WWE WrestleMania XIX

"Does this game surpass its predecessor, Wrestlemania 18? Find the answer inside."

Yes this game does surpass Wrestlemania 18 in many ways. The graphics are remodeled, game play engine redone, and many more.

Graphics-8- the graphics are pretty good but not great. The graphics can get a little blurry at times but at other times, they look fantastic. The character models are redone from the last cube wrestling game. And I don't mean Ultimate Muscle; I mean WWE Wrestle mania 18. This is the first game since No Mercy to feature blood. Only this game and Smackdown Her comes the Pain has blood. The blood looks ok, but that is the best that they can do. There are not usually any slow downs and such. The pyro..Well.its not that jaw dropping. Angle's pyro is horrific; it doesn't even have its red white and blue fireworks. That is just minor though. Overall the graphic are pretty well done, but not extraordinary.

Story mode-6- there is a lot of hype for this so-called story mode called ''Revenge''. I rather have the traditional story mode than rather this. The plot is that you got fire by Vince and Stephanie came to your rescue. There is something you have to do in order to get your job back...DESTROY. It is not that good as you think. There are very few cut scenes in the game. It can get very frustrating at times. If you defeat a level you can unlock revenge stages in exhibition. It can be fun if you have a friend around. You also earn money for Shopzone. I will tell you about that later. You can also unlock wrestlers. The wrestlers are not even real wrestlers except with a few exceptions. Revenge mode didn't come out as we expected.

Sound-7- The music is pretty sweet with a few exceptions. Some people don't their original music due to some problems they are facing..copy rights maybe? The groans are very good, and realistic. The voices for Stacy Kiebler for Shopzone and Snow for Training are pretty good. Over all the sound is about average.

Gameplay-10-No mercy eat your heart out. This is one of the key points of the game that makes this game shine like a Lighthouse in the dark. The game play is like No Mercy but it is a little faster though. It fit perfectly for me. I think Smackdown series are too fast and the No Mercy game is too slow, but this is in the between which is good. When you are at high places, you can chokeslam people at on top to the ground, which is pretty cool. There is also Shopzone; it is like Smackdown Mall from the Legendary No Mercy. Stacy Kiebler hosts it. You by ability points for your CAW (Create a Wrestler)(Create a superstar in this game), Weapons, Clothes, accessories, and more. There is also training mode hosted by Al Snow. I highly recommend that you finish Training because you get to know the basic and also you get 5000 Shopzone money.

Controls-10- the controls are pretty simple if you are used to them. The controls are pretty much the same from X8 with some minor modifications. There is some new, in revenge mode, you can use the C-stick is a camera. It is pretty cool; you can also unlock it to make it usable in exhibition. Overall, the controls are excellent.

Create a Superstar-10- The Create a Superstar is very deep. There is a bunch of part in this game. I can't explain how detailed it is, but I can say is that it is a lot part that could satisfy you. There is also something new to create a Superstar. The Entrance Editor is a feature in the game that you can edit entrances in way that you can imagine. You can choose pyros, taunts, lighting, timing, and much more. This is what that is neat about this game. This is one of the best aspects about the game.

Replay-9- The game is going to last you for ages. It is fun to have a couple of friends aver and play until you hearts content.

Rent or buy- I highly recommend that you buy if you are a wrestling fan whose passion is robust game play. I recommend that you rent if you want to try something new. I also recommend that you buy if you are remotely a NO Mercy fan.


In conclusion this is a game that is going to last you for quite a long time. This game surpasses its predecessor by so much. Almost everything is improved from X8. This is truly a great game. Oh by the way, on the back of the game, it says, ''Where superstar become legends''. I think they meant the Wrestlemania XIX; the event itself is the place where superstar becomes legends not the game because in this game there is nowhere superstar become legends stuff. Any who, well, so long, and game on

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/20/03