Gaming Target - GameCube: UFC: Throwdown

Written by Kyle Williams on August 26, 2002

Full Review: Not bad, but learning to step can be painful.

The roar of the crowd brings you out of your adrenaline induced high as you climb the steps towards the ring. The chain-link cage that envelops the octagonal ring both beckons and terrifies you because you know that the only way out of it is by bruising your way past 204 pounds of well-trained muscle. You cast your fear aside and focus on the man standing across from you. As the bell rings, you become lost in the moment. Years of training come to the surface as the next few moments blur together. The sound of a ringing bell brings everything back into focus as the referee pulls you off of a bruised and beaten shell of a man. The crowd calls out your name. You are their hero, if only for the moment. This is what the UFC is all about.

If you aren't familiar with what exactly makes up the UFC, all you have to do is boot up UFC Throwdown, the latest offering from publisher Crave Entertainment and developer Genki Co., Ltd. The opening video sequence watches like a highlight reel of some of their greatest hits, kicks, and throws. At its essence, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is the granddaddy of Mixed Martial Arts competition. Every fighting discipline is represented in both the real-world and virtual octagons and makes for a very unique, if slightly imperfect, fighting experience.

The overall presentation of UFC Throwdown is a good base to build next year's model off of. All of the character models are well put together and the detail placed in the fighter musculature is astounding. However, I couldn't help noticing that the hands on the characters are permanently clenched and that the announcer and referee mouths don't quite match up with what is being said. Are these major issues? No, but they do provide for some awkward looking sequences and are something that should be looked at for next year's incarnation. The visuals are backed up with equally an adequate sound scheme. The sound effects and menu music are pretty standard for a fighting title, but they draw in very little empathy from a player. The general exception to both the video and the audio is in the most brutal of the blows. The entire package that goes along with a stunning right to the head is enough to make you cringe and the reaction from the on-screen receiving end is impeccable.

Fortunately, there is a healthy amount of substance to back up the audio/video package. Once mastered, the controls are incredibly deep and a true pro can see what is coming and have it countered before it arrives. Like in most fighting titles, timing is of the essence. Throwdown does manage to discourage mindless button mashing through a well-implemented stamina bar. Not connecting with a punch will pull down your own stamina, as will being punched, and it is your stamina that dictates whether you will still be standing after you take that next blow. This prompts you to hold back and watch for your openings while picking the right shot to go in with.

If outright offense isn't your style, there are a number of defensive moves that can get the job done as well. Pick your fighter right and you have a full complement of punch and kick counters that will take your opponent to the mat and put you in an advantageous position. This brings us to the grappling system that adds another dimension to the combat. It is important to be aware of your fighter's abilities on the mat in addition to when he is on his feet. The three different grappling positions all have their own advantages, disadvantages, and moves that you can execute while in them.

When all is said and done, the controls and gameplay depth are what drive UFC Throwdown. With that in mind, it is unfortunate that this is where I found my only major complaint with the game. There is an entire set of moves (which accompany steps) that are somewhat tricky to figure out and there is no real help to accompany this issue. The manual calls them alternate kicks and punches and says to tap the control stick and press the appropriate button. The moves list calls them front, back, left, and right step moves and gives no indication how to step. The problem is that no where are you prompted to tap the control stick, wait for your fighter to begin his step, then start your punch, kick, or combo. I literally spent 6 hours trying to figure this out and when I finally did, was very pleased with the outcome. The frustration came from trying to get them figured out.

To help flesh out UFC Throwdown and give this game some longevity, there are a flood of different play modes to choose from. The career mode allows you to build your fighter from the ground up, taking advantage of an option filled create-a-fighter mode and stat advancement system. This mode, along with a tournament that can accommodate up to four alternating human players, are what will keep you coming back to the octagon.