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Ultimate Fighting Championship (DC,PSX) Interview
6/23/00
Our Cliff O'Neill
recently had a chance to interview Jeff Barnhart, the producer for UFC.
1) The UFC unites a vast array of fighters from several different backgrounds/disciplines who vary greatly in fighting style. Was it difficult to recreate this unique type of fighting experience for the home console systems?
This was definitely one of our biggest challenges. Creating a boxing game or a wrestling game is one thing. What we had to do was create a game that incorporates both of these, along with a dozen more martial arts. We have 22 of the real UFC fighters in the game, and each one of those fighters has the arsenal of moves that you would see them use in real life, in the game. Keeping all of this realistic and fun was tough, but I think it's turned out to be one of the best aspects of the game.
2) Will the video game version of UFC follow the current rules of the real-life event?
One of our main goals with this product that we have accomplished was to make sure it was as realistic as possible, and as true to the real event as we could. Part of this was using the exact same rule set that the Mixed Martial Arts Council has imposed upon the UFC.
3) Do you think the UFC experience will appeal to those who enjoy traditional fighting games like Street Fighter or Tekken?
Definitely. An interesting piece of information about the developer of UFC is that the team is built mostly out of people who have previously worked on great fighting games. We have people from the Tekken team, the Soul Edge team, Fighting Vipers, and Tobal to name a few. I think that we have the most talented, and best team in the world working on this game.
4) Can you list and explain the different types of modes included in the game?
There is an 'Exhibition' Mode that allows for 1P vs. 2p, 1P vs. CPU, 2P vs. CPU or CPU vs. CPU. A 'Tournament' mode which can be played with up to 16 different players. And there is a 'Create Fighter' mode in the game as well. Lastly, a Career mode. In this mode you take the fighter that you created and can fight your way to the top by earning skill points and using them to build your fighter. When you create a fighter, you will have a few basic moves to start with, then, as you win tournaments, you will earn skill points which can be used to 'buy' more moves and attributes such as stamina, power and speed. When people play the UFC game, they will not only enjoy the fast paced gameplay, but they will also need to learn how all the real life strategies can be applied here in the game. The player that creates a boxer will quickly figure out that he needs to balance his character by learning some Jiu-Jitsu or wrestling moves as well.
5) What is the control scheme like? Will traditional fighting game fans have an advantage over novices?
The gameplay is very fast and the control system is very intuitive and tight. People who have played games like Tekken or Street Fighter will pick up the fighting system in UFC right away because they are very similar and already proven control methods.
6) How many fighters are included, and are there any hidden ones?
The top 22 fighters from the real UFC are in the game. We also have Bruce Buffer 'The Voice of the Octagon' and John McCarthy (the UFC's ref) in the game as well. There are a few hidden characters in the game as well, but players will need to prove their skills in order to unlock them.
7) After looking at the roster of fighters planned for the game a couple months back, some UFC fans were disappointed that fan-favorites like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, and Tank Abbot were missing. Can you explain why they were not included?
Part of keeping the game realistic was keeping our roster current. Royce hasn't fought in the UFC since I can remember, Ken is in the WCW and Tank is in the WWF.
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