History VideoGame / DefJamSeries

* CarFu: One fighting area in ''Fight for NY'' takes place on a subway platform with the train running through at regular intevals. If the player throws their opponent onto the tracks at just the right time, [[ImpendingDoomPOV the last thing the player sees of them is the looks of horror on their faces]].

'''Player:''' Goodbye, bitch!

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Vendetta'' uses the engine of AKI's [[VideoGame/WWFNoMercy N64 wrestling games]] with very few modifications. There's more difference between ''Vendetta'' and ''Fight for NY'' than there is between ''No Mercy'' and ''Vendetta'', though even ''Fight for NY'' has a lot of familiar animations.[[note]]''Icon'',[[FanonDiscontinuity of course, doesn't exist]].[[/note]]

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch:
-->'''Trejo:''' (while pointing a gun at you) "Say goodbye, bitch." [[OhCrap *click*]]\\
'''Player:''' [[IronicEcho "Goodbye, bitch."]]

* UndyingLoyalty: The player character in ''Fight for NY'' is this to D-Mob, his crew and his girlfriend. This gets tested when Crow abducts said girlfriend and blackmails him with her life and forcing him to fight against D-Mob's crew. Even then the player character is reluctant in doing so and only doing so to save his girlfriend's life, ultimately refusing when the time comes to execute one of his friends. This in turn gets him to rally D-Mob's crew against Crow's once the latters actions are revealed.

''[[spoiler:(Gun clicks)]]''\\

--> '''Crow:''' Pshh, I don't know... loser goes to Jersey.

* HeroicMime: Whichever character the player picks in ''Vendetta''. This is averted in ''Fight for NY'' and ''Icon'', where the player's character has a sizeable speaking role.

* LoserLeavesTown: D-Mob asks Crow what will happen to the loser of an upcoming bout. Crow replies:
--> "Pshh, I don't know... loser goes to Jersey."

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: D-Mob is the leader of a gang.

The first game, ''Def Jam Vendetta'', was developed by AKI Corporation (now Syn Sophia; known for ''VideoGame/WWFNoMercy'' and other wrestling games in Western countries). Released in 2003 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, the concept for the game is a combination of ProfessionalWrestling and hip hop, featuring several rappers, mostly from Creator/DefJamRecordings, instead of professional wrestlers. In the game, the player has to pick from four different characters to use in the story mode. In the story, the protagonist's injured friend Manny calls them to ask that they take his place in an underground street fight, and to help him pay a debt to the underworld boss D-Mob (Creator/ChristopherJudge), who happens to be hooked up with the protagonist's old flame. In the end, after they've beaten all of the other fighters, the protagonist faces off against D-Mob himself. Upon defeating him, they leave with their girlfriend and [[SequelHook the ending sets up for the sequel]].

The sequel, ''Fight for NY'', developed by AKI again, [[ImmediateSequel picks up immediately after the first game]]. D-Mob has just been arrested and is being brought in to police custody when the car transporting him gets broadsided by an SUV. The player plays as the SUV's driver, a fighter looking to make it big in the fight circuit, and who plans to use the rescue of D-Mob from police custody as the big break he needs. However, after barely any time as one of D-Mob's fighters, the protagonist finds out that D-Mob's criminal empire and his hold over New York has been weakened, allowing another [[TheSyndicate syndicate]] led by Crow (Music/SnoopDogg) to challenge his for control of New York. The outcome of this MobWar is going to rest on the the protagonist's shoulders...

* RubberBandAI: ''Vendetta'' and ''Fight for NY'' are notorious for this. If you get a character the computer controls in a corner without finishing it off for long enough, the difficulty will spike and characters the computer controls will suddenly become nearly flawless, especially when it comes to countering and blocking your attacks.

Following that was ''Def Jam: Icon'' developed by EA Chicago, who were the creators of an entirely different series: ''Fight Night''. Rather than expanding on the formula from the previous games, they tried to make it more like a [[InNameOnly boxing game with rappers in it]], which resulted in SomethingCompletelyDifferent from the rest of the series. While ''Icon'' ended up being [[SoOkayItsAverage mediocre at best]], when compared to the previous entries in the series, it was a ''severe'' drop in quality, and thus sunk EA Chicago completely.

