In EA’s inevitable attempt to continue to capitalize on their franchises, “Fight Night Round 4″ is ready to step into the ring, and build on the beloved franchise built by the new defunct EA Chicago. I have been waiting for this game since I first played “Fight Night Round 3,” and even though there was a lot of good in that game, the the career mode was absolutely horrible. So, after a few years of holding my breath, it’s finally time touch gloves, and come out swinging in “Fight Night Round 4.”

Boy was I stoked… like a kid in a candy store, I swear. But, with great expectations comes great let downs, and this is in no way a shot to the good people at EA who made this game happen. However, there are things that could have been done to make this game the best boxing video game ever created. Now, I’m not going to sit here and give you a full out review of the entire game piece by piece like some other generic sites do, but, what I will do, is give you key points to why this game to me is great, but unimpressive.

THE GOOD

One of the main complaints of “Fight Night Round 3″ was the lack of a working, interesting career mode. And, I’ll hand it to EA Sports, they really listened to a good amount of our wishes this time around. Starting out in the new Legacy mode, you can now import user created boxers (both local, and via Xbox Live/PSN), as well as un-include legends like Ali, Tyson etc. etc. This for me was a big problem in “Fight Night Round 3,” as I hated starting a career out and getting Joe Frazier as my rival. Knocking out Frazier four fights in row in the first round, does not make him my rival. It was also annoying that I had no control over whether or not I wanted the old timers in my career mode. So that is a great option this time around.

The customization in “Fight Night Round 4″ is terrific, for the most part, including unlockables like Tyson’s shirt towel to the ring, but there are a couple head cratchers (which I will address later). The AI in the game is pretty challenging, with the computer adapting pretty well to how you fight. In addition to that, there are sliders included; however the game is missing a slider for fatigue, which is curious.

Once in the ring, the commentary, headlined by Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas, is decent, but it gets repetitive very fast. If I have to hear “Greed is one of the seven deadly sins” one more time, I think I’m going to chuck my controller at some elderly woman. Then, out of the ring, the stat tracking is incredibly deep for you numbers junkies. In fact, you can even have the stats emailed to you after you’re done with the fight. Also included is the online championship belt, which includes three different divisions. The online matches seem rather smooth, with very little lag. Hopefully this is a feature that EA will build on for the inevitable release of “Fight Night Round 5.”

THE BAD

Let me start with the game’s customization: Thank you EA Sports for including a database of names that the announcer will say, but why didn’t you include the “Mayweather” or “Williams” as last names? Head scratcher. Ok so the announcer won’t say “Paul Williams,” fine; but why is the last name of Robinson not in the database, when you already have Sugar Ray Robinson? It doesn’t make any sense. Also, why are there so few hair choices? Where are the taunts? Where are the tattoos? More nicknames would be nice too. And maybe it’s just me, but the boxers bodies feel a bit disproportionate.

Glad to get that out….

When I first started my Welterweight Legacy with my character “Naymon GOLDEN Rogers”, I imported all my created boxers that didn’t make the game. Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Amir Khan, Paul Williams, etc., etc. However, after turning pro, there seems to be an import glitch which was evident when the Floyd Mayweather Jr. I created (who looked exactly like him), somehow took on the face of the heavyweight boxer I imported by the name of “David Haye.” That was a bit annoying. On cue, the David Haye looking Mayweather retired at the age of 32. What realism.

The interface in Legacy mode is a bit clunky as well. While the game provides good information about your fighter, and the goals needed to ascend the Pound 4 Pound rankings, it feels very cluttered and overwhelming at first. Hopefully, some dev work on the interface will make it easier on the eyes next time around.

At the end of every calendar year boxers in every weight class will be awarded things like Fighter of the Year, Defender of the Year, Fight of the Year, and Knockout of the Year. To put it simply, this is broken. I started out my Legacy with a 6-0 record for the first year, and and I received two nominations, neither of which were Prospect of the Year (apparently you need a 3-2 to do that). Both Fight of the Year nominations were strange, being that I was ranked 46 and 39 respectively for both fights. I don’t see how my six round knockout war with an opponent that was ranked 47th beat out Mayweather vs Margarito, but hey, whatever floats Legacy mode’s boat. This is something that hopefully gets addressed quickly via patch.

Another big hole in Legacy mode is the rankings. I’m glad they actually have a ranking system this time around, but this needs some patchwork as well. I received too many emails telling me there is an up and coming prospect, yet when I look at his stats, he is 10-13 with no knockouts. In fact, I saw this way too much for my liking on my rankings board. Almost everyone on there had losses in the double digits. I would think a 29th ranked fighter would not have a record like 20-22. It just didn’t seem to make sense.

