By: ThQp Published: April 19, 2009 [Discuss Here]
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Ready 2 Rumble Revolution Release Date: March 17th, 2009 (North America), March 20th, 2009 (Europe), March 26th, 2009 (Australia) Available On: Wii Developer: AKI Corporation Publisher: Atari ESRB Rating: Teen - Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Tobacco Reference PEGI Rating: 12+ OFLC Rating: 12+ |
Intro:
Back when the Wii first launched in November of 2006, Nintendo enjoyed great success due to Wii Sports, a game that came with the system. Boxing was quite possible the most enjoyable mini-game Wii Sports had to offer. It felt very fluid and, for the most part, realistic as you swung your hands around, trying to hit another Mii. Here we are two and a half years later and Atari is trying to revive their classic Ready 2 Rumble series on Wii. Is it a true champion or is this series down for the count?
Gameplay & Controls:
What made Wii Sport boxing such a hit was the way Nintendo implemented the Wii motion controls. It is by the same technology that AKI destroyed any fun that could have existed within Ready 2 Rumble. Using a combination of the WiiMote and Nunchuk, you swing your arms in the hopes of landing a punch. This process seems very simple in the game's tutorial, where you are fighting against a dummy, but becomes much more complex by your first match. While jabbing and blocking are self-explanatory as far as motions go, uppercuts, hard jabs, swaying, and ducking are all difficult to master. The Wii has a hard time trying to determine exactly what the controllers are doing, this is extremely frustrating as many moves depend on having the controllers moving in specific directions. Couple this with moving around a ring that appears to be incredibly small and you have quite the challenge ahead of you.
Yes, the controls really are this painful
The main focus of Ready 2 Rumble is the championship game mode in which you rise through the ranks to become boxing's biggest star. You go through a match every couple of weeks and in between matches you are forced into going to various training routines. Each workout replicates what can be expected of a boxer - jumping rope, catching medicine balls, hitting punching bags, etc. but the Wii's inability to detect movements can slow the process to a stop. Increasing your character's different attributes is one of the harder tasks in the game, and without any improvement, there is no chance you can beat the AI.
Balance between player and AI is also a serious issue. Many times you can be in a match, landing many more punches than your opponent, yet you still take much more damage than he or she does. The AI seems to be tweaked to be given an advantage going into matches, one that is very difficult to overcome. I suggest going to quite a few training sessions before even considering your first match, no matter how boring that may be.
A limited number of game modes are available to play. These range from the aforementioned championship mode to an arcade mode, quick matches, and multiplayer matches. The arcade mode is simply a quick match against an AI opponent while quick matches themselves allow you to duke it out with your buddies. The multiplayer options are not online options; instead, they are expanded features for the quick match mode. In addition to these modes, the option to use the mini-games found in the championship mode are also available to allow you to fine-tune your move set.
These exercises are a perfect way to test one's patience.
A finer point of Ready 2 Rumble is the depth of the character creator. While it may receive little more than a glance, many options await for those with the patience to scroll through what seems like an infinite amount of customizations. For a game which seems to be lacking in all areas, this is a pleasant surprise.
Graphics:
To be blunt, this looks like it belongs on the Gamecube. While boxer models are well done, it is the big mistakes on smaller details that dampen the overall quality of the visuals. Texture issues become apparent as a pair of shorts can have greater detail than the look of the ring - this is not acceptable. Of the characters that help you throughout your quest for the championship, none of them look very impressive. Apart from this, background environments and dynamic effects are very choppy and look to be the products of aged, recycled technology. However, the animations which are given to the contestants in the ring, as well as a very excitable referee, are greatly appreciated.
"Syphon Cruel" makes an appearance.
Audio:
Bells ringing, punches landing, fighters grunting, and the referee's yelling all sound as realistic as they can be. While the soundtrack is a bit lacking, it does a good job, providing one or two catchy beats. Voice acting is very well done as Simon Cowell and Sylvester Stallone look-a-likes sound and act like their real life counterparts. I only wish voice work had replaced the repeatedly scrolling dialogue. The talented cast that was being used would have done a much better job compared to walls upon walls of text. Nevertheless, the audio department has something to be proud of in Ready 2 Rumble.
Conclusion:
After 10+ years, the Ready 2 Rumble series is wearing down. What was once one of the more dominant boxing games has now left a stale taste in my mouth due to awful controls and graphics that looked good seven years ago. If you can manage to work past the bad graphics, or even figure out a way to make your Wii respond to your movements, a decent boxing title may lie beneath. Unfortunately, however, it seems that might take a little too much tweaking to retain your warranty. In the coming years the Wii will see more and more boxing games, let's hope that Wii MotionPlus can help these, as it was definitely the missing component here.