Def Jam: Fight for NY

"Take back the streets of New York"

I remember playing the first game based on the AKI engine and I thought to myself "This is how you make a wrestling game". Smackdown has done a nice job of creating a great control system for the PS2 wrestling games, but for me the NO MERCY system was the peak of wrestling games. Now the AKI engine has taken it one step farther and created truely amazing game in Def Jam: Fight for New York.

Graphics 8

Very nice. The backroudns look great and there is some very interesting looking fighters. Some down sides include the surprisingly average create a fighter and sometimes the game seems too fast and you could swear its skipping a frame or two.

Sound 5 or 10, depends on if you like hip hop

If you do, you will love the sound in this game. If you don't, you will hate the music but the sound effects are still excellent and you can always turn the music off.

Gameplay 9

The engine is great, but sometimes the action moves too fast and you can get blasted with a huge combo and lose half of your life. Some nice touches include using the crowd its self as a weapon, smashing people off pool tables, walls, and over the head with bottles. A lot of different ways to kick someones ass.

Value 10

There is A LOT of stuff to unlock. Almost nothing starts out unlocked so you will definitly want to go into the story mode right away. The nice thing is, you unlock something with every win. Each win grants you a nice little reward. Also, learning up too three different fighting systems can really add depth to a game. Thumbs up all a round.

Tilt 10

This game drove me insane at first. However, once I got used to the speed and realized what skills go best with what fightign set, I really started to get into the game. Now, I cant put it down. There is a bit of a transition period to the speed, but in the end its the same great stuff we have come to know and love from the Def Jam series.

Overall a 9

A must have for wrestling, street fighting and hip hop fans. Even if you don't really like fighting games, its worth checking out. Its definitly a game that everyone can enjoy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/21/04