3RRDC WWF RR

It delivers what it promises. What more can you ask for?

Ok, let's just get one thing straight here. The name of the game is
WWF Royal Rumble. So what do you think the main theme of the game
is going to be? Wait a minute, is it the Royal Rumble? Duh.

I can't tell you how many reviews I've read for this game where the
reviewer complains that there aren't nearly enough options in the
game and they immediately trash it. Now, I do tend to be a little soft on
games, but that my friends is what I like to call an unfair gamer.

When, and if, you get past all of the nasty, unfair remarks, the final
product isn't so bad. You turn the game on, and you are treated to a
great intro full of clips of the WWF's finest moments. This is where the
fascination ends for most gamers. There are but a mere four modes:
Exhibition, VS Mode, Rankings, and Options. Let's break it down, shall
we?

Exhibition is where the meat of the whole game is. You can either fight
in exhibition bouts or take part in the Royal Rumble. Exhibition is when
you choose a wrestler, choose a partner, and fight in ten matches. It
sounds easy but it gets increasingly difficult after the fifth round. The
addition of a partner and partner interference is a cool idea that no
other wrestling game has caught on with. You can also choose three
special team attacks where you and your partner can lay the
Smackdown on your opponent. Or, if you choose, you can receive a
precious gift, such as an iron bar or a trashcan to beat your enemy
with. The Royal Rumble is what the game was made for and it's very
well done: work your way through thirty opponents and aspire to
become the king of the Royal Rumble. The amazing thing is that there
can be up to nine wrestlers in the ring at once with no slowdown.
None. Zero. Zip. Nada. This makes the game fast paced and furious,
which can be very challenging and fun once you get the hang of it.

The actual wrestling is bordering between mediocre and potentially
good. You can either kick and punch your victim to death or you can
perform one of eight moves. I say eight because each move can be
powered up with the press of the L trigger. The L trigger has a lot of
innovation in this game. Every time you dish out or take damage your
meter starts to fill up. When it becomes full you get an S (special)
which allows you to either perform a special move or break out of a
pin. When you get three Ss, you can perform your wrestlers special
move. This idea also never appeared in any other wrestling game, and
it is a very cool idea. Did I mention that you can beat the living
daylights out of each other backstage, too? There are weapons
everywhere and it's very fun. Some may think this is more like a
fighting game, but at its center, it's wrestling all the way.

The graphics, like the gameplay, have potential. High-resolution and
fluid animation results in a game that looks good all around. The
wrestlers do look kind of blocky, though, but it's not too noticeable.
The crowd borders between good and mediocre. The graphics aren't
the most phenomenal I've ever seen, but like the rest of the game it
delivers what it promises.

The sound isn't exactly what I expected from a wrestling game. The
wrestler themes can only be heard for about five seconds at the end of
the song. There are no grunts, no emotion to the voices or anything!
It's like they are emotionless, fighting drones. In a way, they are, but
come on, give them some personality! Speaking of personality, there
are no announcers, which kinda hinders the experience.

The experience, however, can grow on you, and it can deliver. If you
like wrestling, you will like this game, but if you just like wrestling
games, then grope your way towards it and give it time. You'll l have
fun. I promise.

Grades

Gameplay - 80%

Challenging AI, innovative ideas, and backstage brawling are very fun.
It can be a bit tedious, however.

Graphics - 80%

Wrestlers are a bit blocky, but animation is smooth. There is zero
slowdown, which is amazing considering there can be nine wrestlers in
the ring. Faces and crowds look kind of ugly, though.

Sound - 70%

Theme songs are cool but there is nothing else except for the
annoying HWACK THWACK of you punching your opponent. And why
can't the themes last longer? They are awesome!

Presentation - 80%

Nice intro but I hate the fact that you are timed on making decisions in
the menu.

Replay Value - 80%

Due to the good AI and the ability to unlock two new characters you
will play this all day if you have to. However, once you beat it, there is
not a whole lot to come back to.

Overall - 80%

*The Overall rating is not an average of the preceding scores.

Review by: IronKnux