It’s hard to believe, but due to the lack of wrestling games on the market, there’s only two titles competition for your cash dedicated to our favourite form of grappling action this Christmas time. It’s no surprise to see that THQ have released their usual Smackdown! game, which was a bit of a let down this year. So what’s the alternative? If you’ve got a PC, perhaps Wrestling Spirit (WreSpi) is the answer.
As regular as clockwork, THQ and Yukes bring us a Smackdown! game for PS2 just a few weeks before Christmas. This time, they’re also delivering Raw, as the two brands go head to head, vying for your love. Who will win? Let’s find out, as we take a look at WWE Smackdown! Vs Raw.
I remember Mothers Day 2002 like it was yesterday. It was June (That’s when Mother’s Day is in Scotland at least, you’ll have to check your own calendars to see when you experience the joyous day), the weather was lovely and I had a nice box of chocolates to give to my mum. Old Mrs Russ wanted to go out for lunch to celebrate the day. But I had other plans for that day. Oh yes, a little game called Extreme Warfare Revenge was released on Mothers Day 2002, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the latest offering of wrestling simulator goodness from Adam Ryland. You’ve all heard the phrase “I’d sell my own mother to…”. Well, in this case, I ignored my own mother to play the game. And I loved EWR to pieces straight away. Don’t believe me? Check out my EWR review here.
Is it November already? It is? Then that means a new Smackdown! game is out, and this time, it’s the fifth one. In 2003, the snowman isn’t bringing the snow; he’s bringing the pain. Yes folks, Yukes and THQ are back again to deliver more WWE action to PS2 owners, and are hoping to building [...]
If you read my review of UFC Throwdown, you’ll remember that I said that you should wait until the release of Pride FC before making a purchase of a Mixed Martial Arts game. Now, both games are out in the UK, so it’s time to make a decision. But first, a brief history lesson. The [...]
Remember Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling? If you don’t, it was a cartoon in the eighties that featured the main stars of the then-WWF outside of the ring, having some wacky adventures. The wrestlers used to drive around in big cars that were made to resemble the character’s gimmick (For instance, Roddy Piper drove a huge Bagpipe with wheels). So who would have that that 20 years later, THQ would release a game that owes a lot to the Rock ‘N’ Wrestling concept of wrestlers in cars. When Crush Hour was announced last year, everyone thought “THQ are trying to branch out the WWE franchise again, and just like WWE Betrayal, it’s gonna suck”. So, is this car driving shoot ‘em up in lycra going to beat Twisted Metal Black? Or are THQ going to face another humiliation like what happened with WWE Betrayal?
“Of all the crazy ideas you’ve had, this one ranks somewhere in the middle”. As regular viewers of the Simpsons know, that’s something that Marge said to Homer when he had another wacky plan. But it could also apply to EA’s wrestling games. First, they took out the wrestling ring from WCW Backstage Assault. Now [...]
It was only a year ago that a wave of anticlimax swept the world of wrestling video games. For all the hype, for all the expectations, the third instalment of Yukes’ Smackdown! series was a big letdown. Poor career mode, unrealistic gameplay and graphics which looked more at home on a PSOne hurt the game. But that was then, this is 2002. It’s a new game, with the usual promises. But for once, will a Smackdown! game actually deliver? THQ are telling you to Shut Your Mouth, so you’d better listen to them. Let’s see how WWE Smackdown- Shut Your Mouth plays-
Well, would you look at that. A review of a Mixed Martial Arts game at TWO. I’ve been playing UFC Throwdown for a week now, and it’s time to put my thoughts on it online. If you’ve never heard of Ultimate Fighting Championship before, then I’ll try to sum it up. Basically, it’s No Holds Barred fighting in an octagon. Contrary to popular belief, the outcomes of UFC fights are not pre-determined. To win a fight, you either beat your opponent down until he can’t get up or make him tap out to a submission move.
