User Rating: 5.2 | Showdown: Legends of Wrestling XBOX
Fans of wrestling owe it to themselves to rent this game. And that's all. Just rent it. Don't buy it. The game looks really good. Going for a more realistic look than the previous Legends of Wrestling title, the game does a good job of setting up an atmosphere reminiscent of WWE during the eras the game takes place in. The logos on the ring aprons are blatantly inspired by the WrestleMania logo used in the 80s. The commentary is better than I'm used to with wrestling games. While Tony Schiavone has never been my favorite commentator, he works well here with Larry Zbysko, though Bobby Heenan hasn't sounded the same since his bout with cancer, I'm sad to say. My main gripe, though, is in the fact that it uses independent clocks for count-outs instead of one count for anybody outside, starting over when a wrestler leaves or enters the ring. With independent clocks, it's simple to thrown an opponent outside and keep them outside with attacks until they get counted out, with no risk to yourself. It makes normal-match victories far too simple.
