The sport of boxing is experiencing a major slump. Since Lennox Lewis retired, there have been no heavy weights worth mentioning, Roy Jones Jr. had his glass chin rocked, and Bernard Hopkins is set to retire. Boxing has been in decline since the departure of Mike Tyson, both in the real world and in the realm of video games. The last great boxing game was Mike Tyson’s Super Punchout on the Super Nintendo and that was more than ten years ago.

Fight Night Round 2 was a breath of life into a fading genre but there was still much room for improvement. Sadly, Fight Night Round 3 takes a few steps backwards from its predecessor. Like an out of shape heavyweight, it stumbles into the ring and only lasts a few short rounds before it falls flat on it’s face.

The biggest flaw of Fight Night Round 3 is the fighting system. To throw a punch, you rotate the analog stick on your controller certain ways to throw certain punches. This is the same system seen in previous Fight Night games but the controls suffer in the newest version. The control problems were experienced on the Playstation Two, using several different controllers to make sure it wasn’t a hardware issue.

The controls were much more sharp and responsive on Xbox 360, but unless you are one of the lucky few who actually has one of those coveted pieces of machinery, you are likely to experience some frustration.You do have the option to change the punching system to a more conventional button system but many of the punches are left out of the control scheme if you chose this option.The actual gameplay is mediocre on the current gen platforms. The boxers movements seem jerky and there are some reaction issues. Sometimes it will take a second for your opponent’s head to snap back after you land a punch to his face. However, on the Xbox 360 everything is very fluid, but that is to be expected.

Another gameplay problem that effects both current and next gen consoles is the absolutely horrible AI. The computer plays like it has taken one too many shots to the noggin. They are slow to respond and do not throw many different combinations at you, making it very easy to defend yourself. The computer opponents are nothing more than punching bags that occasionally hit back.

There are several different game modes that Fight Night Round 3 offers. There is a standard exhibition type match, where you pick a boxer and fight one fight and then you are done. There is also a mode in which you can take part in some of the greatest matches of all time such as Ali vs. Frasier. This adds a interesting wrinkle to the player’s options but it really isn’t anything but a glorified exhibition match.

There is also a career mode which has become standard fare for most EA Sports titles. You can create your own boxer and pick from several different fighting styles that really have no major differences between them other than how you stand in the ring. In the career mode, you will have a rival boxer who you will fight numerous times on the way to the title. In theory, this would be a good concept but you end up fighting the guy almost every other match. Career mode also suffers because of the lackluster AI. It is no challenge to march through the ranks of any division and capture the title belt. The hardest part of winning a championship is staying interested in the game for that length of time.

Fight Night Round 3 is a decent game for avid boxing fans who want to wail on each other without suffering black eyes and bloody noses. The multiplayer is the only saving grace of this boxing game. The Xbox 360 versions is much better than the versions for the older consoles, but that isn’t a surprise. Regardless of what system you have, Fight Night Round 3 should not be in your collection. If you are a boxing fan with money to burn, you would be much better served ordering the upcoming Hopkins vs Tarver fight than throwing down fifty bucks for this game.

Overall Grade

Xbox 360 – C+

All other systems- D