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Let's face it: the original Rumble Roses was complete garbage, but the ladies were irresistible, the graphics were top notch, and the goofy storyline was digital hilarity, making it the definitive PS2 game for girl-on-girl action. The sequel Rumble Roses XX, ushering Konami Xbox entry on the 360, takes a full step back in the wrong direction, abandoning the storyline and further botching the gameplay. Beauty is only skin deep with this one and thankfully, the girls remain intact.
The production values in Rumble Roses XX are glaringly poor. From the cheap country music in the intro cinematic to the main menu, you get the impression that Yukes didn't take full advantage of the system's hardware or were working on a limited budget. While the gameplay is an entirely different issue altogether, even that feels cheap. By the way, you'll definitely want to utilize your custom soundtracks for this one.
 You'll start the game by choosing a character (for which there is no preview, only the small portrait), and after you've done this, you can go into the locker room and customize her appearance for minutes on end. The game will then take you to a very Gran Turismo-like map, which serves as the battle menu. As I said, there's no longer a storyline here, only a series of insignificant, standalone battles that feel quite disconnected and irrelevant. From this menu, you can also access the online play modes. In my play experience, there were very few players online, although not without reason.
The back of the case ironically declares XX to be "more than just a pretty face," a statement that couldn't be more wrong. The single player wrestling matches are a mess, and you'll probably find yourself mashing buttons in a fury only matched by the sluggishness of how poorly the characters control. Seriously, the girls in this game control like the robots from Steel Battalion. And why does the B button handle literally six tasks?
However, if you're even in the market to pay $60 for an erotic wrestling game, I'm pretty sure you don't really care about the gameplay. Needless to say, the character models are the nicest I've ever seen. These ladies are hot, putting even the DOA girls to shame. Fans of digital bosoms will also most certainly appreciate the Queen's Matches, in which the loser is put into a very compromising (and sometimes interactive) position.
While Rumble Roses XX offers plenty of unlockables, gameplay modes, and fairly enjoyable degree of online competition, the flaws overwhelm any sign of goodness. Hopefully the developers will realize the potential of this franchise with the next entry, perhaps with more refined controls, an actual storyline, and a better presentation. I think it'd be cool to see this game go into more of an arcade direction, transformed into more of a party game. But, as it is, although it is rich in content, I cannot justify dropping $60 on a game that is so lacking in the gameplay and quality departments. However, if you're in the mood for a rowdy, raunchy wrestling game and you're willing to spend a little time with it, it's not a bad rental.
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