1. Gameplay
    Characters 

2. Build a Label

3. Reception

4. Notes and references

5. External links

Def Jam: Icon is a 3D fighting game, the third in Electronic Arts's Def Jam-licensed hip hop video game series. The game was developed by EA Chicago, the first Def Jam game not to be developed by AKI Corporation. Unlike the previous games in the series, the game's soundtrack is completely changeable. The game was released in March 2007.

Gameplay

The game is much less wrestling-oriented than the previous games, Def Jam Vendetta and Fight for NY. The game's executive producer, Kudo Tsunoda, has stated that he did not feel that wrestling and hip-hop went particularly well with each other. However, throws and environmental damage remain in the game.

Gameplay is similar to EA Chicago's Round 3, featuring a focus on up-close brawling, mixing up high and low attacks, blocks, throws, and parries, and using the right analog stick to deliver stronger attacks. Also, like Round 3, there is no in-game heads up display by default, encouraging the player to observe physical cues on in-game characters to determine their health, such as ripped and burned clothing, bruises, and an overall look of exhaustion of the opponent.

The developers aimed to make the music and the environment a much larger factor in the fight. The environments includes rooftops, streets, subways, gas stations, two clubs, an Atlanta neighborhood, BET's 106 and Park stage, and other locales, as opposed to the wrestling rings or arenas of the previous Def Jam titles. In addition, the producers promised massive levels of interactivity within each environment. Fighters bleed and show visible signs of their injuries as fights progress and as the player's character gets hurt.

The music actually effects the environment. The entire backdrop bumps to the beat of the background music. Different events occur on the beats of each song - some of which are dangerous. For example, a column of fire shoots up from a ruined gas station on every "bass hit" of a song's chorus. Other changes will be purely cosmetic: hubcaps on cars will spin and twinkle to the beat of each song. The developers have added more damage to a fighter's punches and kicks if they occur "to the beat" or making a rapper stronger if one of their songs is playing. By listening to the beat of the song and then timing a throw, the player can toss his opponent into an environmental hazard just as it goes off. The game also features a "turntable" action in single player and online gameplay. Holding RT on the Xbox 360 (or R2 on the PS3) and spinning the right analog stick allows the character to manipulate the music and the environment for both players and shows the character as if they are using a DJ turntable in mid-air. With this action you can use the environment to your advantage and weaken your opponent by activating the environmental hazards when your opponent is near it. On the Xbox 360 Console, players are also able to load up their own music (Custom Soundtracks), and the game has a form of beat detection to find the beats from any song.

Def Jam: Icon features various controls which, if used correctly, can cause severe damage to another fighter. Up to four attacks can be used in a combo, with a directional stick to be used as the fourth attack . Depending on the amount of damage caused in the four hits, a fighter can cause an opponent to stagger backwards slightly, knock directly down, or fly across the venue.

Characters

The game features 29 playable characters, including real-life hip hop artists signed to Def Jam at the time, as well as original characters. Funkmaster Flex, Russell Simmons, Kevin Liles, Mayra Verónica, Christine Dolce and Melyssa Ford appear as non playable characters.

• Big Boi
• Bun B
• E-40
• Ghostface Killah
• Jim Jones
• Kano
• Lil Jon
• Ludacris

• Mike Jones
• Paul Wall
• Redman
• Sean Paul
• T.I.
• Tego
• The Game
• Young Jeezy

• Big Herc
• Boyd
• Dae Dae
• Dr. Chang
• Fast Hal
• Fat Joe
• Greer

• Johnny Nunez
• Method Man (as Gooch)
• Stan
• Sticky Fingaz (as Wink)
• Troy Dollar
• Wheatly

Build a Label

The game's story mode, called "Build a Label", starts when the player is obligated to create his own "suspect" on an FBI computer. The player can edit every aspect of the character's body and choose his fighting style and fighting song. However, the songs that you have an option to pick is "Got It Sewed Up (Remix)" by Mike Jones, "Back Then" also by Mike Jones, "Soul Survivor" by Young Jeezy featuring Akon, "I Do This", also by Young Jeezy, "Go Hard Or Go Home" by E-40, "Tell Me When to Go" also by E-40, "Sittin' Sidewayz" by Paul Wall featuring Big Pokey, and "Trill" by Paul Wall featuring Bun B and B.G., along with all fighting styles except Ghetto Blaster and Street Kwon Do, are locked. Note that the artists of the 4 songs initially offered are not accessible to sign while the other artists of the other songs are accessible to sign.

After creating a character, the story starts in a sequence where DJ Funkmaster Flex can be heard speaking to his audience on the radio with the instrumental of "I Do This" by Young Jeezy playing in the background. The camera pans through several sections of a neighborhood, including a building with a promotional poster for T.I. vs T.I.P. on the side. By the time Funkmaster Flex is done talking, the camera shows a child, Kevin, walking down the street with his friend Jake while bouncing a basketball. Kevin then spots Curtis Carver (Kevin Liles), a mogul in the music industry, speaking with his record label's vice president (Playa). The camera then shifts to Carver, who is still speaking with Playa, when is suddenly interrupted by Kevin, accompanied by Jake. Kevin then asks Carver for his autograph. While Carver signs Kevin's basketball, he asks the children whether they're staying out of trouble. After handing Kevin back his basketball, Carver also gives him and Jake some money and advises them to pursue careers in basketball, adding that it will bring them financial success. While Kevin and Jake walk away, gunshots are heard and Carver can be seen falling to the ground. Kevin and Jake run away, and Playa can be seen looking at Carver while his blood spreads around his torso on the ground.

Reception

While the game received mixed to positive reviews from critics and game critics, the game received "average" reviews on both platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.^[16][17]

Notes and references

External links

• Official website
• {{moby game|id=/def-jam-icon}}

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