VIDEO GAMES For a rare celeb-fighting strategy, 'Def Jam Fight for NY' just rocks

In this video game, the beat goes on. Well, make that the beating.
By PHIL VILLARREAL
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
You're Snoop Dogg, and you've got a score to settle with Ludacris. Respond with the appropriate choice.
A. Diss him in a rhyme.
B. Bust a cap on him.
C. Send someone out to bust a cap on him.
D. Challenge him to a bare-knuckle brawl in the streets.
Sorry, that was a trick question. If you're Snoop Dogg, you don't do any of those things. You do like your fans and grab "Def Jam Fight for NY," and beat Luda to a pixilated pulp in the comfort of home.
A street wrasslin' game centered on an underground fight club consisting of hip-hop stars and celebs oozing street cred, "Fight for NY" jams most def-ly. Never mind that the premise is based on the fantasy that rappers are tough and athletic enough to pull off suplexes, drop kicks and pile drivers, whereas in reality they're mostly wealthy, pacifist country-clubbers.
A sequel to last year's "Def Jam Vendetta," "Fight for NY" slugs its way through the streets, improving on its predecessor's weak story line. Most will buy the game simply to punch out friends in the guise of Warren G or Method Man, but there's also a mode that allows players to design a fighter from scratch -- actually, in a police sketch -- then work up their thug appeal. Players scrap their way through the streets, earn cash to pick up all-important bling, and unlock hidden characters. The game boasts 74 playable fighters in all, including such non-rappers as Carmen Electra and Omar Epps -- it's a hipsta who's who of the gangsta nation.
Flava Flav in the house
You can imagine the backroom deals and pathetic scenes of agents begging to hook up their clients. Somehow, current "The Surreal Life" housemate Flava Flav weaseled his way in, which gives Flav the rare distinction of being impossibly cool and pathetically dated and lame at the same time.
Flav, blessed with a nasty uppercut, can hold his own in the street fighting, and his cool, buckle-busting finishing move exemplifies one of the stronger points of "Fight for NY," which is its feel. A variety of environments, ranging from back alleys to cages, and signature moves add a thumpin' remixlike beat to the game's vibe. The soundtrack is also ridiculously loaded, as a game packing the backing of so many musicians should be.
The fighting itself is above average, but short of spectacular. A cumbersome rule forces players to complete most fights with a tough-to-pull-off move, the easiest of which is grabbing a weapon from a crowd member. All well and good, but sometimes the fans don't want to hand their weapons over, and other times they'll push you away or, worse, hold you in a half nelson.
It's rare for a fighting game to effectively employ strategy, but "Def Jam" wards off button- mashing with its intricate combos and situations that lend to specific attack styles.
Call "Def Jam Fight for NY" the thinking fan's rap-star fighting game.
X"Def Jam Fight for NY," by Electronic Arts for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, is rated M for mature players.