=============================================================================== Game: EA SPORTS Fight Night 2004 (PAL Version) (Playstation 2 Version) Type: Career Walkthrough/Guide and Strategy Update: 29/09/2004 Version: Final Author: XNarz E-mail: piratexnarz@gmail.com =============================================================================== **** *** **** * * *** * ** * *** **** * * *** **** * * ** **** * ** ** * * * * * ** **** * * *** **** * * * * * * ** *** **** * * * ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want to find anything in guide, then press Ctrl+F and type in what you are looking for. This will save you the time of having to look through the whole guide for a piece of information that could have easily been found with the search. This file is 79 characters wide. To get the best possible results when reading this guide, make sure that the numbers and letters line up. 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== CONTENTS =============================================================================== 1. Version History 2. Introduction 3. Game Controls 3.1 Ring Side Controls 3.2 Total Punch Control 3.3 Straight/Jab 3.4 Hook 3.5 Uppercut 3.6 Diagrammatic Representation 4. Career Mode Summary 5. Select Boxer 6. Career Central 7. Scheduling Fights 8. Training Camp 9.1 Heavy Bag 9.2 Sparring 9.3 Combo Training 9.4 Target Mitts 10. Ring Side Summary 10.1 Knockdown 10.2 End of Fight 10. Ring Side Tactics 10.1 General Tips 10.2 Victory By Decision 10.3 Victory By Knockout 10.4 Power Boxers 10.5 Balanced Boxers 10.6 Speed Boxers 10.7 Final Tips 11. Unlockables 11.1 Trunks 11.2 Shoes 11.3 Gloves 11.4 Protective Gear 11.5 Entrance Effects 11.6 Entrance Music 11.7 Entourage 11.8 Signature Punches 11.9 Taunts 11.10 Tattoos 11.11 Venues 12. Cheats 13. Contact Information 14. Copyright Information 15. Acknowledgements 15.1 Contributors =============================================================================== VERSION HISTORY =============================================================================== Version Final: 30/6/2005 -Final Version. -No updates since Ver0.9 -(This guide had been languishing in my PC for some time and only recently did I realize of its existence. "Fight Night Round 2" has since been released so this guide is basically outdated. However, much of the controls and strategies detailed in this guide may still be useful) Version 0.9: 29/9/2004 -Last Update Version 0.1: 31/7/2004 -Began Guide =============================================================================== INTRODUCTION =============================================================================== This guide is intended to aid you in career mode. It covers all of the main aspects of career mode which you will come across. I have included general advice on scheduling fights, assigning training points and strategies for helping you win fights. As well as that, methods of unlocking the unlockables and cheats are also included. While this guide provides you with the necessary information, much of it is still incomplete particularly the unlockables section. With regards to the strategies included in this guide, I should point out that these are my strategies, and may therefore not suit everyone. However, I believe that they may give you a handy insight of how to best approach your next fight. There are no shortcuts with fights-they will always require hard work in the training camps. However, careful planning and an effective strategy can make the process less difficult and more enjoyable. In order to become a competent boxer, firstly you have to know the controls like the back of your hand. Secondly, you have to get a lot of fights under your belts. And thirdly, you must learn from your mistakes and improve. Only then, with knowledge, experience and skills will you become a title contender. So best wishes in your career and hope you become the next world champion! Have fun. =============================================================================== GAME CONTROLS =============================================================================== Fight Night 2004 introduces a new control system. The most significant being the introduction of the right-analog stick. Instead of using the triangle, square, O and X buttons for punching as in previous games (Knockout Kings), this time, the right-analog stick is used for punching. Four types of punches are possible with the right-analog stick, mainly, jabs, straights, hooks and uppercuts, which may be thrown from the left or right hand. Apart from these four basic punches, there are also special punches (signature punches) and illegal blows. The controls may need some getting used to at first, so get in the ring for a few fights to familiarize yourself with the basics. Then, it should be a breeze and the new controls will be truly appreciated. Here is a rundown of the in the ring controls: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ring Side Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- START- Pause Game Left Analog Stick- Move Around Ring Right Analog Stick- Total Punch Control R1-Block R1+Left Analog Stick- Block L1-Lean*/Body Punch*/Signature Punch Modifier*/Illegal Blow Modifier *L1+Left Analog Stick- Lean *L1+Right Analog Stick- Body punch *L1+R2- Signature Punch 1 R2- Signature Punch 2 Triangle/Square- Taunt X Button- Illegal Punch Circle- Signature Punch ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Punch Control ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total Punch Control is the new punching system which uses the right analog stick. There are four types of punches possible. These are: jabs (when the opponent is close), straights (when the opponent is farther away), hooks, and uppercuts. Below are the ASCII art representations of each punch, using the right analog stick: (These controls are based on the default configuration, Configuration 1, with Ringside camera, and using Player 1 Controller) The following ASCII art representations of how to throw the punches in Fight Night 2004 are displayed below. The diagrams consist of various components. Basically, anyone familiar with high school mathematics will know that I'm simply explaining a Cartesian plane. They are as follows: There are 2 lines, one horizontal and one vertical, that intersect at right angles to each other to form a Cartesian plane. The point at which they intersect is called the centre of origin (This will be referred to as, the centre). The horizontal line is the x-axis, and the vertical line is the y- axis. The horizontal line to the right of the y-axis is the +x-axis (positive x-axis), and the horizontal line to the left of the y-axis is the -x-axis (negative x-axis). The vertical line above the x-axis is the +y-axis, and the vertical line below the x-axis is the -y-axis. The +y-axis represents your boxers left, and the -y-axis represents the right. The +x-axis represents your boxers front, and the -x-axis the back. (N) represents North. On these axis are (*) which represents the direction the right analog is supposed to be moved to produce the desired punch. The centre represents the location of the right analog stick while at rest and every punch begins from the centre. After moving the right analog, the stick will reach its limit which is represented by (@). To throw a punch, place the thumb on the right analog, and move it along the correct path. