Unlike some of my peers, I've never been attracted to or drooled over a videogame character, but damn, the ladies in Rumble Roses XX look good. Konami and developer Yukes (from SmackDown Vs Raw fame) have apparently spared no expense in making these girls the sexiest models in the entire videogame universe, as their creations feature a dash of grace, a twist of style, and splash of naughty.

This sequel to the semi popular PlayStation 2 wrestling game features a plethora of improvements that dropkick the original into oblivion beginning with its visuals. The first Rumble Roses is fairly attractive, but XX is superior in every category. The character models (over 35 available girls plus the ones you create) are coated with textures so detailed that they look borderline CG (note that I said borderline) and the programmers have done an excellent job animating hair as well as their breasts. In fact, I think these girls' boobs bounce the DOA girls' endowments out of the top spot. It's just a shame that the rest of their bodies don't move with the same fluidity. Bouncing breasts will hypnotize you if you stare at them long enough, but as for punches, slaps, dropkicks, and clotheslines, all that stuff could use some work.

I'm also impressed with the backgrounds, which feature lots of screaming/animated fans, flashing lights, and other cool features, but the actual ring entrances are truly mesmerizing. As a proud WWE fan, I thought Yukes truly outdid itself with SmackDown Vs Raw 2006, but Rumble Roses XX trumps it in every respect. All of the wrestlers have signature and completely over the top cut scenes that include dancing amidst a sea of rose petals, getting freaky with a stripper's pole, as well as other devious animations, and they play for an extended period.

Ok, so the game looks phenomenal. That was a given considering Konami's commitment to put Rumble Roses into the hands of every perverted male on the planet. But what's most important is how it plays (well not really), and I was pleased to discover that XX is significantly more enjoyable than its predecessor. Some of the animations have a jerky appearance but the actual combat is solid, as each girl has a small arsenal of deadly moves that are far more complex than just bitch slaps to the face. Shooting star presses from the top rope and pretzel twisting submission holds are among the cool and painful moves you can pull off and they can be done with only a couple button presses, so if anything, I'm glad that the game has been designed for the masses and not only the hardcore elite. Also, each character has multiple costumes as well as enhanced Superstar variants, supped up versions that feature new entrances and moves, but you can only access them after becoming "popular" with the crowd. Lastly, as you fight, your character's abilities may be automatically upgraded, so she'll walk quicker or bust out more powerful and bone crushing moves.