Todd Batty: On the surface, the mechanics are pretty straight forward, but there is actually a sophisticated, balanced fighting engine below the surface with lots of strategy to be discovered. IGN AU: Take us through the fighting mechanics – how complex is the system? How tactical is the gameplay? What defensive options will players have? We have a lot of very creative people at EA, and working on new IP really gave them an opportunity to shine. As for those who came from Fight Night, I think working on an over-the-top arcade game rather than a simulation title was a great new challenge and really fun experience for everyone. I personally started working on FaceBreaker after NBA Street Homecourt, which was an over-the-top arcadey game itself, and so I felt right at home moving over to FaceBreaker.
Our team is actually made up of a mix of people from all across the company. In fact, only about a quarter of our team were directly involved with Fight Night. Todd Batty: The fact that FaceBreaker was made by the Fight Night team is not entirely accurate. Was it hard to move into an over-the-top arcadey headspace after working on Fight Night Round 3? IGN AU: We love the pace and energy of the game. IGN AU: What elements of those games did you identify as weaknesses? What elements didn't work? For FaceBreaker, we spent a great deal of effort trying to ensure that our single-player mode would deliver a similar gameplay experience. Solving each character required both pattern recognition and timing, and the game designers did an excellent job with user feedback to help the player along. Todd Batty: Both of those games were amazing for their time and had plenty of strong design elements, but if I had to pick one thing that stands out in my memory it would be the "puzzle" element of Punch Out!. Obviously gaming has come a long way since those titles, but what were the elements of those games that you identified as critical to their gameplay and appeal? IGN AU: This genre has had a number of very iconic entries over the years, such as Super Punch Out! and Ready 2 Rumble. We got in touch with Todd Batty, the Producer / Lead Designer on the game, for answers to a few of our more burning questions. The team is certainly on the right track: FaceBreaker is shaping up to be a complete riot – fast, furious and packed with personality. After redefining the boxing simulation with the Fight Night series, EA is now hoping to do the same for arcade boxing.
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