Fight Night 2004 (Xbox)

It seems like good boxing games come around about as often as Hailey's Comet, but here it is - Fight Night 2004 really does break the mould. For boxing fans it's been a long time coming; we've been treated like spotty stepchildren by games manufacturers who've been too busy improving football and basketball sims for saturated markets, but all of that has changed... step in the ring, baby!

Fight Night 2004 does EVERYTHING different. First, you've got the Total Punch Control or whatever it's called - basically you're using the right analogue stick rather than button-mashing. It takes a while to get the hang of but it's simply revolutionary as a fighting system; you can feint, hold back, set yourself and swing, stick and move or go for the knockout. It works a treat, quite simply.

Then there's the look and feel - outstanding! The graphics are smooth, the ring-card girls hot and you can feel every punch like it's your own head being used for target practice! The game also has a fearsome banging soundtrack full of hiphop classics, background music to your bloodsport.

The depth in career mode is so intricate you'll be locked away for months building your ultimate fighting machine, and the challenge is so big, you're likely to be bruised and battered, stumbling around muttering "I coulda been a contender" for some time to come.

Well done EA Games - 5 out of 5.

You can choose from many characters such as the famous Roy Jones and Muhammad Ali. But as a downside they are missing some big names like Henry Cooper and Mike Tyson. With stuff to keep you going such as create 'a' boxer, career mode and EA sports bio. Its going to keep you going for a while, its a tough pig of a game.

I hope this review hs been helpful to you.

I do agree with some of the other comments I have read on the Hip Hop style of the game with the presenter and backgrond music. Now although this is ok it does become very repetitive as there are only a few limited tracks. The ability to incorparate custom soundtracks would really help game play, it would also sound better for my mates boxer a certain Mr R Balboa. The ability to create your own boxer not just through the career mode but also by creating one just for fighting in exibition matches is a good feature, which somewhat goes towards the lack of authentic boxers available to fight. I have added a few of the greats to my available boxers, i.e. Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, George Forman, Henry Copper, Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa, Ivan Drago etc. Should I be worried the charater the missues created was a 6"+ ginger guy wih an affro, and a seriously dodgy nose?!?

All in all a good game, even though it is limited in some areas! If you like boxing I think you will enjoy this.