Anyone that knows me and knows me well, know that video games and pro wrestling are two of my favorite things. And when you combine the two, I am pretty close to Heaven. That being said, a recent conversation with a friend about wrestling video games seemed to re-spark my interest in games played years before.
That being said, I thought I'd take a look at the games that helped fuel my love for professional wrestling, and the wrestling that helped feul my love for video games:
That being said, I thought I'd take a look at the games that helped fuel my love for professional wrestling, and the wrestling that helped feul my love for video games:
WWF WrestleMania - NES
This is one of the first Nintendo games that I owned. To tell the truth, it really doesn’t have a lot going for it. Back then, it was fantastic! I used to play the hell out of it with my friend Johnny, that lived down the street. I used to kick his a**, too!
There were only six wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage, The Honky Tonk Man, and Bam Bam Bigelow), and they all had exactly the same moves. But we still argued over who could be Hogan. Andre was the backup. It is still fun to play, but purely for nostalgia’s sake. The only major advancement this game brought to the table was that it was the first wrestling to to feature actual pro wrestlers.
The moves were sloppy, the punches were hard to land, and there was the bizarre touch of power-up items thrown into the ring by one of the unseen fans...but still, I heart this game!
There were only six wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ted DiBiase, Randy Savage, The Honky Tonk Man, and Bam Bam Bigelow), and they all had exactly the same moves. But we still argued over who could be Hogan. Andre was the backup. It is still fun to play, but purely for nostalgia’s sake. The only major advancement this game brought to the table was that it was the first wrestling to to feature actual pro wrestlers.
The moves were sloppy, the punches were hard to land, and there was the bizarre touch of power-up items thrown into the ring by one of the unseen fans...but still, I heart this game!
WWF Wrestlemania Challenge – NES
It’s a testament to how WWF crazy I was when I bought this that. If this game WASN’T licensed by the WWF and didn’t have their characters on the game, it would have been a complete waste. Since it was licensed and did have their characters on the game, it barely becomes playable.
There were a few nice touches such as each wrestler’s entrance music playing while they were in the ring, featuring a particularly good rendition of Rick Rude’s theme and a surprisingly good one for Andre which was composed just for the game (in reality Andre never had entrance music).
It was also impossible for the smaller wrestlers to suplex Andre or The Big Boss Man due to their size, although somewhat inconsistently the Ultimate Warrior could press Andre over his head and throw him clean out of the ring which was irksome as once thrown out – it was impossible for Andre to get back in for some reason.
Glitches include horrendous slowdown, wrestlers occasionally walking through the ropes and hovering above the crowd and getting counted while still in the ring. WTF!?!?!
Still, as an early WWF license it was competent enough and exhibited the decent presentation but poor execution that would characterize the games for years to come.
There were a few nice touches such as each wrestler’s entrance music playing while they were in the ring, featuring a particularly good rendition of Rick Rude’s theme and a surprisingly good one for Andre which was composed just for the game (in reality Andre never had entrance music).
It was also impossible for the smaller wrestlers to suplex Andre or The Big Boss Man due to their size, although somewhat inconsistently the Ultimate Warrior could press Andre over his head and throw him clean out of the ring which was irksome as once thrown out – it was impossible for Andre to get back in for some reason.
Glitches include horrendous slowdown, wrestlers occasionally walking through the ropes and hovering above the crowd and getting counted while still in the ring. WTF!?!?!
Still, as an early WWF license it was competent enough and exhibited the decent presentation but poor execution that would characterize the games for years to come.
WWF Wrestlefest – Arcade
Back in the day I remember some of the other kids at school going crazy about this and its easy to see why. The graphics were great for their time. The only problem that I had with this game is that I could rarely find it anywhere to play. As a kid, the family used to take numerous trips to Cincinnati, Ohio so that my sisters could go to a doctor. I found that in Cincinnati, I was more likely to find an arcade that had this game in it.
If I found it, I was going to play it! I don’t know if I ever won a match…I doubt that I did. I just remember bring mesmerized by the screen and the characters I could play as that were not on previous releases, such as The Legion of Doom, Demolition, and Earthquake.
