While the Cube may be lacking in traditional fighters there is a fierce battle going on for king of the ring. With top notch boxing titles such as Knockout Kings and Rocky, it's a tough match to judge. In steps a new contender, in the red corner Black and Bruised. Majesco set out to offer gamers a cartoony based boxer that showcases real facial damage and a story with every crushing blow. The game offers the full package but can it go all 10 rounds?

Graphics:
Possibly the strongest point of B&B is its graphics. Its amazing cartoon shaded characters are spot on. The character designs alone on this game will make any gamer smile. While the game may have a cartoon look don't kid yourself into thinking this game is geared for a younger audience. Black and Bruised is for all gamers. With its Sexy swingers and bone headed brutes they did an amazing job covering the bases. The title just oozes personality and style. With extensive shadow effects and roaring at 60 fps this is one hot title that is easy on the eyes.

And the animation matched the high quality art. With is over the top swings and crushing belly blows you feel the pain of each fist-full of hurt. Even the fighters' faces will react to the brutality. When they named the game Black and Bruised, they meant it ... and it shows ... on each loser's face! While everything in the ring is tip top outside can be boring and bland. All in all it's a great title to showcase to your friends for its graphic flair. Great job Digital Fiction!

Sound:
The game is packed with voice acting, and most of it is top notch. A variety of catch phrases are spoken by the many brawlers. The audio really hits a wall in the soundeffect department. While the rest of the game is over the top the sound effects seem uninspired. No great wallops or crashes, instead we are left with boring punctuation's. The only thing worse than the soundeffects is the music that will make you cringe. Not only is it of low quality but it seems to play over and over with the same few notes. If you have Mute on your remote ... USE IT!

Gameplay:
With its simple yet effective fighting mechanics this is the perfect pick up and play title. It may be as shallow as a kiddy pool but it's a lot of fun. Black and Bruised offers you a total on 19 fighters with their own rings. A ton of gameplay modes including story, VS, training and survival modes. This fighter gives you a lot to choose from. While the single player mode can be fun the game really shines while playing with friends. Many point to the classic brawler Punch Out, both being simple fighters, but B&B seems to lack the magic of the NES Classic. While B&B offers a clean combo system, they seem as if they don't fit into the button mashing too well. After playing the game with my buddies for a while now I notice that it seems as if we are fighting like they did back in World War 1. One side blocks while the other punches like crazy and then they switch. It always results in a win for the fastest fighter. One way to really set yourself apart from your opponent is the power ups. As you slug away you will generate stars and as they add up you get different levels. Each level offers its own unique group of randomly picked power ups, a great concept that can really open up a match. For you long lasting fighters hit up the Boxers life. It offers you the ability to play a "story mode" of each boxer that is connected with comical FMV's. While the stories seem thrown together they do offer a fun and long lasting challenge.

Overall:
Black and Bruised seems to be the exact opposite to Knockout Kings, whereas Rocky falls in the middle. If you are looking for a cartoony arcade boxing match, look no further. If a deep fighter is on your mind then look elsewhere. I would give it a rental round in the ring before committing to training for the full ten rounds.