Rumble Roses XX

If you're looking for some quick and easy fun, it's here. However, if you're looking for some depth in the wrestling engine, you'll need to wait for a next generation "Smackdown."

Rumble Roses XX introduces a few positives into the original game's formula, but too much of the content feels recycled, and the game's sense of sexuality is still rather unseemly.

Despite the addition of tag matches, Battle Royales, and Street Fights, there simply isn’t enough depth to keep this hopeful at the top of the ranks. The playability is high, especially amongst human combatants, but the single-player offering wears thin.

This isn't the deepest videogaming experience you can buy for sixty bucks. It's not going to change the genre. It's not going to be the game of the year. It's just something fun to do after killing a few beers.

More about the scenery than it is about gameplay, the equivalent of playing "Far Cry" because you love palm trees. The difference here is that "Far Cry" is a good shooter; Rumble Roses, despite all the love we have for all of our old schoolboy fantasies -- and some new ones -- is a passable wrestling game, at best.

Fans of wrestling, character creation, or sexy women will fall most likely fall in love with what the game has to offer and get extra mileage out of the game's somewhat limited gameplay features.

It's puzzling and disappointing that the single-player game seems as neglected as it does, but it's a basically solid, pretty package with some new diversions for veterans. Enter the ring knowing it's a "v1.5" rather than a true "2.0," and you won't feel sucker-punched.

It looks fantastic, and it's definitely sexy, albeit in an unabashedly slutty, so-tacky-you-should-probably-feel-ashamed kind of way. If that sounds cool, take this babe out on the town tonight.

Hot graphics, solid controls, decent fun factor, online gameplay which the first game didn't have; but a totally shallow game.

But even with sluttier graphics and hot girl-on-girl-(on-girl-on-girl) next-gen processing capabilities, the reversal-heavy game is unfortunately afflicted by the not-so-sexy slow reaction time. The venues, digital vixens, and excitably slick moves all convey an illusion of frenzied energy that the reaction time just cannot match.

It’s one of those rare games where you know exactly what you are getting before you play it. You simply need to trust your instinct on this one.

There's no doubt that the arenas look amazing, and the presentation is great. Unfortunately, this is a game and not a tech demo, and the gameplay and modes are severely lacking.

If you're an adolescent boy who is able to play this game without fear of being reprimanded by mom and dad, you'll most likely think this is a gift from the gaming gods. I'd definitely argue with you on that point.

Rumble Roses XX is like blow pop candy without the good stuff inside.

The game sure is nice to look at, but it lacks the depth needed to build a long term relationship.

As wrestling goes, XX is quickly learned and mastered, particularly against the computer. [May 2006, p.83]

The sound of Rumble Roses XX is passable and mostly centers around female grunting. There’s some decent background music throughout but nothing to write home about and most of the voices of the Roses are extremely overacted in an exceedingly smutty way.

Omit every female jiggle, every thong and leg split, all you are left with is a mediocre game with so-so online play.

I remain a firm supporter of the original PS2 Roses, but this flaccid follow-up fails to get me in the mood. [May 2006, p.89]

It also could have been a lot worse. It’s powered by a solid engine, features a ton of unlockable content, and is rife with humorous potential, which we hope Konami taps in the inexorable "Rumble Roses XXX."

I can certainly understand challenges, but “obtain all of Evil Rose’s costumes” isn’t a must-play reason for me.

Rumble Roses XX plays as good as it looks but with very little variety in the gameplay as well as the lack of a story mode makes this a wrestling game that just doesn’t have what it takes to make this a new favorite.

A solid wrestling game, built on top of a good game engine. The graphics are great, as well.

While the first "Rumble Roses" game was a fun, solid wrestler with some cheese-cake amusement, XX simply feels aimless, dull, and a little offensive. [May 2006, p.104]

And that is perhaps this game's only saving grace: it is one damn fine looking game. Both arenas and the ladies are visualized exceptionally well.

But once you’ve stripped away the enticing pictures, unquestionable innuendo and blatant sexual undertones, you’ve got a wrestling game that is mediocre at best. The story and characters are laughable, gameplay is dull and sluggish, the presentation is a mixed bag, and the incentive to actually complete this game is practically nil.

