Election season has passed and we’ve elected a new president. To commemorate this occasion, this week’s $20 GOTW focuses on a contest, which, just like politics can get brutal and leave a lasting effect on its participants. This week’s lost classic represents a bold change in the formula of a well known classic shooter franchise. So head on in and celebrate the end of this historic election season.

$20 Game of the Week: Fight Night Round 3 (Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP)
Along with Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter and Elder Scrolls Oblivion, Fight Night Round 3 bought an end to the “Xbox 1.5” giggling from Nintendo and Sony fanboys. While games such as Dead or Alive 4 and Perfect Dark Zero looked nice, none of the early lineup for the Xbox 360 managed to properly showcase what the system was for. When Fight Night Round 3 was released, not only did the Xbox 360 have a vehicle with which it could show off its graphical power, but the graphics played an integral part of the gameplay. By the way, the game didn’t do too badly either when it hit the PS3 later in the year. In fact, it even included a first-person boxing mode.

Fight Night’s analog-stick punching control has always placed it ahead of its class, even in the last generation installments. However, this time around, the graphical detail is so precise that instead of using an HUD, You can now judge the shape you and your opponent are in simply by paying attention to visual cues. You’ll have to pay closely to his posture, his movements, his facial injuries, and the speed of his punches to tell how close he is to hitting the map. It takes a while to get used to, but once you get some practice in, it will feel natural, and make the gameplay even more realistic and satisfying. The puching itself has a few new features. Impact punches have been added to the mix, and being hit by one opens up a first person minigame where you have to dodge your opponents blows least you get knocked out. You have your choice of many boxers, from current superstars such as Benard Hopkins and Roy Jones jr to legends such as Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Of course, if none of the vast selection strikes your fancy, then you can create your own pugilist and take him through the game’s career mode.

Speaking of career mode, this is the game’s only major low point. It’s dull and boring. All you are doing is training, signing matches, and earning money to buy new clothes for your boxer. In fact, the same training minigames from last year have been included. The mode tries to mix things up a bit by introducing rivalries, but even this doesn’t make the career mode any more exciting. Thankfully, the ESPN rivalry mode lets you relive great boxing feuds from the past, such as Ali vs Fraiser. Some of the older fights are even in black and white!

Fight Night Round 3 is another great installment of what is perhaps the greatest boxing series since Punch Out on the NES. Unfortunantely Kudo has been removed from EA due to the failure of Def Jam Icon. There will still be a Fight Night Round 4, but it remains to be seen if it will be as good as this entry.

Lost Classics: Life Force (NES)
I think I speak for the entire community when I say the following: WHY THE HECK HAS KONAMI NOT RELEASED ANOTHER 2-PLAYER CO-OP GRADIUS GAME? Life Force is a Gradius spin-off which borrows liberally from another Gradius spin-off, the arcade release Salamander. Taking control of the Vic Viper (and the Lord British if playing 2-player co-op), you make your way through the insides of a giant alien lifeform which has been infected by a virus. The game contains six stages, and some of the stages are vertical scrolling. This is classic Gradius at its best, and this time you can bring a friend along for the ride. Hopefully this should show up on Virtual Console sometime in the future.

Possibly Related Posts

No related posts.