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WWF: Road to Wrestlemania

Score: 85%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Natsume
Media: Cart/1
Players: 1 - 4
Genre: Miscellaneous

Graphics & Sound:

For those whose wrestling game history dates back to Smackdown or WCW vs. the World, WWF: Wrestlemania looks like it would be a bit of devolution for the genre. However, fans who remember wrestling games before they went 3D may remember this game as an old friend from the 16-bit days.

The graphical presentation is spot on identical to WWF RAW on the SNES and Genesis. Each of the 24 wrestlers...oops, I am sorry - superstars (sorry Vince) are very large and look great. The animations are well done, but lack the 'tweener animations making for some very stiff moves. The area that I was most impressed with the graphics was the ring entrances. That's right, each superstar has their true-to-the-show, albeit scaled down, ring entrances.

Sound is decent but could stand for a lot of improvement, especially with the entrance songs. While I'm not expecting samples from the actual songs, it would have been nice if the midi versions of the songs would sound a little more like their real-life counterparts. They are still identifiable, but seem to be missing a few notes. Other than a few kicks, punches, and ring announcements there is not much else in the sound department.


Gameplay:

Just as the name says, the main thrust of the game is to get to Wrestlemania and win the WWF title belt. Your journey begins by selecting one of 24 superstars including HHH, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and the Rock. After a short cutscene featuring Vince explaining the title situation and your character vowing to gain the belt, you begin your career. Each match will take place on a week by week basis taking you from Raw to Pay-Per-Views and include Tag-Team, Triple Threat, Cage, and Hardcore matches. In addition to going after the title belt, from time to time you will also have shots at the other belts.

The combat system used in Wrestlemania isn't the hardest thing to pick up, but it is definitely not a button masher and requires quite a bit of strategy. The bulk of the strategy is all about weakening your opponents before unleashing your signature moves for the pin.

If the Season mode is not your thing, Wrestlemania also offers a variety of single player matches ranging from King of the Ring to Ironman to Endurance. If these modes are not enough to keep you busy, or you find the computer not much of a challenge, you can link up with three of your friends using the GBA link cables.


Difficulty:

As with most wrestling games, Wrestlemania is only as hard as you make it. Players who charge into matches using nothing but big power moves will become well acquainted with the mat. Those who learn the smaller moves, as well as the big ones, will find themselves shining up title belts in no time flat.

Game Mechanics:

After a few practice matches, players will discover that the controls are not hard to master at all. The A and B buttons control kicks and punches while the shoulder buttons enable you to pick up weapons and run. Simply pressing combinations on the D-pad and being in the right position performs moves. The addition of adrenaline meters also helps with performing certain maneuvers.

Overall, I enjoyed WWF: Road to Wrestlemania, quite a bit, which is especially impressive since I have not watched a wrestling program in two years. While I would have liked a few more superstars and the game could always use a little tweaking, WWF: Road to Wrestlemania is a worthy title in your GBA collection, especially for fans.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

Nintendo GameBoy Advance Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring Nintendo GameBoy Advance xXx

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated