Remember EA Sports' initial run of games for the Xbox 360? Nah, me neither. To be quite honest, most of them were forgettable, rushed efforts that left a sour taste in our mouths, lacking in terms of extras, accuracy, or maybe even fun, depending on the game. (*cough cough NBA Live 06 cough cough*) We even did a separate article, aside from the scathing reviews, explaining just what EA Sports had done wrong, and exactly what they should have done in order to do next-gen right. Even after that article, though, doubts hung in our heads about the company reaching the potential they had shown off at the previous E3 event with their Fight Night Round 3 footage.

But leave it to that very game to finally present what EA Sports had in mind for next-generation sports excitement. Yes, Fight Night Round 3 is actually a wonderful surprise, a game that takes many components that were great from Round 2 and improves them to the next-gen status we were so hoping for. Not only does the game have the graphics that were expected, but it also has some improved gameplay features that makes it feel more like a natural and less than some superficially produced effort. In short, this is as close to boxing as a sports game has gotten so far.

The game follows the basic pattern of the previous games. You can either embark in a Career mode, creating your own boxer and going down a road to many championships; engage in the Play Now option and simply get yourself going in the ring against a champion or contender; or challenge people either in offline multiplayer or online through Xbox Live. No matter what your option, though, you'll find substantial gameplay that holds up reasonably well with the next-gen performance.

Of course, graphics should be talked about first. The way that EA Chicago has modeled this game is superb, showing exquisite details on the boxers, up close and personal right down to the damage your fighter takes during each round. The animation is perfect, the lighting is right on the money, and even the simple perpetual motions of things like muscles and facial expressions have never looked better. The game camera holds up brilliantly, making sure to keep both fighters in view at all times and also capturing some of the background detail behind them along the way, such as cheering fans with individual motions or the detail in each boxing arena. Whether you're in a lowly club in downtown Chicago or fighting it out in a grand ballroom surrounded by exciting fans (and the King from the Burger King ads- no joke), you'll appreciate every aspect of the game's visuals, which keep the promise given during that presentation last year. This looks like the real deal, Holyfield.

And that's not even getting to the replays, which continue to be the best in the business. The game has interesting camera tricks to give cues as to when a boxer is in trouble. If the boxer is stunned, for instance, the camera will begin to swivel and the sound will become muffled as the winning boxer goes for the KO. There's also a neat first-person mode that comes into play with the Stun Punch. If you get hit the wrong way, you're suddenly shifted to the perspective of the boxer, trying to dodge punches and avoid the KO. After a KO, though, the replays show in slow detail the power of your punch, right down to the ripples in the boxer's face, the mild spewing of blood, and the spittle that flows in any given direction, depending on the ferocity of the punch. It then follows the boxer down to his collapse. There is some very slight clipping during this, one scene even showing a boxer's hand going through a shoulder, but it's very brief and doesn't happen often. This looks fantastic.

The gameplay also got a little bit of touching up to make the game feel more realistic. Like Round 2, you get to use the right analog stick in conjunction with several buttons to pull off one-two button combinations and strong punches to weaken your opponent. However, some better balancing has come into play. The Haymaker still manages to deliver a mighty blow, but takes a bit longer to pull off, adding on to the challenge. Furthermore, you can also attempt to pull off a Flash KO, which allows you to get a mighty one-punch knock-out ala the old days of Mike Tyson, but it's even harder to execute. Defense is better suited also, complete with dodges, ducks, and the ability to get your opponent in a viable position to deliver a thunderous punch. But be careful, they have just as much opportunity to lay a good one on you.