Game Review: Def Jam: Icon
Rated by 1 member
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that many teens will want to play this
fighting game once they see that some big hip-hop and rap
artists are featured, but it's very much an M-rated game.
That's why this well-constructed game that gets plenty of stars
for quality earns our rare "Off" rating for 17+. This is an
urban-set fighting game where characters punch, kick, and throw
each other across the room. Onscreen characters will bleed
after a severe beating, and will even catch on fire at an
exploding gas station. You can cause objects to smash onto an
opponent's body, or kick him when he is lying down, and watch
as he turns black and blue. In-game harsh lyrics are common.
For example, Big Boi's "Kryptonite" uses words "bitches,"
n----rs," and "hoes," and lines "tell yo buddies I f--ked you
right, tell 'em how you licked my b--ls." Another example is
Ludacris' "Get Back": "Get back, motherf--ker" and "Man, shut
the f--k up!"
Families can talk about the obvious bad behavior and language thrown at them and why they think it's part of the game and glorified in some circles as part of hip-hop culture. What does the word "icon" in the game's title have to do with this glorification? Which artists do you see more as icons than musicians? Why do you think so many hip-hop artists use such graphic language? Can you understand why many leaders in the African-American community want to ban the "N" word? Why do you think that is?
Common Sense Media Review
You won't find any fancy weapons, magical attacks, fantasy
environments or any other standard fighting game fare in EA's
DEF JAM: ICON. Instead, you'll find hip-hop stars, designer
clothing, and interactive turntables as you work your way up to
becoming the ultimate urban icon.
This fresh take on the struggling fighting video game genre works -- but its appeal may be limited to hip-hop music fans and its blinged-out superstars.
Developed by EA Chicago, the team behind the popular Fight Night boxing series, and in collaboration with Def Jam Interactive, Def Jam: Icon is the latest in this hip-hop fighting game series -- following 2003's Def Jam Vendetta and 2004's Def Jam: Fight for NY. However, Def Jam: Icon offers greater interaction with music, more characters, online play for long-distance brawls, and outstanding graphics.
You can play as or against some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Ludacris, Big Boi, The Game, Method Man, Sean Paul, Paul Wall, and T.I. Thanks to the power of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, each character closely resembles his real-life counterpart -- right down to skin tone, facial blemishes, and tattoos. Some fighters, such as Fat Joe, need to be unlocked by playing through the exciting and deep "Build a Label" story mode. You can also build your own fighter from scratch by selecting body type, facial features, hair color, and style, head-to-toe apparel, and accessories.
Fighting styles include the "Ghetto Blaster," a well-balanced method but with some difficulty in getting up from big attacks, and "Street Kwon Do," with impressive kicks and grabs, but not as good in counterattack moves. As with most fighting games, you must discover and exploit the weaknesses of your computer-controlled or human opponents. But this is no "button masher." Gamers who don't take the time to learn how to best punch, kick, grab, throw, and block won't get far in this brawler.