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRAIGHT/JAB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The straight/jab is the easiest of all the punches to throw. It consists of only 1 step, whereas the rest requires 2 steps. To perform a straight/jab, snap forward the stick in a straight line, about 45 degrees from North, to the left (for a straight left/left jab) or right (for a straight right/right jab). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOOK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To throw a hook, start by snapping the stick back about 90 degrees from North either left or right, then rotate the stick towards the opponent, with the stick still touching the limit. The hook is quite an awkward punch to throw as it sits between the straight/jab and uppercut. If you exceed 90 degrees, you will throw out an uppercut instead. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPPERCUT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To throw an uppercut, start by snapping the stick back about 135 degrees from North, either left or right, then rotate the stick towards your opponent, with the stick still touching the limit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIAGRAMATIC REPRESENTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glossary: * - represents path of right analog stick before touching limit @ - represents path of right analog stick while touching limit > - represents location of opponent N - North S - South E - East W - West Snap - To move the stick in a rapid way such that it hits the limit Limit - refers to the point at which the right analog stick is at its maximum distance from its centre and is touching the base of the stick Analog Stick Analog Stick Analog Controller At Rest Touching Limit _ _ _ _ _ ___ __ / \ | /<--Analog Stick / O-----(O) \ | | | | /|<--Limit |_/ |\_| |_|_| |_/_| | \|/ +Y-axis (Left) W | N | | | | -X-axis _ _ _ _ _ _|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ +X-axis -> Opponent (Back) | (Front) | | | | S | E -Y-axis (Right) Straight Left/Left Jab: L e f t N | |@ |* |* |* _ _ _ _ _ _|*_ _ _ _ _ _ _> Opponent | | | | | | R i g h t Straight Right/Right Jab: | | | | | _ _ _ _ _ _|_ _ _ _ _ _ _> Opponent |* * * * @ | | | | | Left Hook: | @ |@ @ | @ @ | @ @ | * | _ _ _ _ _ _*|_ _ _ _ _ _ _> Opponent | | | | | | Right Hook: | | | | @ | @ _ _ _ _ _ _|_ _ _ _ _ @_ _> Opponent |* @ | * @ | @ @ | | | Left Uppercut: | @ |@ @ | @ @ | @ @ | _ _ _@_*_*_|_ _ _ _ _ _ _> Opponent | | | | | | Right Uppercut: | | | | @ | @ _ _ _ _ _ _|_ _ _ @ _ _ _> Opponent |* @ |* @ |@ @ @ | | | =============================================================================== CAREER MODE SUMMARY =============================================================================== In career mode, you start off at the bottom of the rankings and rise to the top by powering your way up, eventually dethroning the belt holder and becoming the new world champion. Well it's not as straight forward and boring as that. In between, you get to fight and go shopping too. =============================================================================== SELECT BOXER =============================================================================== Before beginning your career, you must first create a boxer. You can either select an existing boxer or create your own fighter. If you decide to create your own fighter, how you customize his appearance is entirely up to you. However, I do not know if they influence any of your boxer's abilities. For example, I do not know whether increasing the size of your head makes it a larger target or whether increasing your body mass and type makes you tougher. What I do know is that increasing your height has obvious benefits against shorter opponents. The fighting style you choose may also enhance your fighting style. After you have selected an existing boxer or created your own boxer, you will be able to customize your boxer's attributes. There are 8 attributes in total, namely, Power, Speed, Agility, Stamina, Chin, Body, Hearts and Cuts. They will each have 30 rating points out of a total of 100 points. There will be an extra 50 points which you can add to any of these attributes. You can only increase an attribute up to 45. How you distribute the 50 points over the 8 attributes depends on your fighting style. If you are a slugger, increasing Power and Stamina will help. If you're more of a dancer, increasing Speed and Agility will help. Depending on your offensive and defensive abilities, it is important to increase the attributes that will complement your style, as well as those that you are weak at. Power, Stamina, and Speed are important offensive attributes. Power is the force your punches have, Stamina determines how much energy you have, and Speed is how quickly you throw punches. When increasing your attributes, Power ratings should be equal to Stamina ratings. The reason behind this being that your Stamina determines how much Power your punches have. During a fight, once your Energy Meter decreases to less than 1/3, your punches will not have the same force as it had when your Energy Meter was full. Therefore, it is important to have a full Energy Meter for your Power rating to be effective. As for Speed, it should be about the same as your Power and Stamina ratings as well. Speed determines how fast you throw punches, so since you only land punches if your hands are fast and not too slow to be easily telegraphed and blocked, make sure that Speed is about the same as or near the Power rating. The speed attributes are Speed and Agility. Agility is how quickly you move around the ring and Speed how quickly you evade punches. Speed attributes are especially useful if you are a dancer, that is, someone who goes for points wins rather than KOs. Speed and Agility ratings are important for evading punches and escaping from your opponent should you be low on health. Offensively, they can be particularly helpful for point scoring tactics: This is where you circle your opponent, then go in to land a few punches before moving out again. The defensive attributes are Speed, Chin, Body, Heart and Cuts. Speed is helpful for evading punches; Chin is how well a boxer handles punches to the head; Body is how well a boxer handles punches to the body; Heart is the ability to regain health and get up from a knockdown; Cuts is how easily a boxer bleeds, swells or bruises. Of all the attributes, Cuts seems to be the least important. This is because your boxer is rarely affected by bruises, bleedings or swellings. In all my 150+ fights, at no time did I ever lose a fight by TKO due to heavy bleeding, nor did my boxer seem affected by cuts. I believe Cuts is primarily for cosmetic purposes, but if anyone knows otherwise, let me