Not only did this game feature some phenomenal graphics for the time, but it also had some great gameplay that was highlighted by a fun grappling system. When locking up with an opponent, you could bridge into various situations including slams, suplexes, submissions, punching contests, and all sorts of memorable scenarios.
There was also a steel cage match included, and this allowed for some great head bashing against the metal walls; the look of the match was very accurate to the real-life gimmick, as well.
If I found it, I was going to play it! I don’t know if I ever won a match…I doubt that I did. I just remember bring mesmerized by the screen and the characters I could play as that were not on previous releases, such as The Legion of Doom, Demolition, and Earthquake.
Not only did this game feature some phenomenal graphics for the time, but it also had some great gameplay that was highlighted by a fun grappling system. When locking up with an opponent, you could bridge into various situations including slams, suplexes, submissions, punching contests, and all sorts of memorable scenarios.
There was also a steel cage match included, and this allowed for some great head bashing against the metal walls; the look of the match was very accurate to the real-life gimmick, as well.
WCW vs NWO World Tour – N64
More than ever, winning became a matter of pure skill and this was the first in a number of AKI’s N64 wrestling games which only ever got better.
I am surprised that my game cartridge still works on this one, I played this game so much back in the day. It was released at a time that my interest in pro wrestling had never been higher. The nWo was growing, ang was posing a serious threat to the WCW.
In the comfort of my own home, I could pick sides and dish out the pain on my TV Screen. Never before had a game featured so many guys on the roster, and they had different outfits that you could chose from! Aside from guys on the WCW and nWo roster, the game also featured guys from other “leagues” that often resembled actual wrestlers who were night signed by the WCW. Good feature!
I could go on and on about this game. I played this thing for hours, and often enjoyed playing the multi-player version with friends. I remember my buddy JD coming after school and playing it most of the evening. Though still very rough around the edges, this was the punk kid that would soon grow up and kick everyone in the ass. Good times…good times.
This isis not only the best wrestling game ever (at this point), but it's also the best fighting game on the system, which is both sad and impressive at the same time. This game quickly became my 2nd favorite multi-player game for the N64, second only to Golden 007.
I am surprised that my game cartridge still works on this one, I played this game so much back in the day. It was released at a time that my interest in pro wrestling had never been higher. The nWo was growing, ang was posing a serious threat to the WCW.
In the comfort of my own home, I could pick sides and dish out the pain on my TV Screen. Never before had a game featured so many guys on the roster, and they had different outfits that you could chose from! Aside from guys on the WCW and nWo roster, the game also featured guys from other “leagues” that often resembled actual wrestlers who were night signed by the WCW. Good feature!
I could go on and on about this game. I played this thing for hours, and often enjoyed playing the multi-player version with friends. I remember my buddy JD coming after school and playing it most of the evening. Though still very rough around the edges, this was the punk kid that would soon grow up and kick everyone in the ass. Good times…good times.
This isis not only the best wrestling game ever (at this point), but it's also the best fighting game on the system, which is both sad and impressive at the same time. This game quickly became my 2nd favorite multi-player game for the N64, second only to Golden 007.
WCW/NWO Revenge – N64 (1997)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!! So rather than fiddle around too much with the game mechanics, AKI just made direct improvements to aspects that were clearly lacking in the previous game. More moves, wrestler entrances, managers, PPV arenas and an expanded roster of WCW wrestlers were all worthwhile additions.The entrances were a huge plus, and so were the updated taunts and move sets. Like World Tour, Revenge also game the player the opportunity to select which outfit the wrestler would wear to the ring. Furthermore, you could even change/edit that outfit! If you wanted to see Sting in the nWo…all you had to do is slap a t-shirt on him, and you were done!
This game came out in October of '97, and I had to wait until Christmas of that year to get my hands on a copy. I remember my friend Nick got it the day it came out, and I was on the phone with him as he played the game for the first time. Needless to say, I spent many a day at Nick's house that November and December.
The initial impact of this game wasn’t there, for it was a lot like World Tour…only updated. But that was a good thing! Would Tour was a great game, and Revenge was only better. BUT, that initial amazement of World Tour holds a special place in my heart.
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