UFC Undisputed 3

I really like UFC boss Dana White. I've met him a few times and his enthusiasm for the sport and charismatic aura rubs off.

Despite this, the force and a high degree of mastery disqualification for not rolling his eyes when he was in our interview trying to explain to me that UFC Undisputed 3 is a completely new game, which is radically different from the two predecessors.

Because I've spent the last two hours playing UFC Undisputed 3. I grappled upgraded gameplay mechanics, tested some thirty new fighters and tackled the new Pride rules. Undisputed 3 seems no doubt that the best mixed martial arts game I've ever tested and is clearly an improvement over last year's UFC game.

Developer Yuke's was also behind the WWE Smackdown Vs Raw series, one that in ten years did not change much at all. Some new fighters every year, and an upgraded menu system was basically what constituted the "new" from year to year.

In the case of UFC Undisputed the upgrades between major updates haven't been particularly radical. UFC Undisputed 2010 had slightly better game control than 2009, with online-based training places and a better system to fight in the clinch. UFC Undisputed 3 contains further improvements in the striking system, a new submission feature, and a long awaited Pride mode. I ask Dana why Pride was not included in the previous games.

"It's all about timing. We wanted to do something really great with Pride when we decided to put it in the game. In Undisputed 3, we believe that we have done this legendary organisation justice. "

I suggest that it was due to EA Sports including traditional boxing rings and Japanese mixed martial arts rules in EA Sports MMA, which now has the UFC and THQ doing the same. An analysis Dana happily stomps down on.

"Not at all. We bought Pride several years ago and since the start of this game series have had plans to include it in Undisputed. "

Dana does not want to talk more about his competitor, and I'm not looking to force the issue. EA's contenders flopped big time and it took only a few months before they decided to drop out of mixed martial arts arena altogether. The Undisputed series however has sold like hot cakes and in view of the newly Pride mode, I assume it will also be the case this time.

The presentation is perfect and adds plenty of atmosphere. You can use both "soccer kicks" and "head stomps" in Pride Fashion and knees to the head of a grounded opponent.

One can see small differences in the timing, and all the fighters have better straight shots, which has eliminated those strange situations from last year's version, which saw fighters coming too close to each other during an impact duel and ending with a 12 cm distance between the two and throwing half-twisted elbows against each other's chins.

Grappling feels smoother and better. Clinch is easy to control. You get faster and clearer signals in fights over what is happening and it is no longer as simple, or by chance, to win over opponents via submission. Previously it has only been about who is able to rotate the left analog stick fastest when it comes to submissions versus submission-defense.

Yuke's took on the criticisms it received for this and developed a completely new system, which at first glance, instead feels too hard. Way too hard.

Every time you connect a grip on your opponent, an octagonal symbol appears on screen. The whole arrangement resembles a puzzle game where timing and precision determines whether you succeed in unlocking from the grip or not.

One of the orange pegs that travels along the edge of the octagonal symbol is blue, the other red. Each fighter controls one peg. The person who activated the grip has to try to put their peg on top of the other and hold it there, while the opponent as to avoid by running their peg along the octagon symbol. It becomes a cat-and-mouse game that I don't think fits well in a fighting game, although I agree that the submission feature was way too chance-like in previous games.

I play a few matches against former WEC champ Urijah Faber. He has trained and it shows. I fight with Dominick Cruz. Faber fights using himself. I ask if its strange to see his virtual image in Undisputed 3:

"I must admit it did at first, but its flattering and fun. I'm feeling cocky that they managed to recreate my big white teeth, also. "

A few hours later, I had time to talk to Rampage, Chael Sonnen, Joe Lauzon, Chad Mendez and Chuck Lidell. Everyone seems to like the new game. And yes, so do I. UFC Undisputed 3 is not a radical change. It is not completely different. What it is a small, but good improvement on an already decent mixed martial arts series.