Support NeoGAF

[DMczaf]

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/579/579175p1.html

Video:

http://media.xbox.ign.com/media/718/718414/vids_1.html

Another big addition this year is the implementation of a much more flexible "Create-A-Champ" feature. Instead of using slider bars or a limited interpretation of Tiger Woods' Gameface stuff, Fight Night Round 2 offers full morphing technology. Craniums, foreheads, eye positions, eye shapes, nose bridges, nose tops, mouths, lips, cheeks, chins, ears, jaws, and a myriad of other important features can all be stretched and skewed to extreme proportions. The development team at EA Chicago claims that you could literally make anyone you want with this system, and based on what we've seen of it so far, we're inclined to believe them. Of particular note are the fat and muscle manipulators that allow you make a giant tubby warrior or a miniscule mini-man. It's pretty cool.

Speaking of changes to the physique, your career is no longer 40 mirror images fights one after another. In Fight Night Round 2, your training affects the look of your fighter. Train too little before a big fight, and you'll lose some of your tone and definition -- possibly even becoming fat. But train too much, and you become a giant hulking beast that can hit incredibly hard but lacks the speed he might need against the smaller guys. Throw in the ability to switch weight divisions (a feature that may not make it in the final version) and an age-system that affects the look, weight, and abilities of your fighter, and the new direction already sounds a lot better than last years. Too bad we didn't get the chance to play it at length.

Knockdowns are far less frequent for well-trained fighters as the impact of each blow has been adjusted to far more realistic levels. Pulling off combos with the analog stick is much easier than they were before, too. In fact, the combo system is one of the most significant improvements, as players will no longer have to go through full motions to execute specific punch combos. Now, certain combinations are treated like a traditional fighting game so that the game allows you to buffer your next punch with half-movements into your follow-up. This allows players to throw combinations much more quickly with the analog stick, and it also enabled the team to set the groundwork for something more important -- an advantage for skilled players.

More specifically, button mashers no longer have an advantage over stick users. Veterans of last year's game may remember that when playing another person, that those who used face buttons instead of the analog stick could whip out combos much faster than they could. That's not the case anymore. Sure the face buttons can still be used, but now it's just for beginners. The fastest most effective combos can now only be performed with the analog stick, accomplishing things that the buttons simply can't do.

Perhaps the coolest new feature this year, however, is the all-new cutman mini-game that takes place between rounds. Players will actually have control over their corner's in-swell and cotton swab to stop bleeding, heal bruises, and keep your fighter healthier. They'll need to do so too, because in a move that we absolutely begged for last year, fights can now be stopped if you take too many unanswered punches, suffer too much facial damage, or can't mount a proper defense. It's all incredibly realistic, and quite frankly, very badass.

 

[TheTurtleTitan]

Looks great.

 

[explodet]

Sweat-spray processing!

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

That one should've been a Greatest Hits/Platinum cover for the first game.

 

[Rorschach]

The video looks like more of the same.

More specifically, button mashers no longer have an advantage over stick users. Veterans of last year's game may remember that when playing another person, that those who used face buttons instead of the analog stick could whip out combos much faster than they could. That's not the case anymore. Sure the face buttons can still be used, but now it's just for beginners. The fastest most effective combos can now only be performed with the analog stick, accomplishing things that the buttons simply can't do.

w00t!

 

[Salmon]

Now, show me the Super Punch-Out Game FFS!
Kinda fun to have an unlockable classic in this game, that beats the crap outta Fight Night game itself :lol

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Re: Punch-Out, I would've asked this in the other thread, but it imploded. We've previously seen NES and N64 emulators in action, but will this be the first use of an SNES emulator?

 

[sunshine buddy]

sounds like everything i'd asked for after playing the first game... except i want a bigger entourage. =) well, i do understand the technical limits... it sounds like a great improvement over the 1st game, can't wait.

 

[KiNeSiS]

Now, show me the Super Punch-Out Game FFS!
Kinda fun to have an unlockable classic in this game, that beats the crap outta Fight Night game itself :lol

You ignorant fuck Fight Night is the best boxing game ever period.
If this one shits on the prior title like it looks like it will.
Then get fucked by steel!

Troll else where!

DIE!

Your stupidity will cause you to spend 50 dollars to get a game you can get for five and over look the superior main purchase!

PS. Mad props goin out to DMczaf for staying on top of this title.

 

[FightyF]

Like everyone, I'm looking forward to this one...

...but I have to make a somewhat unrelated comment...it's amazing how EA (or rather the very team developing this game) is doing a great job of improving this series.

Take a look at the feature-list...for most EA sports games, that means years upon years of additions and improvements. This game looks to squash the last one in every category, and it's only the next iteration in the series.

Gotta give EA credit for this one...

 

[KiNeSiS]

I'm tippin my hat to them for making button mashers suffer this time around!
This game could use a lot more boxers.
I hope career mode doesn't have all horrible looking create a boxers.
It would be cool if they added real journeymen to the fight night francise.
Can't wait for this game!
I may stick with the PS2 version just because the controls were made with that pad in mind.

 

[Salmon]

You ignorant fuck Fight Night is the best boxing game ever period.

Well, It´s EA! The same game over and over again. Like the EDGE magazine, that refuses to review any EA sport game, cause they´re all the same, year after year.

The Punch-Out games are classics, but this is just one more mainstream game like all the others from EA.

I don´t like this new collaboration between Nintendo and EA. Punch-Out should be handeled with respect, and not thrown into some every-year-same-same-game!

Nintendo is fighting for their life to try to keep up with both the fans and some market share, but with this kinda shit...hmmm well...I´ll pass this and close my eyes.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i never had any problems beating mashers with total punch control... neither did my good friend or brother...

oh yeah, wonder if they'll have glen johnson!

i know my friend will buy the game immediately if da rude bwoy inna de game

 

[sefskillz]

i never had any problems beating mashers with total punch control... neither did my good friend or brother...

eh, spare me. a good analog player can still take down a bad/decent masher. it's just an advantage, not an invincibility technique.

 

[KiNeSiS]

i never had any problems beating mashers with total punch control... neither did my good friend or brother...

oh yeah, wonder if they'll have glen johnson!

i know my friend will buy the game immediately if da rude bwoy inna de game

Well I do agree that a lot of EA games have minimal to no change.
The game play on the first fight night was astounding.
All reports indicate that this one will blow the first rendition out of it's skull!!!
I challenge you to at least rent it for the cube to see what I'm talking about.

I'm the biggest Punchout!! mark that I know.
This is the most fun I had with a boxing game since punchout!!

 

[Cain]

Sounds awesome. The button mashing fix sounds good, too. I can't think of how often my friends and I would screw up fights by repeatedly hitting the haymaker button. Sure, it wasn't too often that they actually would hit, but when they did, it would often swing the fight into the other person's favour.

 

[BlackClouds]

Didn't have fun at all with the first Fight Night, but it seems EA has taken into account nearly everything I disliked about the game, and improved on it. Haven't seen anything that talks about height and reach, and how that will effect things more. Height of a boxer didn't seem to matter last time.

Edit: That trailer is silly as fuck, not sure why I bother, but I'm starving for a decent boxing game.

 

[Azih]

How's the commentary?

 

[DaCocoBrova]

The fastest most effective combos can now only be performed with the analog stick, accomplishing things that the buttons simply can't do.

I don't like that at all.

 

[Revolver]

I've really been looking forward to this game. Fight Night and NBA Street V.3 are among my most anticipated games right now.