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1. Wwe Legends Of Wrestlemania Pc Gameplay

Every Saturday afternoon, just before the football pools results were on, my grandmother would work herself up into a rabid wrestling-induced frenzy that belied the seriousness of her emphysema. Mick McMannus, Kendo Nagasaki, Giant Haystacks, Kid McCoy and, of course, Big Daddy provided more pseudo sporting entertainment than Roman coliseum could ever hope to achieve.

Every so often, however, Shirley Crabtree would take a week off, and ITV would fill the gap with a bit of American wrestling. Undoubtedly this was the bigger brother of British wrestling, as the grandstanding and sheer scale of the events dwarfed our bouts held in smoke filled town halls. But we did get to know one or two American Wrestling names, who’ve since become legends in their own right, and already forgotten by the fickle audiences who flock to the WWE, or WWF, of WTF or whatever abbreviation American wrestling is currently prefixed by.
Which, finally, brings us to THQ’s WWE Legends of WrestleMania. Now, whether this is as marketable a concept as THQ hopes remains to be seen. The most immediate problem faced by Legends of WrestleMania is in finding an audience, as most kids who currently devour the WrestleMania franchise games probably haven’t heard of Andre the Giant. And the rest of us who do remember the struggling co-star of The Princess Bride are pretty unlikely to buy a wrestling game in the first place.

This past Tuesday, THQ dropped by with a near-final build of its upcoming Legends of WrestleMania game. Accompanying the friendly PR person and game's producer was WWE Legend Ted 'Million. WWE Legends of WrestleMania could be a computer game that includes legends of the grappling promotion, World Wrestling recreation (WWE), United Nations agency have appeared at WrestleMania within the Eighties and 1990s; throughout that point, WWE was referred to as the globe Wrestling Federation (WWF). The sport was free for the PlayStation three and Xbox 360. It had been free in March 2009 to.

Accompanying the late, great Andre the Giant are the likes of Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Hacksaw Jim Duggen, The Junkyard Dog and a host of other forgotten muscle men in pants. Legend’s point, however, isn’t purely another use of THQ’s wrestling game engine (although it’s also that). Legends of WrestleMania makes a sincere attempt to deliver a wrestling game which pays homage to the giants of the sport. A kind of interactive history lesson, if you like.

Because THQ’s clearly aiming for a much more mainstream audience – considering this isn’t an annual franchise update designed to maintain wrestling stalwarts – it does make sense that the previous, and well-worn SmackDown Vs. Raw control system has been thrown out of the ring in favour of a much simplified set of moves. A cynic could accuse THQ of dumbing down on the control front, but a greater cynic would suggest American wrestling was already pretty dumb, and Legends simply cuts away the dead wood and allows the game to enjoy the raw, escapist nature of its purpose.

So button mash to your heart’s content, and Legends will honour your efforts with a massive array of moves direct from the annals of WWE history. Slams, submission moves, off-the-rope gymnastics and falls are assigned simply to their own buttons, and a good, enthusiastic mashing will make for a very entertaining and watchable bout. Indeed, if the matches of this game were aired back in the 80s, TV viewers would have been unable to tell the difference between Legends of WrestleMania and the real thing (though this is partly because the real life wrestlers were about as believable as their CGI counterparts, but that’s by the by).

But argh! Legends, for some inexplicable, brainless reason, has felt the need to succumb to the awful trend for adding quick time events to certain moves and actions. As quick time events have done in every single game ever made (except God of War), they completely dislocate the gameplay from the action, and chafe violently against the active button mashing the game has been promoting up until this point.

This is another example of where Legends fails to target a specific audience. Those who are practiced and dexterous enough to gleam some enjoyment from quick time events aren’t going to appreciate the rest of the button mashing mechanics (and probably wouldn’t buy a wrestling game anyway) while the casual gamer who’s likely to wander into the Legends ring for a bit of light, nostalgic escapism will find this dreadful sequence punching nonsense to be far too aggravating to qualify as entertainment.

Overlooking this massive issue, there is an aspect to Legends that elevates it above the usual career-chasing gameplay of its brethren. Rather than winning match after match in an attempt to get to the top of some fictional leaderboard and be awarded with a big, fat, gaudy belt, Legends draws upon its nostalgic theme for in-the-ring inspiration.

The game includes a host of classic clips from the history of WWE in the 80s and 90s (gamers in their 30’s, like myself, will enjoy this trip down a tasteless memory lane as much as actually playing). After watching a vintage match between wrestlers of yore (and these aren’t quick vignettes, but full and surprisingly entertaining videos complete with commentary and intro) you can either ‘relive’ the match as the winner, ‘rewrite’ the match as the loser or attempt to ‘redefine’ wrestling history. These three game modes aren’t all that much different, but do offer a unique way of adding genuine excitement to the virtual matches.

The addition of awards, like costumes, new match types and videos, give the achievement junkies something to fight for, and actually do reward the casual gamer, too. This all conspires to make Legends of WrestleMania surprisingly complete, and the tangible 80s veneer is a genuine, camp delight that makes this the first wrestling game for a long time that can actually harbour an appeal for the casual gamer.

