WCW Nitro

"...this game is not as bad as you think."

After reading all the negative reviews of this game I had to write this review or there is no justice. First of all if you think that "Nitro 64" is a deluxe version of "Revenge" then you will be fairly disappointed. This is probably one of the reasons why this game was dogged on the day of its release. This game plays very differently than "Revenge" and is, in its own right a completely different game. I have to admit that it really is not as good as "Revenge" but this game is not as bad as you think. When I first read the reviews I was not to eager to pick up the game but I did anyway and to my surprise it turned out to be a pretty good game. Nuff said read the review.

If you liked Nitro on the PSX then you'l love this slightly upgraded N64 port. This is the prettiest wrestling title on the N64 so far. The wrestlers are very detailed and colorful and use "soft skinned" technology to eliminate the blocky feel, and clipping found in "Revenge". The frame rate is not excellent but it is far from bad. One thing that really seperates this version from the PSX version is the "Speed". This game plays so fast that if you blink the match is over. O.K. not that fast but an average match last about 1 and a half to 2 minutes. It really gives you that "Arcade" feel. Unlike "Revenge" this game has "Street Fighter" style life bars. You do moves on your opponent until his life bar flashes red, then you do a finishing move, then you pin him and win the match. The moves might feel unresponsive in the begining but later become very easy to pull of with a little practice. This game is NOT about sensless button mashing. Most of the moves are done by a sequence of 2 to 3 button presses. (EG. upC,upC,rightC = Piledriver)The key to getting moves off on your opponent is to press your button sequence before your opponent does. (Tip: Try doing the sequence while your opponent is in the middle of getting up.) The quicker you press the buttons the higher the chance of getting the moves off. Now lets look at the different modes of play. There's 1PTournament(Unlock Hidden Wrestlers), 1P Exibition, 1P Tag Team, 2P V.S., 2P Tag Team, and Battle Royal. The 1PTounament mode is a 10 round tournament for the WCW belt. Each time you win a belt with a wrestler you unlock a hidden wrestler. Clear the tournament mode with every wrestler for a total of 64 different wrestlers. (Note: There are even more hidden wrestlers including all the Nitro Girls, for a total of over 80 if you have a Game Shark!)On the down side, the moves for the initial 16 wrestlers are used over and over again for the hidden wrestlers. This means don't expect to see signature moves for hidden wrestlers. (Chris Benoit is the only hidden wrestler that I found with his own signature moves.)The multiplayer mode is also a stinker. Only two human players can compete in tag team mode and the only 4 Player mode, (Battle Royal) suffers from slowdown.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a fast paced, arcade type, wrestling game for your N64 then this game is for you.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99