Legends of Wrestling

"It may be flawed, and it lacks Mr. Perfect, but this game is still great."

Acclaim has made many controversial wrestling games in the past few years. Games like WWF Attitude and ECW: Anarchy Rulz have been the topic of many debates. Some feel that those games are great, while others feel they are utter garbage. So when ECW went bankrupt last year, it seemed that Acclaim was out of the wrestling game business. But Acclaim instead made Legends of Wrestling. This game is completely different from any other pro wrestling game Acclaim has made. But is this a good thing?

Graphically, the game is a mixed bag. The character models look good, but are kind of catoony at the same time. I feel that this is great. The 1980s wrestling gimmicks were very cartoony, such as Hulk Hogan. It really makes you feel like you are getting the same experience that you would get from watching an old WWF tape. The arenas look great. There are several different areans to choose from, since they are divided into territories. That also greatly contributes to the realism of Legends of Wrestling. I think the main problem graphically with this game is that the faces are horrid. There is only one base face for all the wrestlers, and they just add hair and such to make the wrestler look different from the others. This is very disappointing. So guys like Bret Hart look nothing like Bret Hart. This also detracts from the horrid Create-A-Legend, but I'll get to that soon.

The game is fairly strong in the sound department. Guys like Jimmy Hart lend their voices to give advice to your wrestler during career mode. The thuds of bodies hitting the mat and baseball bats cracking bones are great. But since this game doesn't have a license from any wrestling organization, Acclaim had to make up new entrance music for each wrestler. Some of them, while sounding different, still fit the wrestler well. Jerry Lawler's entrance is a prime example. But some of them just sounds so out of place. Ted DiBiase's is definitely a good example of this. There is a ring announcer who announces the name, height, weight, and hometown of each wrestler.

The controls are completely different from any Acclaim game. You can now link moves together via the ISP system. It is definitely a change from really any other American wrestling game, but you can get used to it with practice. The controls are responsive, which is something that previous Acclaim wrestling titles can't claim.

The career mode is great. You start off as a jobber traveling through various territories gaining each territory's world title. You then become the USA champion, touring the entire United States. You then go after the World Title, traveling the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Japan. You may have a singles match, a 3 or 4 way match, or a tag match in your quest for gold. While doing this, you have to do specific things in order to get over with the crowd. And while doing this, you unlock hidden wrestlers, moves, and attribute points. The career mode takes forever to beat, so there is a lot of replay.

The Create-A-Legend is horrid, unfortunately. It takes forever to load a move or style, there is a limited selection of everything, and there is only one base face! Considering that games like Smackdown: Just Bring It! and even WWF Attitude have great create modes, this career mode really fails to impress.

The game is limited when it comes to modes. You can have a career mode, of course. And in single mode, you can have a one on one matchup, a handicap match, or a tag match. Pretty generic, but fun. Considering that 1980s wrestling didn't have table matches or barbed wire matches, this really isn't a problem.

There are tons of legendary wrestlers to choose from in this game. While it doesn't have everyone you might want, such as Ric Flair, Randy Savage, or Mr. Perfect, it still delivers. You can choose: Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Jimmy Snuka, Jerry Lawler, The Road Warriors, Rob Van Dam, Jimmy Hart, Lou Albano, Tony Atlas, King Kong Bundy, Ted DiBiase, The Von Erich family, The Rock And Roll Express, Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Mr. Fuji, One Man Gang, Eddie Gilbert, Billy Graham, Dynamite Kid, Ivan Koloff, Rick Martel, Don Muraco, Bob Orton, Brian Pillman, Ivan Putzki, Harley Race, Sabu, Tito Santana, Iron Shiek, The Shiek, Ricky Steamboat, George Steele, Greg Valentine, Nikolai Volkoff, and Koko B. Ware. A very impressive list.

Break It Down
Graphics: 8
Sound: 7
Controls: 8
Career Mode: 10
Create A Legend: 5
Modes: 8
Wrestler List: 9

The Final Word
Vintage wrestling fans will love this game, even though it is a new experience. Regardless, I suggest renting before purchasing. Give it some time, and it will really grow on you.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/29/01, Updated 02/17/02