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News: Tom Morello stars in Guitar Hero III
Activision has announced that Tom Morello, from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, will guest star as a boss character in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Click here to read the article.
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Rocky
When you hear the name Rocky, what do you think? Well, to me the first thing that pops into my head is determination. We've all seen the Rocky films (if you haven't, do yourself a favor and rent them), and we all remember how he comes back from behind and wins the matches. So when Ubisoft announced that it would be publishing ROCKY, I was anxious to see how they would translate the emotions from the classic movies into a videogame. Well, fast forward to today and you can rest assured that ROCKY the game lives up to ROCKY the movies.
The controls in ROCKY are easy to learn but hard to master. Each boxer has over 40 punch combinations that will help defeat an opponent in no time. But these combinations take time to learn. They are pulled off by using the A, B, X, Y, Right Trigger, and Up. For example, uppercuts are done by holding down the "Right" trigger and pressing X or Y. But what about defense, you ask? Well, to dodge punches you hold down the Left Trigger and use the left thumbstick to move back, down, left, or right. There are over 30 boxers in the game which can be used in Exhibition Mode, not in Movie Mode, duh. You probably wont notice much difference between them. The 'top dogs' like Apollo Creed, however, will be more powerful and faster.
There are 4 modes in ROCKY. Movie mode has you fighting over 30 boxers including the main boxers from ROCKY I - ROCKY V. Exhibition is just a one time fight, choose a boxer and duke it out. Sparring mode is for practice, and once you finish Movie Mode, you will unlock Knockout Tournament. I won't spoil it for you here though.
The visuals in Rocky are nicely done, while not Dead or Alive 3 or Halo quality, they are still good. Character models are nicely done, each fighter looks different, each with their own style. As you progress through the game you will fight in many different arenas all of which are incredibly done. Lights flash and crowds cheer. The crowds are nicely done; by nicely done I mean enough to be qualified as a crowd. I know many developers dont really focus much on the crowds because they are just there for the overall feel of the game. I don't blame them, it's better to focus on the main characters if time is running out in the developement process.
Damage to a boxer is done nicely. After a beating, their face will be red with blood and cuts and bruises. Sweat will drip, black eyes will form, and TKO's will follow. This really adds to the overall ROCKY experience.
Now for the sound. This is where I was a bit dissapointed, not much, but still enough to wonder why. My first complaint is why do characters who are clearly different characters have the same voice. For example the trainers and referees. I was a bit annoyed when two different referees sounded exactly the same. That is about the only bad thing with the sound. Now the good stuff. The classic ROCKY song is in the game which really gives the game the finishing touch. Once you hear that song play, you'll be hooked! Although the main Rocky song is in the game, others are missing, which is a shame. During some of the cut-scenes, actual voice acting from the movies will play which is a nice treat along with new voice work by Stallone (Rocky) and Weathers (Apollo Creed).
Overall, Rocky is a great game that will make an awesome addition to any Xbox library. Definitely worth a purchase, and definitely worth the time and effort to master it. While not perfect, its the best boxing game I've ever played. Better than Knockout Kings. Go out and get yourself a copy.
Report Card:
Gameplay = 9
Graphics = 8.5
Audio = 8
Replay Value = 9
Overall: 8.5/10
Click here for the Rocky screenshots gallery!
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