Ultimate Fighting Championship (USA)

Ultimate Fighting Championship on Game Boy Color came out in 2000, bringing the mixed martial arts promotion to Nintendo's handheld. Developed by Fluid Studios and published by Crave Entertainment, this is a fighting game that attempted something ambitious for the hardware: a 3D fighting experience. The cartridge contains a roster of real UFC fighters and a custom character creator that includes cameos from game media personalities like editors Greg Sewart and Dan Leahy, as well as PR rep Rob Fleisher. It was one of the few official UFC games on a Nintendo platform at the time. As a fighter, you select a martial artist and step into the octagon for three-round matches. The gameplay mixes striking and grappling, with a stamina bar that depletes as you attack and take hits. Successful combos and submissions fill a special meter, letting you pull off more powerful moves. The custom character mode lets you tweak a fighter's appearance and stats, using those pre-loaded personality templates. The controls are simplified to fit the GBC's buttons, so you'll rely on face buttons for punches and kicks, and the D-pad for movement and dodging. For a handheld game from 2000, Ultimate Fighting Championship is a curious artifact. It tried to translate the sport's realism into tiny sprites and limited animation, and while it doesn't match console fighters of the era, its character creator adds a fun personal touch. The novelty of playing as real UFC names on a Game Boy Color is its main draw. If you enjoy retro sports games that aren't afraid to experiment with hardware limitations, this cart is worth a quick playthrough.

Controls

EmulatorJS keyboard mapping:

• Arrow Keys = D-Pad
• X = A button (jump/confirm)
• S = B button (run/attack/cancel)
• Z = Y button
• A = X button
• Q = L shoulder
• E = R shoulder
• Enter = Start
• V = Select

Getting Started

When you boot up, you'll see a title screen and then a menu. Start by selecting a mode: pick a single fight, a tournament bracket, or the custom character creator. If you choose the standard fight, you'll pick one of the available UFC fighters from a roster of about ten real athletes. Each fighter has different stats for striking, grappling, and endurance.

The core loop is simple: you and your opponent have health bars and a stamina meter. Use punches and kicks to damage their health, but watch your stamina - if it runs out, you move slower and take more damage. Mix in grapple attempts to set up submissions or slam them to the ground. Each round lasts a set time; win two rounds to take the match. The AI can be aggressive, so block and dodge often. In the custom character mode, you can adjust a fighter's name and appearance, then jump straight into a fight with your creation.