Fight for NY

Def Jam: Fight for NY is the epic sequel to last year’s hip-hop brawler, Def Jam Vendetta, and is totally based around the concept of beating the crap out of one another so that you can get your “bling on, b!” Need a clearer picture? Think along the lines of the personal gratification of NBA Ballers mixed with the brutal blood sport that is UFC, and you’re on your way.

The central premise behind the latest installment of the Def Jam series is to beat down on some of today’s most popular hip-hop stars – so that you can buy cool clothes with the money you win. Believe it or not, there is some semblance of a plot hidden within the game; I just had trouble finding it.

Don’t get me wrong, however; Fight for NY totally rocks and the fighting is frickin’ sweet! You are able to choose up to three fighting styles from the five that are available, which are: kickboxing, submission, street fighting, martial arts, and wrestling. The fighting style you choose will determine the kind of fighter you are and which moves you are able to demolish your enemies with. And when I say demolish, I mean it – the physical moves in this game are utterly devastating. Knees to the skull, grating faces on chain-link fences, and swift kicks to the junk region are all part of your extensive repertoire; and these are just some of the game’s tamer moves. Then there is the blazin’ mode, which is somewhat similar to the gamebreaker mode in NBA Street. Basically you get an adrenaline rush, and are able to unleash some deadly Bruce Lee type smack against your opponent. Some of Fight for NY’s moves are seriously intense, and assure good replay value.

An interesting part of Def Jam: Fight for NY is the progression of your fighting skills. You can train to become a stronger, faster fighter, and you can learn new moves from defeated opponents. For instance, after whomping on BoneCrusher (He ain’t never scared) you learn the BoneCrusher special. Granted, this move looks funnier when he performs the giant jelly-belly flop, but it is still cool that you are able to learn it from him. BoneCrusher is but one of over 40 popular hip-hop stars in the game, all of whom have their own special attacks.

Another cool aspect of the gameplay is the environmental factor. Almost every part of the environment can be utilized during your fights. You can slam heads into walls, snatch glasses off counters to smash in your enemy’s face, even the crowd gets into it. They will occasionally hold out weapons for you to grab and, if you get too close, they may even decide to join the fight for a second. The crowd can play a huge role in the game; they will hold you for an opponent to beat on, or throw you back in the middle, setting you up for a big move. Hell, they even participate in a few combo moves, throwing you up in the air so that your opponent can slam you down, face first, onto some teeth lovin’ concrete. Don’t worry, though, you can use this to your advantage too, as the crowd doesn’t really choose sides, but they will just as soon kick your ass as that of your opponent.

One of the highlights of this game, for all you hip-hop lovers, is its soundtrack. It has some of today’s most dope tracks to accompany you during your fighting exploits. If you’re at your crib checking your voice mail, or out buying some new 6-carat bling for your ear – whatever the situation – the jams are pumping. The whole game caters to the hip-hop generation, and does a solid job of melding the true world of hip-hop with the ?not so true’ world of beating the hell out of all those hip-hop stars that you only ever dream you could be.

Whether or not you like hip-hop, you can learn to love Def Jam: Fight for NY. If you love hip-hop, this game will draw you in with its medley of dope tracks ranging from Snoop to Xzibit. Even if you hate the music, you’ll still love slamming down on the plethora of willing hip-hop stars.

As far as the graphics are concerned, Fight for NY has some of the slickest available on the market. The lighting is really well done, and the character models are all highly detailed, as are the animations for their special moves. During the blazin’ mode, the screen takes on a golden amber aura that looks truly awesome.

I would definitely recommend Def Jam: Fight for NY to anyone who is into good fighting games. Even if you are not into the conventional fighters (a la Street Fighter or Tekken), Def Jam still offers a breath of fresh air to the gaming scene with some unique gameplay, sweet graphics and a booming soundtrack.