WWE WrestleMania X8

"Wrestlemania X8 is pretty good, but is it better than No Mercy?"

There have been a wide range of comments made about WMX8. People have called it a great game, a good game, an ok game, and a horrible game. There has also been the debate over whether or not it is better than No Mercy. Well, here is my review, done No Mercy vs. Wrestlemania X8 style. This means I am reviewing Wrestlemania X8, but I will also compare it to No Mercy.

By the way, in this review:
NM is the short form of No Mercy.
WMX8 is the short form of Wrestlemania X8.
If one is better than the other in one aspect (for example, graphics), here is what I will do: I will write WMX8 is better/worse than NM. If they are both as good as the other in that aspect, I will put WMX8 is equal to NM.

GRAPHICS: 9/10
Wow. Amazing. That’s all I can say. WMX8 has great graphics. Moving hair, blinking eyes, facial expressions, and detailed arenas. The graphics may not be the greatest on the Gamecube, but they will grab your attention when you start playing the game. NM also had good graphics, but it is without a doubt that WMX8 beats NM in this department.
RESULTS FOR GRAPHICS: WMX8 is better than NM

GAMEPLAY: 8.5/10
WMX8’s gameplay is not the same as NM, but it’s quite good. Moves can be pulled off easily (like NM). At first, the controls can be rather confusing, but they won’t be with practice. One of the problems is having to use two buttons at once for certain actions (example: picking up weapons). You may have to press the buttons a few times before your wrestler actually performs the command. NM had a gameplay that was easier to learn, but WMX8 has gameplay that is slightly faster (which is a good thing), looks a little more realistic, and is quite fun.
RESULTS FOR GAMEPLAY: WMX8 is equal to NM

MODES: 9/10
There is no story mode (unlike NM, even though the story mode in NM wasn’t all that great), which would have been fun. Instead, there is the challenging Path of a Champion. I would rather have story mode, but it will have to do. The Battle for the Belts is quite fun, but only if you have a friend to play it with. When it comes to match types, WMX8 is much better than NM. Table Match, Hell in a Cell, and TLC Match are the newest match modes you can play. The Cell is my personal favourite, for it is a match mode I have been waiting to play in a wrestling game ever since I bought my first wrestling game (WWF Attitude). The Royal Rumble is probably one of the best Royal Rumbles I have ever played in a game, mainly because you cannot get out during the first few seconds of the match. When someone throws you over, you hang onto the bottom rope, and unless you are weak (your meter is blue), you will probably not be eliminated. NM had a Guest Referee Match (which WMX8 doesn’t), but WMX8 makes up for it with a real referee in matches.
RESULTS FOR MODES: WMX8 is better than NM

CAW: 6/10
When it comes to the CAW mode, No Mercy is without a doubt better than WMX8. WMX8 may have extra options to change the body’s size and a wrestler’s logic, the lack of appearance options and moves is quite annoying. This is probably the most disappointing part of WMX8. You can create wrestlers such as HBK, Chuck and Billy, and more with the CAW, but it will probably be quite tough to bring over CAWs you had from past wrestling games. If you try to create one from scratch, you will have a hard time making one that is amazing (which wasn’t hard to do in NM), but with a lot of effort you can make a good CAW. The added feature of earning bonus points from the Path of a Champion mode (this is not confirmed, but I did read this on the internet) is a neat feature (as long as it’s true).
RESULTS FOR CAW: NM is worse than WMX8

OVERALL: 8.5/10 (which rounds off to 9/10)
I find myself having a hard time turning off the game. I always want to play one more match. When I’m not playing, I find myself thinking about the game. It is a fun game with a lot of things to do (considering there are a good amount of wrestlers, things to unlock, and many match modes to play). So, why am I giving it an 8.5 out of 10? Well, the lack of story mode lowers the score a little bit, but the lack of CAW and inability to edit an existing wrestler’s appearance does a lot of damage to the score. Still, don’t let that turn you off from this game. If you are a WWE fan, I can almost guarantee you will love this game. If you are not a WWE fan, I believe you should still enjoy it (but not as much).

It’s time for the ultimate question. Is Wrestlemania X8 better than No Mercy? I would have to say yes.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/15/02, Updated 06/15/02