Six-hundred dollars later, I was the proud owner of an XBOX 360 and Fight Night 3.

I didn’t even get to try the game at GDC. The lines were long and I was busy, but each time I sat down, I couldn’t help but watch. The visuals this EA Sports title offers are the best I’ve ever seen in a video game. Period. The fighter models are alarmingly true to life. Roy Jones Jr. looks exactly as he should. Upon buying the game, I had some complaints – the created fighters look a little less realistic as do the ring models – but these issues are minor. From the fighters, to the stadiums to the people in the crowd, Fight Night 3 is a visual masterpiece.

At a glance, the game offers an impressive roster. Recent stars such as Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya can mix it up with legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Mohammed Ali. However, sadly, the game is heavy on legends and light on recent stars. As a Canadian, I can appreciate the inclusion of Arturo Gatti, but while he is a bankable star, he shouldn’t be near the top of the current star list. Where are the Klitchkos, Lennox Lewis or any of the current title holders?

On the bright side, many point at today as a dark period in boxing history. Thus, the reliance on stars of the distant past, rather than current and recently retired fighters, is not altogether unexpected.

The controls have a bit of a learning curve. Fighters use the right analog stick to throw their basic punches. Jabs and crosses are a simple movement, while bigger punches require more fluent movement. For the right hand, these movements are done to the right. Mirror them for the left hand. It sounds a bit complicated, but once you learn the basic moves, it becomes intuitive and actually gives you the feeling that you’re punching.

The only complaint with the controls is that it is difficult to punch low. It requires you to crouch forward and put yourself in a rather vulnerable position. While this is realistic, it often fails to work and the fighter pops up into a very bad spot. The difficulty of reliable low punches is demonstrated clearly in the career mode training games.

Career mode is simple, yet effective. You have a choice of fights, you sign it, train for it and go. They get progressively harder, but your stats, based on the pre-fight training regimen you chose, improve over time. The three mini-games are simple, but – aside from the low punching difficulties – easy enough to do, without being simple to master. One lets you lift weights, accounting for the momentum, you need to make sure they come to rest inside the correct zone for maximum effectiveness. Another has your fighter take on the heavy bag with combinations of high and low punches. The final exercise pits you against a dummy where you must hit high or low on the left or right side in pre-determined combinations. The later is by far the most difficult.

As characters advance in career mode, they gain fame and each time your bar maxes out you have a major fight. The first round saw me win the amateur title – goodbye headgear! – and the second pitted me against a known star, rather than a fake fighter, who curiously was also early in his career. While necessary, I found it ridiculously odd that I had to fight Ali as a 2-0 amateur, headgear and all.

In career mode, you can use a real fighter or create your own. The physical customization is good. You can create unique faces and looks, although all characters seem to invariable carry a semi-similar look, as if they all came from the same family. The clothing options are done through unlocked and purchased upgrades, so there is not much for you on the initial creation.

This game truly shines with a friend and a second controller. It truly becomes a chess match when two humans go face-to-face. Here you learn the art of avoiding punches, countering and blocking, while beating the hell out of a good friend. The game is excellent for parties and while by definition can only allow two players at a time, it looks good enough to enthrall an interested crowd.

The game is missing some features that would really make it more fun. Some kind of tournament mode would make party-play much more interesting. It would also be interesting if the fighters themselves showed a bit more personality.

Unfortunately, I do not yet have access to XBOX Live, and had to ignore that in this review, however, if the multi-player play is anything like playing with a friend in the room, it is sure to entertain.

The game shines in the ring. Most fighting games get repetitive, but this game grabs your attention, keeps you thinking and provides hours of entertainment. Plus, as a result of the analog stick motions being responsible for punching, rather than mashing buttons, the game is less tiring on the hands and ideal for marathons.