Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2

Review

by Shawn Nicholls

Before the Game Boy Advance, inadequate colors, tiny graphics, and small screens have made playing any sort of sports game on a portable system frustrating. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 is a good start for the 32-bit handheld, as it combines vibrant colors, fun modes of play, and best of all, large and distinguishable characters.

Like most arcade-style games from Midway, this title adds new twists to the sport. The characters are flamboyant and distinctive, and they can "showboat" in front of their opponent to earn one of the letters used to spell the word R-U-M-B-L-E. While this is a neat feature, each fight ends up being a race to spell the word; the first boxer to activate a Rumble Flurry can easily knock an opponent out with the added strength, which is unfortunate.

All in all, gameplay is strong if not particularly deep. There is a little strategy involved, so button pushing won't always work. Each character has a unique special move that can be activated by pressing a specific sequence of buttons, similar to fighting games like Mortal Kombat. Of course, these moves are listed in the user's manual, so they aren't a mystery, which takes some of the fun out of it.

Perhaps the only downside to the controls, however, is that while boxers can move toward and away from their opponents, they can't move around the ring. Instead, when the up and down directions are pressed on the control pad, the camera swivels a little, changing the view. This is useless, and it would have been more enjoyable if the characters were able to run around the ring.

In terms of modes of play, the most creative is the Championship, where boxers fight opponents to move up in the rankings and then train during their off days. There is even a calendar that keeps track of the progress made. Training options include hitting the speed bag, lifting weights, and punching the heavy bag. Training achieves two purposes, both of which are important.

First, it gives players an opportunity to learn the controls and how to throw different combinations of punches. Second, it serves to increase stamina, strength, and the overall conditioning of the selected boxer. This is a great way to take a character and build him or her into a lean, mean fighting machine. Although it takes time (don't worry, progress can be saved using a password), it is fun to watch your character develop over time. The Arcade and Survival modes are nice diversions, especially for those looking to spend short periods of time with the game, but the Championship mode is by far the most entertaining and provides the most replay value.

The only problem with the game's presentation is that, while characters are larger than anything available on the Game Boy Color, they are somewhat out of proportion with the ring. Yet the speed of the game is excellent, the animation fluid, and even the training gym is well detailed. Sound is excellent overall, but the game could have benefited from more effects during the boxing match or more speech from the characters.

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 is an easy game to enjoy. While it isn't as challenging as more traditional sports titles, it is entertaining and the length of the Championship mode alone makes it a solid investment for any Game Boy Advance owner.