WCW vs. NWO: World Tour

"Good wrestling game, but not as good as Revenge"

WCW vs. NWO: World Tour has the distinction of being the first wrestling game on the Nintendo 64, and for a first effort it's pretty good. There are many selectable characters, including Hollywood Hogan, the Giant, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Syxx, Eric Bischoff, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Ric Flair, Scott Steiner, Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, Diamond Dallas Page, Eddy Guerrero, Rey Mysterio Jr., Sting, Fake Sting and the Ultimo Dragon. The game uses the grapple system, now a standard in this line of wrestling games. How it works is that two players lock up, or grapple. Depending on who presses a button, what button is pressed, and if it is tapped or held, a move is executed. If the other player taps a button at the right time, he can reverse the move. Most wrestling in the game is done this way. There are many options, such as whether count outs are applicable, and the rules of the match can be altered. Weapons can be found in the crowd by pressing the top C button. Another aspect to know about is the spirit meter. Every player has one, and every time he does a move or taunts his opponent, it gets bigger, until it maxes out and hits special. When this happens, you get a burst of energy, and most wrestlers can execute their finishing move when in this state by engaging in a strong lock up (hold the button) and rotating the analog control stick. This game supports up to four players.

Graphics: 7/10

Big wrestlers, but lots of clipping. Also, many wrestlers look nothing like their real life counterparts, and their bodies are often unrealistically shaped. On the other hand, most moves look beautiful, as do the arena and outside area (except the crowd).

Sound: 7/10

Pretty good, though wrestler entrance music would have been nice. The sound effects are accurate and plentiful.

Gameplay: 8/10

You either hate the grapple system or you love it. Personally I like it, but everyone will have a favorite. The advantage of the grapple system over the combo-like button presses of Warzone and Attitude is that anyone can pick up this game and play. You don't even need a move list because the moves are so easy. The negative is the same thing: anyone can pick it up and play. Hours of practice don't mean much sometimes when someone comes in and madly taps buttons, which works wonders sometimes. The variety of moves is very good, and most wrestlers have moves that they execute in real life. However, as stated in the graphics department, many wrestlers, such as Scott Steiner, Eddy Guerrero and Chris Benoit, look nothing like their real life counterparts, and Eric Bischoff is as buff as Kevin Nash. There's something wrong with that. The four player mode is fun and will keep you going for a while. The weapons are a nice touch as well.

Replay: 9/10

A respectable amount of wrestlers and play modes. This game will keep you going for some time.

Overall: 7/10

Not a bad game, but there are some flaws, and Revenge is much better overall. I recommend you only get this game if there are wrestlers you want that are not in Revenge; otherwise, get Revenge instead because it's better than World Tour in every respect.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 07/16/01