Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home

"Backyard What?!"

Graphics 9/10

The graphics in this game are pretty close to par for the Playstation 2. Not much to say about the graphics, but the cinemas of this game are great, they have a nice blur affect which adds a little realism to the game, which I must say is far from real.

Sound 10/10

The sound of this game is great. The music tracks in Backyard Wrestling range from Rap to Punk Rock. There is a wide number of tracks, ranging to around 40, including groups like ICP, Sum41, and Powerman5000. The character voices in Backyard Wrestling seem a little cheesy at times, but nothing to worry about. The sound FX in the game is that of any other game, but it's the large number of tracks that raises the overall sound experience.

Gameplay 3/10

This is were the game lacks for me. The wrestling moves in the game are very limited. The game itself is more of a fighting game then a pro-wrestling game. The game is very fast paced, too fast for my liking. The difficulty of the game is always a bit on the hard side, no matter which difficulty you're using. The story of the game is not interactive like what you'd find in a Smackdown title. The good aspect about the gameplay, are that the levels are very interactive, although 7 levels isn't very many. The Create a Wrestler options are very poor, leaving you unable to change their appearance from the one the game already has set for you. There are also very few moves to choose from, unlike other Wrestling games. There is a large amount of movies to unlock in this game, spanning about 5-20 minutes each. There are a few different modes to gameplay, but nothing you've never seen before.

Replay Value 7/10

The reply value of this game is ok, as there is a very large number of secrets to unlock, including characters and movies. And as this is an arcade title, the game is meant to last.

Final Recommendation 4/10

The gameplay of this game is true to that of an Arcade game, So if you don't like the idea of a Wrestling game based on Arcade style fighting, then this might not be a game for you. I would recommend this game to hardcore ICP fans, and hardcore fighting game fans.

Rent or Buy? Rent

This game isn't for everyone, so be sure to rent it first, if you planned on picking this one up.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 10/15/03