Let's make something perfectly clear: The sport of mixed martial arts is not for everyone. Some find the ultra-violent marriage of boxing and martial arts too savage and gory (including yours truly). After all, isn't the object to pummel your opponent into a bloody pulp? Who wants to see that?
However, there are two things that simply can't be denied: One, MMA events, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit, are ridiculously popular. And two, UFC Undisputed 09 is an amazing video game.
Created by Yukes, the same developers that handled most of the better WWE games for THQ, Undisputed's smooth graphics and fluid controls are top-shelf, as are the inclusion of more than 80 actual fighters from the series.
The visuals look realistic and don't suffer from too many instances of pass-through, when one character's limbs travel through the others -- always an important hallmark of games of this nature.
A good career mode gives gamers the ability to create a fighter and quickly send him up the ranks to battle in the main events. Another mode lets gamers play classic UFC bouts (which include the actual video clips that served as the run-up to said brawls).
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Grade: A (a perfectly translated companion to the UFC)
Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Teen (alcohol reference, blood, language, mild suggestive themes, violence)
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Strategic fun for the little people
Lego Battles, the latest in the series of adorable Lego-branded games, breaks new ground so successfully that junior gamers will have a new summer diversion.
Unlike the Indiana Jones, Batman and Star Wars versions that have been peppering the landscape for a few years, the play in Battles features generic characters from Lego's pirate, spaceman and knight lines. But the biggest difference is the format: Instead of the standard adventure of the other titles, this one is closer to a real-time simulator, which translates perfectly to the Nintendo DS (the platform for which the game is available).
Relying more on strategy and planning than speed and button mashing, RTS games such as Battles require gamers to think about where to distribute their little armies and what kinds of support structures to build.
Unfortunately, only the "knights" level is unlocked at the start and requires completion to play the other levels, so if pirates and spacemen are your thing, you're out of luck at first. But it's nearly impossible not to smile at the cute little people that populate the Lego world.
