Sound:  
My suggestion – listen to your favorite CD while playing UFC: Throwdown. The sound is borderline unbearable. The audience, rather than sounding like a real crowd, sounds like they came from an N*Sync concert. When the match ends, a bunch of monkeys enter the audience and start hooting – at least that’s what it sounds like.

The voice samples are just fine. From the players’ “Umphs” to the referee’s “Let’s Get it On,” the voices are perfect. The punches, kicks, and snaps are also just fine. I suppose you could just lower the sound portion of the game, but if you do plan on doing so, make sure you lower the SE volume in the options menu. For some reason, if you lower the Audience volume, the audience doesn’t change, but the voiceovers do.

What little music UFC does have is enjoyable. The intro song by Diecast is pretty damn good, as is the “Rocky-esque” orchestras that are played before a few matches. All in all, the sound is admittedly the worst aspect of UFC: Throwdown.

Gameplay:  
What UFC: Throwdown lacks in all other aspects, it definitely makes up in gameplay. There are so many different gameplay options that it will take a few weeks just play through all of them (which probably explains the time it took me to write this review).

Arcade Mode – Choose your character and enter random matches to see how many fights you can win in a row.

Champion Mode – Choose your class and character and vie for the silver belt.

Legent Mode – Choose a character that already has attained the silver belt, and defend it to earn the coveted gold belt.

Tournament Mode - Up to 8 players can duke it out in this mode. Winners move on to the next round, losers are done.

Career Mode - Create your own character in the extremely deep create-a-fighter mode. Create him, train him, then enter him in matches. You earn points by defeating other players, and use those points to increase various characteristics and learn new moves.

Exhibition Mode - Choose your fighter and opponent, and go at it in a regular bout.

Training Mode - Choose a character, and learn how to play the game.

I must say that the training mode is perhaps the most in-depth training mode I have ever seen. You can choose any type of action for your opponent, as well as any possible situation you can find yourself in while playing the game. You’ll have to try it to believe it.

While at the surface, UFC: Throwdown seems like a punch-and-kick button masher. This may turn away some of the more fickle gamers. When you delve into the game, however, you learn that there is so much more to it than that. Gameplay in UFC: Throwdown relies heavily on reversals and combos. Honestly, it is an awesome feeling when you catch your opponent’s kick; throw him to the mat, and start putting the beat down on his head. This is even more fun when you’re doing this to a person-controlled opponent because you can always do some trash talking.

Now, as you may remember, I stated that there was one major problem with the game. This problem I speak of is none other than the length of the matches. Matches usually last no longer than one minute. No matches in any fighting game are this short. There are so many different types of moves in UFC: Throwdown that it is impossible to execute maybe half of your available moves in one match. Not a huge problem, but more of an annoyance.

Control:
A game like this must, and I mean must, have tight controls. If you are expecting to counter a move, you cannot have a ½ second delay when pressing the desired button. Thankfully, UFC: Throwdown has perfect controls. There is no delay whatsoever, so executing your combos and reversals are easy to execute, while at the same time challenging to time just right.

The Y and B buttons are for right and left punches, respectively. The X and A buttons are for right and left kicks. Tapping the controller stick and pressing any of the above buttons executes an alternate punch or kick. The L and R buttons are used to counter punches and kicks, and the Z button is to tackle your opponent. Once you do that, then the fun really begins. After tackling your opponent, you are on top of him, and can pull off different moves, such as punches, submission moves, and the ever-popular “flipping him on his stomach so you can pound the back of his head” move.

Multiplayer:
The multiplayer mode in UFC: Throwdown is just as fun as the regular gameplay. 2 players can fight each other in multiplayer mode; you and your friends will all have to take turns. Exhibition and tournament modes are all that are available – which is somewhat disappointing, but it is so much fun that you won’t care. Just beating your friend to a bloody pulp is enough to bring up the lasting appeal a notch.

OVERALL:
UFC: Throwdown is an altogether above average game. It is not a must-buy, unless of course you are a UFC fanatic. But if you were, you would already own the game. I must say that it is a must-rent, however. If you are having a few friends over and are bored with all your other Cube games, this game is guaranteed to make the party more enjoyable. Good graphics and a vast array of gameplay modes make up for the lame sounds and short matches. If you’re looking for a realistic fighting game that is challenging and in-depth, I strongly suggest buying UFC: Throwdown.

 

The Lowdown on  UFC: Throwdown Aesthetics: Very Good Control: Awesome Gameplay: Very Good Multiplayer: Above Average Sound: Below Average Innovation: 5/6 Lasting Appeal: 4/6 Overall: Above Average! "A Quality Game"