Fight Night 2004 Review

By Kristan Reed Published 5 May, 2004

Were we punch drunk or knocked out by EA's latest fist at a boxing sim?

Version tested: PlayStation 2

It was obvious that the Knockout Kings series had run its course. EA had to draw a line under the title to totally reinvent it for a determined return to the ring, fighting fit and ready claim the crown back from Rage, which unexpectedly landed a killer blow to the chops with Rocky just before the Britsoft publisher's inevitable demise.

This not-entirely-unexpected comeback arrived last Friday under the snappier moniker of Fight Night 2004, although its presence was largely unheralded by EA's standards, it has to be said. Still, we were curious to find out how the world's biggest games publisher had overhauled its approach to the noble art of pugilism, and it's as glitzy and glamorous as you've come to expect from EA with a full suite of 32 licensed boxers across six weight divisions, complemented by real venues and a pumping Hip Hop soundtrack.

Final Fantasy Fight Night

'Fight Night 2004' Screenshot 1

Since it's an EA Sports title, the presentation is absolutely lavish, bordering on stunning. As ever, EA displays a clinical knack of leaving no stone unturned in providing the user with a marvellous entry point into the game, allowing you to jump straight into a bout between some of the greats of world boxing over the decades. Fancy a fantasy contest between Ali and Lewis? As ever, EA provides the source material, and you get to act out the scene, and it's this priceless ability to tap into people's imagination that EA does best with its licensing muscle.

Couple this with a contemporary soundtrack (Puff Daddy et al) certain to win over a large proportion of its audience and its uncanny ability to render the boxers with eery precision (for the most part) and you've effectively got a game that walks off the shelves before you've even played it. Is it any wonder at all that EA's games sell when it packs so much effort into the presentation side of things?

Even if you're not bothered by the licensed tricks, the comprehensive create-a-boxer tool allows you to tweak and tease the life out of your creation to the point where you could conceivably make it look like pretty much anyone if you spent enough time messing around with it. Attempting to make a ginger afro-ed approximation of one of my colleagues was almost more fun than the game itself. Kudos to EA for coming up with such a simple yet effective tool to allow the user to feel somehow more attached to the game.

Careering out of control

'Fight Night 2004' Screenshot 2

Away from the quick match options, the Career mode is undoubtedly where the meat of the game lies, and will be the place most users will get the majority of their enjoyment from Fight Night, unless you happen to have endless two player opportunities (with online play stripped from the PAL version for some arbitrary reason).

Everything in Fight Night is designed with fantastically good intentions. Case in point being the game's radically redesigned (and original) control system, which in theory seamlessly allows the boxer to bob and weave incoming punches (by holding down L1 and circling your body around with the left stick), while the right stick offers a slick (on paper) means for delivering punches. A right hook, for example is performed by hitting right on the stick, then moving it 45 degrees anticlockwise (mirrored for the left hook). A right jab is a simple diagonal up and right poke, while a right uppercut is a diagonally down and right motion, followed by an anticlockwise circular sweep.

It all sounds so logical on paper, and you can completely understand why EA did it. For a start it completely nullifies the whole tiresome button mashing frenzy that most beat 'em ups descend into and feels much more logical as a result.

Slugger

'Fight Night 2004' Screenshot 3

Sadly, as much as we wanted it to work, it just doesn't feel natural at all, and unlike most EA Sports titles feels like the sort of game you'd have to spend ages getting to grips with before you feel remotely at home with the concept. The chief reason it doesn't work is the punches rarely connect when you want them to, and more often than not your jabs appear well after you've moved the stick, or seemingly not at all, while even the most useless Rank 49 opponent seems like a prize fighter by comparison.

The lack of responsiveness makes no difference whether you're training up your rookie or engaging in a top ranked quick fight and quickly becomes a tiresome interface to battle against. The system does make for a jarring change, admittedly, and does slowly improve, but even after several hours it felt slow, sluggish and unsatisfying, and for a beat 'em up that's the last thing you want. It's possible that it's just one of those games that if you stick with, it all clicks eventually, but within the confines and limitations of a lengthy session of review time, it wasn't happening.

