StarSoldier1's Full Review: WWF: WrestleMania 2000 for Nintendo 64
WWF WRESTLEMANIA 2000
(THQ/Asmik/Aki, October 1999)
Since Wrestlemania 19 is just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to look back and see one of the better Wrestlemania type video game out there. Here is Aki's WWF Wrestlemania 2000. 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 (a 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 cause the vicious computer always seems to get the first hit in and it doesn't help matters when you have to fight a grueling 50+ matches here as well. The game even punishes you if ya 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 favouite 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 arms 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 wrestlers have their opening music. 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!
WWF WRESTLEMANIA 2000 overall rating: 82/100
*Battery back up game
*Rumble Pak compatible
*Gamepak compatible
For 1 to 4 players
Rated (T) for Teen
graphics: 7/10
sound: 7/10
gameplay: 9/10
Over 50 WWF superstars with unique moves, 7 different events, Clear and detailed sound effects and 3D rendered graphics, Original entrances, Create a ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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