''Fight Night Round 3'' is a
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...
video game developed by
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...
. It is the sequel to EA Sports' previous boxing title, ''
Fight Night Round 2
''Fight Night Round 2'' (also known as ''Fight Night 2005'') is the sequel to Electronic Arts' Fight Night 2004. It was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox (console), Xbox, and GameCube consoles in 2005. It was the only Fight Night game in the series ...
'', which was released in 2005. ''Fight Night Round 3'' was released on February 20, 2006, for the
Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
,
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
,
PlayStation Portable and
PlayStation 2. The
Mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whi ...
version was released on November 30, 2006,
[ and the ]PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
version was released five days later.
Overview
''Fight Night Round 3'' was developed by EA Chicago. It is the third boxing title in the Fight Night franchise. It features the usual improvements such as better graphics and gameplay. "Impact Punches" are one of the most drastic changes, along with ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic was an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns 20%).
The channel was originally la ...
fights and a new career mode, in which the player fights to gain popularity in order to reach sponsored fights, or to be featured on ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
. Unlike in older versions, ''Round 3'' defaults without a heads-up display (HUD
Hud or HUD may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
* ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film
* ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program
Places
* Hud, Fa ...
), allowing a player to judge the status of their stamina and energy based on their stance, movements, and facial features, instead of the usual stamina meter. The roster consist of 27 licensed fighters, ''Fight Night Round 3'' allows open weight bouts. This means everyone on the roster can fight one another in exhibitions. The official roster allows recreations of such fights as James Toney vs. Roy Jones Jr.
Versions
The game has been released for several video game consoles and some differences exist between the versions. The cover art features Arturo Gatti
Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 – July 11, 2009) was an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. A world champion in two weight classes, Gatti held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the WBC supe ...
and Micky Ward
George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname, "Irish" Micky Ward, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2003. He challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 1997, and held ...
on the sixth-generation versions. The seventh-generation versions have Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born on February 4, 1973) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championshi ...
on the cover. Only the PS3 version can be played in a first-person view. The PS3 version omitted Evander Holyfield from the roster.
Theme song
The theme song for this game is "Never Gonna Get It" by Sean Biggs, featuring Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P ...
and Topic.
Venues
The game features recreations of real-life venues such as the Staples Center and Madison Square Garden.
Critical reception and awards
The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms except the PSP version, which received "average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.[
G4's '']Reviews on the Run
''EP Daily'' (formerly ''The Electric Playground'') is a daily news television show that covers video games, movies, TV shows, comic books, collectibles and gadgets. Created and executive produced by host Victor Lucas, and his Vancouver, British ...
s Victor Lucas stated that ''Round 3'' had the best graphics he had ever seen on a video game. IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
gave the Mobile version a score of eight out of ten, saying, "What this all adds up is a serious package for fight fans. You have a complex control scheme that gives you access to some devastating small-screen fight action. I think this emphasis on hardcore mechanics reduces Fight Night's reach to a mere sliver of the mobile gaming audience, though. I respect and understand the point of the Fight Night franchise, but I hoped EA Mobile would include some sort of option for the casual-minded. I guess that's what Super KO Boxing is for."
''Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
'' gave the PS3 version a perfect ten, saying, "What you get here is the same game on the PS3—complete with the boring mini-games, the long load times, and the unbelievably addictive boxing action—with one all-important twist: the PS3 version includes a first-person mode. "Get in the Ring" mode puts you into the jockstrap and bads tats of your self-created boxer. Everything you could do in the game's third-person mode you can now do in first-person." ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' also gave said version an A and said that, "The only real problem with ''Round 3'' is that any improvements in ''Round 4'' are likely to be strictly cosmetic."[ '']The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' gave said version a score of four stars out of five and said, "Victories are initially too simple and training dull but professional bouts hugely engaging. Patient defence, careful countering, well-timed combinations and conserving stamina are crucial." ''Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' gave the same console version a score of three stars out of four and said, "Like a fierce haymaker to the jaw, the visuals of ''Fight Night Round 3'' will knock you on your rear end."[ In Japan, '']Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'' gave the same console version a score of two eights and two sevens for a total of 30 out of 40.[
The game was criticized for its highly intrusive product placement. While brands for athletic apparel, such as ]Everlast
Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...
and Under Armour
Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European head ...
are expected in a sports game, sponsorship by Dodge and Burger King is regarded as excessive (The Burger King
The Burger King is a king character used as the primary mascot for the fast-food restaurant chain of the same name. Throughout the company's history, the king has undergone several iterations. The first iteration of the Burger King was part of a ...
can even be used as a trainer). It won GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's award as the game with "The Most Despicable Product Placement". The game received the IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
award for Best Offline Multiplayer on PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
in 2006. It also received the first ever BAFTA (British Academy of Film & Television Arts) for a sports video game in 2006. It is the only game in the series to be listed in the book ''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die
''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die'' is a video game reference book first published in October 2010. It consists of a list of video games released between 1970 and 2013, arranged chronologically by release date. Each entry in the list ...
''.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fight Night Round 3
2006 video games
Boxing video games
EA Sports games
Electronic Arts games
Esports games
Mobile games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation Portable games
Sports video games with career mode
Xbox games
Xbox 360 games
Cultural depictions of Manny Pacquiao
BAFTA winners (video games)
D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year winners
Video games developed in the United States