Underrated Games: Def Jam Fight For NY Part 2

Now that the story segment has been mildly covered (which I advise for you to play for yourself), and that you guys know of the BLASPHEMY that is my lost disc, the gameplay now needs to be addressed. Like I said before, Def Jam Fight For NY is not your typical beat-em-up in the likes of more adored fighting games like Virtua Fighter or Super Smash Bros., but is more along the lines of a wrestling game like, for instance, the WWE Smackdown series. Though the gameplay isn't as slow as those games, there are some similarities that can be made between the two.

As preliminary moves, there's a punch, kick, grapple, block, and run button. Once again, a staple for many wrestling games the world over. On the other hand, there are a couple of unique attributes with this fighting francise that make it separate from other fighting games.

One thing is that the crowd in each stage can either help you or hurt you mid-fight. If someone throws you into a person surrounding the area or vice versa, they can either push you back into the brawl (i.e. like the rope propelling you forward in a wrestling ring) or they can hold you so you can do a tag team style grapple. It kinda looks cool to do and becomes very helpful when you're in a pinch. They can even give you melee weapons like a bat, a glass bottle, or even a shovel (depending on the venue).

The other is that there is something called BLAZIN'! Sounds funny, yes, but all the more important to understand. See, this is basically like your finishing move to KO an opponent say like a Fatality in Mortal Kombat. This, however, isn't as gruesome or as gory as the aforementioned series, but is still brutal and in some ways, dare I say, comical in the way you lay waste to your adversaries.

You see that? That flame-looking thing up at the top below the green bar? That the BLAZIN' meter. The way the special moves work is that you have to fill it up by making combos (but no air juggles, sorry folks) and throwing your rival and make the fight as interesting and as stylish as possible. The more combos you do and the more takedowns you make, the more your BLAZIN' bar increases. Though I forgot to mention, this game supports a point system which also tailors to the bar. Though this makes Def Jam feel more or less like an arcade fighter than a deep and and sophisticated brawler, there is a hook to it all that makes up for this accesibility.

The hook that makes it easier to fill up the meter and makes the crowd lend you a hand is its RPG elements.

(Oh and FYI, those two ARE REAL PEOPLE and are voiced by their REAL-LIFE counterparts.)Though this isn't anything new to certain fighting games, it feels like it has a reason here in this game. Each fighter has their own strengths and weaknesses in different categories (like we haven't heard THAT before) and have different fighting styles that they are accustomed to using and function accordingly.

But during the story mode, you can customize your character with said stats. Does he have a mean punching prowess with a ton of speed to boot? Or can he have a lot of health and have the toughness to take on a barrage of punches and kicks? You can upgrade your character at your own discretion.

Though you can make your person's fighting skills unique to use in a battle, to make a crowd member help you out is determined from your fighter's charisma. This stat is changed upon your clothing, your jewelry, and even the way you keep up with your winning streak in fights. Here's an example of a person who can have a high charisma:

(Okay, maybe he wouldn't have the best charisma ever, but it's the best I can get.)
For the most part, that is just about all the gameplay I can detail since that is pretty much the game as a whole. Though that's Def Jam in a nutshell, there's more to talk about. There are some problems people may have with a 6-year-old game and the departures many aren't fond of as the franchise as a whole. That will all be told in the last segment...PART III!