UFC: Throwdown

Build the Best. Destroy the Rest. The first "real fighting" game for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system/Nintendo GameCube, UFC: Throwdown, features actual UFC champions and all the real, unbelievable mixed martial arts moves found in the Octagon. Using incredible deep offensive and defensive strategies, players can string limitless combos together and exploit the fighting technique that most suits their personal style.

Add in amazingly realistic graphics and an unprecedented Fighter Career Mode, and this is as real as it gets.

Features:

Over 25 actual UFC fighters including current UFC Champions like Tito Ortiz and exclusive newcomers such as B.J. Penn.

A brand new ultra-extensive Career Mode where you can create and train your fighter as he battles his way through grueling tournaments and ultimately to the UFC main event.

Compete in 3 different weight classes including Heavy, Middle and Open Weight.

Ground-and-pound in a variety of arenas from the training room to a sold out UFC Championship arena. 8-Player Tournament Mode lets you set up single elimination winner-takes-all matches where it's put up or shut up.

Increased variations in Create-a-Fighter Mode, including customization of the face, body, skin color, clothes, hairstyle, etc.

The most realistic, jaw-dropping fighter entrances ever.

Source: Crave Entertainment's UFC page

Source:

Official Site - PS2/GameCube

Hail, Caesar! We who are about to brawl, salute you!

UFC: Throwdown brings the brutal spectacle of the real life Ultimate Fighting Championships to the Nintendo GameCube in a fighting game that combines realistic stamina and momentum shifts with the fast action of tournament fighting.

Authentic Fighting

Since 1993 the Ultimate Fighting Championship has been a place where tough guys from around the world can duke it out in the now infamous Octagon arena. Representing a variety of styles, from karate and kickboxing to the more exotic capoeira and jiu-jitsu, fighters meet in a no-holds-barred competition in which the winner must either knock out his opponent or force them to submit.

Even if you have never seen an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, you will quickly learn in UFC: Throwdown just how violent the sport is. You will see an impressive array of body-wracking jabs and kicks as well as stomach-turning submission holds. With 28 authentic UFC fighters including Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, UFC: Throwdown gives you a plethora of fighters to master. Nintendo GameCube exclusives include Shonie Carter, Ricco Rodriguez, Matt Serra and Dave Menne.

Game Play

During a fight you can use a variety of punches and kicks depending on the style of your fighter. Some fancy moves require you to press a simple combination of buttons, which anyone can pull off with a little practice. Just as in a real life UFC match, a popular strategy is to tackle your opponent and assume the advantageous mount position.

When in the mount position you can pound your opponent silly as he lies helplessly on the mat. If you are the unfortunate bloke who is on the receiving end of a takedown, there is little you can do but try to escape by rotating the Control Stick frantically. Match-ending submission holds are also possible when in the mount position.

Despite the ferocious gameplay in UFC: Throwdown, there is still a good amount of strategy involved. Each fighter's health, represented by a bar at the top of the screen, will deplete with each hit or failure to land a blow. To be a champion brawler you must often play conservatively, then seizing a brief opportunity to unleash a ferocious flurry of attacks.

The fighting system in UFC: Throwdown lies somewhere between the grappling and reversal systems seen in wrestling games and the fast punch and kick action of tournament fighters. The fact that a match can end at any moment due to a well-timed takedown gives UFC: Throwdown an exciting, realistic feel. The different styles of fighting give the game unexpected depth.

Graphics

Each of the fighters in UFC: Throwdown is nicely detailed and animated. The realistic muscle contours give distinction to each character. Some of the big fellas are soft around the edges while others are ripped and toned. Characters also have detailed facial features for added realism. The gladiators cavort in three arenas.

The brutality of this tournament of champions is illustrated well by the animations in UFC: Throwdown. Each fighting style is represented accurately. The punches and jabs are quick and the submission holds and reversals look smooth and relentless. Some of the most dramatic moments come during takedowns, when the camera zooms in for a closer look.

Referees, who are on par with the wrestler graphics, are faithfully represented and rarely get in the way of the action. Likewise, the blood effects in UFC: Throwdown are not gratuitous and keep the realism of the rest of the game intact.

Game Modes

In Career Mode, UFC Throwdown's most extensive mode, you build your own fighter from scratch. Choosing from over 40 different fighting styles, you can find a style or combination of styles to suit your taste. You can also alter the face, body and clothing for your brawler. Thanks to the GCN disc's huge capacity, you can even choose from eight different voices.

Once your basic character is completed, it is up to you to mold them into the ultimate fighter. To earn skill points you must spar with other characters. Winning yields the most points, but you can gain skill points whether you win or lose. You can spend skill points to increase stamina, wrestling skill and three additional attributes, and once you gain levels you can also add to your repertoire of moves.

Your created fighters from Career Mode are not limited to sparring with computer opponents. You can also brawl in Champion Mode and Tournament Mode. Many players will surely be tempted to create several fighters representing different styles.

In Champion Mode, fighters are separated into five different weight classes. Once you choose from a list of famous fighters or your own Career Mode fighter, you must win five fights to receive a silver belt for that character. Completing the Champion Mode with a character will also allow you to enter the Legend Mode, in which you must survive seven fights to earn a gold belt.

The Tournament Mode is a throwback to the dawn of the UFC, when there were no weight classes. Here, any combination of eight human or computer-controlled fighters can battle through the brackets regardless of weight. For a quick match you can play Exhibition Mode and a Training Mode has been included to let you practice from a variety of positions.

UFC: Throwdown has simultaneously created and filled its own niche on the Nintendo GameCube. It is a unique fighter that melds realistic wrestling with action-packed tournament fighting. Fighting fans will enjoy learning several fighting styles and casual fans will find UFC: Throwdown a pleasure to just pick up and play.

UFC: Throwdown for the Nintendo GameCube is in stores now. Progress is saved to a Memory Card (not included).

Source:

www.nintendo.com – GameCube