Developer: Kung Fu Factory
Publisher: 505 Games
Rating: Mature
Supremacy MMA is a Mixed Martial Arts game that looks to separate itself from the major arenas and “sports”-type franchises such as UFC Undisputed and EA Sports MMA. Sporting over-the-top action and simplified gameplay, place your bets in the underground fight club that is Supremacy MMA.
Put $10 on Pulver
Supremacy MMA‘s environments are probably the best part of the game. The venues range from jails, dojos, gyms, a few arenas, and (I kid you not) what looks like a fancy restaurant. Most of the venues do their best to give the game an underground fight club atmosphere. Within the venues are one of three types of rings: the MMA cage, the traditional ring, and dojo mats (no ring or cage, just the mat and an invisible wall as a border).
The majority of the fighters are fictional characters that range in origin, weights and disciplines. However, MMA Legend Jens Pulver is in this game, as are Felice Herrig and Michele Gutierrez, the only two female fighters. Unlockable attire can be obtained through the story modes of the game. In the game fighters show realistic damage and will start to bleed, bruise, or show swelling around their eyes.
The cutscenes for story mode are a mix of comic book and grindhouse film. Each fighter has their own story as they fight everyone in the circuit. It’s not a terrible look for this type of game, but we wanted more.
Work The Eye
During matches, three meters are shown at the top of the screen. There is the traditional health meter, under that is the “adrenaline” meter, and in the corner of the screen is the body meter. The health meter shows you how close you are to losing the fight. The momentum meter has two functions: the first is to help you escape or apply damage to submission holds, while the other, when activated, allows the fighter to apply more damage in his punches and submissions. If this is activated at the end of a fight then the knockout is shown in slow motion, and in this mode you see the force behind your attacks, and submission holds show bones being broken. The body meter shows the condition of the fighter’s limbs, head, and torso. When any parts are colored red, they become less effective and more susceptible to damage.
The controls are simplified to give the game more of an arcade fighting game feel rather than the complicated controls of other Mixed Martial Arts simulation games such as EA Sports MMA and the UFC Undisputed series. This simplified scheme makes this game more accessible to MMA fans who aren’t necessarily video game fans. One button to kick, another to punch, another to grapple, and the last to counter. The problem is that the controls are not as responsive as in other fighting games. When the prompt appears on-screen signalling the chance to counter, it’s already too late. The fact that most fighters only have one specific style is also a hindrance. For example, boxers can’t grapple or apply submissions at all.
The controls don’t necessarily simplify the gameplay but rather put limits on it. The counter prompt doesn’t help the player and the counter button itself feels as if it only works in certain situations. The momentum meter fills faster when striking, but not every fighter is a pure striker. The other problem is that there are only two dedicated buttons to striking and one for grappling. It’s very limited, and had the developer utilized more of the buttons on the controller then the game would feel deeper and more strategic.
AND IT IS ALL OVER!!!
When playing the game, sounds of impact range from hitting a heavy bag to a crunch. That, in and of itself, isn’t that bad. However, during the fights there is an instrumental heavy metal soundtrack playing without an announcer. The fact that they chose to go with a music soundtrack takes away from the underground fight club feel.
Well, at least it’s not $60…???
One of the few highlights of the game are the venues, ranging from dark basements to gyms containing a makeshift ring. The environments are a nice change from the traditional combat sports game, and personally, they were our favorite part of the game. The fact that Supremacy MMA goes over-the-top to separate itself from other simulation games is a nice concept. Also, the addition of Jens Pulver gives the game some credibility. Finally, the opening cut-scene before you start the game is interesting and sets up the game nicely.
Unfortunately, there are far more issues with this game than there are highlights. Limited gameplay, poor controls, and a lack of a “Create A Fighter” mode are just some of the many gaping holes in this product. Winning a fight is more of a chore and the momentum bar takes way too long to fill up. The game tries to blend simulation with simplicity but ultimately falls short. Finally, this game has online trophies but there was no one playing online at the time of review. This makes the game difficult to recommend to trophy hunters, but taking things a step further, there is no sense of community around this game.
Overall, Supremacy MMA is a very poor attempt to break into the MMA simulation genre, and we would recommend that most gamers avoid this game. Even though it is budget-price, it still doesn’t offer gamers full value at that price point. The few positives are vastly outnumbered by the negatives. Unfortunately, both fighting game fans and fans of Mixed Martial Arts will find this game to be an underwhelming experience, and those are the only groups who would be interested in the game.
Final Verdict: Supremacy MMA gets 3 rear naked choke holds out of 10.
Rating: 
This review is based on a retail version of Supremacy MMA by 505 Games on the Playstation 3