$20 Game of the Week: Def Jam – Fight for New York (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox)

In late 2002, EA announced a 3-way partnership with developer Aki and hip hop label Def Jam.  The unlikely union resulted in 2003’s Def Jam Vendetta, a mix of wrestling and hip hop.  Although people were skeptical about the game at first, it became an instant hit when it was released.  However, a few things held it back from true greatness, mainly the lack of a create-a-character feature (something common place in most wrestling games) and the lack of play modes.  Enter Def Jam: FFNY which would rectify both of these situations.

The first major change FFNY took was to move the action outside the ring.  Now combat takes place in warehouses, basements, nightclubs, and other locations.  The environments are more interactive as well, with weapons, hazards, and even an unruly crowd to help you out.  The key to this game is to unlock a lot of fancy clothes and bling in order to get the crowd on your side.  At the start of the game, you create your wrestler using a police sketch artist.  It’s then up to you to reclaim New York by fighting the henchmen of a rival gang leader.  You can choose from 5 different fighting styles and dozens of unlockable super moves.  The cast of characters has been expanded in a big way, including lots of different characters from NORE to Slick Rick, and even actor Danny Trejo.  New match types include a steel cage, inferno, and a demolition match (where you slam your opponent into his car to damage it as much as possible).  Your character is upgradable, so of course the first few matches will be difficult.  When you are able to obtain some more style points, then you’ll grow stronger.

With the upcomming follow up Def Jam Icon discarding the wrestling engine altogether, now would be a good time to check out this game.  You know developer Aki from “WWF No Mercy” and “WCW/NWO Revenge”, so you already know about the quality of thier work.  The hip-hop music obviously isn’t for everyone, but for those who like good fighting games, you could do worse for a 20-spot.