Overview

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Review

Release Date: 09.08.2003
Platform: GameCube
Developer: Yuke's Co. Ltd.
Publisher: THQ, Inc.

Reviewed by Samuel Altersitz on 9.18.2003

Review Rating: 8/10

User Rating: 6/10

After a somewhat disappointing display last year on the GameCube, with WWE Wrestlemania X8, THQ went and tried to bring back some of the old game play that was the reason that games like WCW/nWo Revenge, Wrestlemania 2000, and WWF No Mercy were big hits on the Nintendo 64.

Enter this year's GameCube participant, WWE Wrestlemania XIX.

Overall, this game is a huge improvement over X8, and that's a good thing. But, that doesn't stop it from not being all it could be, nor from not living up to the greatness THQ had on the N64 with their wrestling games.

Bringing a host of WWE superstars to the GameCube is no small feat, just like on any console. Each superstar has their own personality, their own entrances, their own finishing moves, their own make up people, their own food people, etc. But Wrestlemania XIX does bring them to the GameCube, and in style.

But, instead of lingering on early about graphics and sound and such, we're going to get right to where you want to be. In the middle of talking about the game play of Wrestlemania XIX. I know you people want to be told exactly how this game has changed, and why the change is better.

The first thing you should notice is that the entire grappling system from X8 has been thrown out for Wrestlemania XIX. THQ and Jakks Pacific decided to hark back to the glory days of console wrestling games, and go with a weak/strong grappling system, similar to those found in THQ and AKI's WCW and WWF games on the N64.

This, my friends, is a godsend to this series on the GameCube.

The new grappling system works on either tapping the A button for weak grapples; or holding the A button to initiate a strong grapple. For weak grapples, you will perform different moves depending on what direction you push the control stick at the time you tap the A button. For strong grapples, you have a choice of moves depending on what direction you push the control stick and hit A (for a grapple move) or B (for a striking move) after you have initiated the grapple.Obviously, depending on whether you have grabbed your adversary from the front or from behind, also changes the moves.

While it's not quite the same, or as varied as the AKI system, this new grappling system works a million times better than the grappling system found in X8. It's quick. It's easy to master. And it's intuitive, even for beginners. If this was the only change to the game from X8, it would have been sufficient. Thankfully, it's not. The striking system also uses the tap or hold method. Tapping the B button allows for quick strikes and quick combos, while holding the B button will unleash a more powerful attack.

Other areas that have improved are the Irish Whip action, including what you can do in an Irish Whip; off the turnbuckle moves; rope moves; and pretty much every other type of move you can think of inside, or outside of the ring.

Special moves have also been enhanced this year. You can do a whole array of them by building up your spirit. Besides the front and back grapple special moves, there are mat special moves, turnbuckle special moves, Irish Whip/running special moves, and even the ability to humiliate your opponent by stealing their special moves.

Honestly, when I started playing this game, I felt almost a tear come to my eye, as if the memories of the problems with X8 were just a bad dream (until I tried Revenge mode, explained later... then I thought the nightmare was worse than I remembered).

One thing that was placed into Wrestlemania XIX that seems bad at first (until you learn the timing of the game), is actually a great boon to you . When someone is going to strike or grapple you, the appropriate block/counter button will appear over your wrestler's head. While some people may not like this, it is helpful when trying to get the timing down. Also, it's able to be turned off at will-- so players who don't want it don't have to have it. But for beginners, this is a great help, as they'll be able to block/counter moves just like people who have more experience in wrestling games.

There is a very intense, and in-depth training mode, hosted by Al Snow. This training mode really helps you learn the controls, and it's done very nicely, allowing you to get the hang of things fairly quickly.

Now, even with these game play improvements, there are some things that still need work.There are a few different modes to Wrestlemania XIX, including Exhibition, King of the Ring, and Revenge (the game's story mode). Exhibition allows for a large variance of match types, including normal, tag team, hardcore, Hell in a Cell, TLC, and more. And this mode is spectacular, really. Once you've gotten the hang of the game, you can try out some of your favorite WWE superstars against some of those you really don't like. Or, at least that's what I do, anyway.

King of the Ring allows you to go through multiple matches in bouts for either solo or tag team titles. However, this mode is just ladder matches (as in the winners fight the winners and the losers drop out, not actual matches climbing ladders... unless you set the options that way), and really could have been expanded on into a great story mode. You can choose to either watch the CPU vs. CPU matches or skip them, which is nice.