* RingOfFire: The fight with [[spoiler:Sticky]] in ''Fight for NY'' while trying to rescue [[spoiler:the player character's girlfriend]]. Also, there is a special gametype the player can choose that involves this.

* RivalTurnedEvil: [[spoiler:Sticky. He joins Crow's crew after D-Mob chooses the player character to fight Crack.]]
* RubberBandAI: ''Vendetta'' and ''Fight for NY'' are notorious for this.

* LethalJokeCharacter: For all intents and purposes, in ''Fight for NY'', Suspect is this. His appearance is an untextured model of Joe Budden, with the only noticeable difference, aside from [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation the obvious]], being the orientation of his ballcap, and his only purpose in the story is to act as a placeholder for the [[PlayerCharacter protagonist]], since the player [[CharacterCustomization hasn't customized their character yet]]. Suspect also has [[JackOfAllTrades maxed-out stats]] and uses the [[BoringButPractical Streetfighting style, which has the simplest finisher: a haymaker]].

** Street Fighters are brawlers who specialize in [[GoodOldFashionedFisticuffs fisticuffs]], and their knockout punch the haymaker is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, capable of taking off a chunk of an opponent's life bar with a single hit, and capable of doing fighting changing damage if several are landed close together. Their weaknesses are their [[CripplingOverspecialization overspecialization]] (a street fighter's punches are lethal, but their kicks and grappling abilities are mediocre at best, however relying purely on punches [[PoorPredictableRock will make a street fighter predictable]]), and that their most powerful attacks (particularly the haymaker), often have a big windup that allows an opponent to see them coming. Furthermore their strongest attacks also have a long recovery period that will leave the street fighter open to a counterattack if those attacks miss.
** Wrestlers are the MightyGlacier: immensely strong and with many powerful, high impact throws and slams, (and with some truly devastating moves that can be used in conjunction with either the crowd or a partner in a team match) but slow, not great at defense, and having noticeably poorer striking abilities than the classes listed above. Wrestlers knock out opponents by getting them in a strong grapple, and if opponents are in the danger zone, any move out of a strong grapple will finish them off.

** Street Fighters are brawlers who specialize in [[GoodOldFashionedFisticuffs fisticuffs]], and their knockout punch the haymaker is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, easily capable of wearing down a great deal of their opponent's health if several are landed close together. Their weaknesses are their [[CripplingOverspecialization overspecialization]], (a street fighter's punches are lethal, but their kicks and grappling abilities are mediocre at best, however relying purely on punches [[PoorPredictableRock will make a street fighter predictable]]) and that their most powerful attacks (particularly the haymaker), have an obvious windup that allows an opponent to see them coming, and they will be open to a counterattack if those attacks miss.

** Submission fighters are the MechanicallyUnusualFighter of the group; while most other fighting styles aim for knocking an opponent out, a submissionist picks a target on an opponent's body and keeps working it over until the opponent is forced to give up. On the plus side this means a submissions fighter can instantly make up for even a severe difference in health if they can just do enough damage to the target limb to make their opponent give up, handing them a victory even if their opponent had otherwise dominated the match. On the downside, continually using the same holds on the same limb will not endear them to the crowd, making a blazing move harder to build up to, and while the submission style can do a little bit of everything, [[MasterOfNone it doesn't measure up to the other styles in their specialized areas]].

** Street Fighters are brawlers who specialize in [[GoodOldFashionedFisticuffs fisticuffs]], and their knockout punch the haymaker is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, easily capable of wearing down a great deal of their opponent's health if several are landed close together. Their weaknesses are their [[CripplingOverspecialization overspecialization]], (a street fighter's punches are lethal, but their kicks and grappling abilities are mediocre at best, however relying purely on punches [[PoorPredictableRock will make a street fighter predictable]]) and that their most powerful attacks (particularly the haymaker), have and obvious windup that allows an opponent to see them coming and leaves them open to a counterattack if those attacks miss.
** Wrestlers are the MightyGlacier: immensely strong and with many powerful, high impact throws and slams, (and with some truly devastating moves that can be used in conjunction with either the crowd or a partner in a team match) but slow, not great with defense, and having noticeably poorer striking abilities than the classes listed above. Wrestlers knock out opponents by getting them in a strong grapple, and if opponents are in the danger zone, any move out of a strong grapple will finish them off.

