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Preview  Black & Bruised
- By Mike Ryan
E3 Impressions:
I (Neal) finally got my chance to play an early version of Black and Bruised from our friends at Majesco during this past E3, and despite being very early in its development life cycle, it played rather well.
The controls were rather simple. A and B served as left and right standard punches, and X and Y served as left and right special punches. It was a simple offensive scheme, and allowed a player to jump in and start mixing it up effectively right off the bat. I was informed immediately after I stopped playing by one of the employees there, that pressing A in combination with one of the other face buttons would perform other special punches. I didn't get a chance to confirm this first hand, but I will take the Majesco booth employee at his word, due to my desire to not get a restraining order levied against me by Majesco for sending them mindless emails asking them to "prove" that A combined with other buttons performs different moves.
The character animation looked relatively smooth, especially considering the game was shown at only 45% complete. The matches I played, including my extensive pummeling of our esteemed NGenres CEO, Tariq, all ran fluidly, and showed no major glitches. The characters themselves look great in their cel shaded-ness, which definitely allows for more over-the-top character design, which in turn allows for over-the-top gameplay.
For being less than half completed, Black and Bruised played very well. Many games at the show that were further along in their development showed more glaring flaws, which I would attribute to the team at Majesco. I enjoyed the bit I got to play quite thoroughly, and look forward to seeing more of this one as its progress continues throughout the summer and towards its projected release this fall.
Neal
-05.29.02
Majesco, the company responsible for the enjoyable Boxing Fever for the Game Boy Advance, has another boxing game hidden in their gloves - this time for the GameCube. Black & Bruised, set for a Q4 release, looks as though it's shaping up to be a humorous - and challenging - next-gen boxing game.
"High-quality cartoon cel-shading technology showcases the game s cartoon-esque visuals and cleverly exaggerates game play. Black & Bruised features pressure sensitive controls, which are easy to learn, but hard to master, and provide players a full sense of control over their boxer. Player immersion is further heightened with the use of skeletal motion and skin morphing technology which creates fluid character movements."
Five modes of play: Training, Single, Championship, Survival and Two-Player:
- Training - Refine your techniques by fighting the training robot;
- Single - Select your opponent and go one-on-one with the computer;
- Championship - Fight a list of opponents and go for the World Title;
- Survival - Fight as many opponents as you can knockout;
- Two-Player - Go head-to-head with a friend;
- First-person or close-up third person camera viewpoints allow players to fight how they are most comfortable;
- Boxer s Life mode - After a match, the console s Full Motion Video (FMV) updates to reflect the impact of the fight s outcome on the character s life. It will not only define the stakes, but also affect the way the boxer performs in the next bout;
- Special effects - Stars, perspiration, particle effects and explosions will indicate the effectiveness of a particular punch and add to the zany feel of the game.
- Super Punches - Every boxer has a super punch to destroy his/her opponent. Fire, electricity and explosion effects indicate super punches.
NGenres will have more on the game as it develops.
Mike
-03.21.02
- 5.29.2002 |
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