WWE WrestleMania X8

"The best gameplay seen in the next-gen WWE games so far..."

WWE Wrestlemania X8 is the Gamecubes first wrestling game, and it is the best next-Gen WWE game that has been released.The game does have it's shortcomings, but it's positive factors far surpass these few negative things.

Gameplay-9

This game plays better then any wrestling game released. The wrestlers have the same moves as their real-life counterparts, and they react to moves realistically. The matches you can pick range from Ladder matches, Cage matches, and the occasional table match. Moves are pulled off extremely easily, matches have a fast, realistic pace, and playing this game with friends guarantees a great time. Something that other wrestling games suffer from is how difficult it is to toggle what opponent you face in multiple-opponent matches. This is not the case with X8, it is done here with a simple tap of the C-stick, in the direction of who you want to focus on.
The key to unlocking hidden characters lies in the Path of a champion mode. You fight a series of opponents, in a variety of matches. This can lead to the Triple Threat problem, which I'll discuss later. This mode could have used a story, because it does get boring just going through various opponents.
Also, another unique feature this game has is the Battle For The Belts feature. In here, there are about 60 belts that you can compete for. Some of these belts look familiar, as they bear an uncanny resemblance to former and current championship belts that exist in other federations. You will fight in 5 singles matches, and once you get the belt, you can enter your name, and change the strap color...sound pointless? It is, but it can be a good time killer anyway.
The first problem I noticed lied in the Triple Threat matches. Your AI opponents will gang up on you, without even noticing each other, this feature proved to be very frustrating on higher difficulty levels, and after a while, I strayed from playing this type of match. Another problem, is that the wrestlers don't have enough moves.
They have a total of 5 front grapple moves, some have 6, if you include their finishing move, in some cases. It makes some of the matches you have somewhat repetitive, due to the lack of moves.However, the variety of match types will more then make up for this, and some people won't even notice at all.
The final aspect that may annoy players is the collision factor. For example, if you are in a match with multiple opponents, if one does a suplex to another, if you are in the way, you'll be knocked down. Like I said, some people will hate this, others will not.
In total, the minor gameplay problems listed above didn't interfere in the fun factor too much.

Graphics-10

Each wrestler looks very lifelike, with a few very minor exceptions (Benoits proportions) that only are visible if you are trying to find a problem. Each wrestler has his own entrance, and these are done very realistically. The Undertaker rides his Titan motorcycle,Triple H spits his water, the list goes on and on.
Each wrestler also has a post-win celebration, like Stone Cold enjoying a few Steveweisers. The developers paid alot of attention to detail, and the graphics are as good as can be. You can see this attention to detail in the multiple arenas as well, which are based on the WWE pay-per-views, and are beautifully done.

Audio-7
The audio is somewhat disappointing in this game. The punching and slamming noises sound too cartoony, as do some of the the weapon noises.
Another problem, though not really the developers fault, is the lack of some of the wrestlers' theme music. Ric Flair, Edge, Booker T, and the nWo's trademark theme music is missing, and is replaced with competent original themes. Some of the entrance themes also sound like they were recorded underwater, but this isn't too noticeable any ways.
The final problem is the crowd noise, they don't make a good amount of noise, only during entrances and after moves are done. So much more could have been done with them, but wasn't.

Create A Wrestler-4

The most disappointing factor in this game is it's CAW. It doesn't seem to have nearly enough clothing, face, or hair (which is a determining factor in how good any CAW is)options to make any original creations. However, the CAW lets you create excellent creations of current wrestlers who are not in the game. Brock Lesnar, Shawn Micheals, Billy and Chuck, and Buff Bagwell can all be made easily. However, the deep customization found in Smackdown:JBI, is not even close to being achieved here. However, your CAWs WILL look just as realistic as the in-game wrestlers do, something that JBI couldn't do.
Another big problem with the CAW is selecting an entrance video. Your CAW has to come out to an in-game wrestlers video. This would not be a problem if the videos weren't so specific to their owner, as they show clips of that wrestler, and flash his name in a lot of them. This looks quite stupid when your Lesnar CAW comes out to say, Austins video. You can, however, customize how your wrestler enters the ring by choosing select parts of existing wrestlers entrances which can lead to some neat combinations.
The CAW isn't great, but it has a fair amount of moves to use, even though some of the best moves (used overseas) aren't included.

Replay Value/Fun Factor-8
If you can get over the CAW, this game is extremely fun to play, and has better gameplay then any other next-Gen WWE titles. This game deserves a rental first, and you make the decision, but CAW isn't everything. Hopefully the sequel improves these problems, because if it does, it will be one of the greatest wrestling games ever.

OVERALL-7

Score

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/02, Updated 07/27/02