know. Speed is once again an important defensive rating. It is important for leaning away from punches, and since it's an important rating overall, it should be one of your higher ratings. Chin, Body and Heart ratings are important for your health. A high Chin and Body rating means your Health Meter decreases by less when you take a hit to the head or body respectively. Both of these ratings should be the same, but if you're lazy with blocking, increase your Chin rating more than your Body rating, since head punches generally do more damage. For your heart rating, it should be about the same as your Chin. Heart rating determines how quickly your boxer's Health Meter regains health, and how many times you can get knock down before it's KO. My personal method is as follows: Power: 41 Speed: 41 Agility: 35 Stamina: 35 Chin: 40 Body: 35 Heart: 33 Cuts: 30 When you are done, continue to the next screen: Career Central. =============================================================================== CAREER CENTRAL =============================================================================== After selecting or creating a fighter, you're ready to begin your fighting career. Your future begins at the Career Central Screen. At the Career Central Screen, you will be able to see your rank, the date and how much cash you have in the bank. As well as that, you will have the following options. From top to bottom, they are: Fight: Begin the next fight on schedule Training Camp: Train for the next fight Schedule Fight: Schedule Fight Rankings: View Rankings Fight Store: Access the fight store Trophy Case: Check out your trophy case Options: Select fight options At first, Fight and Training Camp will not be lit up. You will have to schedule a fight first. =============================================================================== SCHEDULING FIGHTS =============================================================================== Manage your career by choosing and scheduling fights. Depending on your win- loss record and ranking, you can choose from a variety of opponents. There are at least a minimum of 2 events to choose from, so use the L1 and R1 buttons to cycle between the events. Pick you opponents wisely by checking out potential match-ups, because who you fight affects your chance to win a title. At each event, you will be able to see your opponents name, ranking, and purse money. Before selecting your next opponent, view their stats first. If their stats are higher than yours, you will have a tougher fight. If you are just starting out, select an opponent who has lower stats. As a general rule of thumb, avoid fighting boxers with higher stats, unless you are fighting on easy difficulty, or are very experienced. Apart from stats, the other 2 important factors are ranking and prize-money. It is important to note that a higher ranked opponent does not necessarily mean a bigger prize-money. If you want to climb the rankings, fight someone ranked above you. If you want more cash to spend at the fight store, fight someone with the bigger prize-money. However, the higher your ranking, the bigger the prize-money you will be able to fight for. Also, the higher your ranking, the tougher your opponents are. So you have to choose your opponents carefully. I will say this, if you have just started career mode, fight someone with lower stats than you. A few of your opponents above you may have lower stats, so you may be able to climb the rankings. For prize- money, don't worry about it too much. When you get up the rankings, you'll have as much money as you want to spend. When you have selected the opponent you wish to fight, go to training. =============================================================================== TRAINING CAMP =============================================================================== Once you schedule a fight, you have the opportunity to improve your ratings in Training Camp. Pounding the Heavy Bags increases power and speed. Sparring improves stamina and agility. Attacking the Combo Dummy increases your chin and body ratings. Hitting the Target Mitts improves your heart and cuts. You will have 90 seconds to complete the objectives to get the full 15 points to distribute over your boxer's attributes. The training modes may seem difficult at first, but after a year or two, you should be able to complete the objective. If you complete the objective, you get 15 points to add to your attributes. The points you need to score to complete the objectives increases each year, so aim to get the max 15 points early on. Initially, there will be 4 fights per year. As you move up the rankings, it will decrease to 3 fights per year. Once you reach the top 10, you will only have 2 fights a year. Regarding my strategies and tips on assigning training points, bear in mind that they are only tips. They do not necessarily have to be followed. If you have been able to get by fine, then "there ain't no need to change what ain't broke". However, I think they may help in some way and provide an efficient method of improving your boxer's ratings and prepare him well for the fight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heavy Bag ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description: Hit the heavy bag and make it swing from side to side. The further the bag swings after each punch the more points your score. Keep the bag swinging in the max swing range to receive 2x, 3x and 4x bonus scores. Hints: -Don't just throw punches. Use rhythm and timing to make the bag swing higher. -When the bag is moving left, hit it with right hand punches. When the bag is moving right, hit it with left hand punches. Objective: Score X0 000 points and increase your POWER and SPEED ratings. Strategy: The Heavy Bag is quite simple to get used to after a few tries. It requires rhythm and timing of your punches. The key is to get the bag to swing from side to side at its max swing range. Whatever you do, don't throw any other punches except hooks and/or uppercuts. Begin with a left uppercut to swing the bag right. When it swings back to you, throw a right uppercut just before it reaches the centre. If you hit it right, you will add momentum to the bag causing it to swing higher to the left. As it swings back to you, hit it with a left uppercut just before it reaches centre, to add even more momentum to the swing. By this time, the bag should be swinging at its max swing range. When it is swinging at its max swing range, keep hitting the bag with alternating uppercuts (I prefer uppercuts to hooks, but some find hooks easier) to keep it within the max swing range. When the bag is swinging at its max swing range, you will get up to 4x bonuses to your score. At 1x, the points will be yellow in colour. As you get 2x and 3x bonuses, the score will be orange. When you get 4x multiplier, the points will be red. Use this to your advantage. Don't look at the points, but concentrate on your timing. You'll know how much bonuses you are getting by their colour as the points flash on screen. If you should happen to miss a punch, don't panic