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JeffBond87
Reviews
WWE Velocity (2002)
The mid-carders of the "SmackDown!" brand
WWE Velocity features the superstars of the "SmackDown!" brand, including Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Kurt Angle, The Hurricane, Billy & Chuck, and Rikishi. It features typically 4 matches, and gives a recap of "SmackDown!". Worth watching, especially if you're one of those unlucky few (such as myself) who don't get UPN, and thus can't see the superstars of the SmackDown! brand. If you watch, catch "WWE Confidential" afterwards, another typically good World Wrestling Entertainment show.
ECW: Hardcore Revolution (2000)
Should just be called WWF Attitude 2
ECW Hardcore Revolution is basically just WWF Attitude, but with altered textures, and different commentary. It does have more match options than Attitude, but other than that the game has little to sell. It's still not a bad game, tho. Worth a rent, don't buy unless you're a huge wrestling mark {like me..}
Surprisingly, ECW Anarchy Rulz {ECW HR's sequel} is a LOT better than Hardcore Revolution, with enhanced graphics and controls. If you can, just get Anarchy Rulz instead.
Puroresu (1986)
"A winner is you!"
Before there were the "next gen" wrestling titles such as WCW/nWo Revenge and WWF titles SmackDown! and WrestleMania 2000, there was the greatly entertaining game "Pro Wrestling"! This NES game, which is a generic wrestling title {it has no "pro" license, such as WCW, WWF, or ECW}, features the typical 1980's wrestling fare; a masked Mexican wrestler, a self-loving narcessist, and a half-man/half-piranna grappler known only as "The Amazon". The game is highly entertaining, and features a surprisingly large move-set, with each wrestler having his own style. Starman, for instance, has a Cruiserweight, lucha-libre type moveset, while The Amazon has mainly "brawler" type moves. The producers of the game made it a point to give the game nice little details, such as the in-ring ref, the announcers in the background {who don't actually say anything}, and even a camara man on the outside of the ring that moves to keep up with the wrestlers.
In the game, you wrestle your way through the ranks of VWA {or something}, until you win the World title. You then get to contend for the World title of another federation.
The controls are very nice. The game runs on a "grapple" control system {i.e. you initiate a grapple, then push a button or two to do a move}, and is relatively easy to learn.
The game basically has 2 features: 1 player and 2 players. There are only singles matches, no tag team or anything like that. Still, the game has great replay value, and is best when played with a friend {or enemy} on 2 player mode.
Overall, Pro Wrestling provides a very nostalgic look at wrestling games and video games in general. It's poor translation also provided for the absolute best line ever in a video game: "A winner is you!" Buy this game if you can, it's a real gem as far as Old Skool NES games are concerned.
WCW: Mayhem (1999)
An OK wrestling game
WCW Mayhem, the 2nd to last WCW game before Vince McSatan bought the franchise, isn't quite as bad as most people make it out to be... but it's still not WrestleMania 2000 quality... not by a longshot. Mayhem's Create-a-Wrestler option is the first in a WCW game. The CAW is subpar in the N64 version. The PlayStation version's CAW is better (but not much). You basically choose from a limited amount of costumes, then pick theme music, faction, name (you can't use spaces or lower case letters), and a moveset (you don't get to select moves, you just select a wreslter for him to emulate). The gamplay isn't that bad, the controls are actually pretty easy to learn but way too basher friendly. The games career mode, "Quest for the Best", isn't advanced at all. It's basically just fight your way to a TV title match, fight your way to a US title match, fight your way to a World title match, and earn some hidden wrestlers along the way. EA was smart when they made this game in one respect: it has GREAT replay value, as about half the games wrestlers are hidden, and must be unlocked. And they aren't unlocked all the same way either. For instance, one might be "Win Quest for the Best with a crusierweight" or "wrestle in all 13 backstage areas", etc. Oh, yeah, the backstage areas. Mayhem was the first game to feature the option of wrestling backstage, although the backstage areas aren't nearly as interactive as SmackDown!'s, not by a long shot. A lot the cool codes ("Play in Classic Nitro", "Test Tube Wrestlers") don't work in the N64 version, only in the PlayStation version. All in all, this isn't a very bad wrestling game. If you're going to get it, try getting it for PlayStation.
WWF WrestleMania 2000 (1999)
A must play for wrestling VG fans!
WWF WrestleMania 2000 is one of the best wrestling games I've played (which I can gaurentee you is a lot). The create a wrestler mode is better than SmackDown! and (to a greater extent) Mayhem/Backstage Assault. You select every move the wrestler does, and the moves are not limited to a points system. And Road to WrestleMania is the most realistic career mode I've seen in an N64 game! The graphics are great, although you still get the occastional tear in the wrestler models that we all remember from Revenge. There's a really sweet "Create a Championship" option which allows you to create your own title. There's also the sweet TitanTron vidoes, which are pretty good considering it's an N64 game. The game features 7 venues including RAW is WAR, HeAt, Survivor Series, and of course the big one, WrestleMania. There are a lot more match types than Revenge had, including Tag, 3-Way Dance, Royal Rumble, and Cage. However, the Handicap match option seems to be missing. There are some problems with the game, tho, that stop it from being perfect. You can't edit the pre-made wrestlers' moves, and you can only fight halfway up the entry ramp. Still, this game deserves a solid 9.