Video Game Review – Legends of Wrestlemania
Arcade Style Wrestling, Impressive Roster, 360 & PS3
A far cry from the perennial favourite, THQ's Smackdown Vs. Raw, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania is a throwback to the days where the arcade reigned supreme – with simplified controls and a focus on the action rather than on the bells and whistles, this title is sure to please fans of old school wrestling and is a nice trip down memory lane.
Great Roster, Venues, and Match Modes
The strongest point of Legends of Wrestlemania would likely be the robust roster, a list comprised of over forty superstars that one would be hard pressed to find lacking. Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Ravishing Rick Rude, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Andre the Giant and more are all present in the game with their original entrance themes, taunts, moves, and mannerisms. Managers are also included in the game, notably Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart amongst others.
The choice of venue is also quite suitable, although the arenas themselves are bit on the pale side graphically – a problem that plagues this title throughout. The textures of the arena look somewhat flat and stale, and the crowd models and animation is extremely reminiscent of the early PS2 era. However, the variety is still nice to have present, and one can choose to enter the squared circle in 16 different arena's – ranging from Wrestlemania 1 through 15 and including the WWE Raw stage set up. That's right, your legendary matchups can take place at the Silverdome or even Caesar's Palace!
The match modes include your typical fare, ranging from exhibition matches, tag team matches, hell in a cell, and of course the royal rumble. Further, there is a fairly robust Wrestlemania Tour Mode that includes three different options : Relive, Rewrite, and Redefine. Before each of the matches involved in these three modes, a video montage will be shown relating the emotion and storyline arc that led to the confrontation you are about to take part in.
Seeing these legends in their heyday is extremely nostalgic and the footage used is superb. Will Hulk Hogan deliver that body slam to Andre the Giant and claim the belt in the Silverdome? That is entirely up to you.
A Few Drawbacks, Final Thoughts
As stated earlier, the weak point of WWE's Legends of Wrestlemania is surely the graphics and textures used on the crowd and arenas. Even the menu system itself looks somewhat primitive – surely not necessary on next-gen titles. With an additional month of work being put into the project to enhance the atmosphere of the venues themselves (as well as including original entrance videos) this title would have risen from good to simply great.
As it stands, it comes recommended only to fans of the golden age of wrestling – and to those players who enjoy a more arcade style wrestling experience with plenty of competetive Quick Time Events to keep you guessing with regards to reversals and finishers.
When the dust settles and the three count has been made – Legends of Wrestlemania stands as good effort that does a decent job of serving up a bit of machismo and nostalgia alongside a dose of classic arcade action. At full price, it may be a bit of a miss due to the obvious production values that break through graphically – but at a reduced price it is well worth a purchase, and if it can be had at a budget value, a true bargain.
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