and throw another punch as quickly as possible to make up for that miss. Instead, let the bag swing its arc and then return to the centre. Then throw another uppercut just before it reaches centre. The points multipliers may go back to 1x, but it should return to 4x once the bag is swinging at its max range again. If you mess up, and the bag comes to a standstill, don't panic. Let the bag come to a rest, then start over again. You should easily score 10 000-20 000 points once you get used to it. I will use ASCII diagrams for visual purposes. Example: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<--Max Swing Range /| / | _ _/ | / \ | / \ |<--Centre / / | Heavy Bag-->/ / | / / | / / | / / | / / | Direction of \ / | momentum of bag \_ _/ --> *Punch the bag with a left uppercut at this moment, just before it reaches the centre, when it is swinging towards the centre from the left. Assigning Points: When assigning the training points, distribute the points evenly. So for example, if you get 15 points, assign 8 to Power, and 7 to Speed. Then assign 8 to Speed and 7 to Power next time round. The reason for this is that by having these two ratings equal, your boxer would be much more balanced. If a boxer had high Power but low Speed, then he would throw punches much slower and therefore, lesser. Even though your punches may have power, your opponent will be able to block them since they are easily telegraphed. The punches that do land will do a fair bit of damage, but if your Speed rating is low, you won't be able to throw out as many punches quickly, which means, a boxer may have time to block, and you won't throw as many punches overall. On the other hand, if a boxer has high Speed but low Power, then the disadvantages will be the inverse. You might be able to throw more punches, even land more punches overall, but your punches will lack power, and therefore, it will be harder to severely hurt your opponent and get a knockdown. Your fights may be difficult too, if your opponent has high Chin, Body and Heart ratings. It will be harder to hurt your opponent, and he will not tire out as quickly, so he will be a threat every round. You may be able to win on points, but where is the glory? And how long will it last? When assigning points, assign 50% to Power and 50% to Speed. For example, if you get 15 points, assign 8 points to Power and 7 points to Speed. Then assign 8 to Speed and 7 to Power next time round. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sparring ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description: Out-box the sparring partner by using your leaning, blocking, and punching skills. Blocking and avoiding your opponents punches will score more points than simply hitting him. Hints: -Try to block or lean away from the sparring partners punches. -Hit him back with counterpunches and combinations Objective: Score X0,000 points and increase your STAMINA and AGILITY ratings. Strategy: Sparring is an excellent training for real fight scenarios. You get to spar with another boxer who exhibits similar traits of your future opponents. Early in your career, the sessions will be a walkover as your sparring partner will rarely throw out punches. However, later on, the sparring partner will be more aggressive and will be a lot smarter as well. During a sparring session, your boxer will be in the ring with a sparring partner. Both of you will be wearing head-guards, and your aim is to land punches as well as prevent him from punching you. You will have 90 seconds to rack up enough points. Before you begin training, ensure that your thumb is fit and rearing to go. You will have to throw over 100 punches to get a score of 40,000+. Don't worry though, in the beginning, you only have to score 10,000 to complete the objective. The easiest and most effective method of getting high scores is to throw multiple jabs to the head or body. Land your jabs in quick succession and get a combination bonus. For every punch that connects, you get 250 points. Every punch that your partner lands will decrease your total score by 100 points. So don't fret if you get hit a couple of times. Just make sure that you land more punches than he does. Blocking and leaning away from his punches also gets you points, but this isn't recommended since you have to wait for him to throw punches and this may use up time that you could have gained more points by simply punching him. Leaning away is a better option than putting your hands up to block, especially later on in your career when your partner becomes more aggressive. So what is my strategy? The most simplest, effective and efficient but thumb-tiring method is as follows: When the bell rings, move straight towards your partner and unleash a barrage of jabs to the head or body depending on where he is blocking. Don't worry about weaving or ducking from his punches. Hitting him with successive jabs/straights is far more effective than trying to gain extra points from avoiding/blocking his punches. Keep tapping out multiple jabs/straights for the entire 90 seconds and you could have as much as 40 000+ points by the end. If he throws punches, forget about blocking or leaning away from them. If he tries to move away follow him. Do not let him run away. You cannot punch what you cannot reach. You are the predator, he is your prey. Basically, NO MERCY! Simple isn't it. Just one thing to note: The strategy that you use here might be regarded as "analog-stick mashing". While "analog-stick mashing" might be extremely effective for this scenario, it is NOT recommended during an actual fight. In this scenario, your boxer hardly gets tired from throwing 5 punches per second. During an actual fight, your boxer will most definitely get tired. And you must defend yourself from your opponent's punches. Assigning Points: When assigning points try to have your Stamina rating equal to your Power rating. For example, if your Power rating is 50, and your Stamina rating is 40, and you got 15 points in training, assign 10 points to Stamina and 5 points to Agility. Whatever you do though, do not leave off assigning any points to Agility if your Stamina rating is not equal Power. To have a balanced fighter, assign 67% of training points to Stamina and 33% to Agility. For example, if you get 15 points, assign 10 points to Stamina and 5 points to Agility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combo Training ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description: Follow the combinations displayed on the combo dummy by hitting the different areas in the right order. As the combinations get longer the score for each punch increases. Hints: -Left punches hit the right side of the dummy and right punches hit the left side of the dummy. -Straight punches are the fastest punches to throw. -Hold L1 to throw punches to the combo dummy's body. Objective: Score X0,000 points and increase your CHIN and BODY ratings. Strategy: Combo training is very easy-if you have an excellent memory. Basically, there are 4 targets on the combo dummy: Left head, Right head, Left Body, Right body. To punch a Left head target, throw a left jab. To throw a left body target, throw a left jab to the body. The same applies for the rest of the targets. You start off with one target. Then it increases to two, then three, then four, five and so on. As the combinations get longer, the points get bigger. Sometimes the combinations are easy to remember, other times the combinations are varied. Throw jabs ONLY and know what punches to throw for each target. Apart from that, success in this training largely depends on your memorizing abilities. If you happen to throw the punches in the wrong order, the combinations will revert back to one. Then you will have to start over again. Try not to mess up more than once if you want to score 30,000+ points. Assigning Points: When assigning points, aim to have each rating relatively equal. However, if you get hit a lot, assign 67% of training points to Chin, and 33% to Body. For example, if you get 15 points, assign 10 to Chin and 5 to Body. