Pride FC

"Oh yeah!"

Pride FC mixes martial arts with ultimate fighting, inside of a wrestling ring where the only rule is to kick ass.

Well, stupid over-hyped lines and annoying ''Oh yeah!'''s aside, Pride FC is a poorly executed masterpiece of code that could use a complete overhaul on gameplay, but is still very much worth the purchase price.

Gameplay
(A small rant, if you will: There is no season/challenge mode in Pride FC. You get a tournament mode, an exhibition mode, and a practice mode. If you want a good one-player fighting game, check out UFC Throwdown or SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth- Pride FC is best for multi-player with others who know the fighting system. It's a touchy game as far as gameplay goes, as you'll either be satisfied or pissed off with the selection of options. Unless you've got friends willing to learn a complex grappling system that takes time to excel at, give Pride FC a rent first.)

There's a basic four-button control scheme, using each face button for a specific limb. By hitting buttons one after another, combos can be arranged. With multiple hits of square, triangle, circle, and X and alternations thereof, the roster of moves your fighter can perform is further enhanced by the use of the directional arrows. You have a completely different set of attacks while forcing forward on the offensive, and the same applies for backing up, while attempting to avoid enemy hits. Striking moves are specific in each position- on the ground in the locked position, standing above a downed opponent, locked in a bearhug, etc.

Submission moves are utilized by pressing two buttons at once- you can change the control scheme to have the L and R buttons preset as ''Left Kick + Right Punch'', thus allowing easy execution of submission moves and punch combos. On the default character roster and in CAF mode, all of the submission moves are chosen as such that they will be preset for L1 and L2- this allows for easy memory of what button does what. If you want to win quickly, simply tap L1 or L2 while in grapple, even if you're not accustomed to your fighter. Elaborate striking moves- leg kicks and punches at the same time- use the R buttons in those positional set-ups. While standing, the R/L buttons are used for takedowns into grappling positions.

Create Mode is very in-depth and consuming. Though the physical appearance options pale in comparison to other THQ wrestling games (THQ published Pride FC) - you can chose skin tones, five or six costume styles per category (pants, shorts, etc.) with an additional five colour schemes for each outfit, as well as have a difference between what your fighter wears to the ring and what he wears in the ring. (The only complaint is that I can't get my Chris Jericho CAF to wear leg guards and boots in the ring- all fighters are barefoot or in shoes.) The move system and it's aforementioned complexities allow for 100% satisfaction in giving the right moves to your fighter. You get a preview animation whenever you scroll over the move- without load times or switching to a different screen (ala SmackDown), Pride FC allows for quick comparison between Uppercut A and Uppercut B. For the most part, the striking moves are excellent: many variations of kicks, knee attacks, jabs, straight on punches, and chops allow for interesting and effective combinations that you can mold to your specifications. However, certain positions allow for only several striking choices, similar to the SmackDown games that only have four moves for an opponent on the ropes.

Starting with the one face button, you choose an attack- for example, a straight punch. You then move the analogue stick to the right and select another move space, and throw in which ever attack you want. The more moves you add (in most cases, up to ten for one button), the more you can change the order of the buttons you press to hit the combo. You can have three left punches, then a low kick, before finishing off with a knee strike; but, you can throw six moves in between, alternating from weak to strong, with an eventual knockdown finish for a KO. Submission moves aren't supplied in combos, because usually one submission is all it takes to make your opponent tap. The Fujiwara armbar, basic leg locks inverted STF, and even the Figure Four are selectable in CAF mode. Though I wasn't impressed with the variety of submission moves, there were a number of unique and interesting holds that look really pretty during a fight. Create a Fighter in Pride FC is an incredibly versatile system, and makes up for the lack of real fighting modes.

Graphics
Pride FC isn't anything special to look it when you've got Splinter Cell and Metal Gear on the market. Compared to UFC Throwdown, the animations are much more fluid and crisp, while the graphics are cleaner. There's a more apparent crowd feel in Pride FC- photographers are at ringside, fans are in their seats, and the entrance way is designed beautifully.

The camera is a little faulty, in that it sometimes moves into close and back out again, making it hard to see exactly where you are in relation to your opponent. I've missed many striking moves when my opponent backed away suddenly, sending the camera flying from the corner of the ring to a panoramic shot. Fortunately, the frame rate is high so that when such changes in view occur, there isn't any noticeable slow-down.

Sound
I found the female Japanese announcer's over-expression on fighter names quite annoying, especially when she yells ''Player one'' as ''Playa zwoon!'' with a forced enthusiasm and a emphysemic slur. Half of the fun of playing Pride FC for the first time was listening to her ramble, trying figure out what the hell ''Playa zwoon'' meant.

The crowd reacts better than any other MMA/pro wrestling game I've ever played. They cheer big moves, ''Oooh'' at submissions, and cheer for the winners.

Pride FC is the kind of game that could have used a great hard rock soundtrack. Kicking ass and metal go hand in hand- perhaps if the game wasn't a simple Japanese pseudo-port there would have been a great soundtrack. But, in a game where I can knee people in the head before strapping on the Figure Four while I ''Wooo!'' at my TV, I shouldn't complain.

Overall
Once again, give it a rent to judge if the variety of gameplay modes- or lack thereof- is enough to constitute a purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/08/03, Updated 05/08/03