Next up is the calendar used to schedule fights. It would be nice to get some advice from a trainer regarding when I should and shouldn’t fight. I am only ten fights into my pro career, but I found it odd that the most training sessions I could have before a fight was three. Hopefully this is just because I was ranked as a “prospect,” because if I am the champ, and I have a fight scheduled once every six months, I should be able to train more than three times between those fights.

Also, the created fighters still have a horrible fashion sense. I fought three guys in a row who were wearing red shoes and green and pink trunks. Hopefully it will just take a little time to go up against someone that can actually match their shorts and their shoes.

And then there’s the ring introductions … it would be nice to have an announcer who actually was enthusiastic about who he was introducing. I would even be happy to have EA turn up the announcer’s volume so I could clearly hear my nickname, and last name being announced. That would be a nice start.

Also, not to nitpick, but my created fighters name is “Naymon Rogers” yet it regularly appears as “N. Rogers.” This tiny little aspect of the game bothered me as I encountered a rather interesting feature. The day of my scheduled fight, I received a pop up message alerting me that the fighter I was scheduled to box had been injured, and he had been replaced with a new fighter named Maximillion Hall. First of all, I should be given an option on whether or not to take the fight. Second of all, I should at least get to see who I’m fighting (Ratings, Stats, etc.) before they throw me in the ring with an animal. Then, when he was introduced with a 30-3 record by the name of “M. Hall,” I had to try really hard to remember who I was fighting. EA sweat the details, please

Prior to “FNR4″’s release many fans made a huge outcry about Total Punch Control. I’m surprised EA was so heartless about their response, saying that the game is made how it is made, and people need to learn to use the controls. However, after constant petitioning, it has been said that button punching might be added later on via DLC. While I generally like T.P.C., it is a little flawed. There were too many times when I went to throw a hook and got a body shot instead. To add to that, they have taken the power out of the punching. If you do not know how to counter well or slip punches well, it is very hard to land what feels like solid punches. Most punches feel like your arms are wet noodles that barely hurt the other fighter. While this doesn’t reflect on screen with the damage delivered, you really don’t get the sense of heavy hands like you should in a boxing game. The knockdowns are also very ho-hum, and nothing too special. Most times it feels like I’m just pushing the opponent to the ground, and not knocking him out. There are times when I do see decent knockouts, but where are the DEVASTATION KNOCKOUTS I want to see? “UFC Unleashed 2009″ did them quite well – why can’t “Fight Night”? Maybe the presentation is the problem, and all it could really take is making the announcers get excited and scream “OOOOOOOH he goes down,” or something, instead of the bland, stern voice telling me “Down he goes”.

AND finally, during the fight, it is also hard to see face damage. The majority of my fights have been slugfest wars where I was wailing on the guy’s face, and he was wailing on me, and yet you can’t really tell that I was getting cut, or my face was swelling. Additionally, why does my created fighter start with cuts and swelling at 99? Hopefully as I age this stat decreases. Also, in between rounds, It would be nice to see the other fighter, to see how much damage I have done to him. Thus far, they have not shown me this. These are just some little tweaks that would have made the experience a little bit more realistic.

FINAL BELL

In closing, even though I’ve offered a good handful of issues I have with the game, “Fight Night Round 4″ is still the best boxing title ever created (short of “Victorious Boxers 2: Road to Glory”). Do not let my problems with the game stop you from adding this must-have game to your collection. The new physics engine works great; the new Legacy mode is deep, and is well worth the wait. I just want perfection, is that too much to ask?

[Rating: 4/5]
“Fight Night Round 4″ was developed by EA Canada, and published by EA, for release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version.

There were bundles of goodness at the EA event last week in New York City, and today we bring you one of those bundles – a first look at the re-vamped “Madden NFL 10″ for the Wii. This year’s version sports an all new visual style, differentiating the Wii version from it’s PS2 brethren of past years. It reminds me of the glory days of “NFL Blitz,” but this isn’t an arcade experience, as you get your full “Madden” simulation complete with a couple of distinct nuances that EA thinks will make this title a must have. EA is focusing a lot of their development on the Wii this year, and its looking like it’s well worth it. Check out this interview for what to expect.

Davedagamer checked out the newest Harry Potter game last week at EA’s preview event in NYC. He had a chance to see what the boy-wizard Harry Potter was up to in his latest movie and book based game, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” which is coming out for pretty much every system possible. Check out what Dave found out about the game from its lead designer, and what you can expect to do on this trip to Hogwarts, when the game is released at the end of June.

