Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution Preview

By Heather Bartron
January 12, 2009 15:20 PM PST
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Have beef with celebs? Look no further.

Boxing fans grab your gloves, the over-the-top Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution is sure to satisfy all of your sparring needs. Unlike your run of the mill boxing game, Revolution packs 18 whacky caricatures of celebrities spanning sports, movies, and music. One hilarious example is Dewie Streudel, the Baywatch version of the infamous David Hasselhoff, equipped with a life preserver and farmer's tan. Other notable characters include Hilarious D (Jack Black), Kaiser Kong (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and El Concertina (Antonio Banderas). Revolution is highly reminiscent of a cleaner version of Celebrity Deathmatch.

If you can't sing or dance...

The control system is what sets Revolution apart from its other Ready 2 Rumble predecessors. Like most Wii games, the controls are intuitive and easy to pick up so as to not deter newcomers. Dodging is one of the more useful skills to pick up and can be executed by moving both controllers in the same direction simultaneously. If you time your dodge just right you automatically counter your opponent and blast them with a well placed fist. The punches are basic and no harder to pull off than dodging and swaying. Each controller represents the corresponding arm of the boxer. Jabs are simple motions forward with either your right or left hand. Body shots are executed in the same manner with the addition of holding down the C button.

There is a small selection of other types of punches available to you, but what holds the real appeal is the activation of Rumble mode. You have a Rumble meter that fills up by taunting with the A button, or delivering a series of hard punches. When the "RUMBLE" meter is completely full you can press A at any time to activate the mode, then prepare to break open a Can of Whoop Ass on your opponent because your character's Rumble power doesn't last long. While holding down A and swinging away with the controllers you will do unique, powerful moves specific to your character. It is almost a guaranteed knock down if these moves are landed. If you are a true master of the combo you can even go as far as blasting the other player out of the ring, which is a form of Rumble K.O., and an instant win.

Rumble K.O.

"Yo Adrian, I did it!"

The Create a Boxer mode is pretty straight forward. One of the more notable features is the selection of creative call types such as Packing Beef, which prompts the announcer to tell the audience you went from "packing beef to packing punches" upon entering the ring. The nicknames are also worth mentioning as they are equally creative with choices such as Hammer Hands and Nasty Boy. The character you create is usable in all modes. If you don't spend enough time playing through the Championship mode to level up your boxer, I recommend sticking to one of the many hilarious default characters when taking a jab at Arcade mode.

Arcade mode is a never-ending battle up the celebrity food chain until you lose with the option to retry if you fail. Each match consists of 4 rounds until judgment if no K.O. occurs. Judgment is based off of overall percentages of stats such as damage taken, head shots, knockdowns, and judge points. This particular mode unlocks characters but isn't as rewarding as Championship mode.

Kaiser Kong celebrating a win.

Be Cool

You also have the option of receiving abuse on all ends in Mini Game mode if that's your cup of tea. This mode serves as practice for the training in Championship mode free of punishment if you fail to pass them. There is one mini game amongst the rest that isn't available anywhere else which is called Roadwork. This game has you jogging through the streets, receiving countless amounts of praise that must be matched with you waving the Wii-mote and nunchuk simultaneously in the right direction in order to let your fans know that you care.

Gettin' Stronger

Championship mode allows you build your career as a boxer and is by far the easiest mode to get lost in. It snowballs the other available modes together to create a weekly routine for your customized character. At the start of each week you begin with a mini game of your choice, each of which adds to your ever-growing stats. From there you can then decide to have your plump manager select a formidable opponent for you, partaking in special training, or go shopping for new gear. Winning a match arranged by your manager rewards you with one higher ranking--beginning at 30, and cash to make your character spiffy.

Dodging at the right moment stuns your opponent leaving them open for a counter attack.

Ready 2 Rumble Revolution could very well claim the title of being one of best arcade boxing games. One minor quibble is that the gameplay tends to get monotonous at times, but with a wide variety of gameplay options and a hilarious group of fighters, we'll be hoping for the best from R2R as the game gets closer to launch.