Shazam!
07-08-2009, 01:05 AM
This is to contrast the Fight Night 4 thread and review I made, after playing them both extensively.
Don King's Prizefighter (PF) is 2K Sports answer to the Fight Night series. While it is inferior in almost every facet, it succeeds in a few ways that Fight Night 3 or even 4 can't match.
http://www.dbtechno.com/images/Don_King_Present_Prizefighter.jpg
PF is developed by Venom Games, the same publisher that was responsible for Rocky and Rocky Legends for the PS2 and XBox, which were pretty neat games. If you were a fan of the movies and ever wanted to see Apollo Creed beat the hell out of Ivan Drago or Clubber Lang, you can do it.
PF can't come close to the the tight, responsive controls of FN 3 or 4. While in FN you throw punches with the right stick, all the shots in PF are mapped to the buttons. Sometimes when launching a flurry, the button layout can't keep up with your input.
The graphics in PF can't compete with FN. Though the models of the licensed boxers do look like their real-life versions, the lack of detail, polish and fluidity of their movements is immediately apparent if you played FN first. If you haven't, you probably wouldn't know any better, but you'd think they could've done much, much better with the current consoles out there.
There is nothing to do to help your fighters recover in between rounds like in FN.
The online offering is not responsive and since you can only import 5 of your created pugilists, it's not even worth the trouble.
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/878/878709/don-king-presents-prizefighter-20080603093732857_640w.jpg
Is there anything good about this boxing game? Yep.
The career mode in PF totally blows away any version of FN. One would think EA would've used something better in the career mode in FN4, being released over a year later, but sadly, FN's career is easy, repetitive, stale and boring.
PF's career mode is told through a sports documentary style telling with real video interviews (of great quality) on the highs and lows of the career of the Heavyweight Champion, known as 'The Kid' (you). Real boxers like Larry Holmes, Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs and Ken Norton are in the documentary, and Mario Van Peebles, your Playboy Playmate Gfs, your trainer, cutman, naturally Don King and many others all take part in discussing your actions and commenting on your rags to riches rise to fame and fortune.
You also befriend a former rival, and it plays out in a Rocky IV fashion in the story.
Throughout the career mode, you can take endorsing deals, go party with your Playboy whores, do a movie deal and other stuff like that. It raises your media profile and raises your fight payday at the expense of training. You can also do cross training, take special supplements to increase your stats and take special sessions with experts in some boxing field to make your fighter better. This is at the expense of your media profile and won't make as much money. It doesn't offer any difference to the story (I don't think) but it does give you choices at least.
The training mini games are fun, and at least they're enjoyable.
There are also different scenarios and conditions for you to win in some fights. One of your opponents has some gunk on his gloves, and after repated blows to your face, the screen blurs and you can't see. Another fight you go in with a broken hand, and every left you throw damages you until it numbs up in later rounds (then you use it as a howitzer). Another scenario was the judges and ref were on the take, so you had to win by KO. Once, if you partied with one of your Playboy whores, you went into the fight with decreased stamina. These may seem like small additions, but they go a long way in enhancing the experience.
Also as you advance through the boss boxers, afterwards your trainer tells you about fights like Marciano/Louis, and you are thrown into a flashback sequence where you have to meet a condition, like survive the round or KO an opponent.
Another edge over FN is the fact that there is a Ref circling you and constantly in the ring, something that was never in FN and to this day I cannot understand why. EA is supposed to provide realism, why is there never a Ref in the ring? He serves no purpose but the KO counts, but his presence definitely adds to the experience.
The game features 40 licensed fighters, including Julio Chavez, Kelly Plavik, Andrew Golota, and Shannon Briggs. It also includes some classic fighters like Larry Holmes (WHY did he never made it to FN?), Rocky Marciano, James Braddock, Ken Norton and Joe Louis.
There are filtering options when fighting in exhibition mode with 1 or 2 players for a look from the 30's, 50's and 70's. This was a simple nice touch, and I really liked the 70's.
It also includes video of some real fights and interviews which are very good quality especially in HD.
All of this may seem like nothing, but it is a lot of content that FN3 or even 4 doesn't have. The options and scenarios are deep, and for boxing purists there is a lot of fun to have and video to watch.
PF doesn't have all the graphics or fluid gameplay that FN has. In fact, it probably looks more like an enhanced XBox game. FN even has the edge on 2 player gaming and online functionality. But for the single player experience it's the best ever presented for a boxing game with an astonishing amount of content, and with FN's career mode being a complete bore, surpisingly EA's offering can't even compete with it.
The single player career mode alone carries this title into the 10th Round, but loses by TKO to FN's overall experience.
