Ready 2 Rumble is one of the games that made me want to buy a Dreamcast. My friend Justing had the demo for it, and we had a lot of fun playing the game when we all got together. There was something that we all found fun to play and watch each other play.
The game was released in 1999 for the Dreamcast, PS1, and N64. Most of my experiences are from the Dreamcast version, and I don’t think I knew about the other two. This time, I’ll be looking at the N64 version for the first time.
I was a little surprised that Midway didn’t release this in the arcades. That is what they normally did, but this was a console exclusive. They were still making arcade cabinets at this time, so I can only guess that they were cutting back. I’d have to go and look at a few of the books I have on Midway’s history to be sure. That is beyond the scope of what I want to do here, though.
TLDR: Fun Gameplay with decent controls and graphics. I still prefer the Dreamcast version.
Narrative
There isn’t a story in this game. I can understand why, but I would’ve liked to see them try something to tie all this together. Even if it is like Punch Out, it would’ve been better than not having something in the game.
Gameplay
Ready 2 Rumble on the N64 had decent gameplay. It isn’t amazing, but this is a competently made boxing game. There are plenty of characters to play as, and you have a few game modes. There are a few things that are lacking, though.
It has a pretty big roster of fun characters. There are also a few unlockable ones. Here is the roster:
- Afro Thunder
- Boris Knockimov
- Selene Strike
- Butcher Brown
- Angel Rivera
- Joey T.
- Lulu Valentine
- Johnny Blood
- Mama Tua
- Jet Chin
- J.R. Flurry
- Willy Johnson
- Rocket Samchay
- Michal Jackson
- Shaquille O’Neal
I’m glad that Shaq is reprising his role as a practitioner of Shaq-Fu. It’s probably a little different, but quite fun that he’s here. This is from the manual (Link).
The controls are pretty good. While I don’t like using the N64 controller for this game, it isn’t all that bad. Once I revisit the other versions of the game, I’ll have a better idea of what these are like. I didn’t have a problem with them, and it was easy to learn them.
Like many of the other Midway games, especially their arcade ports, there is a lack of content in the game. You only have a few game modes, and once you’ve gone through them, that’s it. This type of game was great when I was in high school, but I’m expecting more now.
Overall, there isn’t anything wrong with the gameplay. Ready 2 Rumble’s controls are good, the roster is deep, and the gameplay is very fun. My biggest issue is with the lack of game modes. I want more of this, like a story mode or a create-a-player mode. What is here is fun, but like other games from Midway released around this time, I want more.
Visuals
This is my first time seeing the N64 version of the game. It looks muddy to me. It has been a while since I’ve played the Dreamcast version, so I’ll have to play that at some point.
There is an awkwardness to the character movements in this game. I don’t have a huge problem with it since this is a game from 1999, and it works for an over-the-top game like this. The punching animations look good, which makes the awkwardness of moving all the more noticeable.
Ready 2 Rumble’s characters look good. Each of them has their own personality and look that helps them stand out. No one looks the same, which is fun. It reminds me of the boxers in Punch Out. The models are a little blocky, but not all that different from the other N64 games from this time I’ve played.
The arena looks very good. This game has a very good camera that keeps the action looking like a 2D fighting game. While the crowd is a static image, it doesn’t look all that different from other games that I’ve played from this time. The game’s focus is on the in-ring action anyway.
The power-up you get looks okay. It just makes your gloves glow, which is fine for what it is. The battle damage on the character models is hilarious. That is something that I always enjoyed, and it isn’t as good with this game.
Overall, the graphics are pretty good in this game. They’ve aged better than other 3D games from that era, even though I think many of the boxing games on the SNES and Genesis look better. I do love the characters! They each have a unique look, which reminds me of Punch Out.
Reviews at the Time for Ready 2 Rumble
Ready 2 Rumble received positive reviews when it was released. Reviewers had other versions to compare this to, so that is fun to read. Most of the review scores were between a high 6 and an 8/10. I looked at four publications for this.
EGM gave the game a 7/10. They said that the AI was better than the PS1 version, but it wasn’t as “graphically impressive” as the Dreamcast version. This reviewer continued by saying that the game “gets old rather quickly.”
Game Informer gave Ready 2 Rumble a 6.5/10. There isn’t much in this short review. The reviewer said it was a “tedious” game.
GameSpot gave the game a 6.7/10. The graphical differences were brought up again, but the reviewer also criticized the gameplay. They called it a bit “sluggish.”
IGN gave the game a 7.8/10. It felt like the reviewer wanted to like this game more, but had to compare it to the Dreamcast version. There is a heavy emphasis on the graphics in this game. They recommended this game, but said the Dreamcast version was better.
Because this game came out shortly after the Dreamcast version, just about every reviewer compared this game to it. Most of them focused on how this game is graphically inferior to that game. This is the first thing I noticed when I played the game.
7.5/10. This version of the game has a few problems. The graphics are rather muddy and take away from some of the game’s humor. Ready 2 Rumble does have good controls on the N64.
Pros
- Good Controls
- Easy to learn
- Fun multiplayer game
Cons
- Muddy graphics
- Lack of game modes
- Repetitive
Conclusion
Going back to play a game like this is always fun for me. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing is one of the few games I bought for the Dreamcast. I feel like I saw the PS1 and N64 games in some of the retail stores I went to back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but I’m not sure. After playing the demo, I really wanted it for the Dreamcast.
The N64 port is pretty good for what it is. It has the controls and gameplay that I remember, but the graphics aren’t as good. If you never played the Dreamcast version, then you probably wouldn’t have cared.
I understand why the reviews brought up the graphical differences. That was their only real bone of contention with the game. Ready 2 Rumble on the N64 looks very muddy, which is something you can say about many of the games on the console. I’ve noticed it with several of the Midway and Acclaim games.
There is one more game in the Ready 2 Rumble series that I want to go over. It came out a year after this one, and I don’t remember much about it. At some point, I’ll get to the Dreamcast version of this game and the sequel.
If you like this post, check out my others on Midway games. Such as NBA Hangtime or NBA ShowTime.