* StuffedInTheFridge: [[spoiler:The player character's girlfriend in ''Fight for NY'', though it isn't clear if she's outright dead.]]

* NonIndicativeName: Yes, even for a series that's largely InNameOnly. Some of the emcees that were in the Def Jam games either spent time under the label before making a switch prior to an installment's development (Flava Flav of Public Enemy, Warren G), while many others were never with Def Jam in the first place (Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, E-40, Music/{{TI}}, Paul Wall, etc). The rappers that actually ''were'' with the label or any of its divisions up to the release of an installment are few and far between (Redman, Method Man, Young Jeezy).

* FromCamouflageToCriminal: Briggs from ''Vendetta'' - he has a military crew cut and all his outfits are some variation on army uniforms.

* FromCamoflagueToCriminal: Briggs from ''Vendetta'' - he has a military crew cut and all his outfits are some variation on army uniforms.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The player character's girlfriend in ''Fight for NY''. [[Spoiler:The player has to rescue her from a burning building, but when he finds her she's unconscious from smoke inhalation. The last she's seen is the player putting her on the ground outside the building before running off to fight Crow - it isn't clear whether she's unconscious or dead.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:The player character's girlfriend in ''Fight for NY'', her true fate reminds undecided even if the player saves her.]]

* YouCanBarelyStand: [[spoiler:Crow does this to the player character just before the showdown with him.]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: ''Fight for NY'' has a lot of big, obvious breaks from reality, including superhuman fighters who can shrug off getting hit with metal pipes, getting their head repeatedly smashed into walls, holds and takedowns that are often absurd and obviously could not work in real life (perhaps the most ridiculous one involves [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tou_lQI9QeE turning your opponent into a pogo stick]]), and that would almost certainly be instantly crippling or lethal in real life if they did somehow work as depicted. However, there's one thing that definitely falls in line with reality: if a 2 on 2 team fight becomes a 2 on 1, it's almost impossible for the one person to pull out the victory. [[note]]This is what makes the fight between your player character and Blaze versus Magic and Crack ThatOneLevel for many players; Blaze starts the fight with his health reduced as a result of a beating taken in a cutscene before the fight begins. If you can't finish off one opponent before he is taken out, (and if Blaze winds up trying to fight Crack, he can get taken out ''very'' quickly) you're all but certain to lose the fight.[[/note]]

* GondorCallsForAid: D-Mob's [[spoiler:in prison]]. Blaze's [[spoiler:shot and crippled]]. The player character [[spoiler:just beat the everliving shit out of every one of D-Mob's soldiers]]. The last-ditch, desperate response? "We went outside the family, called in a heavy hitter from Baltimore." [[spoiler:It [[ThatOneBoss almost]] works.]]

* ArtShift: The mild cartoony vibe of ''Vendetta'' was ditched in the sequel. ''Icon'' stays realistic but implements environment animations that goes even ''further'' down the cartoony road, bordering on surreal for an overall style very reminiscent of a music video.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: ''Fight for NY'' has a lot of big, obvious breaks from reality, including superhuman fighters who can shrug off getting hit with metal pipes, getting their head repeatedly smashed into walls, holds and takedowns that are often absurd and would almost certainly be crippling or lethal in real life. However, there's one thing that definitely falls in line with reality: if a 2 on 2 team fight becomes a 2 on 1, it's almost impossible for the one person to pull out the victory.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: D-Mob becomes a poster child for this in the second game.

* LighterAndSofter: ''Icon'' to the rest of the series. The moves are simple punches and kicks instead of the brutal grapples, the story revolves around helping a media company reach the top instead of gang wars, and none of the environmental finishers apparently kill people (judging by their appearances in cutscenes).

** While fighting games have never been known for gentle taps and hugs, half of the environmental attacks and Blazin' Moves would kill (or at least ''severely'' maim) people in real life. In-game, characters can soak up to ten or more in a row. Furthermore, by the time the player character faces [[BigBad Crow]], he'll fight his way through the ''entire'' roster, save Blaze, who ends up having his own problems (see below). The entirety of ''both'' crews shows up for one last rumble right before the final battle, however, despite the fact that ''none'' of them should even be in any realistic condition to fight.
** In ''Icon'', [[spoiler: the player's character gets shot in the face]]. What does Method Man say? "Thug it out". He can talk. In ''Fight for NY'', Method Man [[spoiler:gets shot and crippled about a third of the way through the game, then takes a two-man pounding ''with a bat'' near the end and still gets up to join the fight with Crack and Magic and take part in the big battle royal later]].

