played it for the first time, and although it was oozing humor from every crevice of Afro Thunder's afro pick, much to my dismay, the game was mediocre at best. The game itself, although entertaining for about a week, quickly disintegrated into what turned out to be nothing more than a waste of 50 bucks. This was due in part to its shallow and repetitive gameplay. Upon making this revelation I quickly retreated back to my underground lair to await the return of the true boxing genre. Sadly though, it doesn't seem as though Ready 2 Rumble 2 will be that game. Incorporating only a few minute updates to last year's title (including an enhanced training mode and a slew of comical characters), R2R2 is nothing more than a rehash of last year -- silly for a few days, but tiresome after that. Nevertheless, that isn't to say the game itself is totally without redemption. Ready 2 Rumble 2 can still be a blast to play with friends [preferably while drunk] and it looks absolutely fabulous (cheers to Lulu Valentine). Heck, even the game's seemingly endless Championship Mode can be fun the first few times around, yet any more than that and you might as well be pronounced legally dead. The improvements, although few and far between, include updated animations and visuals (now every uppercut will leave you grasping for a neck brace), not to mention an updated Rumble feature. For those of you unfamiliar with last year's title, each time after landing a solid punch upon your opponent you are awarded a letter one at a time, eventually spelling out the word "rumble." Spelling out the word rumble will result in you being granted a temporary surge of energy, allowing you to repeatedly pound your opponent to a bloody pulp. This year there are three degrees or extents to this rumble "power"-spelling Rumble once will result in a power boost similar to last year. Spelling it twice will be an enhanced version of the prior form, and three rumbles allows you to uppercut your rival directly out of the ring. A nice touch indeed, but nothing groundbreaking. All of our "favorite" modes return [Arcade, Vs, etc.], including a deeper (which in Midway language means more repetition) Championship/Training mode. Rather than facing opponents in title/prize fights whenever you wish, bouts are planned for different dates, allowing you to train during the brief intervals between matches. Such training items include punching bags, weight training, and the Simon-esque aerobics course among others. Although the extra depth is appreciated, the training can grow to be excruciatingly difficult and/or tiresome. Still a nice diversion from Arcade and Vs modes, though. You may recall that sound in R2R was nothing to rave about, hold the exceptionally well done voice acting. R2R2 is no exception as fan favorites like Afro Thunder (or as I call him, "da doctah") and Raging Rivera make a return with voices that will force at least a few smirks from even the stingiest of gamers. And with new fighters like Shaq (which brings back far too many memories of the ill-fated Shaw-fu) and The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, expect to hear some rather strange shrieks of pain (Wooooo! Hee heee heeeeee) and some wacky taunts. Even the game's hideously catchy theme song makes its return with a slightly jazzed up background beat. Still nothing to rave about however, and is comparable to the rest of the game-downright average. The controls-what's there to complain about? They are simple enough for even a monkey to maneuver (Andy, I'm looking at you), using a system of one button commands. The analogue joystick is used to move your character about the ring (which is an improvement over last year-characters move much more smoothly and quickly) while the four main buttons are used for high, low, and medium punches. Even the R and L triggers, which were last year used solely for blocking, can also be used to lay the smackdown (did I just say that?) on opponents. Overall, if you are familiar last year's game, you have the basic idea. Artificial Intelligence has been shot up a few ranks in quality since last year, but not enough to make the game actually difficult. Computer opponents can still be taken out without very much skill involved whatsoever (I suppose that's why it is an arcade game, though) which can grow old exceedingly quickly. They do focus in on defense far more than last year which is a definite improvement, but there's still room left for amplification. Just don't be expecting any Ali-caliber Rope-A-Dope techniques. The visuals have been given a slight upgrade, although nothing breathtaking as compared to last year's title (which was still a nice looking game, like it or not). Ligaments and joints have been smoothed out tremendously and player animations are, dare I say it, impressive. The best way to get the most oomph out of R2R2's graphical prowess is to play from the first person viewpoint while still improved over last year's, is still not as favorable as the standard 3rd person angle. A nice looking game, but nothing to go gaga over. So it's got humor, mindless gameplay, and decent graphics-what more could you want? For R2R2 to have been closer to a knockout, a netplay mode would definitely have been nice. Midway definitely needs to spend more time at the drawing board to actually change the game a little bit more before releasing it. A more thought-out Championship mode would have been nice, and what about a create-a-player option? *sigh* We can always wait 'til next year. Until then-rent Ready 2 Rumble 2. Fans of the original may find something about it to enjoy [even though it IS practically the same game], but others should be careful when approaching. Better yet, spend the money on a mini-George Foreman Grill; the fat just slides right off! Graphics: 8.0/10 Soung: 8.2/10 Gameplay: 7.4/10 Replay: 6.8/10 Overall: 7.6/10 John Cochran |
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