First Round K.O.- UFC 2009: Undisputed

UFC 2009: Undisputed for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Developer: Yuke’s, Publisher: THQ



Immediately after Street Fighter II was released, some complained that games were getting too complicated. Accustomed to a stick and two button control scheme, SFII’s six action buttons seemed daunting to the uninitiated. As history has shown, these detractors were quickly silenced by the innovative incorporation of subtle strategy that catapulted Street Fighter to monstrous success. With a tutorial that requires an hour to complete, gamers are going to have to make another great leap forward with UFC 2009: Undisputed. It’s one of the most complicated, yet satisfying sport sims on the market.

The developers of UFC have ingeniously reverse-engineered the sport, interweaving intense strikes, clinch battles, grappling and submission holds into one seamless contest. The title represents a pinnacle of intricacy; developer Yukes Media Creations has managed to integrate a majority of what mixed martial art (MMA) fans expect from a game. Mastering those elements may seem overwhelming at first, but diligent players will certainly be rewarded by Undisputed’s intense depth. Those seeking a quick and lighthearted diversion should probably think twice before stepping foot into the Octagon.

One of the core requirements of a fighting game is a quick and responsive control scheme.  Fighters in Undisputed strike with a venomous velocity, accurately conveying the ferocity of the sport. Each of the face buttons offers a punch or kick that is context-sensitive. Strikes are intelligently determined by the fighters’ proxemics, and can be directed toward the body with the shift of a shoulder button. By pressing toward a selection of more powerful, albeit slower, attacks is accessible.

Graphically, UFC’s exhaustive roster of fighters closely resemble their real world counterparts. Each is meticulously modeled, with remarkable skin and hair textures. Small cuts and bruises are rendered realistically, although intense match halting gashes, are inexplicably absent from the game.  Hit detection, a nuance that is often lack-luster in 3D fighters, is masterfully programmed and gives the game a requisite sense of physicality. The title convincingly recreates all the visual elements of a UFC match by incorporating authentic cut men, ring girls, and sponsors.

Although Undisputed is a well-polished simulation of MMA fighting, a few nagging deficiencies are present. Although real life fighters use the walls of the UFC cage to trap their opponents and assist in takedowns, the in-game walls only serve as confinement. Players will not be able to pin an opponent again a wall of the octagon. Many games concluded with a flash knock-out of one of the competitors. While this increased the tension of our simulated skirmishes, KO’s happened too frequently to mirror realism.

Still, such deficiencies can almost be overlooked by the sheer amount of content in the game. The title ships with over eighty fighters and players can create their own warriors with the game’s handy editor. Beyond customizing the likeness for your combatant, players can choose two fighting styles from the games range of six: judo, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling and muay thai. Undisputed’s career mode offers a constant flow of incentives to keep the player engrossed. While earning trophies and belts was an interesting diversion, unlocking new moves for my flourishing fighter kept me coming back to the game.  Lastly, there are a number of challenges that recreate real-world UFC matches. If players excel, they will unlock short video montages of the events.

Gamers might be reluctant to purchase UFC 2009: Undisputed based on its untested rookie year status. Considering past attempts at recreating MMA sims, I can understand your hesitation. Amazingly, UFC feels like a second or third iteration of the game, and not a new upstart.  The title’s level of polish, detail, and inclusion of ancillary content contradicts the expectations associated with a new franchise.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

43 comments

  1. I want to get this so damn bad. Payday cant get here fast enough.

  2. PartyinmyPants

    I hear its pretty good.

  3. Hmmm, get this or wait for Fight Night Round 4?!?

  4. Those graphics look real. Vains and hair.

  5. damn i’ve been hearing good things about this game.Ima have to try the demo even though i’m not into fighting type games.

  6. Frank the Tank

    I’ll wait for the price drop.

  7. Great review. I want to get the game, but I feel like I won’t have time to fully enjoy it.

  8. Wow, I didn’t expect much from THQ, usually their games are good but not top quality.

  9. I remember that really bad UFC game for the Gamecube. I’m still scarred from that one.

  10. 80 fighters, custom players, and unlockable movies?

    They left nothing to put in UFC 2010.

  11. What are those guys doing in pic 2? LOL? Teh Sex?!?

  12. Cool review. I will probably get this during the weekend.

  13. UFC’s been getting nothing but great reviews. Well done review.

  14. I might grab this if I ever want to play a game with sweaty men sitting on each other 😉

  15. Cool looking tattoos, I hope they don’t ban the game because it says something about Allah.

  16. My brother spent about 2 1/2 hours just fooling around with the demo, lol.

  17. I’m hearing great things about the game, but it just doesn’t interest me. I have friends that really want to buy it though.

  18. What’s the rating M or Teen?

  19. Those screenshots look great man!

  20. The demo was so cool. Now I have to get this.

  21. Depends if you like Boxing or MMA. I prefer MMA as there more stuff going on.

  22. So this is out? I just downloaded the demo. Its really like a UFC fight without the pain.

  23. I’m thinking the same. I need a new game to get me through the 3 days. Any deals on this?

  24. This or FN Round 4. Tough decisions.

  25. Hows the framerate? I heard the devs were going for no clipping. Did they meet their goal?

  26. wow, IGN really hated on the game.

  27. Sounds like the did good on the UFC license.

  28. Dude, this is selling out everywhere. I don’t expect the price to drop for at least a few months.

  29. I’ll admit, when I first saw SFII, I was one of those guys who said, “Who the hell needs 6 buttons”. Everything else was like Yie Air Kung Fu, or Data East’s Karate Champ.

  30. Sold out around here. Seems like it’s pretty popular.

  31. Wow, I just cant get over how good those character models look. The developers really seemed to nail the look of a UFC fighter.

  32. Best buy is giving away a UFC DVD with purchase.

  33. Bought and we just played 4 hours straight until my 360 red ringed. Out to buy ps3 version.

  34. Just heard the 1up guys rave over this.

  35. One of the best fighting games ever made. There- I said it.

  36. Sorry, but I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid on this one. I though the demo was OK, nothing great.

  37. I heard some big fighters are missing from the rosters. If that’s true that kinda sucks.

  38. I would have expected a UFC game to be getting such great review scores.

  39. Are there low blows and illegal hits?

  40. Undisputed but overrated

  41. Tried the demo and thought it was cool for what it was. Best collision detection I’ve seen in a fighting game. If only the SvR series had that.

  42. All people deserve good life and business loans or short term loan would make it better. Just because people’s freedom bases on money.