WWF WrestleFest

"The Hulkster's putting down the Big Boot!"

Woo! Tight Spandex and cheesy lines, come together and make the teenage males happy. I remember spending at least 100 dollars on this game in my short lifetime. In 1991, this was the closest a little kid could get to being in the ring with such notable superstars like Hulk Hogan and Jake “The Snake.” Being now about 11 or 12 years old, when I find this game, sometimes by accident at some arcade out of my state or someplace that I would never be, I would play it, and beat it with Big Boss Man and The Hulkster. I found that these were some great graphics for the time, and still fun gameplay that keeps me playing all these years. The good thing is, it isn’t called WWE!

This game is quite simple to learn. First, you choose what mode of play you want. Then, You choose a Wrestler. Then if you are playing with another person, he picks one. If you’re playing Tag Team, you pick your partner. Then you go out and face wrestlers. You put in more money to get more life back. Simple. BUT GENIUS!

Graphics: 9
These graphics look very good, possibly neo-geo quality. You can tell each wrestler apart just buy their faces, which have a larger then life feel to them, like the stars themselves. When you look around the ring, you see people cheering you on, with waves, fists, and beer bottles. Each person has their walkway act, which is walking off the walkway waving their hands. If you want some old school wrasslin’, you got it. No chairs, boobs, hurting objects, mud, ladders, talking, and that old bald guy doing commentary. (No, not Vince.) However, only one person looked really different from everyone else, meaning that all but 1 were the same height and build as everyone else. However, the clothes made them look different, so with most of them you couldn’t tell. With 6 people in the ring at one time, and 4 of those people can be human controlled, that takes a lot of power.

Gameplay: 9
This is like taking over the mind of a WWF wrestler, and then watching yourself from above. And your world has suddenly only able to function on the 2-D plain, making you have flat, but strong muscular bodies. Though now, this may seem; a bit bland, it was some hard hitting action when you couldn’t find any real fighting games. You have 2 types of fighting: Tag Team Championship and Royal Rumble. Royal Rumble is the more enjoyable one, but it is shorter and you need more quarters. Tag Team was supposed to be the bulk of the game, but I find myself playing the Rumble, by the way it is set up. Tag Team, you can tag your partners (which you pick) by pressing both buttons. You can get your partner to help you in sticky situations (like when you are pinned, sometimes he would break it up) but, when compared but the computer, Your Partner be just large amounts of bunnies in a suit. He sucks when he fights, I only used him to regain my health when I was out of quarters. You fight your way to the Tag Team champs (the Legion of Doom) and then you must fight around defending your title until you face the LoD again, where you beat the game. The Royal Rumble, you face off about 30 wrestlers, not including yourself, and pushing them out of the ring, or pinning them. (pinning them makes it much easier because it is nigh impossible to throw them out) However, we don’t have 30 people, so you’re going to see them about 3 times in the ring (depending on who goes out first.) Very solid. Though most people all have the same move, they each have the special move that is their claim to fame, like the Perfect Plex, and the Big Legdrop.

Sound: 7
Not much in the sound department. You have the standard wrestling fare of grunts, oofs, and whacks. You do have a opening music, when you see your person walk out, but other then that, no music at all. However, many sound effects are added into the game, like when you hit certain things, when you hit the mat, etc. Though no one speaks, which would have been horrible (because knowing games, they wouldn’t of gotten the real people do the voices) and overall, the sound is done very well. Everything gives off a very fine sound, and just because you have no voice doesn’t mean that you can’t give someone a very mean back suplex.

Fun Factor: 8
It is fun playing this game, and I haven’t found a better wrestling arcade experience yet. Mostly because I don’t like new wrestling with plot lines. Give me some old school beatings, with people in makeup and beards, and I will show you WWF Wrestlefest. It has, and had, everything I wanted in a arcade game. 4 Player co-op play, Hulkamania, and the Royal Rumble. Is this the greatest game for the arcades? No. It is one of the best WWF Wrestling games: yes.

Graphics: 9
Gameplay: 9
Sound: 7
Fun Factor: 8

Reviewer’s Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/06/02, Updated 08/06/02