


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. 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. 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. It's also surprisingly challenging-sometimes frustratingly so, at least initially-on the Normal difficulty level. The characters look like they should, even down to their outfits, and the gameplay is what you'd expect from a good brawler.

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.
