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Review by Byron McDivitt

I like many people around the world am a fan of the UFC; there is just something about the sport that just seems so entertaining. The Ultimate Fighter series has helped make many of the fighters house hold names, as they took the reality TV craze and gave it an MMA twist.

Let face it boxing is boring and slow these days, full of clinching and very few fighters being entertaining as the boxers of old. Wrestling is fake and not very entertaining as they regurgitate the same old story lines they have done over the last 20 or so years. If you want to see two grown men beating the snot out of each other then there is no better place than the UFC, home to many great fighters such as Frank Mir, Lyoto Machida, Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre and many others to boot.

Previously we have seen quite a few UFC games on various systems, although none of these have been all that great. The last one I can remember playing was the very first UFC game on the Dreamcast, and it was a bit shit to say the least. It just didn’t capture what fans of the UFC expected to see, sure there were some nice touches but it was average at best. I must admit I was quite excited to see what a new UFC game would look like, and hoped that the playability would be at a level that we gamers / MMA fans expected to see.

What I didn’t expect was the development team going to be responsible for creating the game was going to be Yuke’s. This filled me with dread as they basically just make the same WWE games every year with very few changes.  Then throw in their last game (WWE Legends of Wrestlemania) which was less playable than the steaming pile that was Tag Team Wrestling on the NES. How could a development team that produces the Wrestling alternative to the Madden games, take a sport like MMA and actually make something playable?

Well the answer it seems is quite easily, as UFC: Undisputed does so much right and very little wrong. Yuke’s have made a great game to build upon in any sequels that they may have licensing rights to in the future. The game features over 60 of the best/well known fighters that the UFC has on there roster. (Although fan favourite Randy “The Natural” Couture is sadly missing, as well as one or two others you would expect to see)

One other thing that is strangely missing from the game is the Southpaw stance. Apparently they had issues with clipping, so south paw fighters like Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and Mirko Cro Cop have been switched to the orthodox fighting stance. Clay “The Carpenter” Guida was also removed from the game as apparently the length of his hair was also causing clipping issues. (There is a rumour he was offered money to get it cut so he could be featured in the game, and he turned the offer down straight away)

What Yuke's have done is created a fantastic game that is very playable to say the least. The control system works great and although you may not be able to do everything that the fighters in the UFC do, you can still do a heck of a lot. As you would expect when both fighters are on the mat you can transition from one spot to another, to try and get the edge over your opponent before slapping on that Triangle or Kimura for a submission attempt, unless you choose to ground and pound them until they are knocked out.

The game features a variety of modes to play, such as Career where you create a fighter and take him from the ranks of unknown all the way up to UFC Champion in the relevant weight division. In between fights you get the chance to train to increase your stats, and become a more rounded and clinical fighter to give you a better chance against the stars of the UFC. This is the main portion of the game and should last you quite a few hours.

Joining Career mode we have Classic Matches which sees you reliving some of the best UFC fights. These fights see you having to win by K.O. or submission in the relevant round. While this may not sound amazing they are still pretty fun to play, as you knock Chuck Liddell out with Rampage Jackson, or submit Brock Lesnar as Frank Mir.

As you would expect with most games these days, there is also an online mode, which lets you go head to head against other opponents on Xbox Live. The thing with online games is you are at the mercy of the other person’s connection, even if you have a great connection yourself. My first online match I did have some issues with lag, which initially filled me with disappointment. Luckily though it was just the person on the other end with a dodgy connection, as the few games I played after that I had no trouble at all with lag.

One thing missing from the game for me was the commentating during the matches, sure you get the Tale of the Tape and Bruce Buffer announcing. But you really want to hear Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg giving you the play by play over the action going on in the octagon, instead of phoning it in like you get in the WWE games.

Graphically the game looks great as sweat drips off the characters, as well as cuts and bruises appearing on the characters in the ring as they knock ten bells out of each other. This is a great game you can pick up and play every so often, as you never know how each fight will go. (A lesson I learned after pulverising my opponent for two rounds, only to have them come out at the start of the third round and knock me out with the first punch)

If you’re a fan of the WWE series of games and feel like you need something more than those games offer, then UFC: Undisputed is for you. If you hate the WWE games but like Fight Night Round 3 then this game is also for you. Heck this is a game that everyone should at least try, as those that do try it will be happy that they gave this great game a chance.

A collection of UFC 2009 Undisputed reviews at TestFreaks.com