EA Fight Night 2004

[Bleeders]

Picked this up at the weekend was pleasantly surprised by it. EA have developed a half-decent combat-system that rewards learned play.

Initially, it can be tricky to control, since your attacks are confined to the 1 thumbstick. However, as your perserve with it, you start to learn how to defend properly, as well as stringing a few punch combinations together thus making it quite a strategic encounter if your playing someone of a similar level.

As with most EA games, it's an extremely polished affair, boasting some nice visual touches and a semi-decent soundtrack. The Career Mode, which see's you create a fighter and taking him through a number of matches to attain the championship accolade, is extensive and quite difficult I've found. However, 2-player is where it's at IMO. Really good fun if you perserve with it's quirky Total Punch Control combat-system.

It's certainly worth a look IMO.

[jimtendo]

Yeah, it's a riot on 2 player. My 2P matches mainly consists of: both men holding their ground and just pummeling (averaging about 2 KO's in the first round) each other until one goes jelly-knees.
I just wished EA would've dumped that announcer and had a traditional type announcer.

Although, has anyone got the PAL version working on a modded Xbox? (X2.3 modded) because even when the switch is set to 'off' the game will not load, which is tres strange

[Ginza]

Im going to give this a go on Xbox. However Kiera Knightley with her mouth open is distracting me considerably... Respect to geektanic....

[Bleeders]

Yeah, it's a riot on 2 player. My 2P matches mainly consists of: both men holding their ground and just pummeling (averaging about 2 KO's in the first round) each other until one goes jelly-knees.
I just wished EA would've dumped that announcer and had a traditional type announcer.

Although, has anyone got the PAL version working on a modded Xbox? (X2.3 modded) because even when the switch is set to 'off' the game will not load, which is tres strange

I got the PAL version running on my modded XBox.

You need to set the video-mode EEPROM to PAL. Once I'd done that, it loaded fine for me.

[mid]

EA pulled that with the last Lord Of The Rings game, too, so I'm not shocked by the news. Its checking the video mode isn't set to NTSC as well as the game region.

After all, you might be one of those bastards with Progressive Scan enabled, and we can't have that, can we?

[jimtendo]

RE: Bleeders/ mid
Kudos to you guys for the solution to getting Fight Night booting up.
bleh at EA ;op

Bejesus, i really do hate those 'runners' which end up taking me the whole match duration with me winning it in the end to to better points. I used to throw a flurry of punches in the first few rounds with these guys (near the later rounds my punch speed/ power dropped considerably)
Now i just wait and counter with the odd hook/ straight/ uppercut, while keeping my strength for later.

Give me opponants who stand and slug it out anyday of the week. makes my job a whole lot easier.

Tigger still get's on my nerves

[ukplumber]

After getting slapped in three consecutive fights in career mode I learned the art of defence. I almost kicked the T.V in with frustration but I persevered, held my hands high and won my next two fights. The first a five round cracker the then my sixth fight a two round walkover. I schooled the bum. I just countered all the time. And my combinations seemed to come off. I don?t know if it was luck or just intuition but I was really putting some good combos together.

The training helped as well. The only discipline I have got to grips with is the sparring. The target was 10,000 I ended up getting 65,000. My trainer said at the end ?I feel sorry for the guy in your next fight? he wasn?t wrong!!! The other training disciplines I?m having problems with, the Heavy bag and mitts especially.

All in all this is a great game. People compare this to Rocky but for me (a boxing fan) they don?t compare. It?s the same type of comparison between FIFA and Winning Eleven but this time EA come out on top.
The facial damage in rocky is over the top, I think its spot on here.
My gripes, get rid of the announcer and get proper boxing commentators in (but not Ian Darke!!), no Xbox live play, massive opportunity missed. Hopefully by the next iteration EA will be in bed with Microsoft and all will be well. There are some truly great fighters missing. Hagler, Hearns, De La Hoya. Must be licensing issues but still they need to be resolved.
People should stick with it and use the default system, it takes time but I think it?s worth it.

[112]

Cant believe no one is playing this no more...........

Having recently had to pleasure of indulging myself in this game, it isto my mind the boxing equivillent to VF 4 evo! As saur would put it........Its so heavy.......and so deep........

Indeed it is, everything is counterable and different styles can be adopted. Granted that movement around the ring somewhat restrictive. The sher brilliance that is the punching system makes this game set a new standard amongst other boxing titles.

I wont compare this to the recent rocky title as it jus does not compare with it on any level.

It is going to take some time to truly get used to block and countering at the same time, whilst chaining my punches into a combo. But this game truly exels in ways i can only relate to VF evo!

Is no one playing this no more?

112

[ukplumber]

I'll go back to it and continue my assualt on the title. When you dolearn to block anf counter with combo's the feeling is sooo good.
Get rid of tiger, get more licensed boxers in and of course make it Xbox live enabled and i'll be happy for FN 2005