Going back to the old, logical, system of button presses thankfully is possible if you reconfigure the controls, but this isn't something the game readily points out. It's a system that is fundamentally not broken - sure it can lead to frenzied skill free button mashing, but skill wins out in these situations in our experience. The mashing effect doesn't really apply any less here - you're simply stick mashing instead, albeit with little to no benefit.

Try before you buy

As an exercise in providing an accurate representation of a boxing match, it's practically unmatched. Frenzied fighting will wear you down, the damage modelling is excellent, and everything to do with the training and career progression is carefully considered. It's almost as good a boxing game as you could wish for... apart from the default controls. With this in mind it's definitely a try before you buy.

Who knows, maybe you'll have a difference experience and get on with it, as some people obviously have, but in this reviewer's estimation, it's a system you'll want to admire but ultimately come away from feeling unsatisfied. Fight Night works well for the most part, but feels almost overly tactical even when a degree of control mastery is attained. At the very least a more responsive stick-based system would have been a plus. but as it stands it almost feels too much of a simulation at the expense of action - although doubtlessly some of you will admire that approach. In short, Fight Night is a heavyweight contender in so many ways, but ultimately has a glass chin in the controls department. Approach with care.

6 / 10

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Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Errol #1 8 years ago

    I would be interested to hear what other people think of the control system.

    A boxing game of this sort appeals to me, but not if the control system is completely dodgy.

  • krudster #2 8 years ago

    Some people are gonna defend it to the hilt, that's a given. It'd be easy for me to have droned on about how innovative it was, but it felt all wrong. Maybe I'm just crap at it, but having said that I loved Rocky, so go figure.

  • Errol #3 8 years ago

    Perhaps a rental title then ?

  • Vex #4 8 years ago

    Wow, in all the years I've been reading Eurogamer, this is only the second review I disagree with. Horses for courses or something.

    I have to say the stick was hard to get used to, and I still throw uppercuts instead of hooks from time to time. But I actually got to quite like it. You can feint and then throw a different punch very easily.

    There are also configuration options to change the control scheme to using buttons rather than the stick should people wish. You can't do proper feints like you can with the stick, but you can at least just mash buttons should you really want to.

    However, whenever I mashed the buttons or stick, I lost the fight. You really need to dodge or block, then counter. In that respect, I think EA have pulled this off quite well. It is more like a boxing match than a beat 'em up.

    This game is a long way from perfect, things like the training parts of the career game and the commentary for example. So I will not defend it to the hilt. But I did find it to be a lot of fun. There you go, thats preference for you, and my morning rant over and done with.
    Edited by 1 at 05/05/04 @ 10:53

  • krudster #5 8 years ago

    Definitely worth a rental.

  • Eighthours #6 8 years ago

    Delayed responses to control inputs? Expect the blurb to be "improved player response times (TM)" for Fight Night 2005....and then Fight Night 2006......by the time Fight Night 2007 comes along, the control response may be near-instantaneous.

    Ho ho ho (remembers PS1 incarnations of FIFA) .

  • spuncken #7 8 years ago

    What a crappy review! How much time did you guys spend playing this? 2 hours? Surely the new controls seem odd at first but after 5-6 matches you have to be pretty dumb not to get the hang of it. Besides like someone pointed out you can always change the configs if you prefer buttons. I for one think the new controls are brilliant. Itīs not a gimmick like off the ball in fifa04, this breathes new life in to the genre IMO. My hats off to EA.

    Still there are loads of things that are wrong with this game... Boring hip hop announcer ruins the presentation... useless and boring unlockables... What your corner tells you means nothing... All fighters need to be knocked down at least three times... as a heavyweight you begin your career fighting featherweights!

    But to find all those annoying things you need to actually play the game for more than a couple of hours which EG obviosly didnīt do.

    ps. I played the game on Xbox and never once experienced "delayed responses to control inputs"! Must be a PS2 thing.
    Edited by 1 at 05/05/04 @ 12:20

  • krudster #8 8 years ago

    I'm obviously dumb then, hey ho.

  • bluebird #9 8 years ago

    Krudster, some people here point out that the controls can be edited to use buttons instead. Does editing the controls solve or partially solve the problem you have with the game controls?

