Reviewing a fighting game is like talking to an old friend; the conversation might be new, but the words don't seem all that different.

Def Jam Fight For NY is like meeting a new friend.  It's not a fighting game, a wrestler, a kick boxer or any other single fighting genre you can think of – it's all of them rolled into one. 

More Americans get their bruise from ABC than from any other source.  No wait, that’s news… 

It comes as no surprise that the gameplay is addictive and packed with variety.  Electronic Arts doesn't skimp on that.  Shockingly, the story is intriguing, well directed and well written.  I say shockingly because I've seen the world's greatest fighting game developers (Midway, Namco and Capcom) attempt to pen a great script with less-than-stellar results.

EA is very much aware of the importance of having a compelling story if you're going to vaunt the game's story mode.  When they set out to develop Def Jam Fight For NY, they weren't just making a fighting game, they were directing a movie.

The opening sequence was designed to get your attention.  Over 40 hip-hop superstars were snagged for the game, all of them featuring their voice and computer generated likeness.  The facial detail is rather astounding – Snoop really looks like Snoop.  Redman's character model is eerily close to the real thing.

More importantly, the way in which these characters are presented is very entertaining.  You've got your thugs, those with compassion, and others with seemingly no feelings whatsoever.  The dialogue is appropriate for each character, though I'm sure in reality there'd be a bit more swearing.  As it is the game manages to dish quite a few foul words.  It's not something I like to hear in games, but I can't object to it being in a game like this.  Whatever you see in movies, games will eventually follow suit. 

Just kickin’ it.

All this talk about the story probably makes you wonder where the gameplay fits in.  The gameplay is the core of Def Jam Fight For NY.  You'll be seein' red whether you choose to go through the story mode or not.  "Red" meaning blood and anger.

Five unique fighting styles are at your disposal: street fighting, kick boxing, martial arts, submissions and wrestling.  The great thing about these styles is how they alter the dynamic of the game.  An opponent training in the martial arts is going to be performing a lot of fast moves.  Street fighters are less professional.  Their stance looks weak and their moves look sloppy.  But the result of performing those moves is devastating enough to make a grown man cry.  Same goes for the wrestling style, where you grab, lift and throw your opponent in a number of painful ways.  Kickboxing has its own unique flare, as do the submissions, which involve powerful attacks to specific body parts.

As a game with so many different fighting styles, Def Jam Fight For NY's controls fall somewhere between Tekken and WWE Day of Reckoning.  Def Jam doesn't have the huge list of combos that Tekken offers (no 10-hit combos) or the wrestling moves of Day of Reckoning, but that doesn't hurt the gameplay one bit.  Def Jam Fight For NY is its own fighting game.  It does its own thing and that's what I love about it.

In regards to that, Def Jam Fight For NY has an incredible amount of interactive depth.  Fighting arenas change frequently.  One minute you're in the ring, the next minute you're fighting in a crowded basement, where going out of bounds means hitting a spectator.  If there's a wall or pillar, your opponent may bash your head into it.  Speakers, gates and other perishable objects will break on impact, but walls just sit there while your head takes all the pain.  Spectators love to get in on the action, so practice throwing your opponents into the crowd.  Worst-case scenario: the spectator pushes your opponent forward, weakening his defenses briefly.  Best-case scenario: the spectator holds onto your opponent until you dish out a combo.  The gameplay and graphical realism here is truly unprecedented.  What was once a dream among game developers has now become a reality. 

Dad always said, “Never kick a man when he’s down.”  Of course, he also said to buy stock in Enron. 

No hip-hop artist is complete without his or her bling.  No street fighter is complete without gold jewelry that sparkles even when covered in blood.  To get your stainless bling and accessorize your life, visit the in-game shops.  Get the latest threads from real clothing manufacturers.  Purchase a gold watch from the same place where Hollywood celebs shop.  Then take your goodies back to your crib, suit up, and show the world how pimpin' you are.

It's not easy to earn money to buy a new game.  Buying the game that stands out from the crowd, this one leaves an everlasting impression – that's what makes it worth it.  Def Jam Fight For NY is the best wrestling/submission/martial arts/street fighting/kick boxing game on the market.  It's the only game that combines those five fighting styles, and it's the only game that lets you mix them to personalize your fighter.  The story mode is the best in the genre, and the two-to-four multiplayer mode will make your weekends disappear.

Gameplay: 9
Def Jam Fight For NY nearly creates a new sub-genre with its mix of five different fighting styles.

The controls are great.  They're fast but not to the point where the characters are flying all over the screen.

Def Jam's special moves are this game's answer to Mortal Kombat's fatalities.  You can't "finish him," but you can charge your gauge to unleash one of several automatic combo attacks.  If your opponent is near KO (his health meter is red), the final blow will be executed with more intensity, making the game fun to watch in addition to providing hands-on entertainment.

I really can't say enough good things about this game.  It's the fighting genre's answer to NBA Street.

Graphics: 9.1
Def Jam Fight For NY squeezes as much out of the current generation of consoles as it can.  Just look at the PS2 version for proof.  All three versions look great.  The character models couldn't look any better unless they were done in CG.  The environments, textures, and interactive elements keep the game looking shiny and new all the way through.

Sound: 8
Superb voice acting, appropriate dialogue, and a hip-hop soundtrack that'll keep you from hitting the mute button.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
I want new fighting games to have a learning curve, otherwise they wouldn't be any fun (fighting games are most entertaining during the training period – once you become a master they tend to lose some of their replay value).  Def Jam Fight For NY has a learning curve, but it has more to do with the multiplayer games.  There's a lot of room for growth for you and your friends.

The story mode is another, uh, story.  Thirty minutes of play and you'll be kickin' the tar out of the computer-controlled opponents.  There are some tough battles and some awesome surprises, but I still can't call this a challenging game.

Concept: 9
Excellent gameplay, excellent story presentation.  This is more than just a game with 40+ hip-hop superstars.  It's a game with 40+ hip-hop superstars that's worth playing.  Each and every one of those artists should be proud to star in a game that will hopefully lead the way for a new era in video game entertainment, one where the story mode is true to its name.

Multiplayer: 8
Free-for-all fighting for up to four players.  Entertaining, but this mode could use a little more perfecting.  The game has a hard time figuring out which fighter you want to attack.  I'm sure you can imagine how annoying this can be when there are three opponents on the screen.

Don't let that scare you away though.  The multiplayer mode got an 8 for a reason.  Plug in four controllers and call up a few friends to see why.

Overall: 9
Def Jam Fight For NY gets an A+ for "Awesome + great + all-things-good!"  My expectations rose after playing a demo – needless to say I was overjoyed when I discovered that the final version is even better.  Buy it today for whichever console you own.