The pitch for Deflam: Vendetta must have sounded like some kind of cynical marketing wet dream: 'It's meets hip-hop! It'll be, uh, off the hook.or, whatever the kids say. Hella something.' We can't even count all the ways this could have gone wrong, so we're glad we don't have to. Developer Aki is known for its wrestling-game expertise, and Def Jam, well, they're pretty good with the hip-hop. Together, they've made a decent brawler that incorporates the hip-hop stars you presumably love (Ludacris, DMX, Redman.almost the entire Def Jam lineup) and even compelling story-compelling for a wrestling game, at least.The Def Jam crew members are the villains, with each artist acting as a boss.
![Jam Jam](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125621605/731274170.jpg)
As you climb the ranks in Story mode and struggle to get the girl (well, girls-there's more than one), you'll earn cash, which you can use to buy attribute upgrades. There's all kinds of other stuff to unlock, too: new fighters (39 in all), stages, and even swank Phatfarm threads, in case your wardrobe is low on powder-blue track suits.The multiplayer games you'd expect are there-Tag Team, Free For All, and Flandicap modes-and you can even earn cash from these bouts to spend in Story mode, but you can't set up tournaments or tweak many options. The lack of a Create-a-character feature is also a bummer. If you enjoy the hip-hop and the wrasslin', you'll get many hours of fun out of this one, but if you're a hardcore WWE fan, you may want to stick with what you've already got. Def jam: Vendetta sounds less like a good idea for a game and more like a license to print money, but it's actually done pretty well.
CoolROM.com's game information and ROM (ISO) download page for Def Jam - Vendetta (Sony Playstation 2). CoolROM.com's game information and ROM (ISO) download page for Def Jam - Vendetta (Sony Playstation 2). NOTE: Play this ISO on your PC by using a compatible emulator. It's hard to deny the appeal of a fighting game with this much street cred. Featuring no less than forty celebrities packed into the game, a fighting feel that's unique and all its own, and a serious dedication to game length, Def Jam: Fight For NY is a great game. With the only serious flaws being an interface that impedes versus play, and a learning curve the likes of which I've never seen.
The characters look like they should, even down to their outfits, and the gameplay is what you'd expect from a good brawler. It's also surprisingly challenging-sometimes frustratingly so, at least initially-on the Normal difficulty level. But when you get all powered up and unleash a 'Blazin' finishing move, the resulting punishment is quite satisfying, in a 'boy, did he ever get hit in the crotchF kind of way. The computer A.I. Always mounts a comeback if it's on the ropes, which adds tension to a match but increases the risk of you throwing your controller to the ground in disgust after your foe unleashes a string of combos you're powerless to stop. There are some nice details, like body-part-specific damage and a diverse range of moves to master, but also some glaring omissions: Match conditions, like rope breaks, ring outs, and time limits (there isn't one, ever) aren't customizable. The fighters' stats aren't listed in the Multiplayer Character-select screen.
And, you can't grab a chair from the audience for pummeling purposes (or, as the case may be, a big bottle of Atize, the beverage of choice among rappers' girlfriends). Def Jam will be a must-have for some, but if the hip-hop angle doesn't particularly appeal, you may want to get your sweaty man-thrills elsewhere. I don't like fighting games, I think the WWE is stupid, and only recently have I become a hip-hop enthusiast, courtesy of what I've deemed 'The 8 Mile Effect.'
But I love any game good enough to hook me, and Vendetta is certainly that. White the story line has fewer twists than a breadstick, the game is addictive because the balanced fighting engine keeps every battle interesting. Unlocking DMX and Ludacris as players, and a handful of /Wax/m-style photographs of some really pretty girls don't hurt, either. Painfully limited tuneage is the game's only serious flaw. There are too few songs (16 or so), considering that Vice City offers more than 80 and Tony Hawk 4 features 40.
Vendetta is the swift kick in the junk that the wrestling genre sorely needs, but it still left me feeling somewhat empty. I really like the entertaining Story mode, fast action, easy-to-learn controls, and K.O. System (which keeps match lengths reasonable). Unlike most wrasslin' games, the gauges make sense (one even tells you if an opponent can escape a pin). But, there's also a lot that needs work: it's criminally low on match types, doesn't have any weapons, doesn't have a Create-a-character mode, the camera sucks when more than two wrestlers are onscreen, and there're 44 characters, but only four can be used in Story mode. In short, it's still a promising start to a great series. The gimmick in this title is two fold.
You can choose from a series of basic fighters for the story mode, but as you progress through the game, you'll unlock more fighters, many of whom are rap artists presented as star fighters. If you stick it out in the story mode, you'll also get to take part in cat fights, which let you play as one of two women, both of which fight to be your character's girlfriend. Depending on which you choose and whether you win, you'll unlock galleries of pictures for each woman.While it's got some interesting gameplay, the small bugs are what really get Vendetta down. You can only win a match one of three ways.
Knock out, submission, or a pin. The knock out is performed with a super move, which not only requires you to charge a special meter called momentum, but also doesn't work as indicated by both the game and the manual. Come by putting an opponent into a submission move to lower the health of whatever body part you're putting the torque on, but each part has such an absurd amount of health it's unlikely to be a good win. Finally, the pin can be done at any time, but without beating on your opponent for 10 minutes or more, it's not going to work.During the mulitplayer portion of the game, I also encountered some pretty big design flaws, which you might call bugs, but I hesitate to do so. A tag team match can't be ended the normal ways each time, and I've played with three of my friends for a half hour or more without being able to end a single match. The game just didn't seem to recognize legal opponents. The game offers three modes of play: Survival, Battle and Story.
