The multiplayer fighting game has been a genre that has established itself well within this generation. Nintendo has their killer app with Super Smash Bros. Melee; Capcom had a chance to get their brawl on with the somewhat appealing Onimusha Blade Warriors for PlayStation 2; and soon Xbox owners will be able to claw into enemies with the forthcoming Unreal Championship 2. In the meantime, though, here's Iron Phoenix, a game from the folks at Sammy and Sega that has seen its ups and downs during the time it's been in development. Now it's here, but something's holding it back from joining the ranks of the great ones. It tries, though.

The game features a wide assortment of fighting characters and up to nine different weapons to choose from, and then thrusts you right into a deathmatch situation, where it's kill or be killed. As you proceed through the game and use different attacks to knock down enemies, you'll earn an essential power known as "chi", which will help you achieve more devastating moves, including some aerial tricks that give you the feeling that you're one of the floating extras from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

There are a bevy of excellent fighting arenas here, all designed with a great deal of attention. There's everything here, from death traps that you can ambush enemies into to spiked walls that you can lunge someone on to make their precious energy deplete. The general look of the game has a real appeal to it, but I noticed that the overall frame rate seems a bit jagged. In the middle of a frenetic battle, online or off, you'll find yourself occasionally getting lost in the fight, which slows a little bit. It's nothing tremendously glitchy or anything like it, just a bit distracting from a game that appeared to have a rock-solid interface at E3 last year.

Then you come to sound, which is mostly spot on in terms of its presentation. The sound effects, while minor, still add to the genuine mood of the game, as do the slight voice samples. You can't help but think more could have come across, but what's here will suffice. As for the soundtrack, it has many great tracks that boom in the background with a grandiose energy, but a couple seem to stop it from being a must-listen. When it's on, though, it works.

As far as the gameplay goes, with the "chi" system, it really seems to fit the game rather well. You've got your light and heavy attacks, which you can mix up as you go along; you can grab opponents and objects to interact your performance with a bit more invention; you can dash and wall walk to get a little distance from your foes; you can lock on to particular fighters to work away at their energy and earn the precious kill; and you can also keep tabs on the scoreboard at any time, seeing who has the higher kill rate during any point in the match. It goes by-the-numbers, but the execution is what's important, and, for the most part, I was pleased.

The real options lie in the multiplayer match-ups you can engage in. There are different types of games you can take part in. You've got your basic Deathmatch, a Team Deathmatch mode where you can team up with friends to dispatch of other teams; a Giant Kill mode where you can take on larger enemies and pull off some sick Team Kill moves at the same time; and a Challenge Ring, a tournament of sorts where you face off one-on-one against a particular fighter and, depending whether you win or lose, you move around in different spots, working your way to the top spot in the championship. The game can be played with multiple players off-line or through a LAN set-up, but it can also be played via Xbox Live, which is the game's biggest factor.

Xbox Live mostly works fine, as you can jump right into a match with ease. But I noticed during a couple of hook-up times, there was some bothersome lag. Also, the interface wasn't entirely as smooth as it could have been. Once you do get into a match with good connection, however, this is heaven on earth for those sick of all the distant shooting action and want something a little more up close and personal.

So, then, the graphics aren't too bad, the gameplay's well calculated, and there's lots to do against friends. So why the low score? One major reason- the story mode is missing. Originally promised to be included to help you identify further with characters and bring the replay value to a high level, the final version lacks this, and instead just gives you deathmatch options. This hurts the game significantly, as it grows old for the single player rather quickly. The reason for its removal might be the fact that the game's original development team took a powder right in the middle of its development, but that's no excuse. It should have stayed and given the $50 price tag a little more heft. But, as is, it didn't happen, and all you get is the brawling. Shame.

So Iron Phoenix isn't an overall bad game. Those who want to try a different kind of multiplayer offering will find it appealing, and its options plentiful. However, it seems like development was nicked and tucked in particular areas where it should have been touched up, like with the graphic issues and the story mode, which would have made this a tough competitor for the forthcoming Jade Empire. As is, it's worth a look, but it probably won't find the hardcore gaming audience it once beckoned.