  • Juninho #10 8 years ago

    I agree pretty much with this review. I rented it at the weekend and, while I enjoyed it in the most part, didnt think it was that great.

    And the hip hop announcer is irritating as hell.

  • krudster #11 8 years ago

    It was played, I didn't get on with it, get over it. Eurogamer in difference of opinion with those that bought the game - Shock!

  • mustardkid #12 8 years ago

    .... another classic krudster euroflamer comments section - but who cares we are the champions!!!

    /yellow and green scarf

  • krudster #13 8 years ago

    /ah yes, Kick it off, throw it in, haaaaaave a little scrimmage, keep it low, splendid rush....braaaaavo win or die! On the ball City...never mind the danger, steady on, now's you chance, hurrah we've scored a goal! City! City! City!

  • Errol #14 8 years ago

    w1ll it h4v3 m0tOrb1ke5 ?

  • mingster #15 8 years ago

    Me an my mate rented this last night.
    We wanted to like it... we really did.
    We tried the control sticks.. then reverted back to using buttons instead.. At least you get an uppercut when you want one not a hook instead..
    The hip hop sound track we liked.. the commentator was naff.. 'tigger' he's called.
    We played it for a few hours and decided the game is just... meh.
    O well back to Rocky...
    verdict.. wait for Fight Night 2005 .. You knows it.

  • kincaide #16 8 years ago

    What happened to the online play?? This was going to be one of the main reasons I bought it.... is it really not there??

  • krudster #17 8 years ago

    It's really not there.

  • kincaide #18 8 years ago

    Well that shows you the version of the game other magazines where reviewing then...... not the retail copy - as usual

  • Khab #19 8 years ago

    Well, skal has been raving about this for a while now (expect a response from him when he gets home tonight. :) and while I've only playedf this briefly ('round an hour), I thought it worked very well. A bit cumbersome, but only you got into the rhythm it wasn't a problem. Certainly it's MUCH more realistic, IMHO.

  • Stevas mkII #20 8 years ago

    Was I the only person in the western hemisphere to not get on with Rocky? Believe me, I wanted to - you know? I mean, it... it was ROCKY. But I have now come to the conclusion that boxing just doesn't work as a videogame.
    I was almost tempted when I heard about the new control system for this.
    Almost.
    Two things put me off.
    Firstly, the word "hip".
    Secondly the word "hop."

  • WoodenSpoon #21 8 years ago

    I nominate Krudster to do the Driv3r review!

  • kincaide #22 8 years ago

    I still can't believe the online element was removed from the game - what excuse does EA have for this??

    I refuse to buy this game now on principle

  • krudster #23 8 years ago

    I nominate myself to do the Driv3r review, and I promise faithfully to have completed the game before I write a word about it, mmmkay?!

  • tiddles #24 8 years ago

    I'm with the tards on this one - the control system works really well and the game is fun.

    I've played it in multiplayer a fair bit, and it's got great pick-and-play value - any initial fumbling with the controls soon melts away, and it's a good laugh to play.

    In single player there's quite a steep learning curve, as "button" bashing will get you precisely nowhere... it only starts to click once you realise the importance of using counter punches (blocking, then timing a strike just after your opponent attempts to land a punch), and choosing the right moment to strike with a powerful blow instead of just raining them down indiscriminately. I'm no expert, but it feels more like the rhythm of real boxing than other games I've played, including the much-lauded Rocky (which personally I got pretty tired of quite quickly).

    I suspect it won't have much replay value in single player once you've beaten the championship, and it's a bit simplistic in some ways (no clinches for example), but they've attempted to do something new and basically carried it off. I imagine FN 2005 will take it forward and really refine what they've started.

    Fair enough if it didn't gel for you, Krudster, but review scores of 80%+ given by the usual respected sources would suggest you're in the minority.

  • krudster #25 8 years ago

    No one said it was a bad game, people. I just didn't *like* the control system ok, it wasn't for me. I stuck my neck out and said so. So, you disagree, good on you. Fair enough.

  • tiddles #26 8 years ago

    er, if you reread the review, you'll find it was changed to correct the mistake about not being able to redefine the buttons.

    TKO in the ninth to Krudster?

