First Look: Dreamcast ECW

Not surprisingly, the Dreamcast version of Acclaim's ECW Hardcore Revolution plays a lot like Acclaim's last wrestling title, WWF Attitude. This may be because it actually uses the WWF Attitude engine. Still, ECW Hardcore Revolution has its obvious differences from Attitude. Namely, it looks a whole lot better than Attitude did. Attitude for the Dreamcast was rushed to shelves because of a licensing problem and as such looked more like a thrown-together port of the PlayStation version than anything else. It's easy to see that Acclaim has taken advantage of the extra time it has with its ECW game, as textures have been greatly improved, and tons of new graphical goodies have been thrown in.

The version I played was rather early and didn't even have sound, but it still seemed to hold promise for those looking for a new wrestling fix on their Dreamcast. Still, people who already own WWF Attitude on the Dreamcast and aren't exactly fans of the semi-underground ECW may not be willing to put up with such a replica of a game they already own. Similarities down to the same format for intros and opening statements make Hardcore Revolution seem like a game you've already played. But at least it feels like a good game you've already played.

Still, there's a completely new roster, some new modes, an enhanced combo system, better graphics, and the flair and style of the ECW resting behind Hardcore Revolution. There's a lot of development time before this title hits the shelves, so Acclaim has plenty of time to make ECW a game of its own. Hopefully it will.