Title: Legends of Wrestlemania
Release: March 24, 2009
Genre: Wrestling
Developer: YUKE’s Future Media Creators
Publisher: THQ
Platform: Xbox 360
Rating: T (Teen)
Website: http://www.legendsofwrestlemania.com/
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Wrestlemania used to be one of the most electrifying spectacles of sports entertainment. Over the past two decades, its sheer hype and viewer ship rivaled that of the Super Bowl. Today, as we approach the twenty-fifth anniversary of Wretlemania, the viewers have dwindled along with the historic match’s relevancy. Not to say that Wrestlemania twenty-five is devoid of a following, it simply will not compare to the epic nature of Wrestlemanias past. In an effort to preserve the luster and magic of the first fifteen Wrestlemanias, THQ has released Legends of Wrestlemania, a virtual time capsule of some of the greatest wrestlers ever to enter the ring.
The presentation is obviously a labor of love. Actual footage of Wrestlemanias one through fifteen along with the events leading up to the matches are edited and shot like a documentary. If you were ever a fan of Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret “the Hitman” Hart or any other superstar from the eighties and nineties, you will lose your mind. For those who have never followed wrestling, it is nearly impossible not to be swept up by the enthusiasm infused footage and gain an appreciation for who these men were and how they helped define sports entertainment. From a game standpoint some wrestlers are rendered more accurately than others while all participants appear to be too shiny and somewhat toy like.
The music is taken directly from the WWE archives and the entrances sound perfect. The sound effects are largely forgettable with all wrestlers spewing out identical grunts. Other than the file footage, no wrestler has any voice recorded for in game bouts which makes for an eerie sight of wrestlers smack talking with no sound coming out. The only voices that play are the ringside announcers who tend to repeat themselves and say some pretty cheesy remarks.
The “create a legend” mode is absurdly detailed. With enough patience, one can generate any wrestler that comes to mind even fictional ones. This mode, however, is the only reason most players will continue to play after a week. The single player modes such as the “relive” and “redefine Wrestlemania” modes are unique but offer little replay value and the matches rarely last over two minutes. “Legend killer” mode which pits you against ten or more consecutive bouts will take longer to beat, but once again, there is little reason to revisit this mode after completion.
There are a number of technical issues in the game as well. Graphical hitches will throw off timing of moves while the “create a legend” will cook up some strange bugs regarding animation and polygonal tearing.
The biggest issue is the game’s lack of depth. Beyond watching some of the most memorable matches in history, there is really nothing to playing Legends of Wrestlemania. Moves more or less do the same amount of damage and feel purely aesthetical. Fights are not won with skill but with luck and timing. If you love wrestling games and have a friend who shares this love then by all means rent this title. I repeat—rent.
Overall Rating: * * ½ / 5
M. Michael Chwedyk "The Gamekok"- MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
April 3, 2009
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