Previously known for its seriousness, and perhaps its lack of popularity in the early stages of the history of video games, the boxing genre was suddenly cranked up a notch with the release of Midway’s Ready 2 Rumble Boxing among others. The success of a video game nearly always leads to the inevitability of a sequel, thus the release of Ready 2 Rumble Round 2; a welcome product in the run up to Christmas 2000.

Following on directly from the first in the series, the infamous Afro Thunder ... more >>

Previously known for its seriousness, and perhaps its lack of popularity in the early stages of the history of video games, the boxing genre was suddenly cranked up a notch with the release of Midway’s Ready 2 Rumble Boxing among others. The success of a video game nearly always leads to the inevitability of a sequel, thus the release of Ready 2 Rumble Round 2; a welcome product in the run up to Christmas 2000.

Following on directly from the first in the series, the infamous Afro Thunder makes his return as the all-time champion of the tournament, which is still hosted by the incredible Michael “Lets get ready to rumble!” Buffer. While on the subject of the Christian name, Michael, there a number of hidden characters to be unlocked in this fantastic sequel, and Michael Jackson is among them, as well as both Bill and Hilary Clinton, to name but a few. Whether you prefer boxer or celebrity, the gameplay remains the same, but with minor tweaks that make it that little bit more challenging. Single player, particularly, has improved noticeably, with more advanced computer AI making players faster, thus making them harder to beat. Modes of play are essentially the same, and the original rumble tactic has been retained for the better. Although it is very tempting to randomly bash the buttons, this tactic will not win you many matches, and it is far better to employ a known list of moves and combos to take out your opponent with.

Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 is a worthy sequel to what still is a fantastic game. << less