Developer: Rare Publisher: Acclaim Release: 02/89 Genre: Sports
As an early adopter of the NES you eventually became use to disappointment. While the early years were full of wide eyed promise as games began to explore new genres eventually you began to learn that bad games exist. Licensed titles were a constant source of disappointment and they almost always came from Acclaim. But you still had hope. As a humongous wrestling fan WWF Wrestlemania was on my radar. Unfortunately it took less than thirty minutes to realize it was a dog. Stay the hell away from this game.
As a late 80s title the game’s small roster is composed of some of the most popular wrestlers at the time. Hulk Hogan is obviously the game’s poster boy as he was still the face of wrestling at the time. The Macho Man was the WWF champion so he is a shoe in. Andre the Giant was the biggest heel at the time and is just so marketable that he had to get in. The Honkey Tonk Man might seem like a strange choice but a little context; at the time the game was in development he was still the Intercontinental champion which is why he is present rather than the Ultimate Warrior. The Million Dollar Man and Bam Bam Bigelow are definite head scratchers but do make for welcome diversity at least. So while I wish the cast were bigger at least there is some reasoning behind their choices.
Mechanically the controls are simple. Even though the number of buttons limits your options they do offer some unique moves per character. Both A and B produce simple strikes that differ depending on the character. Hulk Hogan will either throw an uppercut or big boot while the Macho Man has a quick kick or elbow smash. Bam Bam Bigelow’s deceptive agility is shown off with his running cartwheel. I would have liked to see everyone have their signature attack but considering the publisher that is asking too much. All characters can perform a body slam and climb the turnbuckle for a drop attack. Running against the tightropes to perform a dash attack has its issues but at least it is there. These are about the only good things I can say about the game.
Just an awkward mess from top to bottom.
In practice WWF Wrestlemania is a complete mess. Movement overall is sluggish and feels lumbering. Something as simple as running against the tightropes takes more finesse than it should and often ends in failure. Forget about climbing the turnbuckle; as stupid as it sounds you have to be running to even attempt it. In all these decades I have probably seen it done less than five times. Throws and grapples do not exist in the game which is bonkers. That comprises 90% of what makes wrestling great! In the absence of that all you can do is whittle your opponent’s life bar using regular punches and kicks which is lame. I can play Double Dragon if I want to do that. Even Pro Wrestling is more accomplished than this.
With such lackluster mechanics every match is a drag. As you attack your energy drains but will also replenish if you avoid damage. During the course of a match a character themed item will occasionally scroll by to restore health. Because of the regenerating health mechanic trying to pin the computer will either happen immediately or they will kick out constantly. I want to say it depends on the wrestler but I cannot be sure and I’ll be god damned if I’m going to play this some more to verify. Just know that pinning your opponent is a frustrating experience, both getting the three count and initiating the damn action. I completed the tournament for completions sake and honestly I feel like I wasted my time.
The one legit great aspect of the game is its music. David Wise rarely misses, even on the NES. The 8-bit renditions of the character themes are generally excellent and instantly recognizable. They are chopped up and short but considering how long the matches last at least sonically you are given a treat. The music is dynamic and will switch both character themes in a match as well which was unusual for the time. Sadly this is the only enjoyable part of the game.
In Closing
WWF Wrestlemania is a disappointment on almost every level. The roster is small, the content is bare bones, and the gameplay is awful. A good soundtrack does not save this one. It is pretty sad that Pro Wrestling, a game released years earlier is better in every way. I would gladly have taken a butchered port of WWF Superstars instead. Oh well.
