The N64 only had one of the ECW games. I’m not sure how good or bad the game is on the N64, but I doubt it will be an improvement over the PS1 version. If you liked the control scheme in WWF Attitude, then you’ll like this game.
This game is a reskin of WWF Attitude, which means you’re getting the WWF version of an ECW game. It doesn’t replicate the ECW experience and is closer to the WWF version of ECW from the late 2000s. It was released in early 2000 and was dated by then.
I understand why Acclaim and ECW would do something like this. It was an easy way to get revenue for the struggling company, and Acclaim could get more mileage from their wrestling engine. This game doesn’t compare favorably to the Smackdown games, No Mercy, or WrestleMania 2000.
Author’s Note: I haven’t played the N64 version of WWF Attitude yet, so I’ll compare this to the PS1 versions of Attitude and Hardcore Revolution.
TLDR: This is a WWF version of what ECW was.
Narrative
While the game does not have a storyline, it does have a career mode that lets the player imagine a storyline. I’m glad this is here, but it isn’t as good as the career modes in the games released in the early 2000s. It lacks many of the features of the career modes in the Smackdown games, WWF No Mercy, and WWF WrestleMania 2000.
Gameplay
The gameplay felt a little awkward at times, and the controls became unresponsive as the game progressed. The more I played this game, the more things annoyed me. The manual is online, which is nice. Its quality isn’t that great, and there might be some other copies aside from the version I found.
ECW Hardcore Revolution has a large roster of wrestlers, and there are a bunch of game modes. I spent most of my time playing the career mode, but there are other options. These games did give the player a lot to do.
Wrestlers have a life bar. When the bar is dark red or empty, you can pin your opponent better. I like this because it gives you a better idea of when you can win a match. It is what I’m used to.
Very few things make you think this is an ECW game. It has blood, barbwire ring ropes, and hardcore matches. A few match types are taken from the ECW television show and pay-per-views.
I don’t mind the gameplay in this game. It isn’t as good as other games. This is just WWF Attitude with a new coat of paint and a few game modes.
Visuals
It looks like WWF Attitude with a fresh coat of paint. Blood has been added to the game, and the character models differ. It is just a slightly more violent version of WWF Attitude.
The ring and wrestlers look okay for the time. The graphics are a little dated because the engine is three years old at this point. The game doesn’t compare favorably to the Smackdown games, No Mercy, or WCW Mayhem. It isn’t a bad-looking game, but it isn’t on par with the wrestling games of the 2000s.
I do like the barbwire ring ropes. It looks decent enough and is something a little different from the other wrestling games. It is one of the only things I can point to and say that it looks like ECW.
Like the PS1 version of the game, blood randomly appears on the wrestlers. There is no rhyme or reason for it. You could be punching someone or hit them with a DDT, and they will start bleeding from the stomach. It doesn’t add much to the game and sometimes looks awkward.
The animations look good, and I like the ring entrances. It is a decent-looking game, even if it is a little dated by 2000’s standards. It would’ve been nice if Acclaim had tried to improve the graphics more than they did.
This isn’t a bad-looking game. It has average graphics most of the time. Having the wrestlers bleed doesn’t add much to the game. It isn’t like these are first-blood matches, and where you bleed from doesn’t always make sense. ECW Hardcore Revolution looks okay, but not as good as the Smackdown games, WWF No Mercy, or WrestleMania 2000.
Reviews at the time
I looked at four reviews for ECW Hardcore Revolution from 2000. These are taken from Nintendo Power, N64 Magazine, Game Informer, and GameSpot. Two of the magazines gave the game an 8 out of 10, and the other two gave it less than a 6 out of 10.
GameSpot was the lowest with a 4.2/10, Nintendo Power gave it a 5.9/10, and Game Informer and N64 Magazine were at 8/10. This was surprising, to say the least. I wasn’t expecting to see two positive reviews like that, especially since this was a reskin of WWF Attitude.
The Game Informer review focuses on the create-a-wrestler mode. It acknowledges that the game is a reskin of WWF Attitude but praises the improvements to it. This seems to be the only reason it got an 8/10, and it appears that this was one person’s opinion instead of a group of reviewers.
The N64 Magazine review is baffling. The only conclusion I can come to is that the reviewer liked WWF Attitude a lot, or they didn’t want to rock the boat with a bad review score. I point to the verdict section when I say this as the reviewer writes, “Acclaim’s wrestling is still comprehensive and authentic, but lacks both improvements and a big-name license.” In justifying the granular scores, he also points out that the game isn’t much different than WWF Attitude.
A committee of five people reviewed this game for Nintendo Power. The only positive review was about the create-a-player mode. Aside from that, everyone savaged this game. Some memorable quotes from the reviewers’ comments were, “This game made me feel dirty,” and “It’s trash that’s fun to watch, but not something I’d recommend participating in.” Another fun thing about the Nintendo Power review is that it is above a review for Daikatana. Hardcore Revolution received a higher score than that game.
The GameSpot review echoes my thoughts on the game. It isn’t bad, “But it in no way represents the style of wrestling that ECW uses.” It also points out how Acclaim didn’t improve on its engine, which was three years old at this point. Jeff Gerstmann, who is still active in video game media, wrote this review. That was fun to come across.
These reviews mostly bring up the same issues I have with the game. While I’m a bit more forgiving of the engine, I agree that it was showing its age by this point, and Acclaim should’ve made changes to the game. It is a WWF interpretation of ECW’s wrestling product.
7/10. This is an okay wrestling game. If ECW Hardcore Revolution had been released in 1998 or 1999, then I would have a better opinion. The controls are okay but the graphics aren’t as good as the other wrestling games released at this time.
Pros
- Large Roster
- Lots of Game Modes
- Decent Graphics
- Great Create-a-wrestler mode
Cons
- Bad Controls
- Tedious Career Mode
Conclusion
This is an okay game. It isn’t on par with the Smackdown games, WWF No Mercy, or WWF WrestleMania 2000. It is in the middle with games like WWF Warzone, WWF Attitude, and WCW Mayhem.
I wish Acclaim had spent more time with this game and modified the engine. They made some changes to the game, but they weren’t as significant as those in ECW Anarchy Rulz. This is an average wrestling game with a control scheme that is hit or miss.
If you liked this post, check out my other wrestling posts like my WWF No Mercy review or my PS1 Wrestling Game ranking list.