Rumble Roses Double X

[Greg Moss]

http://www.videogamesplus.ca/product_info.php?products_id=10797

US version is not region free, japanese version will aparantly play on a US console. PAL version out this morning.

Not really sure what to think of this, I love wrestling games so I had to pick this up, but at the moment this could go either way. There are times when everything flows perfectly and I really enjoy it and then other times there are some really stupid little problems that should have been ironed out.

The graphics look good enough when your going through menus and the like, char models look decent, really smooth (VGA cable), but as soon as you start a match, everything in the ring seems to have a blur effect over it, except in some cases objects outside the ring (shouldn't that be the other way round ). Best example of this is on the beach level... ring... thing, the chars in the ring have this blur effect over them and the crowd doesn't looks weird.

Gameplay is similar to the smackdown games on PS2. You can strike, grapple, block, run and use the shoulder buttons for special moves. Pressing different directions as you grapple and then again in the grapple allows for different moves to be performed. Problems occur with collision detection especially on running strikes, usually in your favour, you'll hit when the opponent has moved, but when trying to pick up a downed opponent if they have even started the getting up animation, you'll just completely miss them and be vunarable for attacks. Theres nothing more annoying than trying to pick nothing up off the floor while an opponent kicks you in the face. I'm sure this was in the last Smackdown game I played and should really have been sorted by now.

The thing is there is a solid wrestling engine under all this, it's really satisfying to drop kick a knee for example then grab it, perform a few leg weakening moves and lock in a submission all without letting go . The moves are well animated and while I haven't played all the chars yet there should be a decent amount of them. I'll be playing a lot more of this, as I'm enjoying it enough so far, the problems are annoying but it isn't ruining it (yet), will be trying online in the next few days, we'll see if the problems ruin it them.

I'd say if your going to give it a go, buy it online, I wouldn't pay ?50 for it.

[chopemon]

mine turned up yesterday (thursday) but i only got to play it tonight

absolute rubbish

its being returned to game tomorrow

[anephric]

How can you say that? It rocks! The humiliation moves are something quite special.

[SUMIRE]

This game is ace. Its worth playing as its so damn funny.

Its nice to play something that doesnt take itself too seriously

[Tobal]

It's not much of sequel, so far no new characters or music, still not a wrestling game, and still not much of a fighting game i think it would be better if they just stole Tobal's combat system. Graphics are certainly better but the game seems slower and the A.I. harder. I miss the streamlined championship mode from the 1st game as there nothing to tell what the heck your suppose to be doing other than making money to by many new skimpy costums. I also dislike the street fighting mode, they tried to turn it into a full 3d fighter but comes of very shoddy.

[Greg Moss]

I've got to agree the Street fight mode is cack. I still don't really like the camera positioning either, feels like it's trying a fire pro esq angle, but it doesn't really work. I like how you can move the camera when you lock in submissions though, hope they add that to the new Smackdown game on the 360. I know it's not a real wrestling game, but it's the closest I can get right now on 360, so it'll have to do.

[ChrisF]

I went to admire the box art of this today in Woolworths <cough> and it appears they dont sell it? is it uber rude?

[Crisp_Rapper]

i'll buy it if there's a naked cheat...

[anephric]

It's reasonably suggestive, in a tacky schoolboy way, and there're legs akimbo aplenty, but there's no nudity and no special "Konami" code to implement such as has been rumoured by sweaty-palmed pubescents the internet over. If only they'd kept the bra-ripping topless mode in, as was mooted.

Asda don't seem to be stocking it either, btw.

[EJG1980]

I have the Japanese version of this game, and it's not too bad, but not too great either.

...as there nothing to tell what the heck your suppose to be doing other than making money to by many new skimpy costums...

I agree, the lack of any kind of storyline development / cut-scenes between each match or two means that winning the championship with each girl can become a bit boring and repetative. Some amusing cut-scenes between the matches would have made it much more interesting

Graphics wise, it's a mixed bag, sometimes it comes across as very good (and I don't just mean when a girl is put in a revealing submisson hold... although that doesn't hurt ) and sometimes it can seem a bit ropey.

Gameplay wise it's okay, but nothing too amazing. It's more fun online having a laugh with someone else than just going through the endless matches of the single player game. Not too bad for the ?33 I paid for it from Hong Kong, but I don't think it's worth the ?50 you'd have to pay here.

[Tobal]

?50.. jesus, i paid ?35 for it brand new at my local indy, and every games shop in my town(bar Game) dropped it's price to ?37.

Having a lot more fun playing it now, my main grip is they had made picking up a downed opponent a total pain, but I soon got the hang of it. At first I didn?t like the moveset changes mid match, as playing as Reiki meant using a Modern Puro moveset of Submission and Lucha, so my moveset changed strong moves like the Shubain and Fisherman Driver to Rolling armbars and Dragon Twists depending on how I was playing. But it makes it easier to play to Submission?s only match or the normal rules. I still have yet to upgrade Reiki?s move to Superstar (had to read the Faqs for that 1) which I think changes the intro and Killer/lethal moves.

Also open up Photo mode and sexy swimsuit

[EJG1980]

?50.. jesus, i paid ?35 for it brand new at my local indy, and every games shop in my town(bar Game) dropped it's price to ?37.

Haven't bought a brand new PAL release since COD2 a while back, so I just assumed they were all still ?49.99

[Greg Moss]

Also open up Photo mode and sexy swimsuit

Which I'm sure you only did, like I did to unlock the costume achivements later on, and not for any other reasons

How do you switch to superstar mode btw? I know you have to get your popularity up, but can't see an option to switch.

[Riskbreaker]

Goto Change Character,when you select the character change Normal to Superstar

[Greg Moss]

Ah, good stuff, thanks