Fight Night 2004: Saturday Nights Alright for Fightin'... Company: EA Sports Innovation is a word you don't often hear when talking about sports games. Other genres lend themselves well to innovation, but with sports games, it is a little harder since the games are trying to emulate something with a 'set' real-world way of doing things. Some companies have tried to add some innovations, such as the first-person player mode found in Sega's sports titles, but those have proven to be more gimmicks than breakthrough innovations. This isn't to say that there's no true innovation in the sports genre and the guys at EA Canada can prove it. The big innovation found in Fight Night 2004, the follow up to the Knockout Kings series, is the new Total Punch Control interface. Using the analog sticks in order to give the game a more authentic, real-life feel, Fight Night presents a more skill-based game instead of a mindless button masher. Move the stick to the right, then hook around to throw a right hook or snap it straight out to the left for a left jab. The system even allows you to switch up your punches for a few fakes. This gives players complete control over the type, strength and target for each punch thrown. In response to the new offensive system, a brand new Total Defense System has also been implemented, which will work in a similar manner (with the aid of the shoulder buttons) and allow you to duck, bob and weave like a pro. All of this will come in handy when you come face-to-face with the game's cast of 32 real-life boxers including today's champions like Lennox Lewis and Roy Jones Jr., as well as ring legends like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield and Joe Frazier. Fight Night 2004's deep Career mode will feature 6 weight classes with a dynamic competition environment featuring 50 competitors per class. You'll also be able to customize your own boxer and take him from humble beginnings in the neighborhood gym to the big time. PlayStation 2 owners will also get a chance to test their skills against some of the best fighters in the world online. Complementing the game's innovative control scheme is a brand new presentation, built from the ground up to give players an authentic boxing experience. Fight Night 2004 will provide players with all the glitz, glamour and hard hitting action of a night at Caesar's Palace. Not only does the game capture all of the over-the-top showmanship of professional boxing, but it will also allow players to customize their own ring entrances right down to their entourage, pyro and theme music. The game will also feature graphics unmatched in other boxing games, complete with realistic damage to your pugilist (impressive word use, eh?) including cuts, eye swells and bruises. An all-new physics based knockdown engine will assure that no two knockdowns ever look the same. Fight Night 2004 is shaping up to be a game that aspiring Don Kings, or any boxing fans, won't want to miss. -Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker Related Links: EA Sports: Official Site Fight Night: Official Site Boxing Times: Boxing News Boxing, Canada: Official Site