Last spring, Electronic Arts' Xbox 360 game, Fight Night Round 3 delivered a crushing haymaker to Nintendo's Punch-Out!! franchise to become king of the digital boxing arena, in large part because of its near photo-realistic graphics and brutal knockouts. Now the violence has arrived on PlayStation 3, complete with an innovative first person boxing mode and ESPN Integration. The lack of rumble blows, but this game still deserves to be purchased, providing you hunger for blood, sweat and broken bones.

ESPN Integration works the same way as it does in NBA Live 07. As soon as you connect the game to Sony's online network, you receive current sports scores, video, radio updates and news. Downloading the content takes but a few minutes, and you don't have to be hanging out in a lobby to receive this information, as the ESPN Sports Ticker and ESPN Radio Updates can be accessed while playing the game's single player modes. It would have been nice to see developer EA Chicago blend ESPN throughout the entire game, but this mode certainly satisfies, giving players one less reason to switch between Fight Night and SportsCenter.

While getting a heads up on sports news makes the video game experience more immersive, you should purchase Fight Night for the all new and PlayStation 3 exclusive Get in the Ring mode. Instead of viewing the carnage from a third person perspective (though that option is still available), you see the action from the eyes of your selected boxer. While the controls remain the same (EA gives you six schemes to work with), you get to see your hands pop out and clock your opponent in the head. This makes for a more visceral experience, as an opponent will miss, get a surprised (more like stupefied) look on his face, and watch helplessly as you tag his chin with an uppercut, deck him upside his head with a right hook, or rattle his brain with a stiff stun punch. Conversely, missing your intended target has its share of consequences. Fight Night's artificial intelligence capitalizes on bone-headed mistakes, and it wastes no time in turning your boxer's face into hamburger. As you absorb punishment, the edges of the screen grow dark and your fighter's breathing grows heavy. Take too much abuse, and you'll eat canvas.

Get in the Ring mode, while a nice addition, doesn't make this game cool. EA did a wonderful job with the perspective as well as adapting the controls to work with it, but first person boxing shouldn't make Xbox 360 owners jealous. Nor should the updated graphics, minor improvements (more sweat) that can barely be noticed. EA Chicago upped the boxer detail in the PlayStation 3 version, but even side-by-side, noticing the difference between it and the Xbox 360 game proves difficult. PS3 owners can brag, but Xbox 360 fans shouldn't scoff, especially since minor graphical alterations, sports info, and Get in the Ring round out the list of PS3 bonus features.

With that being said, Fight Night Round 3 looks amazing on both consoles. Its list of 28 fighters includes Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, James Toney and Roy Jones Jr. -- almost perfectly mimic their real life counterparts. The developers not only captured their likenesses, but expertly captured emotions. Slamming your fist into someone's face causes him to recoil in pain, while gearing up for a huge right will result in your boxer lowering his eyebrows and clenching his teeth. Complimenting this, sweat beads across their bodies and blood erupts from wounds. These pretty faces get pulverized as a fight wears on.