Fight Night Round 3 Review (PSP) By ganj17

9 / 10
13 Apr 2006 at 16:48

Review by: ganj17

Fight Night Round 3 - Sony PSP

The 3rd installment of this amazing boxing sim certainly dominates in the 3rd round. Whats better is we can enjoy this in on our shiny new PSP's.

I'd been a fan the EA boxing range since the days of knockout kings so i did get seduced by the option to purchase a few months early from the US. Best move i've made in a long time.

Once the game arrived, i decided to dive straight in at the deep end, career mode. After fashioning a boxing that only just resembled me i took to the ring in my first, 4 round, amateur bout. The first thing to wow me was just how graphically stunning this game is. I'd only stopped with Fight Night 2 on the PS2 and it seemed like a successful transition. The bell rings and you step forward, immediately trynig to pick up the controls, thank god its the usual L + Analog for defensive movement. Up went the guard as i gingerly tried a few jabs, pretty successful. The controls seem to be identical to those of 'Config 3' on the playstation. You basically use the standard buttons, triangel and square for jabs, x and circle for the hooks.

One probem, i miss my 'total punch control' the new system introduced in fight night 2004. I was on my own to figure out upper cuts and haymakers. Both eventually came. A two button combo for the 'cut and a lean/punch manouver for the haymaker. So all in all pretty happy with the controls. The learning curve is approx 20-30 mins for veterans of the series but i imagine an hour would cover anyone new to the franchise.

First fight down and i was relatively happy, a 4th round points descision victory. The money wasn't very satisfying but hey, we've gotta start somewhere.

A few relatively simple bouts later and you get a shot at the amateur title. Again not too challenging but all part of the game development. The final bell rings, and you're thrown into the professional ranks. Rock bottom in the EA table at number 50. Immediately, one thing you notice is the lack of 'real' challengers in the league. I wouldn't have minded squaring up with the likes of Hatton or De Le Hoya. I guess thats why god invented quick match! So, back to the league of nobodies. The rounds now increase, you no longer have the safety of 4 rounds or the safety of your headgear. Off it comes, and in comes your trainer and cutman.

The trainer holds no real purpose, it determines wether you lose or gain stats on the automated training. In the long run, a nice expensive one would help but wait until your earning a few hundred thousand. The cutman, such a genious invention. At the end of each round you take the role of the cutman, tending to your boxers cuts and swelling. Some rounds you'll be done in seconds and laugh out the remaining time limit at your oppononts poor handywork. However, some rounds you aint laughin' you don't have time to laugh. There's blood all over the cheek, both eyes are heavily swollen and your in for an intense 30 seconds of swinging on your analog stick trying to make your fighter look half decent or a least giving him a chance in the next round.

While were on health, the boxers stamina can be so annoying but is very true to life. Over punch in the early rounds and unless you do some damage, you've got no chance later on.

So, were happy with the gameplay and you're now off to win as many titles as you can fit round your waist.

Here come the complaints! Okay, i may sound very picky here and you can argue that yes it is a port but i miss the training mini games. Its all up to chance wether you gain bulk or speed. Buying a nice shiny pair of gloves will help increase your stats, but you still don't really feel in control.

Second up, and this is a pretty much pathetic complaint, the fact you can't fit 9 letters on your waist name band, or even in the name input. It ended in me debating which letter of my last name was inportant. We settled on Nichlson.

Apart from that we have an amazing port of an already amazing game. The graphics are gorgeous and the sound, stunning. The entrances are spot on and game physics are imressive to say the least.

Just watch the clock though, Now its on PSP i've found myself in the 10th round at gone 3am. Not healthy guys!

9/10 - Excellent

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