While essentially the same game as its Xbox and Xbox 360 counterparts, Fight Night Round 3 for PlayStation 2 suffers in a couple of key areas and, thus, doesn't quite measure up.

Graphics aren't as good, for one, which is typical of any game downgraded to suit the lesser specs of the PS2 - much better looking than many PS2 games, mind you, but still...

The real kicker is FNR3's online multiplayer component, better described as a multiplayer incompetent on PS2, riddled with lag and never-better-than-poor matchmaking (e.g. teleporting button-masher vs. sweet-scientist bouts more often than not) which pretty much makes it a waste of time. Still a great single player boxing game, probably the greatest on the Sony platform, but not the complete package offered on the Xbox systems.

• TIP: Fighting boxers in ESPN Classic mode is not just cool, beating them will unlock their fight styles. Beating Frazier with Ali, for example, will make the Hook Master Style available to you, beating Ali with Frazier nets you the Judge Jab Style, beating Roy Jones Jr. with Bernard Hopkins unlocks the Sinister Cross Style, and so on.