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Target Mitts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description: Hit the trainer's target with the correct punch as fast as you can. The faster you are the more points you score. Listen to the trainers instructions to learn what punches to throw. Hints: -Left handed punches hit targets the trainer holds with his left hand. -Right handed punches hit targets the trainer holds with his right hand. Objective: Score X0,000 points and increase your HEART and CUTS ratings. Strategy: Target Mitts may be the most difficult of all training modes. This is not because it's particularly hard, but rather, it requires accurate reflex actions. You will have your trainer wearing the target mitts, and he will shout out what punches to throw at his mitts. There is a set time for you to throw the punch and you cannot throw any other punch other than the correct one. If you throw out the correct punch right after the trainer tells you to, you get 1500 points. The more time you take before throwing a punch, the less points you will get. The key here is to listen to your trainer when he tells you what punch to throw. You only have half a second to react if you want the 1500 points. Wait for longer than 3 seconds, or throw the wrong punch, and you will get zero, and your trainer will tell you to throw another punch. This is quite similar to combo training except that there is a time limit and there are more targets. So if you had trouble with it, you'll have trouble with this. Get to know the controller well so that you are able to throw out the correct punch instantly. Punches include all the available punches so make sure you know how to throw them all. Assigning Points: When assigning points, Assign 100% of points to Heart. When your Heart rating is maxed, then use your points on Cuts. As I've said earlier, Cuts do not seem to have any effect on your boxer so there's no point in increasing them at your Heart rating's expense. =============================================================================== RING SIDE SUMMARY =============================================================================== Once the intros are over, the bell will ring and you will have to fight. Protect yourself and land a couple of punches (Strategies may be found in the Strategy Section of this guide). When the round ends, Tigger (the announcer) will comment on who won that particular round. Listen carefully as there is no other sure way of knowing if you won that round or not. Your corner-man will say a few things and then it will be back in the ring. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockdown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When a fighter gets knocked down, the referee begins the 10 count. To pick yourself up from the canvas you must clear your vision by aligning the referee images into one clear image. The left analog stick and right analog stick each control one image. A third image remains stationary in the middle of the screen, as you move the left and right analog sticks to line up all the images in the centre. To get up from a knockdown, focus on the EA logo on the refs' shirt when attempting to align the images. When an image is aligned correctly, the analog button at the bottom left or right of the screen will turn from yellow to green. The more you get knocked down, the harder it is to get back up because the referee images become harder and slower to move. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Fight ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A bout may end in 5 ways, by KO, TKO, Disqualification, Decision or by Forfeit. A KO occurs when a boxer gets knocked down and is unable to get up from the 10 count. A TKO occurs when a boxer gets knocked down 3 times in a round. A Disqualification occurs when a boxer repetitiously throws illegal punches. Watch out for the low blows and other cheap shots. If caught, you'll get away with a warning the first time and then penalized one point off your score in the round for each following infraction that is caught by the ref. Rack up too many penalties and he'll disqualify you. If the fight goes the distance, the judges tally the final scores and the winner is announced. You win by unanimous decision if all 3 judges have you ahead in their scorecards. If only 2 judges have you ahead, you win by split decision. However, if all 3 judges have each boxer equal, or if one judge has each boxer tied and the other two judges have each boxer ahead, then the fight is declared a draw. A boxer loses by forfeit if he throws in the towel. Note that only a player- controlled boxer can throw in the towel and not the CPU. Throwing in the towel is considered unsportsmanlike-like in the game, unlike in a real boxing match, where this is used when a boxer is bleeding heavily and his health is in danger. It is recommended that you do not forfeit fights, even if you are losing, as you gain experience and may improve to be a better boxer by learning from your mistakes. =============================================================================== RING SIDE TACTICS =============================================================================== This section consists of strategies to employ while boxing in the ring. Success depends largely on your boxer's stats but smart tactics will ensure victory. It would be preferred if your boxer's stats a greater than or equal to your opponents but whatever the case, victory is always possible. That is, provided the right strategy is used. However, the outcome of victory may vary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Know the controls like the back of your hand. Especially the two Analog Sticks, the L1 and R1 buttons and the signature punches. These are the buttons that you primarily use. Also, make sure you know how to get yourself up from a knockdown. You never know what can happen, even if you're a pro. - Do not button-mash. Punching wildly won't get you anywhere. Your opponent will block your punches and worse, your Energy Meter will deplete rapidly. This will result in two things; your punches will lack power, and you will move much slower. The night will be a long one and you will have just made your fight more difficult. - Make full use of the ring. If you're getting beat up or need to recuperate, move away from your opponent. Better safe than flat on the canvas. - Make use of your opportunities. The key to be an efficient boxer is to utilize your punches at the right time. Look for an opening. When your opponents hands are down, let out a hook or uppercut. If your opponent is being defensive and starts hiding his face, go down below. If he decides to block below, go upstairs. - Counter-punch. Counter-punching is one of the most effective ways of seriously depleting your opponents health, as well as being a mighty ego booster *BOO YEAH!