Revenge, the story mode of Wrestlemania XIX, however, needs a lot of work. The two words I use to describe it are: "ass suck". Take those two words, and combine them with any other words to describe how much you hate something, and you will get the idea. The problem with Revenge mode is that it doesn't take place in a way that's really conductive to a WWE superstar's career, or in a way that motivates you to really play it. Vinnie Mac has thrown you out of the WWE, and Stephanie McMahon enlists you to help her bring her father down by ruining the upcoming Wrestlemania XIX pay-per-view. So far, so good. Typical WWE style story here. Then you get in to the actual story itself. You have to go through 25 'missions' to complete the story mode. 6 missions at each of 4 locations, and 1 final mission at Wrestlemania XIX's site itself.

For each mission, you gain money to spend in the WWE ShopZone. These missions have you throwing constructions workers, security guards, etc. off of areas, smashing things at a mall, and other strictly non-in-the-ring stuff. The varied terrain is neat, but when I want wrestling stories, I want them to happen in the ring, really. A WWE story really should have you going for the World Heavyweight Championship, not busting up shopping malls and construction sites. At least you sometimes have a WWE superstar to face as well. Some of the Revenge missions are quite fun, but most are an exercise in frustration. This is especially true when the chump, no name security guards and such can throw moves on you like they were The Rock or The Undertaker. One on one they're easy... but after the first few missions in an area, it's never one on one again; and this can get frustrating when these chumps simply refuse to stay down, no matter how hard you beat on them.

The other main frustration factor in Revenge mode is the controls. In the ring, the controls seem to work fine; in Revenge mode, they seen sluggish and unresponsive. If you're on a mission where you must prevent people from attaining someting, always by them climbing for something, don't expect to be always able to knock them off the fence or pole. Half the time you expect to grab the fence/pole. your character will try to grab someone or try to strike them... even if there's no one around you.

Beating each area's compliment of missions, however, does unlock the area to be used in single or multiplayer action in exhibition mode; as well as unlocking some hidden characters. It's unfortunate that going through Revenge mode really is a necessity, at least if you want to make your own characters and have them be more than, well, weaklings.

Let it be known, that if all this game had was the Revenge mode, I'd give the game a 3, and tell you all to just pass on it. The Revenge mode sucks that much.

My message to THQ: Don't give us these crap ass story modes in a wrestling game (with a whole one real match)! Give us something we'll actually want to play. This is a wrestling game, not a platformer like a few of the Revenge levels try to be. Just give us the wrestling, leave the other stuff for some other game.

Speaking of the Create-A-Wrestler mode, it's very good this year. Very in-depth and engrossing. You have a large amount of body/facial parts to choose from, and all of them are further editable if you so desire. With all the moves you can choose, as well as different moves and body parts you can purchase at the WWE ShopZone, you can literally spend hours creating a new wrestler to take through the game. Some funny things to purchase are hair that more than resembles Hieachi's or Paul's (from the Tekken series), Final Fantasy/Dragonball Z style hair, suits of armor, space suits, etc. Also purchasable are the all important stat points. You will need these stat points to really create a well rounded (or all out twinked out, depending on your choice) wrestler. After choosing from literally hundreds of moves, you can choose entrances, pyrotechnics for the entrances, music for the entrances, and video for the entrances; as well as victory poses and taunts. In the end, the CAW mode is very rewarding this year.

On the graphical side of things, the only thing truly disappointing about WWE Wrestlemania XIX is the fact that the game doesn't support progressive scan mode. The game looks incredible, from the rings all the way down to the WWE stars' faces and tattoos, and there's nice hi-res real pictures of the WWE stars shown during the loading screens. If it supported progressive scan mode, though, it would look even better. All of the wrestlers look much better this year... except the female wrestlers still look a bit odd, especially when walking.

The sound is quite nice as well, with all the entrance music for the stars, some original music for your created wrestlers (unless you choose a WWE star's music to use); to the crowd chanting that they want puppies when there are girls fighting, or that a wrestler sucks. Of course, the sounds of the bodies hitting the mat is also spot on.

Let's not forget the multiplayer aspect. With support for four-player simultaneous action, Wrestlemania XIX is a multiplayer's dream come true. Honestly, the main draw of any wrestling game is multiplayer, and Wrestlemania XIX doesn't disappoint.

So, if you tried WWE Wrestlemania X8 and were less than satisfied, don't be afraid to give WWE Wrestlemania XIX a try. It definitely improves on many of the key areas where X8 lacked, story mode not included.

Box art