Black and Bruised

Have you ever asked yourself where the fun is in gaming these days? It's true that in some genres, the humorous and comedic approach to games has gone on the back burner in favour of seriousness and realism, particularly with ring sports such as Rocky and Prince Naseem Boxing. But Ready 2 Rumble from Midway reminded us how much of a laugh a game can be. Now Vivendi has taken boxing humour a step further with Black and Bruised for PlayStation 2.

Black and Bruised pits players in the infamous four-cornered ring as one of 18 colourful individuals who have, for one reason or another, been forced into boxing to support their families. As you progress, you'll learn each of their life stories and how they plan to reap the rewards of victorious boxing.

Once in the ring, developer Digital Fiction's comedic approach to Black and Bruised becomes very apparent. The environments are noticeably simple and resemble something out of a Warner Bros cartoon, as do the game characters, which look almost cel-shaded. Once the fighting begins, the humour becomes even more evident. Characters even come equipped with exaggerated facial animations, conveying the boxer's mood and reaction to punches brilliantly.

To play, Black and Bruised obviously isn't the most realistic boxing sim we've ever seen, but that's not the point. It's fun and easy to play thanks to the PS2's pressure sensitive analogue controls. There are also six modes of play that comprise of Training, Single Fight, Tournament, Survival, Multi-player and Boxer's Life - a career mode that's eerily similar to an episode of an American soap.

It's refreshing to see games like Black and Bruised that break tradition, bringing the gamer something that is genuinely funny and entertaining.