*. Wait for your opponent's punch, then lean back to avoid it and unleash a hook or uppercut to the head. A successful counter-punch will leave your opponent stumbling across the canvas. - Vary your punches. Don't keep churning out the same punches. Your opponent will eventually latch onto your pattern and start blocking them. Vary your punches. Land some punches on the hand and some to the body. And don't throw the same punches over and over again. Mix them up a bit. You didn't do combo dummy for nothing. - Don't just stand there. There's no use throwing a hundred punches if you're going to get hit two hundred times. Keep your hands up as a successful parry will open up a world of opportunities for hooks and uppercuts. However, I recommend leaning and weaving as being far easier. - Your opponent's most dangerous when he's up against the wall. When you're beating your opponent to crap, and the hall goes silent and you can hear his heart beating, you know he's ready to bite the dust. It's at this stage when you will start throwing out multiple punches eager for that knockdown. But be warned, this is when he is most careful. He will start covering up and even let out some damaging punches of his own. Whatever you do, keep your calm. If he's blocking his head, unleash some hooks or uppercuts to the body. If your Energy Meter is low, let it fill up again so your punches will be more effective. This might mean the difference between ten punches and a single punch. Be especially cautious if your Health Meter is low as it could be you on the floor. - Use signature punches wisely. Signature punches do a fair bit of damage on their own and so should be utilized to its full potential. Be warned however that throwing multiple signature punches will seriously deplete your Energy Meter. Another thing about signature punches is that they can be easily blocked, so the chances of landing a successful punch is quite slim. For me, the best time to use signature punches is when it's late in the rounds, your Energy Meter is really low and you're going for the knockout. At this stage, you'll only be able to throw a few punches before your hands get tired, so signature punches will come real handy. Of the 10 signature punches available, I use the Overhand Rear and the Ducking Hook, but I've only unlocked 7 so I can't honestly say which one is the best. When you throw out a signature punch, some of them might get blocked but some of them will land. You can start throwing your normal punches when your opponents ready to go down, but it could be difficult to knock out a Speed boxer. - Know thy enemy. In Fight Night, there are three different types of boxers. They are Power, Balanced and Speed boxers. You will know this from the stances they portray as well as their movement in the ring. Each possess different skills so different tactics are required to defeat them. This will be further discussed below. - Adapt. When playing against another player, be sure to study their movements and tactics. Try to find their weaknesses and strengths and exploit them. You are not playing against the computer so you won't be able to churn out the same punches over and over again. Get yourself up ahead on points before attempting to knock them out. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory by Decision ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This brief section will cover strategies for winning bouts on points rather than knockout or simply to win a round. This is especially useful when fighting against Speed boxers, your health is low and behind on points or you have low power stats. The key to winning bouts on points is to take each round at a time. As the saying goes, "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves". The first thing you'll realize is that you'll have to be extremely patient, especially if the fight is long. The next thing is to expect a lot of boos from the crowd (yeah, the crowd won't take kindly to your tactics). Basically, the strategy is simple, you circle your opponent, move in and land a few punches, then move out and repeat. When fighting against a power or balanced boxer, your opponent will be more aggressive, which could actually be a good thing. There will be numerous opportunities for counter-punches and even a knockdown. But for simply point scoring, just let him come to you. Avoid his punches by leaning and weaving, then score some punches. When you feel that you've landed enough, move out. You must exercise discipline. Move out when you're ahead. If he follows you, just keep running around the ring. If you know you've landed more punches than he has, you can run around for the next 2 minutes or so. For a speed boxer, you have to do a bit more work just to score a few punches. This time, it will be you who has to chase him. When you get close to him let out a quick jab then lean back quickly. There's a high possibility of him counter-punching. When the coast is clear, move out. Repeat as often until you've landed enough to win that round and then just run for the remaining minutes. Be always on your guard as speed boxers are the king of point scoring tactics. I've found a way of attracting a speed boxer towards you. Basically, you have to do the shutout. Hold down the R1 button and rotate the right analog stick (you can also hold down the R1 button and tap left on the right analog). This should cause the boxer to come toward you, and you'll have an opportunity to counter-punch. Bear in mind that I can't guarantee this will work every time though. And whatever you do don't forget to lean. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory By Knockout ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section will cover strategies for winning bouts by knockout, which to me, is the ultimate show of strength. Winning a fight on points is as low as losing a fight, at least to me anyway. That's why I hate fighting against speed boxers. Anyone who's fought against speed boxers like Ali or Sugar Ray will know exactly what I mean and how difficult it is to knock them out. If your stats are low, you'll have an extremely difficult time trying to deplete their health especially against speed boxers with higher stats. Overtime, you'll learn to appreciate them and start to understand the amount of intensity that is involved, not (just kidding). Well I haven't talked much about power and balanced boxers have I. That's because they are the knockout dummies. Yeah, you can knock them out in 3 rounds or less, yawn. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Power Boxers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traits: Rarely moves around the ring and will willingly trade shots with you. Strengths: Throws mostly hooks and uppercuts. Weaknesses: Vulnerable to counter-punches. Strategy: Power boxers throw a lot of punches so the first thing you should do is avoid them. Since he throws a lot of punches, there will be many opportunities for counter-punches. Lean back whenever you are close to him to avoid his punches and then counter with a hook or uppercut. Keep doing this until he stops throwing punches. Then move out taking care not to allow him an easy shot. When he starts moving towards you again, lean back to avoid his punches then counter. Keep repeating this strategy throughout the round. When he's about to go down, he'll start putting his hands up and may even run away. Follow him around and try to corner him. If you can't do that, then throw out a jab. He might block it but this should make him stop moving for a second. Then throw some punches to the body or head depending on where he's blocking. Really, this shouldn't be too difficult. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balanced Boxers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traits: A bit more agile than power boxers but still exhibits the same style. Strengths: Throws a lot of punches and moves around a bit. Weaknesses: Vulnerable to counter-punches. Strategy: The same strategy for power boxers applies here. Just bear in mind that this boxer will move around a lot more and be a bit smarter with his punches. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speed Boxers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traits: Moves around the ring a lot and rarely throws punches. Strengths: Difficult to hit. Moves around quickly. Weaknesses: Rarely attacks. Strategy: Speed boxers can be frustratingly difficult to knockout. This is especially true in Career Mode where some of the boxers will have maxed out stats. If you're planning on retiring with a 100% knockout record, speed boxers will most likely screw that record up. Just remember that you're not alone. Now for the strategy. The most crucial aspect of knocking out a speed boxer is to be patient. That may mean waiting until the last 4 rounds before attempting to knock him out. For the first 10 rounds or so, the best thing you can do is to save your stamina while decreasing your opponent's health. This requires discipline and skill. Compared to the power and balanced boxers, you will be the one who has to do the work if you want that KO. All that the speed boxer will do is dance around the ring rarely throwing out a punch. What ever you do, don't waste your stamina on jabs. Throw a couple of jabs if you feel that you're losing the round but don't over do it. A simple way of attracting a speed boxer towards you which I've found is to hold the R1 button and tap or rotate the right analog stick. Although I can't guarantee that this will work all the time, especially when your opponent is low on health, I can say that it is effective. Once you're close to your opponent, lean back and throw punches or counter-punches when there's an opening. He may block them or parry so be smart and don't punch if he's blocking. Go for the body if he's blocking his head, and when he blocks his body, go for the head. Keep in mind that you won't seriously deplete your opponent's health, so don't get overconfident. By the 10th round, if you've been boxing smartly and winning each round, his Health Meter should be low enough. Hopefully, your Energy Meter will be at least half- filled. If it's low, you'll have a difficult time trying to knock him out, but if you're way ahead on points, there's no harm trying. When you feel it's time to knock him out, start hunting him down. Move in and throw out a jab to make him stop and block. Then throw a hook or uppercut at where he's not blocking. Try doing a feint, that is, to throw a hook or uppercut but not finishing the move. This should cause your opponent to cover up. When he puts his hand down again, let out a quick hook or uppercut. When he's about to go down, do everything you can to knock him out, be it a flurry of punches or some damaging signature punches. This might be the difference between a KO and a Decision. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, that wraps things up. The best advice I can give you is to get some fights under your belt and gain some experience. The more fights you get, the more experience you gain and the better you'll become. =============================================================================== AWARDS =============================================================================== At the end of every year, trophies are awarded for various performances. Do well, and you might just get one yourself. The Trophy Case is where you can view all your year-end awards and see the championship belts you've won. The awards are: Award: Fighter of The Year Details: Best Record of The Year Award: Fight of The Year Details: Most Punches In A Fight Award: Newcomer of The Year Details: Best Newcomer Of The Year Award: Untouchable Award Details: Least Hit Of The Year Award: Hands Of Stone Award Details: Best KO Rating Of The Year =============================================================================== UNLOCKABLES =============================================================================== In Fight Night, there are a number of items that can be unlocked. You can only unlock these items during Career mode. These include items that can be purchased from the Fight Store, and the venue that you can fight in. I do not know of any other boxers apart from Big Tigger that can be unlocked or if there are any female boxers in the game. Below is a list of what can be unlocked and how they can be unlocked. Items may be unlocked due to your EA Sports Bio level, but I am not sure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRUNKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The trunks become available as you progress through your career. However, for some of the trunks, you have to fight certain boxers. Trunk: Assassin Unlock: Defeat Marco Antonio Barrera Trunk: El Terrible Unlock: Defeat Eric Morales Trunk: Thunder Unlock: Defeat Arturo Gatti Trunk: Irish Unlock: Defeat Micky Ward Trunk: Tito Unlock: Defeat Felix Trinidad Trunk: Hands Of Stone Unlock: Defeat Robert Duran Trunk: Sugar I Unlock: Defeat Ray Robinson Trunk: Sugar II Unlock: Defeat Ray Leonard Trunk: Sugar III Unlock: Defeat Shane Mosley Trunk: Smokin' Unlock: Defeat Joe Frazier Trunk: Lion Unlock: Defeat Lennox Lewis Trunk: Lights Out Unlock: Defeat James Toney Trunk: Executioner Unlock: Defeat Bernard Hopkins Trunk: Warrior Unlock: Defeat Evander Holyfield Trunk: Undisputed Unlock: Defeat Roy Jones Jr Trunk: Greatest Unlock: Defeat Muhammad