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Whether you love or loathe professional wrestling, it's a form of entertainment that is here to stay. But even those who claim to have no connection with wrestling have managed to enjoy the video game adaptations in the past. This is largely due to the nonstop action and over-the-top moves that can thrill the most jaded player. This week's Game Collector is all about wrestling games from the past and present. If you're a fan of the squared circle, take a peek at our picks for the best wrestling video games ever made across all platforms.
WWF Wrestlemania 2000 - Nintendo 64 (1999)
Street Price: $9.95
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After Acclaim held tightly to the WWF license for several years, THQ finally snatched it away in 1999. THQ's first WWF game for the Nintendo 64, WWF Wrestlemania 2002, used the company's WCW-NWO Revenge engine to create the first 3D WWF game that was actually fun to play. Including all your favorite stars of the WWF along with their entourages and managers, WWF Wrestlemania has all the authenticity that wrestling fans crave.
WWF SmackDown! - PlayStation (2000)
Street Price: $6.00
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Promptly after THQ secured the WWF license it announced that it would be developing an entirely new WWF game for the PlayStation. That game was WWF SmackDown! Heralded as the best the PlayStation has to offer wrestling fans, SmackDown! includes elaborate ring entrances and an in-depth career mode that keeps you coming back for more. All wrestling-game fans (even those who are a little burned out on other games in the genre) should find something in WWF SmackDown! that makes it worth the purchase price.
Fire Pro Wrestling - Game Boy Advance (2001)
Street Price: $27.88
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Despite the impressive sales of the Game Boy Advance, there has yet to be a licensed wrestling game released for it. In the meantime, Bam Entertainment has seen fit to release the Fire Pro series from Japan here in the US to hold fans of the genre over until the first WWF game is released. And even though Fire Pro Wrestling doesn't bear any official licenses, it shines as an enjoyable, solid wrestling game that will provide hours upon hours of entertainment to fans of the genre.
WWF War Zone - Nintendo 64 (1998)
Street Price: $4.49
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Wrestling fans had to wait quite a while before they received the first adequate 3D wrestling game, but Acclaim finally delivered the goods with WWF War Zone. Including many of the popular wrestlers from the WWF such as Kane, The Undertaker, Triple H, and more, WWF War Zone was the first wrestling video game to move away from the button-mashing gameplay the genre was previously known for. In addition to the game's healthy amount of gameplay modes, War Zone also includes an extensive create-a-wrestler mode.
WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role - PlayStation (2000)
Street Price: $13.97
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As the follow-up to the original SmackDown!, Know Your Role is enhanced in almost every way. The game's thorough customization options will let you set up each match in just about any way imaginable. You can choose to fight in ladder, table, iron man, casket, cage, and Royal Rumble matches or select a referee who will be biased toward one fighter. Know Your Role also includes the entire stable of WWF wrestlers from last year and an extremely deep career mode.
WWF Royal Rumble - Dreamcast (2001)
Street Price: $9.95
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WWF Royal Rumble for the Dreamcast is vastly different when compared to other games in its genre. It doesn't include a story mode of any sort, but it makes up for it with its extensive multiplayer modes. The Royal Rumble mode allows nine wrestlers to be in the ring at once, and when four players are throwing down, it can be a lot of fun. It's the only WWF game for the Dreamcast, so if you're a fan of grappling and you have a DC, this is the only game in town.
Pro Wrestling - NES (1987)
Street Price: $2.00
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Fighter Hayabusa. Giant Panther. Amazon. Kin Corn Karn. King Slender. Starman. Has a greater cast of fictional characters for a wrestling game ever been compiled? The first console wrestling game is still seen by some as the best ever. It developed game mechanics that are still used today, like double-tapping to run and walking into opponents to grapple. Play it again to see how much things haven't really changed.
Tecmo World Wrestling - NES (1990)
Street Price: $.95
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Lauded by those "in the know" as one of the coolest wrestling games to ever grace Nintendo's 8-bit platform, Tecmo World Wrestling featured announcer commentary, trademark move cutscenes, and training segments in between matches. Tight gameplay, challenging AI, and a cast of colorful characters round out a classic wrestling game every wrestling fan should own.
WWF Raw - SNES (1994)
Street Price: $6.00
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Many consider WWF Raw to be the best of the SNES WWF games, and for good reason. The diverse cast of past and present WWF Superstars includes Razor Ramon, Diesel, Doink the Clown, Lex Luger, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, and late greats Yokozuna and Owen Hart. The Royal Rumble mode was excellent, and the inclusion of illegal chokes and weapons is the icing on the cake.
WWF Royal Rumble - SNES (1993)
Street Price: $2.20
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Take a look at some of the gimmicks of yesteryear, and check out wrestlers like Tatanka, the "Narcissist" Lex Luger, Mr. Perfect, and even "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. This was also the first game to ever feature a Royal Rumble mode. Exciting tug-of-war-style control and nice-looking characters make WWF Royal Rumble a solid choice. Pick this up, and you too can be handed the championship belt by good ole "Mean" Gene Okerlund.
Be sure to visit GameBuyer for the best deals on video games anywhere.
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