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There's a great moment in Ready 2 Rumble Revolution when the character, failing to jump rope, groans in frustration. That sentiment mirrors how players will feel after suffering many botched attempts at precise motion controls with the Wii remote instead of enjoying what should be simple, cartoonish, videogame boxing.
What a shame! The game holds such promise on its surface. Eschewing the seriousness of EA's Fight Night series — the cream of the crop of boxing games — Revolution features goofy characters such as Syphon Cruel, who looks eerily similar to Simon Cowell of American Idol fame, and the Italian-stereotype Stoney Rigatoni. Add the voice of Michael "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Buffer along with some waggle controls and a bunch of friends, and how could this idea lose?
Here's how. Though the controls aren't the only problem with Ready 2 Rumble Revolution, they're a serious contender in the game's downfall. Holding the Wii remote and Nunchuk, the player can execute different punches by thrusting each hand in a particular direction — forward to jab, inward to hook and straight up to uppercut. Swinging outward results in a stronger punch, and holding the C button on the Nunchuk during the motion performs a body blow. In addition, the player can sway, duck, and weave by moving both controls back, forward, and to the side, respectively.
Throwing the exact punch you want is tricky because the controls are imprecise. A slight twitch one way or another can trigger the straight jab or hook when a wind-up was desired. The real trouble comes with dodging. In the heat of a bout, avoiding attacks with any method other than blocking is likely to result in a weak punch instead. Fighting becomes a game of punch-and-see, throwing high and low jabs in hopes that a few will stick.
These imperfections often become moot, however, because of the game's Rumble mechanism. By tapping the A button or landing punches, the player charges a meter that appears as the word “Rumble” in the corner of the screen. Once it is fully filled, the player can then press A again to gain unlimited stamina and superior strength. With gloves aglow, the player can hold A while punching to unleash a string of powerful punches. Connect three times and the opponent hits the floor. Cheat the system by hitting the opponent a couple of times, backing off, hitting again, backing off and hitting a few more times to fully deplete the enemy's energy, and you've got an instant knockout exploit. It doesn't always work, but it's an easy way to get ahead of the enemy's own fatal punches. Such a game changer would break the whole system if it weren't in tatters to begin with.
There are two main modes of play. Arcade mode features the aforementioned silly characters, and players choose one to challenge all the others until a boss battle becomes available. Completing this mode reaps little, since the characters have no individual back stories. Despite the masked presence of several unlockable characters at the player select screen, one playthrough yielded no perks.
The player's time is better spent in the game's Championship mode, in which players create their own boxer and elevate him from small-time brawler to blinged-out champion. The mode consists of training to build the character's attributes, followed by a bout for prize money and a better ranking. It's monotonous, but at least it's got some substance, taking a page from Fight Night's career mode. A couple other modes, such as Tournament and Team Play, round out the options for the game's ready-made characters.
Mini-games easily occupy more than half of the player's time. There are two routines to complete per boxing match, plus a third Special Training option if the player does a good job in the initial exercise. All the mini-games are a minute long — the same length as a round of boxing. It is possible to skip the mini-games, but the opportunity for stat-boosting is then lost. The angry grumblings of an otherwise emotionless trainer don't help.
Motion control problems persist in the mini-games. Medicine Ball is a particularly frustrating example, requiring the player to push both controllers forward to perform sit-ups, then jerk the controls forward or back to catch a ball thrown at the stomach or head. Reaction time is slim, and a gentle tug of the controls won't always suffice. Similar issues abound during the Jump Rope game, which asks players to move both controllers in a particular direction as queues similar to those of Dance Dance Revolution scroll by on the screen. Because the motion needs to be triggered slightly before the prompts come into queue, getting it right is never easy, even for players with great rhythm.
Some of the mini-games are more amusing, like the Speed Bag routine that requires shaking both fists to continually rock a small punching bag, and the Training Dummy that launches attacks at a player and springs back from each counterpunch. The payoff comes easier for these exercises because they don't require pinpoint precision of movement.
Ready 2 Rumble Revolution loses even more points on presentation. The two supporting characters in Championship mode — trainer and promoter — are soulless talking heads that spew the same generic text after every match. The music is equally generic, with funky grooves that merely fill the dead space. Revolution's one saving grace are the colorful gestures of its premade boxers, but even they become tired in the face of such lackluster play.
Despite all of this negativity, Ready 2 Rumble Revolution is palatable in short bursts. That's because knocking a smiley, bouncy, cartoon face to the ground always seems worthwhile, no matter how much suffering led up to that monumental victory. Then again, the same thing could be said about Wii Sports, and that game doesn't cost Wii owners a dime.
Fun Factor: Landing a knockout punch is great, but the fighting itself provides nothing but boredom and frustration.
Game Length: Mileage varies depending on skill and commitment. Championship mode could take 15 hours.
Difficulty: Even for skilled players, the precision required to fight properly will be maddening.
On the Negative Side: The deepest part of the game, Championship mode, emphasizes training over fighting. The combat system itself is broken thanks to an overpowering special attack.
Bang for Your Buck: Many hours of gameplay and lots of unlockable characters await those who can endure the game itself.
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