| | | I got this because the GC version comes with a port of the Super Nintendo's "Super Punch Out!!" I liked "Mike Tyson's Punch Out" (yes, the pre-politically-corrected version) on NES, but I never played this one much, aside from maybe a few rounds with the arcade version. So kudos to Nintendo and EA for including a gorgeous port in FNR2, and it's right there on the main menu without anything needing to be unlocked. By the way, I've read that it isn't accessible if you're playing in a non-English language (well, French, anyway) in the European version, but if you switch your language selection to English, there it is. Weird, eh?
So, are we all talking English here? All right then. It seems like a super smooth port: no load times, no apparent slowdown, no standout graphic or sound problems (keep in mind that I'm not familiar with the SNES version though), and even the ability to configure your buttons and even, I think, save your progress or at least your scores.
I won't bother reviewing it much, 'cause you can find plenty of reviews of it around, but after very brief play, I rather like it. The sprites are gorgeous, the controls responsive, the sounds pretty well done for the hardware of the day, though maybe not as distinctive as the first game's. I wish that they had kept tiny little Little Mac as the protagonist, and pugilist so short that he had to hop to hit people in the head--it just looked like you were overcoming such odds out there, you know? Now you're some transparent buff guy with kinda freaky anime eyes. I'm not very good at it yet, well okay, I plain suck at it, but I'm getting better at reading the enemy patterns, and I can certainly say that it is fun to watch someone play it, with the big sprites bounding around and knocking the mouthpieces out of each other in various unique ways.
Man, Nintendo needs to get on doing more ports like this. Easy money, you'd think.
Oh, as for the actual Fight Night Round 2, I'm not yet a fan, and it's unlikely that I'll give it the chance. The dual analog control is interesting, and seems like it should work, but in practice (against an experienced human opponent, granted) I just seem to be flailing around. In particular I don't much like having to hold a shoulder button to block. Maybe there's a way to put that on auto, I don't know. And I don't know if stepping in with the left stick as you throw with the right would make a difference, but it seemed like it would be nice if the boxer could do that for you when you punch, instead of just standing there rooted to the spot like a post. Also, in general I'm really turned off by EA Sports' big violence/attitude trip: the music sucks, and announcers seem like bloodthirsty jerkoffs, and the blood-spewing slow-mo replays just hold no fascination for me. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a perfectly "good" game in its way, but it isn't my thing. |
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