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UBISOFT
ENTERS THE RING WITH MGM INTERACTIVE
FOR
ANOTHER "ROCKY" KNOCKOUT
September 21, 2004 
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 PRESS
RELEASE - Get ready to enter the world of legends as Ubisoft,
one of the world’s largest video game publishers, today
announces that Rocky Legends has shipped for the PlayStation®2
computer entertainment system and Microsoft Xbox™. As the
follow-up to the smash hit, Rocky™, Rocky Legends serves
up a one-two punch of adrenaline pumping, arcade-simulation
boxing action. Players will begin their careers as one of
four legendary fighters, Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, Clubber
Lang, or Ivan Drago, as they fight their way to the top from
unknown amateurs to legendary champions. Rocky Legends is
rated “T” for Teen and has an MSRP of $39.99.
“Rocky
Legends pummels all other contenders – its easy controls,
fast-paced action and diversified fighting combos provide a
unique and fun-filled experience,” said Helene Juguet,
director of marketing for Ubisoft. “Ubisoft is thrilled to
be continuing the legacy of the Rocky universe
through such an innovative, interactive medium.”
In Rocky
Legends, players will relive boxing-cinema history, playing
through the careers of Rocky Balboa, Clubber Lang, Apollo
Creed or Ivan Drago from their raw beginning as unproven
amateurs to their ultimate rise as boxing champions. Rocky
Legends also boasts new boxing arenas, intuitive training
modes and 40 opponents to choose from in arcade mode.
Game features
include: • All-New Career Mode allows you to follow your
favorite character – Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed, Clubber
Lang, and Ivan Drago – from his raw beginnings right
through his professional career. • Eight Authentic
Training Games available to the boxers; each boxer has five
tailored training sessions to choose from in his career
mode, including Rocky’s famous chicken chase. •
Two-Player VS Training Modes allow the player to compete
against a friend in a trial of strength and determination.
• 40 Opponents: 26 new boxers plus returning fighters from
the first game bring the total to more than 40 opponents
with extra, hidden, unlockable characters. • 20 Venues
including 13 brand-new venues, featuring more familiar
locations from the films, such as the Philadelphia Art
Museum, a Casino on the Vegas strip, the Docks in Philly,
and the Russian training camp from Rocky IV.
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"ROCKY
LEGENDS" GAME REVIEW
By Alex
Spiro, www.cgno.com
July 26, 2004
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 At
the Ubisoft Media Tour 04, I got a chance to sit down and
play Rocky Legends. Developed by Venom Games, Rocky looks
and feels more like a fast paced arcade boxer rather than a
realistic simulation along the lines of Fight Night. Venom
obtained the Rocky license from MGM Studios and made
full use of it with over 40 playable characters in the game
and over half of them are straight from the Rocky
movies. Now if you’re thinking through the Rocky
saga and are struggling to remember more than a handful of
fighters that appeared in the movies, you wouldn’t be
alone. Many of the fighters in Rocky Legends were not
actually fighters in the movies, rather just characters in
the story. Ivan Drago’s wife is a playable fighter, and
don’t let her stunning, tall, blond, German look fool you-
she packs a mean right hook. Remember Apollo Creed’s
trainer that was always banging on the boxing ring floor?
He’s playable as well. Even Rocky’s friend Paulie is
playable, complete with a wifebeater and his short, stubby
stature and round beer belly.
While most companies are very protective of their licenses,
MGM generously gave the green light for Venom to take the
storyline of each character and create a whole new career
mode with it. You can take Clubber Lang through a career
mode and find out what would’ve happened had he beat
Rocky. Each character has their own career path and story
with cut scenes and varied training sessions interspersed
throughout. Unfortunately, there are no actual celebrity
voices, I was told the cost to include that would’ve been
too high, especially getting a mega star like Sly Stallone
involved.
 Rocky
may not look pretty at the end of the 10th round, but Rocky
Legends delivers in the visual department. Large, in your
face characters contain healthy polygon counts; their faces
closely resemble their silver screen counterparts and their
bodies are smooth, muscular, and slick. Watch from dramatic
angles as the replays show you the powerful finishing blows
of a fight as the blood goes flying. The fighters’ faces
will get bruised, swollen, and cut as the fight progresses.
Rocky is purely a fun arcade experience - there are
no simulation features like grappling or throwing players
against the ropes. There are different combos you can
perform and a super move that you can unleash when your
combo meter maxes out. Some fighters have over 80 different
combos. Statistics are recorded showing the number of
punches thrown/landed, and scores are kept after each round.
To round out the experience, Legends contains a fun 2-player
mode where you and a friend can duke it out with some of the
legends. Legends has a September 28 ship date and will be
released for the XB and PS2.
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