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Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Midway brings their own comical, arcade-like spin on the sport of boxing. Let's get ready to rumble!
Overview
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing is a comedic boxing game developed by Pod 5 and published by Midway for the Dreamcast (Platform) (as a launch title) in North America on September 9, 1999, with a release in Europe sometime in late 1999 and a Japanese release by Sega (Company) (also known as Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Uchikome Warai no Megaton Punch!!) on January 13, 2000. It also received a port by Point of View for the PlayStation (Platform) and Nintendo 64 (Platform), both released in North America on November 16, 1999, with European releases soon after.
A lighthearted take on the sport of boxing, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing features various boxers of colorful personalities (similar to the Punch-Out!! series) and faster-paced, arcade-style, side-view gameplay (with a special "Rumble Flurry" super move mechanic). In addition to an elaborate career system (Championship Mode), character-specific combos, and a system of showing "battle damage", the game features the voice and likeness of Michael Buffer (Person) as the game's ring announcer, with the game named after his trademarked catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble!" It later received two sequels, with Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 and Ready 2 Rumble: Revolution.
The game also received a handheld adaptation by Crawfish Interactive (Company) for the Game Boy Color (Platform), released in late 1999 for both North America and Europe. This version has a 2D belt-scrolling perspective, and its cartridge had built-in rumble support.
Gameplay
The game is a six-button game, with four Punch buttons (High Left, High Right, Low Left, and Low Right) and two Block buttons (High and Low). It plays in a side-view (like a 3D fighting game) with free-form 3D movement, with optional camera views (including a ringside view, rotating camera, and first-person camera).
The game makes use of several command moves, where punches of different strengths and attributes can be performed by holding the joypad/joystick in different directions while pressing each Punch button. Tapping a direction while pressing a Block button also performs one of various dodges. Each character has their own unique combos and special moves.
In addition to the red Health Bar, each player has a blue regenerating Stamina Bar, which determines how much damage punches give. As with standard boxing games, players recover from a knockdown by pressing buttons, and are defeated when either failing to get up from a knockdown or are knocked down too many times (default being three.
Rumble Meter
Landing strong punches builds up one letter of the six-letter "RUMBLE" meter. Once it's full, players can press both Block buttons to enter Rumble Mode for a temporary damage buff. During this mode, pressing both Low buttons triggers a special super move, known as "Rumble Flurry", that deals a powerful combo and end the mode prematurely.
Getting knocked out clears the meter.
Championship Mode
In addition to the traditional Arcade Mode, the game includes a career-based Championship Mode, where players form a gym and train boxers in an effort to bring all boxers in their repertoire to Champion status. Only three boxers are available at the start (Knokimov, Brown, and Thunder), with additional boxers unlocked by promoting boxers to higher classes.
In order to earn in-game money and prestige, players need to participate in both "Title Fights" and "Prize Fights". Prize Fights allow players to quickly earn cash by winning fights (and can wager additional cash for a bigger payout), while Title Fights allow players to promote their boxers up the ranks (although they must spend cash to participate).
While this mode is mostly single-player, two players can battle each-other with their trained boxers (and wager in-game cash in them) in "Exhibition Fights", and can trade their trained boxers with each other in "Trade Boxer".
Boxer Training & Stats
Each boxer starts with low Strength (punch damage), Stamina (stamina bar), and Dexterity (movement and punch speed), and must increase each of these attributes through "Train Boxer" mode, where players spend in-game money in one of five timing-based mini-games (with success in them tied to the amount they gain). Players can opt to set their training to Auto to bypass the mini-game, but won't receive as much benefits.
- Rumble Aerobics ($500) - A rhythm mini-game, where players have to press a sequence of buttons to the beat. Best for dexterity.
- Sway Bag ($1000) - A "Simon Says" mini-game, where players have to sway around in a sequence. Best for dexterity.
- Speed Bag ($1500) - A timing mini-game where players have a limited amount of punches they use to punch the bag in a way that it hits the ceiling. Best for dexterity.
- Heavy Bag ($2000) - A quick-time event mini-game where players have a limited amount of time to throw various types of punches. Best for strength.
- Weight Lifting ($5000) - A precision mini-game where players hold and release the button at the right time.
There are also two "Programs", which automatically builds attributes with no mini-game:
- Vitamin Training ($10,000) - Massive increase in dexterity.
- Rumble Mass Nutrition ($25,000) - Massive increase in strength.
Participating in fights and succeeding in training also increases their boxer's "Experience" attribute.
Characters
The game includes 16 standard fighters (one of which is exclusive to each game platform) and 4 unlockable boss characters.
- Boris "The Bear" Knokimov - A champion boxer from Croatia (Location), known for his rigorous training.
- Butcher Brown - A cocky boxer from Washington, D.C., once the undisputed champion.
- Afro Thunder (Character) - A retired cab driver from New York City (Location), known for his showmanship..
- Salua Tua (Character) - A former sumo wrestler from Hawai'i (Location), fighting to represent the sport of sumo.
- Angel "Raging" Rivera - A tough boxer from Mexico (Location), who abandoned traditional boxing style for more unorthodox techniques. Unavailable in the GBC version.
- Tank Thrasher - A dim-witted, burly boxer from Alabama (Location). Unavailable in the GBC version.
- Selene Strike (Character) - A graceful boxer from Brazil (Location) and one of the best female boxers in the world.
- Jet "Iron" Chin - A martial artist from Taiwan (Location) and a former stunt double. Unavailable in the GBC version.
- Rocket Samchay - A kickboxer from Thailand (Location) and a Muay Thai (Concept) champion. Unavailable in the GBC version.
- "Furious" Faz Motar - A former bodyguard from Saudi Arabia (Location). Unavailable in the GBC version.
- Lulu Valentine (Character) - A fashionable boxer from Seattle (Location), known for her world-famous clothing line.
- "Big" Willy Johnson - An old-fashioned boxer from 19th century England (Location), brought to the modern day through a mysterious time rift.
- Jimmy Blood (DC version only) - A hot-headed boxer from New Zealand (Location).
- Gino Stiletto (PS1 version only) - An older boxer from Philadelphia (Location).
- J.R. Flurry (N64 version only) - A star athlete from Los Angeles (Location).
- Kemo Claw (mid-boss, unlockable) - A mystic boxer from New Mexico (Location), whose lanky frame gives him exceptional reach.
- Bruce Blade (mid-boss, unlockable) - A shipyard engineer from San Diego (Location), who fights in headgear to shield his identity. Unavailable in the GBC version.
- Nat Daddy (mid-boss, unlockable) - A boxer from Las Vegas (Location) and one of the largest figures in the sport.
- Damien Black (final boss, unlockable) - A demonic entity from another dimension.
Similar Games
Boxing Fever (Game)
- Name
- Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
- Release Date
- September 9, 1999
- Platform
- PlayStation (Platform)
Game Boy Color (Platform)
Dreamcast (Platform)
Nintendo 64 (Platform) - Developer
- Publisher
- Genre
- Boxing (Genre)
- Theme
- Comedy (Theme)
- Franchise
- Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (Franchise)