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Fight Night 2004
by Jolex Del Pilar
Saturday, May 15 2004
The best boxing game available right now? Quite possibly.
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Title:
Fight Night 2004
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Platform:
PS2
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Publisher:
EA |
Developer:
EA Sports |
#
of Players: 1 - 2, online play |
Genre:
Sports
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Origin:
United States
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Expected
Release:
April 2004 |
Grapevine:
Fight Night 2004 is an amazingly deep boxing game, perhaps more so than Victorious Boxers which has held the "Boxing Game Extraordinaire" title for quite some time. |
Fight Night 2004 is EA's newest sports series of gaming. The Knockout Kings series, which debuted in 1999, was discontinued by EA in 2003 after disappointing iterations the past couple of years. Fight Night is the result, and the series is looking to bring back respectability to boxing gaming for the consoles.
Having been a boxing fan for the past 7 or 8 years, I know a little bit about the sport for which this game hopes to recreate. That being said, I was expecting a lot from EA.
One thing many people will notice off the back is the improvement in the visual quality of Fight Night over previous versions of Knockout Kings. The texture mapping is incredible, and details such as minior cuts, bruises, and sweat can be seen if you look carefully enough.
Another major improvement, and yes it is an improvement, is the control scheme in Fight Night 2004. Yes, it takes a bit from Empire's Victorious Boxers with the analog control, and free lean, but it also features something new which EA calls "Total Punch Control", pretty snazzy title if you ask me. Basically the analog controls the way your fighter blocks. A quick twitch of the stick, and your boxer can block either side of his face instantly. No more button pressing, just a slight movement of the analog stick. It does take a bit of getting used to, but after a few fights, it'll start to grow on you, and then you'll start to ask yourself how you ever lived without it. The punching can be handled in the same way to, with analog movement dictating how you throw a punch. To tell the truth though, I only used total punch control for blocking, and found that using the standard button pressing for punches fit more for my taste.
Perhaps the biggest improvement in the series is in the career mode for Fight Night. This time around you can have a fully featured career. You can bring your personal fighter up the ranks to the championship, earning lots of money (for new trunks, entrance music, and even tattoos), and breaking new records (such as least hit fighter of the year). The character creation system is especially deep this year featuring literally hundreds of combinations from cheek bone depth, head width, to body thickness. It's deep enough that most players will be able to create their favorite boxers likeness even if they weren't included in this year's roster.
Speaking of which, the roster this year features over 20 of the world's most famous champs, past champs, and prospects from five different weight classes. Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Lennox Lewis, and Marco Antonio Barrera are notable inclusions. Oscar Dela Hoya, and Mike Tyson are notable exclusions.
Fight Night 2004 is not without some faults however. First off, there is no clinching, which is an integral part of boxing. It's used to get a dizzy fighter out of a round, or to simply take a rest if a fighter is getting tired. It's exclusion in Fight Night is confusing at best.
Secondly, there isn't an option to take a knee in the middle of a bout if you're getting especially pounded. Fighters in real life often do this to avoid taking any more damage, and get a small rest to avoid being knocked out.
The next negative is more about personal taste than anything else. The whole game has a hip-hop theme in the soundtrack and overall presentation. The entrance songs are all rap songs from major recording artist. Even the in-ring action is voiced by a hip-hop personality (named Big Tigger). For those who want a more traditional voice doing the play-by-play, or more variety in the musical choice, too bad. You're only option will be to turn if off completely in the options. Another minor point is in the animations of the fighters.Though they have different stances ranging from quick boxer to power slugger, the way the boxers fling punches is the same no matter what stance you bring into the ring. More variation in the punching animations would've been welcome.
However, negatives aside, Fight Night 2004 is an amazingly deep boxing game, perhaps more so than Victorious Boxers which has held the "Boxing Game Extraordinaire" title for quite some time. Fight Night 2004 is another contender for that title, and in many people's minds they will see Fight Night as the undisputed champ. For now, I will appreciate the game for what it is; a great boxing game with some minor flaws. Can't wait until next year.
--- Jolex Del Pilar
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