Showdown: Legends of Wrestling

"Showdown: The Disappointment? In some parts...not all"

Showdown: Legends of Wrestling, the game that was supposed to basically keep you occupied until November for the new Smackdown game. The only problem, this game was full of horrible disappointments. Even though some of the features are better than the first two installments, this time around, Acclaim either got a little careless with some of the modes, or basically just gave up and began adding more legends. Now, whose ever reading this is probably thinking what do I know about wrestling, well let me tell you guys something, I've been a wrestling fan all my life, I have almost every single major, as in WCW, ECW, and WWE, wrestling game created for Playstation and PS2, XBox, Super NES, and N64. So, I basically know what I want in a wrestling game, and I know basically everything you need to know to be a hardcore wrestling fan. Now, onto what I really thought about the game.

Graphics: 7/10
This is probably the greatest part of the game. Now even though the figures basically look like rubber, they still move around alright, even though when they run it looks like they're walking fast. I really like what they've done with the blood. It actually looks real! And I think it's a huge improvement from LOW 2. I mean, now you can have multiple cuts on your or the opponent's forehead, and it actually drips down. What's also great is that there are different size cuts made.

The other notable improvement graphics/design wise are the arenas. The fact that they were not only real legendary arenas that have held their share of classic matches in their day, but that they all look real, or are designed like classic pay per views. I mean, the Pontiac Silverdome and L.A. Sports Arena are set up exactly like WrestleMania's 3 and 7. I also like how they actually look like arenas, and not lik LOW 2 where it felt like you were fighting in the Roman Coliseum.

Roster: 8/10
Yeah, I'm making my own category for the roster. And some of you are probably wondering, how can you not have a 10 out of 10 for the roster, it's simple, I think Acclaim left out a few "off the top" legends who didn't make the cut. Even though this is the greatest roster in the history of wrestling games, it is missing a few. I mean, where's Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, The Andersons, Sergent Slaughter, and Pedro Morales. They're all legends, or have had legendary feuds with some of legends in the game. I mean, does anyone remember Hulk's feud with Slaughter? Or Dusty Rhodes's feud with Arn Anderson? What about Sting and Barry Windham's feud? They were all classics, then why would only one half of those feuds make it onto the game? I mean, this roster is stacked, but it's missing a few main superstars from the 80s.

Gameplay/Controls: 4/10
The gameplay is pretty embarrassing, even for a wrestling game. Some of the controls are confusing. Even though the grappling system and striking is easy to pick up on, the fact you can stop doing a taunt is pretty stupid, and to do the finishers is pretty strange, I mean, why wouldn't you be able to do Macho Man's elbow drop when he's on the top rope. But instead you have to be at the perfect position so you don't do a tombstone piledriver. I also wish the reversal system was like the first two Legends of Wrestling, I mean, when the icon comes up to press square to reverse it, I press the button and nothing happens, and you don't really know when you should press it, you basically just have to guess. But one thing that's wrong, when you're getting up, and you try to hit him while you are crouching, one time, the guys back was turned and he hit me!

Match types and entrances: 3/10
This is one of the weakest things about the game. I don't understand why you can only have one on one cage, ladder, table, iron man matche, etc. What about tag team cage, ladder, or table matches? And the fact that some of the matches can get boring, even though I like the 8 man elimination matches, it brings back the memories of classic Survivor Series matches.

One of the disappointments to me, has definitely have to be the entrances. Jimmy really did do a great job at the themes, and he did make them sound as real as he could, I just Vince would allow Acclaim to use their old themes for once. At least they got the guys who were in WCW's theme. I just wish some of the entrances were better. WHEN WILL HULK REALLY RIP HIS SHIRT OFF! I've been waiting for a game that would have Hulk Hogan rip his shirt off during his entrance. That's enough marking for Hulk. His entrance wasn't the only one I was disappointed about. I think Macho Man's is way too short. And I was hoping they would've changed some of the entrances and not kept the same ones for some of the guys.

Game Modes: 6/10
There is only one reason why I gave this game a 6 out of 10 for it's modes and that's because I love the classic matchup mode, where you actually start a match at some point and have to change some of the outcomes. Like how you have to have Macho Man defeat the Warrior at what would've been WrestleMania 7, instead of losing. That's one of the main reasons why I liked the game.

The legend showdown in my view was all out embarrassing. 15 matches? And to top it all off, you don't even get anything for it! You beat Legend Showdown, oh wait! No one can, because there's nothing to beat! This has to be the worst Career/Season whatever you want to call it, ever in a wrestling game.

Sound: 4/10
WOO HOO! Commentary! This was one of the most hyped things about the game, and it was a major disappointment. Sure it was Tony Schiavone, Larry Zybysko, and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, but let's admit, it got repetitive. At least it was better than all the other games that had commentary. I mean, the guys actually talked to each other, and they all have comments about each individual wrestler.

Bobby: Hey Tony, remember when Macho Man came off the top rope with the ring bell *laughs* and almost ended Ricky Steamboat's career?

Tony: Yeah, but I didn't think it was very funny.

Bobby: No...no it wasn't, I just think it would've been better if he would've hit him right between the eyes.

I like the ring announcing, but I'm not sure if it's just my game, or if it happens to everyone, but when I do 8 man tag matches, it always skips the second or thrid person, depending on how fast they were getting into the ring. I also wish Acclaim did a better job with it looking like they were actually talking. And during Legends Showdown, when they're reading the storyline, they always skip over the person's name that's in the phrase.

Also, the sound is a little off on my game. I mean, you hear the punch after the guy swings. Or you hear the sound of the mat before anybody hits the ground. This is something Acclaim needs to work on, desperately.

Replay ability: 8/10
Sure. I'll play it again, it's fun making new combinations of teams and facing off with them in 8 man elimination matches. I mean, it's not like I'll never play this game again. It's pretty fun doing those matches. Or you can recreate classic matches of your own, and have huge fantasy matches. So, I mean, everyone seems to be saying, they played it once, and they'll never play it again. Come on, this isn't one of those games where you buy, beat it in three days, and wish you didn't buy it in the first place. You'll always end up playing it, hell, I said the same thing with LOW 2 when I beat it, but I still play it. I mean, I've made some classic teams already. Hell, I even make fantasy cards, and play through them, it's like create a ppv, just it's not actually in the game. Even though Create a legend was a major disappointment, doesn't mean you can't create some people so you can make dream cards. I mean, you can create Shawn Michaels or the Rock and have that fantasy matchup against Ricky Steamboat or Randy Savage that people have wanted. All I'm saying is, that this game is just like LOW 2, you can have so many fantasy matches, you don't want to stop playing it.

Fun Factor: 7/10
Basically for the fact that you can have so many fantasy matches, it's unbelievable. And the fact that you can form teams that no one could imagine. Just today I made a team with King Kong Bundy, Andre, Big John Studd, and Abdullah the Butcher! Or I had a fantasy ladder match with Sabu and Owen Hart. There are so many possibilities this game has, that even though there are some glitches and disappointments, they get covered up with all the classic moments you can create that never happened.

So in conclusion, this game does have its disappointments, but all games do. You can never make a perfect game. All games will have bugs or glitches. Even though I was disappointed at first, I made up for all of it, and made some great fantasy matches that we've always wanted to see. Now even though this game isn't the greatest wrestling game ever, you can still have a lot of fun with it.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/04