UFC Undisputed 2010 vs 2009

Written by Matt Swider  on May 14, 2010

Hands-on Preview: It features the WFA, an old UFC rival organization, as the amateur circuit. Fitting.

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More from UFC Undisputed 2010 Week:
Monday: Full Roster | Tuesday: Trailers on 1 Page | Wednesday: Video Interview | Thursday: UFC Quiz | Friday: UFC 2009 vs 2010

You may think that there's little an MMA video game can add to warrant a back-to-back purchase, but after having played UFC Undisputed 2010, I can tell you that going back to 2009's version is tantamount to UFC's most painful submission move. With a richer, more authentic PPV presentation and numerous choices, you'll enter the octagon impressed. With faster gameplay, improved ground combat controls and host of new disciplines and moves, you'll exit, hopefully as a champion, satisfied.

Here are some of the reasons we thought that UFC 2009 was so last year:

New Disciplines, Faster Gameplay
By popping in the disc of 2010 and replacing 2009, you'll learn three new disciplines in an instant, almost as fast as Neo from The Matrix proclaimed, УI know Kung-Fu.Ф Sambo, Karate, and Greco-Roman Wrestling join the previous game's six: Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Wrestling.

Having nine fighting styles at your disposal isn't what changes the gameplay the most, however. The bumped up speed in which these moves are pulled off really brings the sense of non-stop combat to the octagon. There's no awkward stuttering between move animations, as everything moves fluidly like an actual UFC fight at its best. I didn't see the speed right away when I began as an amateur fighter in career mode, where fights start off a bit slower. But, as you move up in the ranks, or sneak off to try an exhibition match, you can really feel the intensity that wasn't there in 2009.

Sway and Lean join Block, Grapple goes Analog
In addition to new and faster attack moves, defense is now a Уmain eventФ since the game allows for sways and leans, not just standard-fare, gloves-against-your-face blocks. This much-needed evasion maneuver delivers both head movement and full upper body dodging, so the game's defense not only looks more authentic, but makes the gameplay much more practical.

Anyone can kick and punch, but the ground game is where champions earn belts. Instead of mashing buttons after pinning an opponent to the octagon mat, the 2010 version uses the analog stick. Experienced UFC gamers will be taken aback at first because this is new territory, so the grapple section of the training mode shouldn't be skipped even if you've played last year's game. In the end, like EA's NHL series, using the analog sticks for precise movement rather than hitting a bunch of face buttons brings a little more realism to this real (not WWE pretend) fighting game.


PPV Presentation, Deeper Career Mode and WFA FTW
Developer Yuke's put some overtime into UFC Undisputed 2010's presentation, as a lot of little improvements add up to a fleshed out pay-per-view event. The previous game's announcers, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, not only take to the mic again, but also appear in the game before and after matches. Bruce Buffer, brother of Michael Buffer, always introduces the Уmain eventФ in his signature way, complete with 180, 90 and 45-degree spins. Even corner men, although not licensed, are where they belongЕ in your corner. These presentation enhancements aren't groundbreaking on their own, but combined they offer a more complete UFC experience.

The game's career mode, which I played extensively, received a lot of attention, starting with the Create-A-Fighter or CAF. More options and color schemes allow for things like countless body types and tattoos, which are all well and good, but the real difference this year is how moves are picked. Instead of being limited to everything involved in a certain discipline, players can customize their CAF with moves from different fighting styles р la carte.

The World Fighting Alliance was a rival MMA organization that ceased to exist in 2006 when it was bought by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC. However, Zuffa is putting the WFA to good use in the game as an amateur MMA league in which your CAF starts out and attempts to gain some notice. Players actually have a hand in how they're perceived when a little attention comes their way thanks to Mass Effect-inspired choices. During weight-ins and post-match interviews, options of respecting or disrespecting opponents will help increase one's bad-boy reputation and popularity. It also sparks rivalries, so it'll be an interesting factor on May 25, 2010, when we get the final game and more time with the career mode to see where it takes us in the long run.