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Do you often find yourself listening to rap music while playing videogames? I know I do. Well, EA Sports Big, makers of NBA Street and SSX Tricky , have been working for ages striving to create the perfect blend between the rap world and the world of underground wrestling, culminating in this Springs Def Jam Vendetta!
Key Features
* Over 45 characters, including 12 Def Jam artists: DMX, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, NORE, Scarface Ghostface Killah, Capone, Keith Murray, and WC. Also featuring Christina Milian and DJ Funkmaster Flex.
* More than 10 highly detailed underground worlds, built straight from the mean streets: places like DMXs Junkyard and Scarfaces Speakeasy.
* Dozens of signature special moves and player taunts. All moves referenced directly from each Def Jam artist.
Story
Most people would think that itd be difficult to create an original story for a game that mixes rappers and wrestling. Not so. It seems that your fictional characters best friend Manny has gotten into a little financial trouble with the heinous D-Mob. And theres only one way to save Manny before D-Mob busts a cap on him, pay off Mannys debt by wrestling. D-Mob decides to pit his best fighters (including the Def Jam stars) against you in all-out battle. To make matters even worse, D-Mob is tappin your ex-girlfriend. I would therefore assume that she will magically learn the error of her ways once you kick the living snot out of D-Mob and shell be yours forever. Then again, thats just speculation.
[Take a bow!]
Gameplay
Alright folks, this is where the game really has its time to shine. The main focus is obviously on the Story Mode, where you battle wrestler after wrestler, culminating in twelve different boss fights (the Def Jam rappers). Now, Ive played a few wrestling games in my day, namely on the N64, and I noticed chiefly one thing, theyre as boring as watching an E! True Hollywood Story on someone youve never heard of. Theyre slow, theyre monotonous, theyre, well, lousy. Def Jam Vendetta is more action-packed, faster, and more on the arcade side of things. This is very good news indeed. Usually though, with games like these, they lose a lot of the depth that most simulation games have. This is sort of half and half with Vendetta. On one hand, it features over 1500 different moves to pull on your opponent, including a variety of fighting techniques (reverse kicks, punches, martial arts swings, choke holds, elbow blocks, knee bunts, etc. On the other though, the Create-A-Wrestler function will be sadly, sadly missing. Alas, Vincent Goodwin will never get to lay the smackdown on Ghostface Killah.
Theres also a few other modes, including Tag-Team. This really goes without explanation, but whenever March hits, I can assure you that my friends and I will be busting out the How High team for a little rear kicking. Theres Free-for-All too, where four players can get into the action.
[Dude, if this guy was a chick, thatd be so awesome!]
Visuals
The graphics in Def Jam Vendetta are pretty much everything youve come to expect from next-generation games. You know, characters that actually look human. As with most fighting games, all ten different locations feature random activity in the background. For instance, in DMXs Junkyard, pit bulls roam freely. I dont think they can get in the ring with you, but that would be totally sweet.
Final Thoughts
When I first heard of this game, it sounded absolutely, positively ridiculous. I mean, come on, rappers wrestling? Then again, I also thought NBA Street was going to be atrocious, and look what happened there. This is the kind of game that, in the wrong hands, could turn sour in a hurry. Luckily, its in the hands of EA Sports Big, who have yet to make a bad game as far as Im concerned, and I have no doubt that Def Jam Vendetta will follow in the same vein. |
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