Def Jam Vendetta - Fight for NY
Have you ever watched Pimp My Ride and thought to yourself ‘I’d like to throw Xzibit in front of a train after beating him to a pulp in an underground train station’? Well this game offers you that – and so, so much more.
In the 2000’s Hip Hop was at the peak of popularity. It became more than a music genre: it became a movement. Fashion, cars, films, TV – all were influenced by the new trend towards Hip Hop. EA were very much aware of this and decided to create a game centered around a completely exaggerated Hip Hop lifestyle. Unlike 50 Cent’s FPS Bulletproof (check last week’s Throwback Thursday on Fiddy’s adventure into gaming) EA decided to create a fight game to embody the new culture. Forget about EA’s UFC games: this is all about street-fighting, a world where Snoop Dogg would teach McGregor a thing or two.
The premise for the game sounds absolutely ridiculous. Take some of the most well-known rappers around and pit them against each other in an anything goes fight. Fight venues vary from isolated car parks; to crowded bars full of onlookers more than happy to help; to boxing/MMA venues full of fight fans expecting a good show. However Def Jam Vendetta: Fight for NY is so much more than a superficial fighting game. It’s one of the true greats of its time. No fighting game has ever matched the story presented by Fight for NY.
The Story
Fighting games are notorious for having pretty poor stories, or just none at all. Some are incredibly far-fetched narratives that really baffle the players, or
meaningless cut-scenes where very little emotion is presented or evoked. Fight for NY is completely different though. You begin as a nobody who is trying to build up their reputation, through fighting. You quickly align yourself with a powerful ally called D-Mob who sets up fights for you. Through fighting you begin to build more acclaim; more money too. Reputation is everything, and the clothes you wear are a vital part of this. Luckily for you some of the top clothes brands are included within the game: from Reebok, to Phat Farm, to Air Jordan. Likewise you can kit yourself out in some serious bling too. Once you’ve built up your notoriety you are introduced to the main antagonist, Crow (Snoop Dogg) and his henchmen Magic and Crack (Busta Rhymes and Fat Joe, respectively). Crow is a powerful character who takes most the clubs away from D-Mob and then tries to run him out of business by attempting to shoot and kill him. So begins your story of revenge and power…
The story is completely over the top, and that’s why it’s so brilliant. Playing as a character who starts from the bottom and then makes something of themselves is far from world-changing (sorry Drake…you wouldn’t last long in
this game!) But by adding the layers of story created through each character’s intriguing and unique character, each fight means something. In most fighting games, or Sports games for that matter, we are used to fight after fight which becomes repetitive. Fights really start to lack the importance they should. But Fight for NY changes that. It should be applauded for its compelling story-telling and story-development. Add great gameplay to a great story and you have a great game. Simple.
Gameplay
The fighting system builds on one of the best fighting games going – WWF No Mercy. It revolves around two basic attacks: striking and grappling. Within the grappling system you have the choice of a grappling move based on strikes or more wrestling-type moves. Then you have the choice of a weaker or stronger move (for both striking and grappling) and obviously the stronger type is more likely to be countered. Additionally weapons play a huge part. From bottles to 4x4s there is a lot to choose from. These attacks are very powerful and inflict a lot of damage. However what makes each fight really stand out is the ability to initiate an environmental attack. These can vary depending on where the fight is taking place – but can include attacking your opponent using a nearby car or even smashing them through a window/speaker/wall. Again a very exaggerated fighting style that really relates to the over the top story.
Each character has two base fighting styles, either: Kickboxing, Wrestling, Martial Arts, Submissions, or Street Fighting. These different styles add a lot of layers to each fight as most the rappers will have a unique combination which really makes you change your style, depending on your opponent. It’s probably pretty unlikely that any of the roster made up of Hip Hop icons are well versed in submissions or wrestling, but it really works.
Why Fight for NY is a classic
Sadly there has never been a game since that can offer what the Def Jam Vendetta series could offer. The Hip Hop culture has been utilized within gaming a lot: with varying degrees of success. Certainly Fight for NY is not the greatest game with Hip Hop roots (that would have to go to GTA San Andreas) but it’s a truly fantastic fighting game. Add to it the greatest story within a fighting game, and you have a true classic. Def Jam Vendetta Fight for NY is an often overseen game that deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest fighting games ever.
Do you agree that Def Jam Vendetta: Fight for NY is one of the best fighting games ever? Does it have the best ever story for a fighting game? Which rapper did you enjoy beating up the most? Comment below and have your say!