Def Jam: Fight for NY ships

For the first time in years, Electronic Arts has released an M-rated game. Available for the Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2, Def Jam: Fight for NY has shipped to stores, where it will retail for $49.99.

The sequel to the best-selling Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam: Fight for NY lets players enter an underground fighting circuit where famous rappers battle in no-holds-barred bouts. Using five different fighting styles--kickboxing, street fighting, martial arts, submissions, and wrestling--players will face many famous hip-hop artists. Some will play themselves (Ice-T, Erick Sermon, Redman, Joe Budden), while others (Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes) will portray fictional characters. Also appearing will be miscellaneous celebrities like Henry Rollins, Danny Trejo, Carmen Electra, and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons' wife, Kimoura Lee Simmons.

While gamers can play as any of the Def Jam: Fight for NY's 70 characters in multiplayer mode, they will create their own characters in single-player mode. Besides selecting physical attributes such as voice, hair, and skin color, players can customize their characters with clothes, tattoos, and jewelry as the game progresses. Unfortunately, no version of the game is playable online.

GameSpot's Def Jam: Fight for NY review will be up soon, so in the meantime, check out our previous coverage.