Rumble Roses XX

Rumble Roses XX is a 3D fighting game that focuses on professional wrestling instead of the Olympic sport of wrestling. This means it draws heavily from the theatrical, flamboyant, and over the top style popularized by franchises like WWE and Smackdown. It is the sequel to Rumble Roses (2004), the game remains a wrestling game at its core, but unlike its predecessor it does not possess a story mode, making this purely a fighting game. While players might feel a little lost with the absence of a story mode, if they have never played the first game, worry not, the plot was very simple an evil scientist held a tournament between female wrestlers with the intentions to steal their DNA and create super-soldier, that is all you need to know. Rumble Roses XX is very reminiscent of the WWE titles, as well as Fire Pro Wrestling, Hulk Hogan’s Main Event, and to some extent a mixture of Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

Female Bonanza

Choose from twenty-one female wrestlers to fight with, and unlock multiple outfits and bikinis for customization of your favorite characters. Aside from outfits, the game has different intros, and the ability to reshape the body and muscle attributes of your character.

Bikini Brawlers

You need just a glance to understand that this game was targeted to a more adult audience, characters are dressed in very sexy outfits as they enter combat. Coupled with all the intros, dancing, and provocative animations, it is safe to say this is not a game for children.

Wrestling Mechanics

Unlike traditional fighting games, victory is not achieved by knock-out, but by making your opponent tap out, or by submission. Button mashing, striking, grappling, countering, and damaging specific body parts are the basic mechanics for this brawler. But Konami also added some unique mechanics, such as the “special attacks”, “killer moves” and “lethal moves” can be activated once the finishing move gauge is filled, they vary from character to character so there’s some variety to combat. Finally, you can “humiliate” your opponent by successfully countering and frustrating his attempts, and once he is humiliated they are susceptible to the “H-Moves”, these special moves have a high probability of knocking-out or inflicting tremendous damage.

Team Tag

Like other wrestling games, Tag Team is a possibility in Rumble Roses XX. Every pairing of characters has its own team-name, intro, tag-out animations, special moves, and unique victory pose. Granted, not all characters can be paired together, but this mode adds a new level of complexity, a new mechanic, and showcases the attention to detail from Konami.

Rumble Roses XX delivers everything that the original Rumble Roses did, but without a storyline, it just feels like a washed-down version of the first game. While the female roster is diverse enough to keep it interesting for a while, the appeal of nearly-naked girls wears out fast, and honestly, the over-sexualization makes the game feel dated. The core and unique mechanics do keep the game fresh for a while, but the concept of button mashing doesn’t translate into a very competitive game and it doesn’t add a high-skill cap for lovers of fighting games. Variety ends up being the most attractive part of the game, customization, intros, poses, outfits, and Tag Team mode are what salvage this game from being terrible.

Pros:

• Roster is diverse
• Tag Team Mode
• Customization options

Cons:

• Low-Skill cap
• No Storyline
• Animations act out sometimes
• Small move-set

I sometimes like to think that the world of gaming is growing up. With the technological advances of the past few years and the push of videogames into the mainstream culture, it seems as if being a gamer might be a socially accepted activity, largely thanks to the player base that has grown up with the times.

But then I play a game like Rumble Roses XX and I suddenly remember who the core demographic is: dudes who like boobs.

Rumble Roses XX is all about sexual excess, but unlike so many other similar titles, Rumble Roses XX is at least self aware of the fact. From the campy and cliched characters that likely suffer from tremendous back pain to some of the ridiculous gameplay formats that would make more than a few feminists' blood boil, Rumble Roses XX can be somewhat entertaining just because it doesn't take itself so seriously. And, honestly, there's a part of me that can casually enjoy that aspect of the game. Sure, I like to think I'm a forward thinker that's above such petty pursuits, but really, watching two scantily clad ladies dish out the pain to each other is kinda entertaining.

But then there's the other side of me that sees the game for what it really is: a flimsy wrestling game that covers up its shortcoming with said sexual excess. See, there comes a certain point in the game where the parlor tricks the developers threw in to mask the game's flaws become completely transparent. You suddenly notice the tremendous lack of depth and the stiff fighting engine that usually reverts to cheap button-mashing tactics -- because once you take away all the T&A, what you're left with is a shoddy wrestling game that was built on something completely superficial.

But, if nothing else, at least Rumble Roses XX is easy on the eyes. Though they are formed out of latest technology, the lovely ladies of Rumble Roses XX are quite striking, even if the physics of certain body parts are completely unrealistic. It's not the best the looking 360 title, but it is a huge step up above from last generation's Rumble Roses.

Even so, Rumble Roses XX, simply put, is a shallow, hyper-sexualized wrestling game that makes up its lack of finesse with an absurd amount of flash. It might be worth a rent to ogle the ladies, but beyond that, avoid it completely.