WWE WrestleMania X8

"Too much hype hurts an otherwise fine game"

Wrestlemania X8 has been eagerly anticipated for quite some time, almost as long as the Gamecube itself has been available. Some of the biggest newsbits getting gamers excited were 1) The promise of nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash in the game, and 2) A brand new grappling system combining the WWF Smackdown engine with seemingly everyone's favorite wrestling game No Mercy. As it turns out, the game has little to no resemblance to No Mercy, instead looking more like Smackdown with a fresh coat of paint. That's not altogether bad, however.

Graphics: 10
First off, the game looks great. Everyone moves smoothly, all the moves are animated well and some of the entrances are amazing. Some of the faces are nothing like they should be and some of the wrestlers seem to walk a little stiff on their way to the ring, but overall the game is a visual treat.

Sound: 7
Most noticeable is the fact that several wrestler themes are absent, most notably Booker T's and the nWo theme. Still, the replacements aren't too bad and the custom music for your Created Wrestler are actually rather good for a change. Some of the background music is kind of annoying. Overall, all the music sounds pretty good and is very clear and crisp, though it could stand to be much louder.

Control: 7
Most of the moves are simple to do, however the control suffers because of the awkward layout of the Gamecube controller. Many moves, such as whipping your opponent into the ropes and picking up weapons, require you to press two buttons simultaneously. There IS a reversal system, but it's a mixed bag. On the one hand, seemingly every move can be reversed. Grapples are reversed with the L button, strikes are reversed with the R button, and Finishers are blocked with L and R simultaneously. However, your timing must be almost completely accurate for you to get in a reversal. Most of the time you'll feel like the reversal buttons are just there for decoration. Most of the wrestlers' moves are easy to execute, and there isn't any slowdown that I've noticed.

Modes: 9
There are a wide variety of matches to choose from, including Royal Rumble and, for the first time ever, a completely true-to-life Hell in a Cell. Adding to the replay value of the game is a Path of a Champion mode, in which you unlock hidden wrestlers by winning different WWE Titles, and Battle for the Belts, in which you can unlock over 50 custom Title belts and defend them. However, wrestling in a Triple Threat or Fatal Four-Way match is going to frustrate you to no end, believe me. Most of the time it's more like a handicap match, everyone against you, and if it's a match like a Ladder or Tables match, you'll be nearly pulling your hair out in frustration because the computer is so incredibly cheap.

Create-A-Wrestler: 5
As far as CAW modes go, this ranks lower than Smackdown: Just Bring It and No Mercy, FAR above WCW Mayhem and Backstage Assault, and maybe half a point higher than Legends of Wrestling. It isn't actively BAD but it feels VERY incomplete. There are only 14 faces to choose from (well, to be fair LOW had ONE and people made due with it) and an extremely limited number of moves. The only moves you can assign your wrestler are moves that are used by wrestlers in the game. There are no special ''bonus moves'' hidden to satisfy fans of puroresu or Lucha Libre by allowing them to create a wrestler identical in looks and style to Keiji Mutoh or Juventud Guerrera. Wrestlemania X8 is an American game, and it's wrestlers have Americanized movesets. You won't find any Liger Bombs, Death Valley Drivers or even standard Piledrivers, but you will have The Pedigree, The Rock Bottom and the Stone Cold Stunner. Given what they have in the CAW, you can make nearly perfect versions of Shawn Michaels, DDP and Mankind, among others, but you don't have the freedom to make damn near anyone that you have in Smackdown: JBI.

Best Features:
Graphics, fairly smooth gameplay, lots of options

Worst Features:
Lack of moves, Extremely limited CAW, frustrating A.I.

Anyone who says this is the ''worst wrestling game ever'' is simply feeling the burn of this game not living up to its hype. It's not as good as the hype, but it's a decent game in and of itself. I imagine it will make a much better party game with friends than it will sitting alone in your room. Don't judge it by the hype, take it for what it is and give it a chance. Take a couple hours to get used to the entire game and you may be pleasantly surprised. Still, if you aren't a hardcore fan that has to have EVERY WWE game, rent before you buy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/12/02, Updated 06/12/02