Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2

Midway Studios San Diego

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	United States
Products	Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 is a boxing title available on Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (released as a launch title in North America), and Game Boy Advance. It serves as the follow-up to Ready 2 Rumble Boxing.

Gameplay

Building upon its predecessor, the gameplay involves players delivering successive heavy hits to reveal the letters spelling "RUMBLE" on-screen. Taunting opponents also triggers the appearance of these letters. Once the word is completed, players can execute powerful combo moves capable of knocking down their rivals. This installment introduces three tiers of "RUMBLE"; achieving the full third-level combo enables a knockout by sending the opponent flying out of the ring, resulting in an immediate victory.

Development

The game was developed by Midway Studios San Diego, with Point of View and Crawfish Interactive responsible for versions on other platforms. Midway announced the sequel in mid-1999 and presented it at E3 2000, confirming a PlayStation 2 edition. The PS2 version was released on October 24, 2000, just ahead of the console’s North American launch.

Distinguished by its celebrity lineup, this version includes unlockable figures such as NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal and entertainer Michael Jackson, who contributed motion capture and voice work for his character. Additionally, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton appear under the aliases "Mr. President" and "The First Lady." Ring announcer Michael Buffer reprises his role from the original game.

Due to technical constraints, several characters were excluded from the Nintendo 64 edition, including Freak E. Deke, Wild "Stubby" Corley, Freedom Brock, G.C. Thunder, Robox Rese-4, and Rumbleman.

Reception

Across most platforms, the game garnered "mixed or average reviews," with the exception of the PlayStation 2 version, which received "generally favorable reviews" according to Metacritic. Greg Orlando from Next Generation criticized the PS2 release for its repetitive nature, while subsequent reviews pointed out quality issues with the Game Boy Advance version. In Japan, Famitsu awarded the PS2 edition a score of 31 out of 40.

Alan Maddrell of N64 Magazine gave the Nintendo 64 version a 76% rating, noting problems with slow responsiveness and collision detection. The Dreamcast release earned a 7/10 from Edge, described as "an offbeat, unpretentious treat." Jon Thompson from AllGame rated the Dreamcast version three stars, remarking that it appeals to casual gamers despite lacking depth. J.C. Barnes assigned three-and-a-half stars to the PlayStation edition, suggesting it was primarily an updated roster rather than a fresh experience. Shawn Nicholls also gave three-and-a-half stars to the Game Boy Color version, emphasizing its entertainment value for GBA users.

GameZone highly praised the PlayStation 2 version with a perfect ten score for blending various genres while delivering engaging challenge and skill elements. Michael Lafferty later rated the GBA version 7.5 out of 10, describing it as enjoyable but more reliant on reflexes than strategy.

Dan Elekro from GamePro observed that while the Dreamcast edition did not make significant advances over its predecessor, it offered enough new features to justify purchase. The PS2 version received multiple positive reviews from GamePro, commended for its enjoyable gameplay, visuals, and audio. Conversely, the Game Boy Advance adaptation was viewed as an average port that provided only brief button-mashing entertainment.

The PlayStation 2 release was nominated for "Console Fighting" at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards but ultimately lost to Dead or Alive 2.