Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 E3 2000 Impressions

Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 on the PlayStation 2 looks pretty nice. The version being shown on the show floor at E3 only has a handful of fighters in it, most of whom are returning characters such as Butcher Brown, Angel Rivera, and Afro Thunder. All the characters have been given an updated look - "Raging" Rivera now looks even meaner than before, and wears a championship belt around his waist. No word yet if the belt will change waists as the game progresses.

Graphically, the game looks more detailed than the original Dreamcast version of the game. The characters look more lifelike, and the motion is all expertly done. The gameplay is still in the works, so a lot of the various combos and special moves haven't been implemented yet.

In the secret (or not-so-secret, as the case may be) character department, Midway has included some real-life celebrities that you, well, wouldn't expect to see. The first is Shaquille O'Neal, who is the spokesman for Midway's basketball titles. His last fighting appearance was in Shaq-Fu, an absolutely terrible Genesis game from EA. The other hidden superstar is Michael Jackson. I guess his brief appearance in Space Channel 5 just wasn't enough exposure.

The game is currently scheduled to release simultaneously with the PlayStation 2, on October 26th.