Black & Bruised

UPC: 096427012955

Platform: Nintendo GameCube

Publisher: Majesco

Developer: Digital Fiction, Inc.

Category: Sports

Style(s): Boxing

Synopsis: The third boxing release on GameCube, Black & Bruised is an arcade-style take on the sport with cel-shaded graphics and a cast of 18 larger-than-life characters, ranging from a bald-headed prison inmate to a midriff-baring blonde. The bouts take place primarily from a third-person perspective inside the ring, although solo players are free to select a first-person view for close-up fighting. Each character offers a variety of jabs, uppercuts, and super punches, as well as an individual storyline and the ability to taunt opponents. The main mode of play is Boxer's Life, where players take a character through the events leading up to his or her professional career, viewing cut-scenes along the way. This mode also features specific objectives to accomplish during the fight that depend on the character selected. A boxer may have to protect his ribs during a bout, for example, after a cut-scene shows him getting into a car accident. Other modes of play include Training, Survival, Tournament, and both 1P or 2P Fight. Training has players learning each boxer's combination attacks by following a string of punching sequences within the allotted time. Survival involves defeating a series of opponents without suffering a knockout, while the Tournament has players advancing through assigned pairings until they win the championship belt. Both 1P and 2P Fight are essentially exhibition matches, against either the computer or a friend, with the players' choice of boxers and venue. Apart from the cel-shaded graphics and outlandish characters, Black & Bruised further distinguishes itself by featuring a power-up system. Each successful punch earns players one star, which is depicted as a graphic on the bottom left corner of the screen. When the boxer reaches ten stars, one of six random power-ups will become available, ranging from heavy punches and poison to automatic combos and super punches, which are activated by pressing a button. Players can also enhance each power-up to two additional levels by accumulating more stars. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Package Contents: 36-page Instruction Manual

Controls: Joystick/Gamepad

The color manual explains each mode and lists each of the main characters along with their combos. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The cel-shaded graphics look better during the cut-scenes than during the actual fight, but there are nice touches like cheeseburgers, flags, grenades, and so forth circling around a dazed character's head. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Black & Bruised is best summed up as a poor man's Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. While it has the requisite outlandish characters and arcade-style action, the boxing is too simplistic to keep players entertained. A distinctive power-up system is not enough to save the weak-kneed boxing engine, which involves non-stop swinging and only a token amount of strategy. Computer opponents range from pushovers that can be defeated within seconds to extremely cheap ringers who can only be knocked out using the right mix of power-ups. Factor in the limited modes of play, and you have a game that could have benefited from a few more months in the training room. Black & Bruised's standout element is its cel-shaded graphics, which work well for a boxing game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Each fighter shouts, taunts, and struts around the ring with detailed facial expressions and fluid animation -- at least before the match begins. Once the bell rings and the action commences, the fighters don't look nearly as detailed and seem to move with stiffness even through fists are flying at a reasonable clip. Perhaps certain punches had animation trimmed to keep the game moving at consistent pace, since the backgrounds offer more razzle-dazzle than similar offerings, including gator-filled swamps, army barracks, and more. It's clear the developers wanted to emphasize slugfests instead of bobbing and weaving, as each of the rings (even the supposedly open environments) is confining and discourages movement. Furthermore, there's no separate meter for stamina, which means players can swing, swing, swing, and swing some more without any repercussions in response time or punch effectiveness. Computer boxers are highly susceptible to certain techniques, such as when players keep moving in a circular motion around opponents, punching them in the face as they walk around them. If players time this correctly, they can keep hitting an opponent and build up their punching meter without fear of being hit in return. Other fighters seem to have the stamina and punching power of the Terminator, where the only technique that can defeat them is to build up the punching meter and wait for a specific power-up. This was probably done to encourage players to use the power-up system in the first place, which is otherwise not needed to achieve knockouts on normal fighters. Thus players have little choice in certain matches but to wait for the "fire punch" or "juggernaut" which, respectively, causes extra damage or automatically sends the opponent to the canvas. While there are only six main types of power-ups, each has three levels of strength. Unfortunately, there's no counter move for activated power-ups other than backing up from the opponent to avoid getting hit. Another disappointment is the touted Boxer's Life mode, which actually features a number of great ideas that aren't fleshed out. After choosing a boxer, players advance through what is essentially the character's life story. Yet there are no opportunities to build up statistics through mini-games in between fights, develop a career, or earn money to spend on possible upgrades, outfits, or other goodies. Instead, players advance through six extremely short fights with specific goals,like fighting without using the block button, winning within four rounds, or achieving a knockout within 30 seconds. Since this is the main mode of play, most will be able to run through the entire lineup of characters within a day. Black & Bruised is a game that simply feels rushed. The graphics, power-up system, and environments are a welcome change from most boxing titles, but the combo system isn't responsive, the Boxer's Life mode is way too short, and the computer AI is not satisfying. Pound for pound, the weakest boxing game on GameCube to date. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

A two-player mode and tournament option help extend the replay value, and the Boxer's Life mode offers character-specific stories even if most of them seem disjointed. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The voice acting and dialogue are merely average. Characters will sometimes offer banter before a fight that doesn't make sense. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The boxing engine quickly becomes tiring after a few rounds, and none of the modes offer depth. A few interesting ideas that are not explored enough. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

the game requires Joystick/Gamepad.