A very disappointing game, even when you strip it down to pure wrestling. Fuzzy graphics, mindless fighting, and poor audio make for an expensive game of dress-up.

There’s no back story or true information regarding any of the characters in the game. There are also plenty of match types that are omitted such as a Royal Rumble which as the name implies would have been a perfect inclusion.

It is a great looking wrestling game but focuses a little too much on the eye candy and not enough of the real wrestling angle.

In fact, with the frustratingly confusing new progression system, this game is a lot less satisfying, even for those who only want to see more boobies.

In the end Rumble Roses XX does exactly what it set out to do, deliver a healthy amount of T and A with wrestling action thrown in as the means of reaching it.

Rumble Roses XX is not a terrible game, or as some may think, video game porn. Beneath the surface there is a pretty good fighting game hiding underneath.

Trying to straddle the line between simulation wrestling game and fetish video, Rumble Roses XX invariably fails. Like most beautiful people, RRXX has a great package on the outside and glaring faults within.

Stunning character models, simplistic controls, and fluid gameplay usually result in a instant classic. However, the wrestling genre is, and always will be, dominated by a licensed product. Rumble Roses XX is a enjoyable pick up and play alternative to other wrestling titles, despite its fictional characters and lack of gameplay options.

A shallow, hyper-sexualized wrestling game that makes up its lack of finesse with an absurd amount of flash. It might be worth a rent to ogle the ladies, but beyond that, avoid it completely.

Trying to take dirty pictures with a bondage queen has its place, but shouldn't improving the basic-as-tomato-soup gameplay be first on the to-do list?

Feisty and unapologetic, it’s a game that's happy to break the resolve of those who fail to accept its rules: play casual and compete at leisure. [June 2006, p.91]

There are worse wrestling games out there. At least Rumble Roses is solid, if you can put up with its general silliness. [June 2006, p.114]

It's simple and quite fun - especially if you're a depraved and drooling pervert - but the extremely basic, traditional wrestling action and lack of any lasting challenge sinks Rumble Roses down to a disappointing A-cup of a game.

Smut aside, Rumble Roses XX is a lacklustre wrestling game that loses its appeal after just a few hours. Having said that, teenage boys are sure to love it. [Issue 7, p.98]

A fun enough game, as these things go, but it saddles you with a lot of busywork.

Rumble Roses XX could have been a contender against DOA4 and still set itself apart from the fray. Instead, the game comes off as juvenile with plenty of moves that would only seem to be appropriate in movies you’d find in a dark hallway in the back corner of the video store.

The whole thing is an embarrassing reminder that there are still plenty of people making, publishing, and buying games who have a lot of growing up to do. [July 2006, p.93]

Not as pointless as it first seems, but dull for anyone not turned on by "Carry On" films. [July 2006, p.72]

Slip Rumble Roses XX inside a copy of SmackDown if you must buy it, just don't go expecting any innovations other than a big tickling stick, blushing faces, a gigantic Xbox Live porn archive and the wobbliest boobs yet seen in a video game.

It's not like I need to be barraged by bells and whistles or the world's slickest design, but Rumble Roses XX comes off as cheap and patched-together. Konami should have put more work into making things (besides the women) appealing.

On the outside chance that some nameless gamer out there is thinking about picking up Rumble Roses XX on the basis that it will provide an excellent wrestling experience, I should plainly state, that the actual wrestling action is just average.

Online play is fairly lag free and will add some longevity to the game, but the only thing that would really save Rumble Roses XX would be a whole new set of moves for each of the characters on offer. There are only so many times you can punch and kick your opponent until they’re vulnerable to a pinfall before you start looking elsewhere for your thrills.

Only now, with the power of the Xbox 360 and some truly “bonerific” graphics do we finally get to explore all the splendor of scantily clad, well-endowed women, both in and out of the wrestling ring.

Rumble Roses XX seems to be more of an exercise in voyeurism for young teenage boys than a serious wrestling game.

The game structure is a complete mess. The player has no idea what to do, when and where. [Aug 2006, p.52]

Due to the tight wrestling engine that is bolstered by hundreds of unlockables and online play, I have to say this one has some considerable replay value.