WWE WrestleMania X8

"The grand daddy of all GCN wrestling games!"

Alright, so the WWE has made some impactful games thanks to companies including Acclaim and THQ, and in the early years of this decade spawned some great wrestling games like WWF Smackdown! and WWF Smackdown! 2 for the Sony Playstation in 2000, as a better follow-up to War Zone and Attitude, in the late 90's, and they certainly were good games. But in this day and age, each company wants their share of WWE games, and Wrestlemania X8 certainly hit the spot as a good start-off wrestling game for the Nintendo Gamecube. It was only just as good, if not better, than WWE Raw for the Xbox. But I didn't enjoy this game as much as I did for No Mercy for the N64, which still holds the crown of great wrestling games. This game is probably a step-down from that game, as the Seson mode and Championship title battles got way too repetitive and there weren't so much wrestlers, and if THQ had put a bigger effort, this game could have produced a lot more excitement, but overall, this game isn't bad.

WWE Wrestlemania X8, released in '02, is a counterpart to Raw and Smackdown! Just Bring It. Each game had their advantages and disadvantages over each other. This game has some of the best modes, and over 40 titles set at different difficulties to wrestle for. The control system is a bit fudgy though, and a bit awkward to be playing with. It does feature excellent graphics, but the animation is questionable, when Raw's and JBI's was a lot smoother. This game features the biggest stars of the WWE today (well, maybe excluding Brock Lesnar) and is set around last year's magnificent phenomenon Pay-Per-View. And to say the least, this game was magnificently traced and the game is well cool.

And now, my run down!

Gameplay - 9/10

This game has the second best Gameplay of the three competitive WWE ames for Xbox, PS2 and GCN. First of all, you've got 40 championships you can battle for in the Battle For The Belts mode. And they are all at different difficulties, which range from very simple to button masher. It can be useful to beginners or the experienced, and getting all those titles can certainly take a few hours from your life for enjoyment. But it can get boring when you get to the Season mode to fight for the actual WWE Belts. It's just one fight after another. It gets dull after about 3 or 4 matches. What made the N64 version much more appealing and better to play was the storyline that they put in their Season mode, and they should have done it here. As for the control system, it's ok, but all confusing. What I really despise is these ''Push two buttons at one to execute a maneuver'' thing, the same for weapons and finishing maneuvers. The game has got some good-looking moves, and they aren't too hard to pull off. There are lots of modes to toy around with, too, including the Hell in a Cell match, which is one of my personal favourites couple with the Ladder match. The King of the Ring tourney is great, too. The CAW system is basic but quick, and above average, truth be told. Overall, the game impresses in the Gameplay factor, but improvements over Season mode could have probably earned a score of 10.

Story - N/A

There isn't a storyline in wrestling games, and the exclusion of one here makes the game too repetitive. But a storyline like the one in No Mercy for the N64 would have been a surefire winner.

Audio/Video - 8/10

I got a few things to say about the graphics of this game. First of all, they look the most realistic, thanks to the Gamecube's awesome power. The animation is a bit awkward though, for example, when the wrestlers are making their in-ring entrances. It could have been smoother, but then again, this isn't much of a deciding factor. The moves look smooth, too, and they are quickly pulled, which is a great deal of exellency in the deal of wrestling games. The soundtracks are very good, but what was rather baffling was that some wrestlers didn't have their actual entrance music, and that was a bit of a bummer. Some of their music had been replaced with treacle-packed remixes, or older music that wasn't as good. But overall it didn't fail to impress.

Replayability - HIGH

Each mode of play is magnificent, and you'll want to be playing over and over again. There is a ton of stuff to do in this game, and if you don't feel like unlocking it all, there's not too much to be upset over. My friend's brother dislikes wrestling, yet he enjoys the Royal Rumble mode, which is incredibly lovely to play. There are lots of stadiums to play, and just simply kicking another wrestler's {posterior} is fun. And multiplayer battles equals between two to four times the fun!

Buy or Rent? - ???

If you have a GameCube, this'll be a decent title to add to your collection, but if you don't like it, you should only buy it if you want to take a chance, because this can be hit or miss for those who are unfamiliar with wrestling. But at least one rent is decent for any person who would like to play this game. Heh.

Good things/Pros

Amazing graphics.
Many titles to unlock, bringing up enjoyment and difficulty range.
Lots of stuff to unlock.
Play modes are well cool.
Some of the best wrestlers.
Good-looking, smooth moves.

Bad things/Cons

The CAW system is way too basic.
The season mode was kind of a drag, and dull.
The remixes of the entrance music is treacly.
Where's Funaki??!!??

Overall - 8/10
A decent wrestling game for the Gamecube, and a should-have for owners of the system, and fans of wrestling. This game is a good start, and should be entertaining for a while.

Until Wrestlemania XIX!

The Conclusion
Decent duplication of the grand daddy of 'em all, and well worth a play.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/03, Updated 06/19/03