Intro
Right. I admit it. When I was growing up I absolutely loved watching wresting. With wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Junk Yard Dog; I was hooked. When it died, and was reborn, I could never get into it how I did before. It seems as though wrestling has evolved from sport-entertainment to entertainment-sport; and basically a hybrid soap opera... Heck, I even watched the WWF cartoon and couldn't get enough of it...
What really sucked me into the game was the fact that you could play as old-time wrestlers. The real hook was the use of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. He was my all time favorite wrestler, and when I saw him on the back of the box; I knew this was the game for me. There are over 30 wrestlers that you can pick from (many which have to be unlocked), and Acclaim boasted about a "new gaming engine" that would power this new game. The potential was definitely there, and I actually felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I picked up the game. I even unwrapped the game in my car and opened it up... just like the days when Mom used to take me shopping...
What are you going to do when Hulkamania runs... dry?
From a logical standpoint, it really can't be that difficult to make a good wresting game. If you add in nice intros, good physics and nice audio clips; the game is sure to be a winner. Unfortunately, Legends of Wrestling surpass in any of the three.
To be fully honest, the game has all of the makings of a brilliant title. It has everything from a huge choice of wrestlers to even a great create-a-player. The single player has a ton of options, and a really nice in-depth tournament mode. Multiplayer is even better, teaming up with three other buddies can really make this a nice party game. So, with all of these ingredients the bar was set fairly high.
Controlling your wrestler, and the physics have to be done well and combine an arcade experience along with some realism to be pulled off respectably. The grappling system (which is usually how most games execute a combo or move) is quite different than most wrestling games I have played before. For the most part, the meat of the game is identical to others in the genre, but misses the mark when it comes down to actually pulling off incredible moves. Controlling these special moves takes no timing skills and even less button-combination efforts. This turns the game strictly into a classic arcade button-masher. For myself, and others not too keen on the genre this might be a breath of fresh air. Real wrestling fans will shun the controls, with no real sense of direction or depth. While I would have appreciated a deeper combination scheme, it shouldn't affect casual wrestling fans too much.
Where would any wrestling game be without a "combo meter"? The only point where timing comes into play is during this combo meter. Depending on the situation, if you see a cursor on your combo meter, you can pull off a combo or reversal, thus making a much more devastating attack. It was a bit of fun to see what combo would be executed, but the lack of control made it frustrating at times. Talk about control, I was highly disappointed in the overall actions of the wrestlers themselves. If you remember the first wrestling game worth noting it was way back on the NES and it was called Pro Wrestling. I totally felt like Fighter Hiyabusa as I strolled around the ring. Wrestlers acted more like robots than they did wrestlers. Not only was the animation weaker than cup of Budweiser, the actual physics of the game were severely antiquated; feeling much like a Genesis or SNES title. Sad.
80's wrestlers with 80's graphics
Can anyone in the crowd say "rushed port"? It is obvious the weirdos at Acclaim rushed this title for their summer line-up. The graphics are dismal at best, and the menu system is sickening. To make matters worse the opening introductions were classic N64 and choked more than a crack addict sucking on a Pixie Stick.
The animations were fairly standard, but by no means "next gen". The wrestlers themselves were very "cartooney" and physical modeling was apparently not there. There were small feeble attempts to make the cool with subtle lighting effects and flying items, but nothing enough to make the visuals enjoyable. Performance is a whole different story. At times I couldn't tell if the Matrix type effects (a la Max Payne) were intentional or it was actual slowdown. Should I be impressed, or should I send the company a letter? Either way, the effect was almost impressive but the Legends of Wrestling showed off on how not to make visual critiques happy.
Ok, so we were a bit let down by the gameplay and graphics; the sound has to be good, right? Wrong. I was expected the Hulkster to chant his classic lines to pump the crowds and I wanted to hear the Iron Sheik blast the United States. Believe it or not, there are NO voice overs in the game. Let down? More than that, it is sin not to have the old characters without hearing some old school good trash talk. I mean, how hard could it have been to get some samples off of some old tapes? Jeesh. Aside from the lack of voices, everything else is par at best. Pseudo-rock tempos and big thuds litter the soundtrack and even the opening intros are nothing to get too excited about.
66 Says:
Aside from personal letdowns, this is a heavily mediocre title. The game has a solid multiplayer game going, and the single player modes should go the distance. But, if you are like me and wanted to re-kindle the joy of years gone past; you will be highly disappointed.
The game had all the makings of a great game, yet failed to produce a slam-dunk. They even failed to make a lay-up... Heck, they couldn't have made a foul shot. With so much potential, it is disappointing to see all of that anticipation go to waste. A purchase for anyone is highly unadvisable. Legends of Wrestling would be a decent renter for the weekend, just to button-mash your friends. Other than that, the game is nothing more than a sick attempt to purge the wallets of old school goodness. Shame on you Acclaim!