The fine folks over at IGN Nintendo managed to get an updated hands on with the new Dead Space incarnation for the Wii. I really enjoyed the original game on Xbox 360 and feel it is better than RE 5 in so many ways. The last time I gripped a controller with fright was in RE 4. The guys over at EA nailed everything that makes a horror game good. That’s why I am looking forward to this prequel of sorts for the Wii. And the fact that it’s an on rails shooter is something I don’t mind since the first game is still fresh on the market. From the video, one can definitely see that they have managed to some how pull of visuals almost close to what was on the Xbox and PS3 versions of Dead Space. That will make any fan of the game a happy camper. EA promises some new and interesting gameplay mechanics to add to the game to set it apart from the other version as well as retaining all that made the game good and scary. Either way, after seeing some new gameplay, I am pretty convinced this will be a good addition to what looks to become a very good franchise.

It’s been a long tradition that during times of economic hardship, the entertainment industry always booms. People need escapism, to be taken away from the perils of the real world. Technically the videogame industry is still riding high. So what gives?

Microsoft intends to lay off 8,000

Sony slashes 8,000 by 2010

EA laying of 1,000

Sega cutting it’s staff by 30

All these stories make you wonder, is anything safe anymore? With a new regime in the White House. There is hope for change. But in the mean time we may see the quality of titles suffering as developers are forced to produce more titles with less of a work force. We all know that means things will slip through the cracks. Let’s hope it’s not so

The fans, the ego’s, the dunks, the kicks! That’s right folks it’s basketball season and time to dribble it up on your home consoles. Find out the latest b-ball games and a ground breaking (literally) game Dropping This Week!
NBA 2K9

platform: XBOX360, PS3, PS2, PSP

release date: Tuesday, Oct. 7

With improved facial and skin textures, better uniforms,sick character movement and realistic crowd reactions NBA 2k9 is one ill showcase.And no slouch when it comes to gameplay. When it comes to showing your skills on the court you can’t go wrong with game. No if only those NBA live fans can see the light!…jus kidding. Make sure you check this out!

NBA Live 09

platform: XBOX360, Wii, PS3, PS2, PSP

release date: Tuesday, Oct. 7

Back on the scene crispy and clean is EA’s latest in the Live series. With new features like Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers plus the NBA Academy which gives you a chance to hone your skills. You can’t go wrong with this entry. And if you want to ball with your firends, take your game online  with 5 vs.5 team play, where you and 9 other people can play together on 10 different consoles from all over the world. And remember…EA sports…it’s in the game!

Fracture

platform: XBOX360, PS3

release date: Tuesday, Oct. 7

Get ready to shake things up literally! In Lucas Arts newest non StarWars game, you take the role of a super solider who has one of the illest weapons at his disposal. A gun that can deform the terrain at will. Point this bad boy at the ground and shoot and watch as the ground jets up from below destroying anything in it’s path. Need cover from enemy fire? Simply blast the ground to form a makeshift shield. It’s techniques like that that’ll help you survive in the futuristic battlefields of Fracture. And hey who doesn’t like causing alittle ruckus every now and then!

You know them, and you love them, even if you don’t like boxing, arcade boxing games. Titles like “Punch-Out!!,” “Ready to Rumble” bubble very quickly to the top of the list of the greatest boxing games of all time, rising above many, much more advanced and realistic fighting games. It’s a tough genre for games to break into and in comparison to those games “FaceBreaker” does fall short, but that’s because everyone’s expectations were so high, but that doesn’t make it a bad game.

At a very basic level, “FaceBreaker” is a fun game, as long as you’re up for the challenge. It’s definitely not a sim, like the “Fight Night” series, but it’s a lot more challenging than other arcade boxers. Even on easy, it’s going to take a lot of practice just to get past your first opponent. The game forces you to master not only the offensive techniques, but also the much more important defensive techniques – dodging and parring are supremely important in “FaceBreaker” if you want to make it anywhere. Needless to say, when playing against the computer, “FaceBreaker” is brutal unless you know what you’re doing, it’s not a pick up and play game. However, if you’re looking to mangle your best friend’s face, that’s a whole different story.

“FaceBreaker” may be one of the best party games to come out this year if you’re looking for something to play with a bunch of your friends that isn’t a mini-game compilation. It’s casual enough for all your buddies to enjoy, but not so casual that you feel like it’s too dumb or easy to play to the point where you feel like it’s a waste of time. There is even a built in local tournament mode set up for more than just two people so that everyone can be a part of the fun. Besides, it’s boxing, everyone likes to beat the snot out of their friends… virtually at least.

