FNR4 - I have read so many player reviews here that PERFECTLY describe the issues with this game. Read here for another.
Choose a difficulty setting: Easy, Medium, Hard. Simple enough, right? Wrong moose-breath. They all play identical. Here's the way it goes. The first several fights are easily won by you. Then you find out that no matter how you train, or how successful you are at training, all of a sudden, you're fighting against Hercules proto-types (with speed). Everything you had success doing previously, is now rendered useless. No problem getting into the top 10 or 15 in ranking, but from there, the game-makers cheat....and that pisses me right off. IF I WANT MY BUTT KICKED, I should be able to select the hard difficulty and take my chances. IF I WANT A STIFF CHALLENGE, I should be able to select medium difficulty and do my best, IF I WANT TO CLIMB THE LADDER AND SOMEDAY WIN A TITLE, without excerting blood-sweat and tears to get there, the I select easy difficulty and have a blast enjoying the game at my own pace.
I have always thought game makers needed to make difficulty settings so that easy was easy and hard was hard. I want to be challenged by the computer A.I. with the difficulty I select. EASY DIFFICULTY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ramped up the further you go in the game. It's supposed to be easy until you're done playing. I actually found the hard setting almost easier, as I got a higher ranking quicker. The training was still utterly useless no matter when or how I did it.
There you have it....read the above mentioned reviews...and this review...and you have a total picture. The fighting and movement inside the ring is great...up until your ranked about #15. That's when your thumbs will surely blister and at least one controller will bite the dust.