But overall it’s quite a short experience and suffers badly from the addition of quick time events. Hopefully this is a test run for a real Legends of WrestleMania game that disperses with the glaring gameplay mistakes but continues to actively cater for gaming fans who can’t quite stomach the usual annual franchise refresh.

Also, let’s take this opportunity to send THQ our collective votes for a Legends of British Wrestling game. If Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks get back in the virtual ring on an Xbox 360, you can guarantee IncGamers will be ringside, swinging a handbag around its head and brandishing knitting needles at the men in tights.

March 9, 2009 - The WWE has been around for a long time. Although it has not always been known by this name, the same entertainment powerhouse between the current SmackDown and Raw franchises has been going strong since the 1950s. But, it really reached the apex of its popularity with the implementation of the WrestleMania annual event, which had its first run in 1985. Since then, historic matches have taken place, including the renowned match between 'Hulk' Hogan and Andre the Giant. Since then, WrestleMania has been a staple of pop culture and has had many memorable moments.

WWE Legends of WrestleMania is a title that allows you to experience these historic matches in a whole new way, and we were able to get some hands-on time with it recently before its release later this month. The game has content from the first 15 WrestleMania events, and it gives you the opportunity to 'Relive, Rematch, or Redefine' the main events from WrestleMania of the past in its main WrestleMania Tour gameplay mode. The Relive functionality allows you to play as the winner of the match and relive the best moments. You are able to win in-game awards for recreating these matches as faithfully as possible. The Rematch ability takes the opposite approach and has you playing as the losing party in an attempt to change history. The Redefine function is probably the most interesting of the three, allowing you to change the rules of the specific match to create your own version of the event.

In addition to the main WrestleMania mode, there is also a Legend Killer mode, which allows you to take a created character and use them against WWE Legends like 'Hulk' Hogan and The Undertaker. Once you are able to beat all of the WWE Legends with your character, the game will then immortalize you as a WWE Legend. Although this mode does feel a little extraneous to the main mode, it is great if you want to have a more personal experience with the game.

But, if you just have to do things your own way, there is also a fairly deep free-play mode, which allows you to use your favorite WWE wrestler in an exhibition-style match with up to three other people. WWE Legends of WrestleMania does not have the 40+ match types from last year's SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, but instead goes for a very simplistic approach and includes standard two-man, tag team, and Royal Rumble matches. There is no handicap ability, and, unlike SvR, you cannot use items, weapons, or other environmental elements during the match.

One very interesting facet of this title is the control scheme. If you are familiar with the SmackDown vs. Raw series, you may think you know what to expect going into this title. However, Legends of WrestleMania features a much simpler pick-up-and-play control scheme that is very casual-friendly. The control scheme uses just the face buttons, with buttons tied to very general attack, block, and grapple functions. Although a lot of the control depth is lost here, and longtime fans may feel like the control makes the game feel a little bit on the easy side, the casual-centric controls do a good job of letting the user really experience the different matches, which is certainly great for those who pick this title up for sheer nostalgic value.

In addition to the toned-down control system, there is also a new manager system, which makes the gameplay experience feel even more streamlined. This option essentially allows you to pick one of the WWE's most infamous managers, like Bret Hart or Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan to support your wrestler during their match. This manager will intervene on your behalf when the match starts getting intense. You do not have to press any buttons to engage a manager intervention; they will temporarily disable your foes completely on their own. This is a great way to keep casual gamers from getting overwhelmed by tough opponents, and it gives them a clear opportunity to fight back if they are down in a fight.

As far as the roster is concerned, WWE Legends of WrestleMania has plenty of superstars to keep you playing. Old-school standbys like Andre the Giant, The Animal, Sgt. Slaughter, and Iron Sheik. In addition to these classic wrestlers, there is some new blood here, and you can play with contemporary legends like The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austen, and The Rock. The roster is definitely impressive, and its variety should please both longtime and current fans.

Even though this title is definitely intended for the vintage wrestling fan, if you are a diehard SvR fan, then there are quite a few extras in this game specifically for you. The coolest extra is, if you have a SmackDown vs. Raw save file, you can import all your unlocked superstars into Legends of WrestleMania, which puts your roster at almost 100 individual wrestlers. You can also import any characters you have created in SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, which you can then use in the Legend Killer mode detailed above.

As far as graphics are concerned, the game has a similar look to SmackDown vs. Raw, with realistic and detailed character models and backgrounds. One thing that fans will appreciate is the faithfully recreated arenas and entrances from the original WrestleMania matches. The game also features original costumes from the different wrestlers, and it does a good job of preserving each Legend's most memorable 'look.' Although some character proportions have been altered slightly - Andre the Giant is a little on the short side and features a lot more muscle definition than you may remember - these changes are mostly innocuous and serve to add consistency to the game's look more than anything else.

Although Legends of WrestleMania is definitely a departure from the tried-and-true SmackDown vs. Raw formula, it is a game intended for a different audience. The simple pick-up-and-play control scheme will certainly appeal to wrestling fans of all ages, and it makes this title accessible to just about any WWE fan. With a plethora of modes, characters, and extras, this title is shaping up to be on the 'must-play' list for any WWE fan. Look for its release later this month.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

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Wwe Legends Of Wrestlemania Pc Gameplay