  • WoodenSpoon #27 8 years ago

    lol.

    I love how if they don't agree with a review they immediately take the piss out of the reviewer.

    Edit: 'can\'t be critical', if you did actually read the comments section you'll notice that some people have disagreed and that has been noted, and accepted.

    People are labelled tards when they say something like:

    "This review is a pile of shit, Kristan is gay because he is shit at games and can't review them!" (Or something like that)

    Just because they disagree with his point of view.
    Funny that, it is actually the reviewer that can't disagree with the retards.
    Edited by 1 at 05/05/04 @ 21:51

  • 3william56 #28 8 years ago

    Did you write the "Final Fantasy Fight Night" caption just to squeeze another ad-link into the article? Naughty.

    /waits for Activision to come out with a Chick BoXXXing, topless bounce-o-rama/

  • Clive_Dunn #29 8 years ago

    Sorry I have to agree with some of the other comments and say that this certainly isn't the strongest review I've seen EG put out.

    Personally I think that there is a difference between boxing games and fighting games, I never could stand the likes of Streetfighter or Tekken but I've loved boxing games all the way from Frank Bruno's Boxing on the spectrum through to Rocky on the Xbox.

    The control system on this is perfect for a boxing game, yes there is a small delay on throwing a punch. And dependant on which punch you throw the delay is more or less ( jab = quick, hook = slow, uppercut = very slow ).

    But this delay is what makes the game work, you go in throwing every punch you can with little thought and the AI will counter punch you to death. You wait for the AI to punch first and then try to counter it with a big uppercut = you miss and he'll counter punch you. In order to be successful you need to anticipate what the other boxer is going to do rather than just see it and react.

    Its this feeling that you are anticipating your opponent that makes this game ( imo ), last night I fought Evander Holyfield - start of round one and I start off with a jab, he counters with a straight but it misses as I've moved slightly. Holyfield moves in and aims for my body, straight to his head as he ducks in, evade his hook, throw uppercut and connect with the back of his head as he overbalances from missing the hook. Effectively a one punch finish caused by a combination of his momentum going one way and mine going the other. All of this probably took about 1.5 seconds, I never saw him throw the hook but the AI sometimes does in that situation.

    The game isn't perfect by a long way - the AI is poor at times, I've played for 15 hours won the championship, unlocked everything - what now ?, randomly generated boxers ( ie not Ali / Lewis etc ) are crap, no online you useless EA bastards.

    In my opinion obviously.

  • tiddles #30 8 years ago

    Bollocks to that, the music rocks - it's the announcer that's shit.

    Come on guys, surely it's not that hard to register... we need some respectability!

  • Cuchulainn #31 8 years ago

    Ok, I've seen this in too many other reviews on EG. All these unregistered people are missing the point of EG. The reason I love their reviews is not because they get it right on every review. Far from it - I own more than one title that they have apparently slated but which I have derived more than a few hours of fun. That is _not_ the poin of their reviews. This is a conservative site - they will not easily roll over and say that something is good. And there is the genius... If they say something isn't great then rent it - see for yourself. It could be that the reviewer didn't really like the genre and not just the game. Big deal - it happens. But, when they say that something is _good_ and worth spending my hard earned cash on then I'll listen. I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed when I bought a game on an EG recommendation. That's a hard reputation to keep and I respect them on it.....

  • i am tom #32 8 years ago

    "Stick a fork in it, it's done!"

    If you imagine the right analog to be the boxer's torso, the system seems a lot more logical. For an EA game there's some excellent innovations (esp. the 'detached retina' method of recovering from knockdowns, which is inspired!) and has certainly become a 'party game' favourite chez moi. The training is excellent - you actually hone your own skills rather than doing some arbitrary thing and increasing your stats - and my only gripes are to do with the time-consuming special punches that have caused me to lose the odd fight on two-player. fucking cheats.

    HOWEVER: I've had the pleasure of playing Mike Tyson's Heavyweight Boxing 2, which beats Fight Night 2004 like a red-headed stepchild.

  • leetheraj #33 8 years ago

    yo im new im ectox best m8 what up do u like o zone do any of us`e like kingdom of hearts no 2 is coming out