WWE Road to WrestleMania X8

"Simply a Good Wrestling Game"

After reading so many ''BAD REVIEWS'' of the first Wrestlemania on GBA, I started to ponder my mind on whether or not I should purchase game. It was sold out everywhere from Gamestop to EB, to Wal-Mart. So my last option was of course.... eBay. Shipping was fast and there I was about to unleash the power from within.

Graphics: 10/10
This is the power of the GBA in your hands. This is what the GBA is capable of doing. The wrestlers are very easy to recognize. From Bubba Ray's Goggles, to Hulk Hogan's bald head, this is what I would expect from this game. Although the crowd is mostly made up of clones from the same people in the crowd, let's be honest, this isn't PS2 here. The finishers look very nice on this game. Heck, the ring entrances don't even look bad.

Sound: 9/10
The sound is ''A-OK''. Although there are some cheesy sounds like Booker T's scissors kick and hitting someone with a fire extinguisher, but let's not let this little thing bring this game down. Slamming wrestlers on the mat sounds is just about the closest you can get to the real thing. This game also has makeover entrance themes.

Gameplay: 8/10
Simple buttons from B-Striking Attack, A-Grapple, L-Reverse, R- Run, you just can't really do much with 4 buttons, but that should be a problem. Although from time-to-time, the A.I. get's very predictable. Even putting it on HARD DIFFICULTY isn't much of a task.

Modes: 9/10
I personally didn't think all of the game modes would possibly fit into one little cartridge, but after seeing how long Golden Sun is, it's made a real believer in me.
There are tons of modes of play such as: Cage,Royal Rumble,Elimination(Battle Royal),Hardcore,Submission Only, Fatal-4-Way,Triple Threat,Lumberjack,Handicap,a Royal Rumble mode in which you start as #1 and you once you fall over the top, you can' press select to change your character. The GAUNTLET mode never seems to end. You can pick the amount of opponents you want to face from 1-14, and a time limit. There also is a CHAMPIONSHIP mode, which is a season, where you can fight for the TAG TEAM BELTS,THE INTERCONTINENTAL BELT,THE HARDCORE BELT, AND THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONSHIP.
The pay-per-view mode is awesome. You set up the matches, you call the shots. It's either do-or-die. You have to impress the boss by getting a good rating,attendance, and points. If you don't get a good rating you go down the drain, get a good one, you'll survive through the next PPV.

Closing Remarks:
This is a game that's worth buying, definitely an improvement over the cartoonish style Wrestlemania X7 and far-better than the Fire Pro Wrestling series. If you can't find this in stores, go ahead and look on eBay or Half.com for a good bargain.

Overall- 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/26/03, Updated 05/26/03