What would an arcade boxer be without a cast of adorable and amusing stereotypes? “FaceBreaker” does a great job of including characters that everyone can associate with. There’s Steve, the nerdy ninja, and Socks the insane asylum patient, and there’s even a character who has to be based on Samuel L. Jackson, because Ice is so damn smooth. Each character has their own special attack that will stun their opponents, but they all appear to be evenly matched in all other categories. Some of the big guys hit harder than the little ladies, but if your fingers are fast enough, you won’t see too much of a noticeable difference in terms of speed and stamina. Maybe that’s asking too much from an arcade boxer?

The controls are basic, yet complex at the same time – high punch, low punch, and haymaker are all where you’d expect them to be on the face keys, but it gets a little complicated when it comes to the blocking, which resides on the on the “R” buttons. Holding the “R” buttons in combinations with the face buttons are what make up your defensive strategy, and that’s where it starts to get a little shaky since the timing of your blocks and parry’s need to be dead on. It all really comes back to the games difficulty, and “FaveBreaker” was a little more forgiving, you might get your face broken a little less.

It’s EA’s own fault that “FaceBreaker” has been doing poorly in the reviews. They’ve ventured into hallowed ground releasing an arcade boxing game. It’s a genre of games that hasn’t had an exceptional number of releases, and the ones that have come out have been, for the most part, amazing games that gamers hold near and dear to their hearts, and that’s dangerous territory to go into with a game that doesn’t live up to its predecessors. In EA’s defense, they don’t gamble too much, and “FaceBreaker” was a gamble. The thing is; if you think back, how many times did you have to play “Punch-Out” before you were able to beat Great Tiger, and then, when you did, how good did it make you feel? So, EA may have tried a little too hard to evoke that nostalgia, but, “FaceBreaker” isn’t a really bad effort at all. Generally, Electronic Arts gets something that works and stick with it, for a very, very long time, but here’s an all new arcade boxing game, from a company that has a great reputation for sports titles, and this one may not live up to it, but it is still worth some time, particularly if you have some friends coming over, as long as you don’t mind getting punched in the face repeatedly. If they had notched down the difficulty then maybe this game would be a must buy, but for now, “FaceBreaker” gets a 3.5 out of 5

-2.0

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is set in August 2010. The story follows the player’s hunt for Ramon Solano, a druglord who contracted the player’s mercenary for a job then subsequently refused to pay and tried to kill him/her. Following a militaristic coup, Solano becomes the dictator of Venezuela. He uses his position to seize control of the country’s oil supply, resulting in an international incident and distress among OPEC (in the game the oil company excavating in the region is called Universal Petroleum). Alongside Solano’s Rebel Forces, a large portion of the Venezuelan army fiercely support the dictator’s cause. The other rebel forces, in opposition to Solano, have risen under the name of the PLAV–the People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela. Soon, numerous other factions join the fight for control of Venezuela’s oil. Among them: The massive Universal Petroleum Corporation and its private military; the Rastafarian Pirates (the equivalent of the Russian Mafia from the original Mercenaries game); China’s PLA; and the AN (Allied Nations–a less controversial pun on the UN). These six forces will inevitably form the backbone of a war to determine the fate of the country’s oil supply.

Betrayed, the player’s mercenary will ally him/herself with any of the other factions to get even with Solano, and make some money along the way.

That’s right folks. Madden 09′ is out. EA wastes no time in putting up the new cover for Download. Now only if I can find a high end printer and just the right paper! I personally believe EA should send a free version to users that request it on the site. But for now this will have to do!

BET takes you through the history of Madden covers right here! 

To download your new Madden 09′ cover click this link
DaveDaGamer Out!

From the creators that brought you the famous Fight Night series comes their next installment to the boxing genre. When you see this game for the first time the first thing that comes to mind is Ready 2 Rumble we all remember that joint during the Dreamcast era who could forget Afro Thunder break dance before the round begun. 

This game looks to take us back to the comical side of boxing what with animated characters and silly facial expressions once you rock your opponent smack dead in the jaw. Nothing is more pleasing than seeing your victim fly off their feet and land on the other side of the ring. Another feature that’s phat about this title is the ability to map real faces to a custom character in the game. This is done by using the Xbox live vision camera and the Playstation Eye.

Why map your face to a boxer in game you maybe thinking no one wants to see themselves F’ed up right, well how about this instead. Ever had that annoying friend that gets on your nerves why not fool him or her into taking a pic with the xbox or ps cam. Later you can make the whackiest character and put their ugly mug on it and well you get the picture. Peep this trailer below to get a feel of the control system and if your a xbox 360 or PS3 owner the demo is up to download.    

-Furiouslee