Ali ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHOES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The shoes become available as you progress through your career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLOVES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The gloves become available as you progress through your career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PROTECTIVE GEAR ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Protective Gears become available as you progress through your career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENTRANCE EFFECTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unlock the Entrance Effects, you will have to fight in certain venues. All the Entrance Effects and how to unlock them are listed below: Effect: Confetti Unlock: ??? Effect: Spark Cannons Unlock: Fight in The Grand Ballroom Effect: Fireballs Unlock: Fight in Bangkok Palace Effect: Doves Unlock: Fight in Westerholtz Arena Effect: Lasers Unlock: Fight in Staples Centre Effect: Fireworks Unlock: Fight in Caesars Palace ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENTRANCE MUSIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Entrance Music becomes available as you progress through your career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENTOURAGE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Entourage can be unlocked as you progress through your career. I am not certain of what you have to do specifically to unlock them though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGNATURE PUNCHES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Signature Punches can be unlocked as you progress through your career. Some of them have to be unlocked by fighting other boxers. [Note: Some information was obtained from GameFAQs. They have been attributed to these contributors: Baron Scot, LuDaChRiS, Dragon King 187.] Punch: Overhand Rear Unlock: N/A Punch: Weaving Hook Unlock: N/A Punch: Lunging Hook Unlock: Defeat Evander Holyfield Punch: Ducking Hook Unlock: Defeat Muhammad Ali Punch: Look Ma No Hands Unlock: ??? Punch: The Homerun Unlock: Defeat Antonio Tarver in Lightheavyweight Punch: The Sledgehammer Unlock: Defeat Sonny Liston in Heavyweight Punch: Bolo Punch Unlock: Defeat Sugar Ray Leonard Punch: Lunging Uppercut Unlock: Defeat Sugar Shane Mosely Punch: Watch The Birdie Unlock: Defeat Bernard Hopkins ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAUNTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most of the Taunts can be unlocked as you progress through your career. To unlock the rest, you have to defeat other boxers. [Note: Some information was obtained from GameFAQs. They have been attributed to these contributors: Baron Scot, LuDaChRiS, Dragon King 187.] Taunt: Chin Out Unlock: N/A Taunt: Tap Jaw Unlock: N/A Taunt: Victory Dance Unlock: ??? Taunt: Smash Gloves Unlock: ??? Taunt: Lock And Load Unlock: ??? Taunt: Shake Head Unlock: Defeat Ricardo Mayorga in Welterweight Taunt: Beat Chest Unlock: Defeat Rafael Marquez in Featherweight Taunt: Wave In Unlock: ??? Taunt: Shine The Glove Unlock: ??? Taunt: Boogie Down Unlock: ??? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TATTOOS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All of the Tattoos can be unlocked as you progress through your career. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VENUES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unlock the venues, you will have to fight in them. So for example, if there are two events to choose from: X and Y, and each event takes place in Westerholtz Arena and Staples Center respectively, to unlock Westerholtz Arena, you will have to select event X, or event Y to unlock Staples Centre. I do not know if you have to win the fight to unlock it though. The total venues in the game are: Venue: The Apollo Gym Unlock: N/A Venue: Victory Hall Unlock: Fight in Victory Hall Venue: The Viceroy Unlock: N/A Venue: Bangkok Palace Unlock: Fight in Bangkok Palace Venue: The Grand Ballroom Unlock: Fight in The Grand Ballroom Venue: Caesars Palace Unlock: N/A Venue: Staples Center Unlock: Fight in Staples Center Venue: Westerholtz Arena Unlock: Fight in Westerholtz Arena =============================================================================== CHEATS =============================================================================== [Note: These cheats were obtained from GameFAQs. They have been attributed to the following contributors: Tibby Kid, dipcope247, arkaine33.] Effect: Unlock all venues Cheat: At the main menu press Left, Left, Left, Right, Right, Right, Left, Right, Right Effect: Big Heads Cheat: At the main menu press Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right Effect: Unlock Big Tigger Cheat: At the Main Menu, select My Corner, Record Book, Most Wins-Boxer, then press Up twice Effect: Small Fighter Cheat: At the main menu, highlight "Play Now" then press Left, Right, Left, Right, Left =============================================================================== CONTACT INFORMATION =============================================================================== Should you wish to contact the author, the e-mail address is [piratexnarz@gmail.com]. Please indicate the subject as [Fight Night]. Below are a few Do's and Don'ts when sending an e-mail: -DO send any comments regarding this guide. -DO send questions which confer to this guide. -DO send alternative strategies. If you do, indicate who to credit as the author. -DO send tips on how to make this guide better and easier to read, or mistakes that I have made. -DON'T send spam, virus, or any other malicious e-mails of any sort. =============================================================================== COPYRIGHT INFORMATION =============================================================================== This document is copyright 2004 XNarz. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This file may be hosted on the following site ONLY: GameFAQs [www.gamefaqs.com] =============================================================================== ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS =============================================================================== My deepest thanks to: - Sony, for the Playstation 2, currently the greatest entertainment console on which this wonderful game was played. - Game developers and publishers of Fight Night 2004, for creating the best, most authentic boxing game on the market. - GameFAQs, for hosting this guide and for being the universal centre for gaming help. - Contributors to GameFAQs, where would we be without you. - And to you, for playing this wonderful game and taking the time to read this guide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRIBUTORS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (All those mentioned here have contributed information directly or indirectly to this guide) - Electronic Arts, for the information contained in the game manual and of which parts were used in this guide. - GameFAQs, for information on cheats and unlockables section.