Press release: 2000-09-01: POUND FOR POUND--THE BEST FIGHTING GAME OF THE YEAR HITS THE SHELVES

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English third-party Original source: Crave Entertainment

POUND FOR POUND--THE BEST FIGHTING GAME OF THE YEAR HITS THE SHELVES

Crave Entertainment's Ultimate Fighting Championship for Sega Dreamcast is Selling Out at Retailers Across the Country

Los Angeles, CA-September 01, 2000---Crave Entertainment announced today that Dreamcast gamers can now enter the ultimate proving ground with the #1 selling Dreamcast title Ultimate Fighting Championship (Dreamcast) as it hit retailers' shelves last week. The game has been receiving nothing less than the best accolades from the gaming and mass market press.

"We have been overwhelmed by the raves of critics and fans alike and so far UFC is living up to its well-earned hype. Ultimate Fighting Championship's developer Anchor has taken a truly original concept in the world of fighting and turned it into one of the most exciting, true to life gameplay experiences ever," stated Martin Speiss, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for Crave Entertainment.

Based on the popular pay-per-view television fighting events, Ultimate Fighting Championship places gamers right smack in the middle of the Octagon. Here they will face the world's most fearsome fighters in the ultimate survival of the fittest contest. In order to capture the championship belt, gamers must pull-off a wide variety of martial arts styles, including jiu-jitsu, and killer holds to defeat opponents and become the ultimate champion of the world.

As the only Sega Dreamcast game to use the UFC license, Ultimate Fighting Championship features all the real fighters (true-to-life temperaments included) with all of their authentic moves and infamous techniques. Big, well-animated characters, tons of moves, incredible reversals and counters, tight controls, and numerous fighting styles make UFC the one to beat in the Dreamcast fighting game genre.

Due to its amazing look and addictive gameplay, UFC was the recipient of E3 2000 Game Critics' Best Fighting Game Award. The Game Critics' Awards are the only independent E3 awards, voted on by editors from all the major online and print gaming magazines.

Gamers can choose from 22 of the top UFC real licensed fighters and go toe-to-toe in punishing, body-pummeling matches against some of the toughest, most accomplished fighters in the world. To pump up the action even more, gamers can opt to "Get It On in the Octagon" as a generic crusher or a fighting machine of their own creation. Gamers can use the special "Create a Player" mode to create, customize, train and fight their way up the ranks to the number one contender position. Once they take the championship title, they must fight tooth-and-nail to defend their belt before they can retire their own custom-built bruiser. And just like the real deal, characters must be carefully built through an extensive training mode that allows gamers to strengthen their fighter as well as add to his knowledge of fighting moves and styles. As an added bonus, players can transport their personally styled character into all multiplayer games and tournaments.

Ultimate Fighting Championship's body-slamming modes include "VS Computer," "Champion Road" (gamers have to defend their title 12 times to become the Ultimate Champion), "Tournament" (eight player single elimination), "Career" and "Training." Spectacular graphics and heart-pumping music complete the ultimate fighting experience.

In addition to winning the prestigious Game Critics Best of Show 2000 Award for Best Fighting Game (Dreamcast) and winning Best Fighting Game in IGNDC'S Second Annual Best of E3 Awards, Ultimate Fighting Championship is already receiving 5 out of 5 review scores.

Ultimate Fighting Championship is coming to the PlayStationâ game console in October and to the Game Boy Color in November.

About Crave Entertainment
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, with offices in Paris, London and Hamburg, Crave Entertainment is a privately held publisher of innovative videogame entertainment products for the major console platforms including Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, the PlayStationâ game console, and PC. For more information about Crave Entertainment, please visit www.cravegames.com.