GAME
OF THE MONTH COLLECTION!
WWF
Wrestlemania 2000
(THQ/Asmik/Aki, October, 1999)
This
famous grappler plays a lot like THQ's previous game WCW/NWO Revenge
(minus the older license of course) but things are slightly better this time,
thanks to the all new Road to WrestleMania Career mode, new WWF (or WWE) wrestlers,
improved intros, and the new Create a player option round up the features
found in this huge 256 meg game.
Since this is the WWF now, you can now compete in many new events like the
King of the Ring (a tournament to become the best), the Royal Rumble
(an over the top rope fight for survival), and you can even create own Pay
Per View if you like. There are tons of multi-player options here but you
can forget about specialty matches like Hell in the Cell, Hardcore, and even
Ladder battles. Sad but true.
Fans of Aki's WCW/NWO Revenge will instantly recognize just how the similar
the control system is in this game so you don't have to relearn all the buttons.
This is great news because if you want to perform your character's moves like
his or her finisher, it's still done easily with the Analog stick while your
fighter has Special and does a Strong grapple, a Aki trademark. In other words,
if you mastered the controls in WCW/NWO Revenge then you will feel right at
home here.
Can you make it to Wrestlemania?
Although mostly everyone liked the multi-player modes in Revenge, a lot of
people did not like the boring single player game. WWF 2000 tries to fix that
problem with the new Road to Wrestlemania option. Here players can fight in
several Raw, Sunday Night Heat, and even Pay Per Views till they finally make
it to the biggest sports entertainment event of the year, WrestleMania 2000!
It sounds really cool but it's far from perfect.
The main problem in the Road to Wrestlemania game is that way too tedious
because the vicious computer always seems to get the first hit in and it doesn't
help matters when you have to fight a gruelling 50+ matches here as well.
The game even punishes you if you manage to do too well on the road to Wrestlemania.
How? Mr. McMahon will steal your World title part way through if you won the
title too early and you'll get the lousy 'Try Again' ending no matter what.
It's definitely frustrating. I recommend winning the 30 man Royal Rumble to
get the good ending and that's no easy task.
The Road to Wrestlemania isn't the game's only new option. In the Create a
Wrestler gamers are now able to create their favourite wrestlers not found
in the active roster (like Kurt Angle and Hollywood Hulk Hogan). Aki was even
kind enough to leave in many character animations from the WCW wrestlers from
their previous game. Remember Goldberg's Jackhammer? It's renamed the Sledgehammer
here but the move is still the same. Sadly there are limits, because you won't
be aloud to create any women here and you can forget about editing pyro as
well.
Unfortunately, WWF Wrestlemania 2000 looks just as blocky as Revenge. The
characters suffer from stiff looking polygonal shoulders and legs plus a lot
the wrestlers don't have too much detail either. There are some improvements
made to the super stars entrances though. Now you can see some quick video
screens of you favourites wrestler before a match. These video shots are very
grainy and very short but since this is only on a cartridge, it's still pretty
impressive. Aki also touched up the sounds a bit as well. Gone are the generic
themes from WCW/NWO Revenge and now most of the roster here now has their
very own opening music with their entrance. For example; Stone Cold has his
'Shattered Glass' theme and Triple H has his cool 'My Time' song. It's too
bad that the background in game music is way too corny to belong in a brutal
wrestling video game like this.
Showcase of the immortals
WWF Wrestlemania 2000 may be a minor upgrade to the earlier WCW/NWO Revenge
but even the slightest improvement to a great game is sure welcomed here.
The action is quick (even for four players unlike in the later WWF No Mercy),
the Create a player is addictive, and the Road to Wrestlemania is very challenging.
Unlike other Wrestlemania video games, this deserves to be called the big
one; this deserves to be called Wrestlemania!
|
Conclusion:
|
|
|
*Battery back game
*Rumble Pak compatible
*Gamepak compatible
For 1 to 4 players
graphics: 7
sound: 6
gameplay: 9
StarSoldier
(Ryan Genno) 2005
OTHER GAMES OF THE MONTH
|
|