Fight Night will return for another round

The bell has sounded for another round of “Fight Night.”

Yes, that digital pantheon of pugilism is set to return, game maker Electronic Arts announced Wednesday, and it will appear naturally enough under the title “Fight Night Round 4″ for Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 consoles.

The current edition, “Fight Night Round 3,” was released in February 2006.

A release date for the current round wasn’t set. EA says only to expect the game sometime next year.

But EA believes this “Fight Night” will be worth the wait, because “Round 4″ promises to do something never before seen in a modern boxing title: feature legendary boxers as well as contemporary fistic artists.

That means, with “Round 4,” fight fans can put Larry Holmes and Floyd Patterson in the same ring, or Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano, or — wait for it — Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. Or so EA promises.

Plus, a new “physics-based animation system,” as EA describes it, adds technical detail that previous Fight Nights lacked. Now, fatigue and footwork will play a larger role, as will the battle in the clinch.

The current “Fight Night” won raves from reviewers and received the rare honor of a 10 rating from Official Xbox Magazine. So EA has a tall order to fill with “Round 4.”