UFC: Throwdown Preview

At the recently held Ultimate Fighting Championship: Worlds Collide on Pay-Per-View, Crave showed us the latest build of its upcoming no-holds-barred fighting game, UFC: Throwdown for the GameCube. Like the premises in previous Ultimate Fighting games, the one in this game is simple--enter the Octagon, make your opponent tap, or pummel him into submission. We had the opportunity to play the GameCube version of the game, and although it was still in the beta stages of development, we were able to get a good idea of how it was progressing.

The GameCube version of the game looked extremely slick, with smooth, detailed character models and very good fighter likenesses. The game features more realistic blood in the final versions of the game--blood that should actually smear across the mat instead of simply falling in red droplets. Blood is not, however, represented on the character models during a match. Also setting Throwdown apart from Tapout are the more heavily stylized post-fight replays. Motion blur is used to indicate a knockout, while a bright negative-flare effect is used to emphasize submissions.

Much of the suspense and excitement of the real-life Ultimate Fighting Championship events is built up during the flashy fighter entrances. In staying true to this part of the UFC experience, the game places an emphasis on accurate re-creations of the fighter entrance routines, including tale-of-the-tape comparisons, pyrotechnics, and Bruce Buffer's incomparable announcing. The fighter entrances that impressed us so much in the Xbox version of the game have even been improved for the GameCube version. Lighting and shadowing effects are emphasized, and atmospheric fog is implemented to add to the game's resemblance to the production values of the real-world UFC. Different camera angles and perspectives are used for the entrances, giving them a fresh look in comparison with those of the Xbox game.

From a gameplay perspective, UFC: Throwdown on the GameCube plays nearly identically to the previously released Ultimate Fighting Championship games. Four button controls allow for independent control of strikes, specifically right and left punches and kicks. Combinations of buttons let you home in on opponents, either for a tackle or slam of some sort. An alternate button combination lets you execute a countermove, which basically traps an opponent's arm or leg and slams him down with it, hopefully giving you the superior mounted position. There are variations of each move while executing front-, back-, and side steps, giving each fighter a wide assortment of tools to work with. Once the fight has been taken to the ground, fighters continue to beat up their opponent with punches or work toward a submission, which immediately ends a fight. Fighters can frequently reverse positions while on the ground, counter punches, and execute feints. The balanced mix of stand-up and ground fighting is what sets the UFC games apart from other traditional fighting games, and UFC: Throwdown doesn't deviate from what the series has already done.

There are a handful of different play modes in the UFC: Throwdown games, including the standard arcade mode, UFC mode, and a thoroughly revamped career mode. In the career mode, you can custom-build a fighter in much greater detail than in the previous UFC games. There's a wide selection of fighting styles to choose from, including jiujitsu, karate, boxing, and others that need to be unlocked through continued play and visits to different gyms. There's quite a bit of leeway as far as fighter appearances as well--you can choose from more faces and clothing types than you can in UFC: Tapout for the Xbox. Each fighter has attributes in a number of categories, including endurance, speed, and punching power. These attributes can be raised through training, jumping rope, hitting the heavy bag, and sparring. Each fighter begins with a basic repertoire of moves, which can be increased by completing certain preset challenges. An AI opponent faces off with you during these challenges, and by using a certain move exclusively or by knocking out the opponent with this move, it can be added to your list of available techniques. Thus, players will be able to learn a wide variety of techniques with their created characters, and of course, the higher-end moves will be more useful than the default ones.

To complement the UFC mode, a new legend mode has been added to UFC: Throwdown. Now, once you've won the UFC title in any of the weight classes, you can transfer your championship character to the legend mode, which allows for continued play and lets you defend the belt against all comers. The training mode has also returned from the original Dreamcast version of the game--here, you can practice your moves and learn the subtle nuances of each character's fighting style. There is also a customizable tournament mode, in which players can face off in a tiered format to see which fighter comes out on top.

One of the more exciting aspects of the UFC games is the accurate representation of real-world fighters and their techniques. The GameCube version of the game features other popular fighters, including Ricco Rodriguez, Dave Menne, Matt Serra, and Shonie Carter, as well as Carlos Newton and BJ Penn as playable characters. These new fighters, combined with the other competitors, including champions "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz, "Baby-Faced Assassin" Josh Barnett, and "Little Evil" Jens Pulver, give the game a sizeable roster.

UFC: Throwdown will be available in June for the GameCube. Check back with us for an additional look at this no-holds-barred game as it approaches its upcoming release.