Let’s take a look at the Dreamcast version of WWF Attitude. Thankfully, I’m very familiar with the game now, so this won’t be too difficult. This is a game I liked when it was released, but I soured on it over the years,
This is the first time I’ve played the Dreamcast version of the game. I liked the version of ECW Hardcore Revolution on this console, so I have high hopes for this. I can’t see how this could be bad.
A part of me is happy to get this over with. I used to like WWF Attitude, and I feel nostalgic for it. I’m ready to move on to something else after playing all the games that use the same engine. This game was great in 1999, but I’m a little tired of it.
TLDR: A Good Game that isn’t too different from the PS1 and N64 versions.
Narrative
There is no story in this game. You can play the career mode and create one, but it won’t be in the game. I feel like I say this every time I look at this game or the games that use this engine. WWF Attitude requires you to use your imagination.
Gameplay
Nothing has changed from the other versions of this game. If you like the gameplay of WWF Warzone, then you’ll like this game. If you liked the gameplay from the Smackdown games, WWF No Mercy, or WWF WrestleMania 2000, then you probably won’t like WWF Attitude.
WWF Attitude has the same game modes as the other versions. There are a lot of them, so you’ll be busy for a while. The career mode is the main draw and is just as tedious as it has always been.
The roster is still great. I didn’t notice any additions or subtractions from the other two versions. The Dreamcast version was the last to come out, and Acclaim was about to lose the WWF license, so if there was anything planned, it had to be scrapped.
The game doesn’t feel rushed; it just feels the same. If you were one of the few people to own multiple consoles and, for some reason, wanted to get multiple versions of the same game, you might be disappointed with what you got here. I would be very surprised if this happened, though.
I spent most of my time messing around with the King of the Ring mode. An eight-man tournament normally centers around the King of the Ring pay-per-view. I was a little tired of trying to play the career mode.
The gameplay is perfectly fine in this game. The controls are exactly what I was expecting. They felt a little awkward at times. I didn’t notice this with ECW Hardcore Revolution, but that might have been due to the characters I was playing.
Overall, I like the gameplay in WWF Attitude. While the career mode is a slog, there are plenty of other things to do. There was something off about the controls in this game that I didn’t notice in Hardcore Revolution.
Visuals
There isn’t a noticeable difference between the Dreamcast and PS1 versions of the game. The graphics are fine for the time. There are a few minor issues with it that are present in all of the Acclaim wrestling games.
The ring entrances, ring, and crowd look good. The character animations and models look a little better than the PS1 and N64 versions. This could be because I played the Dreamcast version more recently than those two.
I read that this version had “enhanced graphics,” which might be the case, but I didn’t notice anything significant. It is a good looking game compared to the other wrestling games from 1999, but it isn’t as good as the Smackdown games or WWF Royal Rumble.
I’ve never had an issue with how this group of Acclaim wrestling games looked. There are some minor issues with clipping and a lack of facial reactions. It isn’t enough to significantly impact the game.
As far as I know, I haven’t pointed this out, but changing who you’re targeting is annoying in these games, especially in tag team matches. The controls are simple: press a button to change your character’s focus, but it wasn’t very pleasant to do in a match. It was the one time that the visuals and gameplay got me frustrated.
Overall, the graphics are fine. Some parts of the game look better than others which is to be expected from a game of this era. WWF Attitude has a bunch of little issues that pile up the more you play it.
Reviews at the Time
I looked at three reviews this time. The publications I read were Game Informer, GameSpot, and IGN. I noticed that this game received lower scores than the other two versions. I found this strange because all three versions came out in the same year.
Game Informer gave the game an 8.5/10. It is a short review that focuses on the graphics and how dated the game is. The reviewer pointed out how one-quarter of the wrestlers in the game were no longer with WWF at the time of the game’s release. I didn’t know this, but yeah, that is a problem. I think pointing out how the graphics were improved, but not as much as they could’ve been, was interesting.
GameSpot shared a similar opinion by saying the game might have been better if Acclaim had a few more months with the license. The game was given a 6.8/10, and with everything these reviews have said, I understand why the scores were lower. This does feel like releasing a Madden game with the wrong season’s roster.
In a very padded review, IGN gave the game an 8/10. The reviewer brings up the awkwardness of the controls and some issues with the roster. There is also a lot of fluff, which makes me think the author was being paid by the word.
I think GameSpot got it right with a 6.8/10. Knowing that the game was rushed made me feel a little differently about the game, but not to the point where I’m going to revisit my score. This is an average game that could’ve used more time.
7/10. This is an average wrestling game that can occasionally be great. The awkward controls and a tedious career mode are the only things I didn’t like about it.
Pros
- Good Graphics
- Lots of Game Modes
- Huge Roster of Wrestlers
Cons
- Awkward Controls
- Tedious Career Mode
- Repetitive
Conclusion
I only have one more of these games to play for the Dreamcast. This engine that Acclaim’s developer used is starting to irritate me. There is nothing wrong with it, and I remember liking it at the time, but after playing nine games that use it, I’m sick of it.
WWF Attitude is an average wrestling game on all of the consoles for which it was released. When it first came out, it was great! It was quickly surpassed by the better games that took what Attitude did and vastly improved on it.
The Dreamcast version is perfectly fine. I have the same issues with it as I had on the other two versions. I don’t think the graphics are that much better, and the controls are still a little awkward.
If you liked this post, check out my other wrestling posts, such as my review for ECW Hardcore Revolution and WWF Royal Rumble, both on the Dreamcast.