Ready 2 Rumble has become a huge hit for Midway over the past year and has been ported to just about every console currently available. This fast paced and arcade style boxing game has now made an appearance on the Game Boy Color. While it tries, the lowly Game Boy Color just can't handle everything this game has to offer and simply isn't playable.

Right off the bat, one can tell Midway went all out to deliver a great presentation. Michael Buffer is in here to present all of his trademarked lines and to announce all the names of the boxers. Shockingly, every boxer has a full-motion video introduction. These crystal clear clips have been taken directly from the bigger console versions. This cart also has a rumble feature so every punch is felt with force.

Obviously a 10-year old 8-bit portable can't handle polygons, so all of the characters have been reincarnated as sprites. The extensive animation used to bring these boxers to life is commendable and all of their personalities are brought out, something very important to this game. The colors are also bright and vibrant, showing exactly why the Game Boy Color can probably do more than people think.

Once you've managed to bring your jaw back off of the floor, the gameplay will undoubtedly rear it's ugly head. The over-the-top gameplay this game is known for simply didn't translate to the handheld. The amount of punches crammed into a two button control scheme is commendable, but they do little to help the overall package. Another complaint is the complete lack of AI. Standing in the center of the ring would get you killed inside a real ring. It works great here. Your opponent hardly gets in a punch unless you play on the hardest level. Then, the tables turn and the computer now blocks... all the time. Shameful is the only way to describe the programming.

It's got all the right ingredients, but the package just falls apart once your in the ring. As far as a technical showcase, the game succeeds on nearly every level. It just goes to show you that "the plays the thing."