GameSpy Review of WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania

It's easy to envision THQ looking towards its strengths and customer demographics and coming to the conclusion that wrestling, and the lucrative WWE license in particular, are key to the company's future success. While Smackdown vs. Raw has sat atop the world of wrestling videogames for a while, fan reaction and simple math show there are plenty of wrestling fans not playing wrestling games (or if they are, they're playing older games on outdated consoles).





It would make sense for THQ to respond to this information with a game like WWE Legends of Wrestlemania, but unfortunately the game's limitations are such that it falls short, even as a simpler game revolving around a simpler time for wrestling. While I would rather see the right analog stick given as an option to complete moves, I understand the face buttons still hold a certain allure for many. However, when the action caused by using those buttons is haphazard and seemingly random at times, the game goes from fun to frustrating extremely quickly.





First off, it's difficult to know which buttons to push and when if you're in trouble. If you find yourself on the mat, you need to tap all four face buttons as quickly as possible in order to gain a reversal or hop to your feet. Or, you can just hold down any button, which sometimes works faster. Sometimes. There are times when if you hold down a button instead of tapping all of them repeatedly that nothing happens at all, leading to all sorts of bad things like getting pinned for a three-count or allowing your opponent to steal championship belts hanging above ladders. Other times the circular meter signaling for you to tap all four buttons during your time of distress will vanish, but you'll still be paralyzed on the mat. Sometimes you'll bounce up after a short period of time regardless of whether you tap the face buttons or not, and other times you're stuck on the ground like a turtle on its back.










During "chain grapples" you're supposed to pay attention to the HUD for which button to push. When the corresponding button comes up you must press it quicker than your opponent. Not bad in theory, but anything that takes attention away from the action at hand seems to be compensating for a lack of interesting wrestling.





The same types of lapses occur in the animation. The wrestlers sometimes bounce to other spots on the screen, usually to give the other wrestler a better opportunity to perform a strike or grapple. Both standing and lying down, I saw several different moments when either my character or my opponent were suddenly moved to another spot. It's almost as if the action is preordained at times, and it doesn't help that often your character won't move in the direction you want him to, or that Legends of Wrestlemania doesn't even give you an opportunity to sprint or move with any sort of speed at all unless you're bouncing off the ropes.

















While the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, there will undoubtedly be fans of this game due to the characters involved and the video treatments. The lineup includes 38 legendary wrestlers and 4 managers, including most of the big stars from the past 30 years (the most notable exception being Randy "Macho Man" Savage). Frankly, rolling through each character early on was one of the more enjoyable portions of the game. How can one not smile when taking a gander at Andre the Giant, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka or Ravishing Rick Rude (admit it, you know you can't resist the mustache/mullet combo). Along with the bonus of actual Wrestlemania footage from the WWE archives molded into entertaining three-to-five minute vignettes, LOW is almost like a trip down memory lane with a videogame attached.





Unfortunately, the transition from videoclips to the actual game can be a bit jarring due to the renderings of the wrestlers -- particularly their musculature, which for every wrestler is larger than life and in many cases as defined as Terrell Owens. THQ clearly wanted to bestow Legends with an arcade feel, but weren't most of these wrestlers already taking steroids back in the 1980s and '90s? I don't know who they were trying to protect by making everyone look like an action figure in this game, the wrestlers themselves or the people playing this game. Yes, King Kong Bundy was over 400 pounds and by all accounts a very strong individual, but that doesn't mean he had defined triceps.










The gameplay is mostly based on reliving, rewriting or redefining great moments from Wrestlemania history, which consists of achieving several goals throughout the match like performing a reversal or a strong grapple. The bonus of completing these missions is unlocking more great video montages from Wrestlemanias past. Otherwise you can create your own wrestler and try your hand at "Legend Killer," where you face a gauntlet of superstars. The good news here is you can import created wrestlers from Smackdown vs. Raw, but if you're a fan of SvR chances are you probably won't be playing Legends too much.





Of course, THQ didn't make Legends of Wrestlemania for SvR fans, and I can't fault it for trying to get the most out of its WWE licensing dollar. The premise is good -- a game for wrestling fans who can quote every moment of past Wrestlemanias who want nothing to do with a newfangled control system. If the action was consistent and engaging Legends could have been a major success, what with all the great video archives and a crowd-pleasing lineup of wrestlers. Too bad the gameplay and controls probably won't be enough to make Legends of Wrestlemania a superior option to purchasing Wrestlemania DVDs and getting your nostalgia fix from watching those instead.

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