Press Pause 09.03.07: Wrestling Games, Part 2 of 3
Posted by Cory Moore on 09.03.2007
The wrestling video games feature continues, this time with a look at the stellar titles produced around the turn of the new millennium!
Last time, we began taking a look back at the many wrestling titles that graced the video game world of the last decade. Admittedly, most of those were before my time watching wrestling, but my insatiable appetite for the sport had me going back and experiencing them long after they were produced. Today we continue the journey, this time covering the games that released during the second boom period of the WWF, most notably around 1999 and 2000. So, join me as I take a look at the games me and my friends loved playing around my teenage years. Games that, for the most part, have passed the test of time with flying colors…
Laying The Smackdown: A Look at Wrestling Games Over the Years Part 2: The New Millenium
WCW, once the leader of the Monday Night Wars, had begun gasping for air right before the turn of the new millennium. The company had stale performers that had overstayed their welcome, the young and talented crop of talent was not being exposed, and there were way too many groups/associations/alignments to keep up with. In short, it was a mess. To top it all off, THQ – the maker of WCW's critically acclaimed video games on the N64 – had jumped ship to the competition. Trying to breathe some life into the product, WCW signed on with Electronic Arts, one of the leading developers of action AND sports games…
WCW Mayhem
Playstation/Nintendo 64, 1999
• 56 WCW Superstars circa Spring 1998
• First WCW game to feature 3 weekly TV shows and all 12 PPV arenas
• Commentary by Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan
• Battle backstage to the hallway, parking lot, restroom, boiler room, and the media center Claim to Fame: WCW Mayhem was the first game to allow the action to spill out into backstage areas. The areas are quite primitive compared to today's games, but at the time the concept was fresh and reflected the real wrestling product of the time. Kudos must be given to Electronic Arts for ushering in a feature that has become standard in today's titles. The game's legacy: Unfortunately, Electronic Arts had the duty of following up THQ's legacy of stellar WCW games. Truth be told, this isn't a horrible game, but it certainly didn't live up to the hype of the games from the company's peak. Mayhem was the last game to feature a WCW ring. Why? Electronic Arts thought since the whole backstage concept was such a hit, they would make a game based solely on that idea. I rented Backstage Assault once and I didn't think it was as bad as some people say. Then again, I was kinda entertained when David Arquette won the WCW title. I'm sorry I just reminded the rest of you about that, though, so moving on…
As WCW was loosing its footing in the world of wrestling, the WWF was on a roll. Stone Cold Steve Austin was wrapping up his epic feud with Vince McMahon, The Rock was talking trash on a consistent basis and on his way to superstardom, and Triple H was finally breaking through from the mid-card ranks. While WWF had some solid video game releases with Acclaim, the time was right for a change. Wisely, they recruited THQ's services, and the rest (as they say) is history…
WWF Wrestlemania 2000
Nintendo 64, 1999
• 50 WWF Superstars circa August 1999 + 7 Unlockable Characters
• First THQ game to feature Create-a-Wrestler
• Single, Tag, Triple Threat, and 30-Man Royal Rumble Matches
• Journey through a year of WWF competition by winning titles, participating in tournaments, being challenged by other superstars, and keeping a respectable Win-Loss record with the ultimate goal of headlining Wrestlemania 2000 Favorite Feature: Wrestlemania 2000 was the first wrestling title to incorporate Create-a-Belt mode. Players can choose from any championship belt design in the WWF, name the title, and put it on the line against fellow competitors. Better yet, it has record keeping with names and dates to keep track of which of your friends is/was in possession of the gold. The game's legacy: WM2000 took WCW Revenge's engine and added WWF elements to it. Not that it was a bad thing. The move sets benefited from WCW and WWF animations, the player models were noticeably improved, and create-a-wrestler was simple yet deep for a first-time venture. This game also brings with it fond memories, as me and my friends started a video game club and Wrestlemania 2000 was the highlight every week. We even had lunch table rivalries, challenges, and smack talk over who would win their matches! I must say, I did a pretty good job of being a booker with all the egos involved. And no, I wasn't immune to swerving a few people to get what I wanted. I now know how Kevin Nash felt when he was in charge of WCW. Anyway… I can still plug Wrestlemania 2000 into my N64 and have a blast with it.
While Wrestlemania 2000 was taking the N64 crowd by storm, the Playstation got its helping of action once 2000 hit. While all WWF titles were collectively published by THQ, Yukes was put in charge of developing games for Sony's console. The would-be series that emerged out of it had a very different feel to it, but with the WWF only releasing "true" wrestling games past 1999 (again, WCW Backstage Assault didn't *really* count), Smackdown added some much-needed variety to the genre…
WWF Smackdown!
Playstation, 2000
• 36 WWF Superstars circa September 1999
• First WWF game to feature backstage areas
• Season mode follows WWF storylines
• Challenge for championships in exhibition mode, and if you're good enough, make it title-for-title! Claim to Fame: Whereas Aki's N64 WWF titles have always been hailed for their accurately paced matches, Yuke's Smackdown games on the Playstation console have been known for their up-tempo, arcade style of play. The controls are much easier to master – X performs a strike and Circle plus a directional button executes a grappling maneuver – and the finishing moves are stored by filling a meter and pressing L1 when enough momentum has been stored. Wrestlers don't suffer much damage so quick timing is everything in this series, at least in titles before Here Comes The Pain. The game's legacy: Smackdown started out as a pretty basic wrestling game, but Yukes has done everything in their power to make the series worthwhile despite coming out with an installment each year since 2000. Smackdown 2: Know Your Role included create-a-taunt and a season mode spanning two years. Just Bring It was the series debut on the PS2 and added commentary and up to 8 wrestlers on-screen at once. Know Your Role expanded the franchise with a whopping 60 characters and fully animated entrances. Finally, Here Comes The Pain made its mark by including legends, more match types, and revamping the control system by adding meters that worked with determining body fatigue and detecting character weight.
As Smackdown was starting to give Playstation owners their money's worth, developer Aki was hard at work putting together what would be the last N64 wrestling title. Gamers expected big things from the newest upgrade, but I don't think anyone knew it would come to be one of the best games period in the genre…
WWF No Mercy
Nintendo 64, 2000
• 52 WWF Superstars circa Summer 2000 + 12 Unlockable Characters
• New match types include Guest Referee, Ladder, and Iron Man
• RAW is WAR, Smackdown, and 8 PPV arenas
• Backstage fighting included
• Challenge for the Intercontinental, European, Tag Team, Women's, Hardcore, Lightheavyweight, and World Championships in a story mode with branching storylines, then defend the titles in exhibition matches Claim to Fame: No Mercy improved on everything that made Wrestlemania 2000 great. Create-a-Wrestler had more robust costume designs and moves, more items could be unlocked via the Smackdown Mall, more match types were included, and the game's story mode made for a lengthier and more satisfying single-player experience. The game's legacy: Should I even have to say it? Okay, I will. In my opnion, this is the best wrestling game ever produced. Nothing else comes close. It may be 7 years old, but this game has so much going for it. The WWF roster was arguably the strongest it has ever been, the presentation is amazing for a 64-bit game, and the new match types heighten the wacky 4-player battles made famous in Wrestlemania 2000 and the WCW games before it. No Mercy is often imitated, but its perfection will likely never be duplicated. An all around good time that you have to play to believe.
Now, let's pause and reflect on today's topic…
• Mayhem introduced backstage areas to wrestling games, and subsequently was the final WCW game to feature a wrestling ring. Its successor, Backstage Assault, contained fighting strictly outside of the squared circle.
• Playstation's WWF Smackdown! debuted in 2000 and has seen an annual upgrade ever since.
• Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy still hold up as two of the best WWF games of all time, thanks to the unique in-ring mechanics and a colorful roster of grapplers.
Ah yes, this had to be my favorite period of wrestling games. I could praise most of these games all day, if I only had the time. Feedback, questions, and comments are always welcome. Next week, we'll wrap up this feature with the titles of the past few years. Until then, stay cool. Peace.
(Thanks goes to the Gamefaqs.com database for making my compiling of details so much easier!)