THQ’s WWE games could be compared to the career of one Jake “The Snake” Roberts. They both have their loyal fans, and they both have people who hate them. Roberts and THQ have had their finer moments (No Mercy for N64) and their low points (Smackdown! Just Bring It). If this particular game could be compared to a moment in Jake’s career, it would be from the Heroes Of Wrestling PPV, in which Roberts appeared drunk, threatened to drop his pants from around his gut and put his snake Damien between his legs. Yes folks, Road To Wrestlemania is that bad. When I bought my Gameboy Advance, this game was part of a package. I wasn’t complaining at all, as I had enjoyed Wrestlemania 2000 for the Gameboy Colour. Surely all THQ had to do was improve a few things, touch up the graphics and we have a rival to Fire Pro. So what makes this game so bad?
Extreme Warfare Revenge is the latest in the line of EW games, created by Adam Ryland. Before it’s release in June 2002, there were phenomenal expectations about this game. It was almost a certainty that it would be an improvement from EWD, the previous game in the series, but would it be able to topple Promotion Wars from the top of the Wrestling Promoter Simulator genre? This kind of game has been described as wrestling’s answers to Championship Manager, the popular Football Management game for the PC. However, most Wrestling Promoter Sims can be found for free online, as charging a price for the game would mean that real names and federations would have to be removed, seeing as how THQ have an exclusive licence to make WWE games. So is this game all it was built up to be?
Some people love the Fire Pro series. Some people hate all games that carry the Fire Pro name. I for one love the games. They even fit into my ideal fantasy in life: Lying on the beach, drinking a beer, snuggling up to Britney and playing Fire Pro. But wait, I hear you cry! “How will he get Fire Pro down onto the beach, Dreamcasts aren’t portable!”. If that is what you’re thinking, I thank you for not dismissing the possibility of Ms Spears and I in a relationship. But you’re also wrong in one way. Fire Pro is coming to Gameboy baby!
To make sure I had enough material to review for the TWO Video Games week, I decided to buy a few games. So I went to my local Game store, and picked up WWE Crush Hour and Pride FC. When I was in the queue to pay for my games, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. In the Pre-Owned section of the shop was a copy of the legendary WCW Backstage Assault. Yes, the infamous game in which EA decided to get rid of the ring in a wrestling game, and have every match backstage. Until now, I had always kept well away from titles with dodgy reputations, but the lure of WCW:BA was too much. Maybe it was one of these games that unfairly got dismissed, just like SD!JBI, because people heard too many untrue stories about how the game was utterly awful, and we should all keep away from it. Well, after adding the game to my collection (Don’t tell me I don’t make sacrifices for TWO…I BOUGHT WCW BACKSTAGE ASSAULT!!), it’s time to find out if the majority were right. Here’s the review.
What’s the best wrestling game ever? A lot of younger people would mention titles like Fire Pro, No Mercy or maybe a game from the Smackdown! series. But there would be a few who were convinced that the coin-op from Technos, WWF Wrestlefest is the greatest wrestling game of all time. I certainly remember playing it myself, not long after I got into wrestling, and being amazed that I could actually control Hulk Hogan, and hand out some beatings to the evil heels. But it’s been 12 years since Wrestlefest was released. Surely it’s not playable now? Well, that’s why I’m reviewing it.
First released in the UK in late 1997, WCW Vs The World was a cult favourite in the eyes of “smart” wrestling fans. You see, as well as your standard Dubbya See Dubbya stars, THQ included the likeness of many Japanese wrestlers. Because they weren’t officially licensed, these characters are given the Fire Pro treatment: Their names are altered. So, without doubt a strong roster, but does that make the game playable?
The Attitude era. Known to many as the period of time when the USA’s leading wrestling promotion went too far. Out was classic 30-minute matches, in were 20-minute promos, bikini contents, “hilarious” backstage humour and much more influenced by Vince Russo. But enough about that. The video game, WWF Attitude, also marked the end of an era. Released in June 1999, this was the last WWF game that Acclaim produced, before the contract changed hands allowing THQ to make the games for McMahon’s promotion. So did Acclaim go out with a bang, or with a whimper? Let’s take a look.
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