This is the second version of WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game I’ve played. It has several advantages over the SNES version, but I have the same problems with it as I did with that game. Playing arcade games now can be a little rough, especially when there wasn’t anything added to the console port.
If I played this in the arcade, I would’ve had a different experience. As an arcade game, it is pretty good. It is closer to a fighting game than a pro wrestling game. The developers did a good job of getting as many quarters from the player as possible.
I might have been too harsh on the SNES version. However, I think the Genesis version is a little better. It has a larger roster, and the graphics look a bit better to me. It still suffers from the same problems the SNES had, specifically a lack of game modes and a small roster.
TLDR: WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is fun, but there isn’t much to it.
Gameplay
Two game modes. This is the same as the Arcade game and the other ports. You can play for the Intercontinental Championship or the WWF Championship. I can’t complain too much, but it is very disappointing that more wasn’t added to the home ports of the game.
You can play with a second player either head-to-head or cooperatively. It would be nice if there were more game modes beyond this, but it is what it is. At least the games are consistent in the game modes.
Matches are two out of three falls. This means you have to win two matches to advance to the next fight, much like in a fighting game. Which isn’t all that surprising, given that Midway made the original game.
With the Intercontinental Championship, the first four matches have you facing one character. Then you have two matches where it is a two-on-one match; however, the enemies can attack each other. The last match is three-on-one, but your opponents can hit each other.
With the WWF Championship has you facing two opponents right off the bat. This is rough, but it isn’t impossible. It is incredibly cheap, though. I’m guessing you face three opponents later in this mode, but I couldn’t get this far. It was annoying!
There are eight playable characters in the Sega Genesis version of the game. Here is the list:
- Doink
- Razor Ramon
- The Undertaker
- Yokozuna
- Bam Bam Bigalow
- Shawn Michaels
- Brett Hart
- Lex Luger
It isn’t a bad roster. It does cause some funny moments, like when you end up fighting against two versions of the same character. Like when I fought two Brett Harts and two Lex Lugers.
Much like the SNES game I reviewed ago, I wish there was more to this game. The two game modes are fine, but I would’ve liked to see more modes. It would’ve been great to have a two-player mode or a tag team tournament.
Overall, the gameplay is excellent, but there isn’t much to it. There are wrestling moves in the game, and then there are the over-the-top cartoonish attacks that make the game fun.
Visuals
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game is the best-looking WWF game on the Genesis. This version looks a little better than the SNES version, in my opinion. Saturday Night Slam Masters looks better than this game, but it is close.
The digitized sprites look great, the ring and crowd look fantastic, and the animation of the moves looks excellent. The developers did a much better job on the port of this game when compared to the first Mortal Kombat.
There are some strange things, though. Your character will occasionally snap into place when attacking or being attacked. It is odd to see. This doesn’t impact the gameplay all that much, but it is interesting to see something like this happen.
Overall, this game looks fantastic! The digitized sprites look great on the Sega Genesis, and the presentation of the matches is great!
7/10. This version of the game was a little better than the SNES version. While the gameplay is the same, I felt that the two additional wrestlers and the better visuals helped this game out a lot. It still lacks game modes that should be expected for a game from the mid-90s.
Pros
- Pick-up-and-Play
- Excellent Graphics
- Good Controls
Cons
- Few Game Modes
- Small Roster
- Can Get a Little Cheap at Times
Conclusion
I wish this were a better game. It has many things going for it, but a lack of game modes sinks it. This style worked well in the arcades and fighting games, but this is a wrestling game. That might be where some of the problems originate.
It is a fighting game that uses WWF wrestlers, and it has wrestling moves instead of martial arts moves. The game has an over-the-top and cartoonish style, which matched what was on the WWF television shows at the time.
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is a good arcade game, but it is an average console game. It has excellent graphics, but the gameplay isn’t all that great. This is a hybrid of a fighting game and a wrestling game. If there were more to this, it would’ve been one of the best wrestling games on the system.