Survival pits you against the ladder of characters as you vie for the title. Battle includes various multiplayer styles, including Tag Team and Free-for-all action. The meat of the game is the Story mode. You take your character through a plotline narrowly constructed around a series of underground brawling arenas, with a heavy and his girlfriend teasing you along the way. The cutscenes give enough atmosphere to keep your attention, especially the ones involving your ever-changing girlfriend options.As you pass through various stages, you fight many generic characters, but also get the thrill of taking on Def Jam recording artists. Slapping Ludacris around or knocking DMX out is oddly satisfying, and the tag team match against Redman and Method Man is a blast.
Along with a little voice work, these artists lend their music to the game, providing a good mix of tracks throughout the matches.The gameplay is very good. Learning the basics and getting used to the countering moves takes no time at all. The variety of characters and fighting styles keeps the game fun, though some matches did seem to go on forever. Winning comes in three flavors: pin, submission or K.O. Is the most fun to watch, submission is also satisfying, as you wear down an opponent's arms, legs, or head until they writhe in pain, defeated.The most entertaining part of the game is the girlfriend battles. The women love you and will fight for you in the ring. As you progress through your girlfriend selection, you unlock girlfriend photo galleries, which simply add a nice incentive to achieve certain game goals.
Other goals unlock new characters, locations and clothing for your character.
The most robust gameplay mode is that of the single player campaign, where you make a custom fighter, pick his primary fighting style, and then outfit him with tight threads and a serious amount of bling. You'll be trained by none other than Henry Rollins, and schooled in the ways of hardcore street fighting. Each fighter you make can be customized with literally hundreds of unlockable items, from all manner of bling to a complete wardrobe and set of full body tattoos. Most definitely, the ability to customize your game avatar is one of the more impressive elements in this game, and it even has a game impact, as your use of bling determines how much the crowd likes your fight, letting you get powerful finishing moves off more often. Additionally, the single player campaign is quite long, which it needs to be, because the interface isn't tweaked correctly to satisfy hardcore multiplayer.On the other side of the fence, this game has a really worthwhile fight engine that only suffers from two major problems. First, the controls aren't quite sloppy, but if the countering and blocking system were a bit tighter, it'd be significantly easier. Second, and this somewhat exists because of the first, this game has a ridiculous learning curve, one that took me several hours to get adjusted to.
Until such a time as you can keep the momentum of a fight in your favor, and learn to deal with opponents that block and grapple effectively, you'll encounter frustration after frustration. Not an endearing trait in my book. From running kicks to the crotch to neck-snapping body slams, Def Jam: Fight for New York is a bloody, brutal fighter that is as painful to watch as it is fun to play. I'm a huge fan of fighters, but in recent years I've grown a little bored of the formulaic approach to the look and play of the genre's best games. I was floored to find that a game that blends real world rap stars with five forms of fighting would finally bring me back to a genre of which I had grown weary. This game is just fantastic.
It's not perfect, but for every graphics and controller misstep there are hours of fun and invigorating playtime. The game's story mode, the main attraction to Fight for New York, starts by having you create a custom character by crafting a face, body type and fight style.
Once you get into the game a quick tutorial built into the story walks you through the controls, which are fairly basic. You have two types of attacks and a hold, all of which can be modified with a trigger pull to be strong. You can also block and run.The game's quasi interesting plot strings together a series of fights at an assortment of underground fight clubs with the story of D-Mobb and his boys taking on an evil interloper played by Snoop Dogg. Each time you win a fight you earn points and cash. Between bouts you can spend both to upgrade you character. The cash can be used to purchase tattoos, clothes and bling ' which really does bling.
![Def Def](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125621605/631458220.jpg)
The points can be used at a gym run by Henry Rollins to improve your character stats, learn special moves or master new fighting techniques.The game features five techniques: kickboxing, street fighting, martial arts, wrestling and submissions. Your character starts with one, but can go on to learn two others. The styles are very significant in the game, affecting the way you fight and how powerful different moves are. In addition, the unlockable special attacks are a masterful touch to the game. There are dozens to choose from and each are beautifully wicked. They include things like the Speedbag, where your character dukes and weaves delivering a series of powerful punches to your enemy and then grabs him by the head and punches him into a limp-bodied flip. Another starts with a series of head-smacking holds and throws and ends with your character running up and kicking a guy, lying face down on the ground, square between the legs, flipping him into the air.While these special attacks are the peak of the game's brutality, the standard moves in the game still manage to convey the brutality of a street fight.
Blows send blood shooting from mouths; your opponent and sometimes you cringe and wave your hand pleadingly before particularly brutal kicks and punches. It doesn't help that you can use some of the environment to beat on people.
You can throw people headfirst into cinderblock walls, or bend a pipe over someone's head. Heck, even the rowdy crowd gets involved, shoving, grabbing, even beating people who get too close to them.The game manages to keep things fun with a lighting fast pace and a nice variety of locations. You can fight in cages, boxing rings, basements, against three people, in subways, next to inviting windows. It makes for loads of fun. While the game's graphics are extremely slick, featuring dead-on renders of some of raps biggest stars, the PS2 version of the game does suffer from the occasional bit of odd frame drops. The drops appear random and don't seem to be connected to what's happening on screen or how many fighters are present.
The controls also suffer from occasionally drops in functionality. Multiplayer is the only other disappointment, allowing for up to four to pound on each other on the same screen, but not supporting online play at all.Despite the occasional glitch and lack of online play, Def Jam: Fight for New York is an excellent fighter that manages to revive a dying genre without needing to recreate it.