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The whole point of the game, which consists on using different fighting styles, slamming opponents against the wall, using melee weapons, and each fighter has their own special move.
* NonIndicativeName: Yes, even for a series that's largely InNameOnly. Some of the emcees that were in the Def Jam games either spent time under the label before making a switch prior to an installments development (Flava Flav of Public Enemy, Warren G), while many others were never with Def Jam in the first place (Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, E-40, Music/{{TI}}, Paul Wall, etc). The rappers that actually ''were'' with the label or any of its divisions up to the release of an installment are few and far between (Redman, Method Man, Young Jeezy).
* NotWorthKilling: In ''Fight for NY'', the player character tells Crow this after [[spoiler:Magic]] hands him the gun. [[spoiler:Subverted when Crow grabs the VillainBall one final time and wounds him InTheBack, forcing the latter to kill the former anyway.]]

* OhCrap: This the last expression on a character's face when they are thrown in front of the train.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The PlayerCharacter, no matter how he's put together, is a smart aleck hooligan with a sharp tongue that'll [[BoisterousBruiser make himself heard before, during, and after fights]]. When Crow blackmails him into fighting against D-Mob's crew by kidnapping his girlfriend, he comes in quiet and goes away without a word, looking grim all the while.

* RealityEnsues: ''Fight for NY'' has a lot of big, obvious breaks from reality, including superhuman fighters who can shrug off getting hit with metal pipes, getting their head repeatedly smashed into walls, holds and takedowns that are often absurd and would almost certainly be lethal or crippling in real life. However, there's one thing that definitely falls in line with reality: if a 2 on 2 team fight becomes a 2 on 1, it's almost impossible for the one person to pull out the victory.

* RingOfFire: The fight with [[spoiler: Sticky]] while trying to rescue [[spoiler:the player character's girlfriend]]. Also, there is a special gametype the player can choose that involves this.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: Crack, WC, and Magic do this to Crow]].
* ShamelessSelfPromoter: In ''Icon'', one of the player's men will get a hankering for "those fly-ass EA games". [[FunnyAneurysmMoment EA Chicago shut down due to the game's lack of success.]]
* SilentProtagonist: Whomever you play as in story mode in ''Vendetta''. Briggs, Proof, Spider and Tank have different fighting styles, but regardless of which one you pick the story plays out exactly the same and they never say a word.

* StuffedInTheFridge: [[spoiler: The player character's girlfriend in ''Fight for NY'', though it isn't clear if she's outright dead.]]

* UpdatedRerelease: ''Fight for NY'' was re-released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable as ''[[ColonCancer Def Jam: Fight for NY: The Takeover]]'', which includes a new storyline, four new stages ([[DisneyVillainDeath one of them in a ship]]) and updated fighting mechanics -- most notably, [[TalkToTheFist random pre-fight actions]], a mount position, [[CoupDeGrace more chances to KO your opponent]], extra moves / counters such as [[AHandfulForAnEye dirt throwing]], and the option to [[CripplingOverspecialization repeat fighting styles]] for the created character. However, some things were removed, such as cutscenes, tag fights, Inferno matches and smaller Demolition Matches. Considering that ''Fight for NY'' is considered the best game in the series and the PSP makes it portable, few complained.

** D-Mob provides a {{justifi|edTrope}}cation for not shooting Crow when Sticky suggests this. Namely, it would bring the cops down on their heads to get guns involved. [[spoiler: He should know because this is what he did in ''Vendetta''.]]

* HaveAGayOldTime: A surprisingly modern example. Busta Rhymes' "I'm built to ''smash'' you, pot'nuh!" intro line [[AccidentalInnuendo hits a bit differently these days]].

* SoHappyTogether: The player character and his girlfriend in ''Fight for NY'', are a fairly happy couple with the girlfriend being supportive and encouraging of the player character and he is shown to care deeply about her. So of course, Crow decides to use her as leverage against the before trying to kill them both.