Submitted on: 06/02/2009 by
Steven Bartlett
The UFC video game license is precisely where it should be. Previous UFC themed games were poorly received by critics and fans alike while doing nothing to advance the Ultimate Fighting brand.
In early 2007, THQ picked up the license for UFC. At the time, THQ’s main experience with grappling came from the wrestling titles they had published. THQ wrestling titles started all the way back to the WCW days of the late 1990s. Since 1999, THQ has been releasing wrestling games under the WWE banner.
THQ’s main focus for the WWE has been the Smackdown series. The Smackdown series started on the PS1 in 2000 with the tenth iteration out now for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PSP. The Smackdown series has been developed by Japanese developer Yukes. While the sales for the Smackdown series have always been strong, the quality has come into question lately.
When I heard that UFC 2009 Undisputed was being developed by Yukes, I definitely had doubts. I was not sure how they were going to handle the complexities of the UFC and still be able to pull off a game that didn't feel like their Smackdown series. While the company was still Yukes, it certainly didn't seem like it after firing up the game for the first time.
Before the game was released, I got to meet with the producers of the game and I was able to ask them about the game being like their WWE games. They mentioned that there was no flow to the game and punches were “sold", just like in their WWE games. That obviously changed in the final version, with each fight playing out like UFC fans expect them to. The only thing both Smackdown and UFC shared was the way they modeled their characters.
UFC 2009 Undisputed was well worth the wait.
Mostly good, some bad.
Dana White and the rest of the UFC were especially involved in making the presentation of the game genuine. While every other sports game has trouble with commentary, a new technique was used to make the fight sound like it should. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg provided 36 hours of commentary. The unique part of the sound is that UFC provided the line feeds from every PPV event since UFC 40. Using the dialogue from actual live events makes the commentary seem even more authentic than just canned studio lines.
Another cool feature for fans new to Ultimate Fighting is the Classic Fights feature. Classic Fights also provide a trip down memory lane for old school fans or lessons for the newbies. There are twelve fights in all, each outfitted with an introduction from Rachelle Leah and a video of the fight build-up. It’s similar to the Relive mode in Legends of WrestleMania, which is gladly the only thing they’ve taken from the game. You can also see highlights from the fight if you finish it exactly how it did in real life.
UFC 2009 Undisputed is not perfect of course. There are complaints about the learning curve being too steep. The career mode can get a bit wordy at times as well. Also, the online disconnects hurt the experience somewhat.
However, these are relatively minor gripes. The gameplay and graphics are rock solid and that’s most important going forward.
Looking into the future, THQ currently holds the UFC license until 2011, which is probably enough to get one game and maybe two out of the current deal before it expires. With EA developing an MMA game to be released in 2010, one might wonder if they have their eyes set on possibly scoring the UFC license when it comes up for renewal in 2011.
You're in Good Hands.
When you think of UFC 2009 Undisputed, you think of a quality, fun game with a ton of potential for the future. From my experiences talking with the creators of the game, I remember how passionate they were and how they were determined to make a game that represents everything the UFC has to offer. With the UFC expanding exponentially, this game is exactly the thing to reach fans of the sport and also fans of video games. Hopefully THQ has the equity to renew the license in 2011 because I bet the UFC will be happy with the results.
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