"Taunt This Sucka!"

Boxing is a sport that video games can't seem to get right. The last great boxing game I can remember is Super Punch Out on the SNES. Now, years later, Midway has unleashed Ready 2 Rumble. An arcade Boxing game that just about anyone can pick up and play right away. Even my uncle loves it.

The game features 16 boxers for your rumbling pleasure. Modes include Arcade, Championship, and Training. You can train your own boxer and build up his or her stats by putting them through a rough training program which includes lifting weights, punching a punching bag, and even dancing - or as some might put it, boxing aerobics. When you're actually boxing, you have a rumble meter, and each time you get a power punch on your opponent, your meter increases a little. When it's fully charged, your boxer turns into a lunatic and goes on an almost-unstoppable punch-fest on his or her opponent.

Looking at this game is almost as fun as playing it. The animation is just incredible, and the facial expressions on the characters are hilarious and look spectacular. The frame rate is a steady 60 frames per second, which makes everything look even more desirable. The characters all have a unique, fun look and personality to them, which also adds to the fun of the game. The crowd is also notably good looking. They don't just look like a bunch of slop mixed together. You can see almost every person in the audience in most of the arenas, sitting in their seats pumping their fist's and standing up every now and then.

You can also rotate the camera to whatever view you feel most comfortable with. There's even an option to have the camera circle around the ring as you duke it out with your opponent. You shouldn't have any problems getting a good view of the fight.

The control couldn't be much better in this type of boxing game, everything is spot on. Dodging, ducking, blocking, punching and just maneuvering your character feels very natural. You can also customize the controls to whatever you desire. The sound is also very cool, everyone has their own unique voice, the background music is catchy, and Michael Buffer even does the characters ring announcements.

There's definitely enough to keep you coming back for a while. If you like boxing, you should definitely give this game a look. If you don't like boxing, a rental should suffice.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/22/01, Updated 11/22/01