The New Champ

By Mickah Wallace

EA SPORTS stepped back from its popular boxing titleKnockout Kings and took a good, hard look at what its boxing game did well, where it needed help, and how it could shake things up for the better. The result is Fight Night 2004, one of the most unique and innovative sports titles of the year. With more than 32 officially licensed pro athletes and a robust Create a Fighter mode, EA provides a deep and varied challenge to the pugilist in all of us.

Pick a punch and execute.

Fight Night 2004 is built around the new Total Punch Control mechanic, which maps all of your punches and blocks to the right thumbstick, instead of the face buttons. To throw a right jab, for example, you must flick the stick to the upper right for a short, sharp, fast blow. If you’ve got the opening, you could also move the stick straight to the left, then up to throw a left hook. You can also move the stick down; then, circle it up to the right for a right uppercut. Just like in a real bout, these stronger punches take more time to execute, but they do more damage if they connect.

After you get the timing down, you’ll find that Total Punch Control is extremely intuitive and fun. It also adds some realistic tactical decisions to your fight plan, as you have to choose when to throw a jab and when to go for the knockdown punch. Guess wrong, and you’re opponent will have you kissing the canvas.

Another innovation becomes clear when you do guess wrong, and the other guy rings your bell. Getting up from a knockdown is not simply a matter of how much stamina you have or how quickly you mash the buttons. In Fight Night, you recover from a knockdown by manipulating the thumbsticks to clear up that blurry view of the ref making his count. If you can’t conquer your double (and triple) vision in time, the fight’s over.

Duck and counterpunch.

The right trigger in conjunction with right thumbstick controls your blocking, which is as smooth and intuitive as your offense. Pull the trigger and move the stick up to protect your chin. Pull and press down to guard your midsection. The left stick moves your fighter around the ring, and holding the left trigger makes your fighter plant his feet and aim for the body.

This deceptively simple scheme of thumbsticks and triggers allows you to perform virtually all of the offensive and defensive actions a boxer needs to triumph, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever made it by relying on the face buttons. (Although EA was kind enough to allow you to map the punches to the face buttons, if that’s the way you like it.)

The game also gives you a handful of special tricks, beyond the basic punches, blocks, and movement. The left trigger allows you to bob, weave, and lean to avoid your opponent’s fists. You can physically taunt your opponent during the match, and each fighter has his own signature punch that his real-world fight fans will no doubt recognize. You can also throw elbows, head butts, and throw other illegal punches to score some quick damage. But, if you do it too often or too blatantly, you’ll risk being disqualified.

Battle of legends.

Fight Night 2004 has many of the bells and whistles boxing fans expect, like playable champions from the past and present, realistic damage models for the boxer’s faces, unlockable gear, and customized entrances. But, it’s the Total Punch Control that makes this game something entirely different and unique. It’s what true console boxing fan has been waiting for.

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