5.5/10
T for Teen- Blood, boxing violence, langauge, drug references, suggestive themes
Don King's Prizefighter (PF) is 2K Sports answer to the Fight Night series. While it is inferior in almost every facet, it succeeds in a few ways that Fight Night 3 or even 4 can't match.
http://www.dbtechno.com/images/Don_King_Present_Prizefighter.jpg
PF is developed by Venom Games, the same publisher that was responsible for Rocky and Rocky Legends for the PS2 and XBox, which were pretty neat games. If you were a fan of the movies and ever wanted to see Apollo Creed beat the hell out of Ivan Drago or Clubber Lang, you can do it.
PF can't come close to the the tight, responsive controls of FN 3 or 4. While in FN you throw punches with the right stick, all the shots in PF are mapped to the buttons. Sometimes when launching a flurry, the button layout can't keep up with your input.
The graphics in PF can't compete with FN. Though the models of the licensed boxers do look like their real-life versions, the lack of detail, polish and fluidity of their movements is immediately apparent if you played FN first. If you haven't, you probably wouldn't know any better, but you'd think they could've done much, much better with the current consoles out there.
There is nothing to do to help your fighters recover in between rounds like in FN.
The online offering is not responsive and since you can only import 5 of your created pugilists, it's not even worth the trouble.
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/878/878709/don-king-presents-prizefighter-20080603093732857_640w.jpg
Is there anything good about this boxing game? Yep.
The career mode in PF totally blows away any version of FN. One would think EA would've used something better in the career mode in FN4, being released over a year later, but sadly, FN's career is easy, repetitive, stale and boring.
PF's career mode is told through a sports documentary style telling with real video interviews (of great quality) on the highs and lows of the career of the Heavyweight Champion, known as 'The Kid' (you). Real boxers like Larry Holmes, Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs and Ken Norton are in the documentary, and Mario Van Peebles, your Playboy Playmate Gfs, your trainer, cutman, naturally Don King and many others all take part in discussing your actions and commenting on your rags to riches rise to fame and fortune.
You also befriend a former rival, and it plays out in a Rocky IV fashion in the story.
Throughout the career mode, you can take endorsing deals, go party with your Playboy whores, do a movie deal and other stuff like that. It raises your media profile and raises your fight payday at the expense of training. You can also do cross training, take special supplements to increase your stats and take special sessions with experts in some boxing field to make your fighter better. This is at the expense of your media profile and won't make as much money. It doesn't offer any difference to the story (I don't think) but it does give you choices at least.
The training mini games are fun, and at least they're enjoyable.
There are also different scenarios and conditions for you to win in some fights. One of your opponents has some gunk on his gloves, and after repated blows to your face, the screen blurs and you can't see. Another fight you go in with a broken hand, and every left you throw damages you until it numbs up in later rounds (then you use it as a howitzer). Another scenario was the judges and ref were on the take, so you had to win by KO. Once, if you partied with one of your Playboy whores, you went into the fight with decreased stamina. These may seem like small additions, but they go a long way in enhancing the experience.
Also as you advance through the boss boxers, afterwards your trainer tells you about fights like Marciano/Louis, and you are thrown into a flashback sequence where you have to meet a condition, like survive the round or KO an opponent.
Another edge over FN is the fact that there is a Ref circling you and constantly in the ring, something that was never in FN and to this day I cannot understand why. EA is supposed to provide realism, why is there never a Ref in the ring? He serves no purpose but the KO counts, but his presence definitely adds to the experience.
The game features 40 licensed fighters, including Julio Chavez, Kelly Plavik, Andrew Golota, and Shannon Briggs. It also includes some classic fighters like Larry Holmes (WHY did he never made it to FN?), Rocky Marciano, James Braddock, Ken Norton and Joe Louis.
There are filtering options when fighting in exhibition mode with 1 or 2 players for a look from the 30's, 50's and 70's. This was a simple nice touch, and I really liked the 70's.
It also includes video of some real fights and interviews which are very good quality especially in HD.
All of this may seem like nothing, but it is a lot of content that FN3 or even 4 doesn't have. The options and scenarios are deep, and for boxing purists there is a lot of fun to have and video to watch.
PF doesn't have all the graphics or fluid gameplay that FN has. In fact, it probably looks more like an enhanced XBox game. FN even has the edge on 2 player gaming and online functionality. But for the single player experience it's the best ever presented for a boxing game with an astonishing amount of content, and with FN's career mode being a complete bore, surpisingly EA's offering can't even compete with it.
The single player career mode alone carries this title into the 10th Round, but loses by TKO to FN's overall experience.
5.5/10
T for Teen- Blood, boxing violence, langauge, drug references, suggestive themes