User Rating: 8.7 | WWE WrestleMania XIX GC
By edcvod | Review Date:
I just got back from EB Games, where I played WWE Wrestlemania for a few hours. Initially, I was not that impressed with the game. But, as soon as I started getting my timing down, understanding the controls and seeing the type of compensation each wrestler has to make for various body damage, I became a REAL BIG fan of this game. Let me say first that I am a die-hard AKI fan who has all of their N64 stuff, including Virtual Pro Wrestling 1 and 2 (from Japan). While it is not quite as good as NO MERCY or VPW 2, I think Wrestlemania XIX is a worthy substitute. The play control is fairly intuitive (the wrestlers do what you want when you want it, and if you get beat out by the AI, it doesn't feel cheap), and the countering system makes each match a great exchange instead of a button-mash fest. Also, the poor collision detection from last years title has been fixed (this bugged the hell out of me with WMX8), so high-flying, high impact moves don't wipe out everybody. Yes, the graphics are still a bit rough (Brock Lesnar looks like the HULK from the summer movie, and John Cena looks disturbingly like Scotty Too Hotty) and the REVENGE mode feels out of place, but the game's pedigree is in it's gameplay. I'm very pleased with the engine in WMXIX, and it gives me great hope for RAW 2 and SD5. Go out and grab a copy of this from EB and give it a try. Again, as a die-hard AKI fan, I have some pretty tough standards for wrestling games. Wrestlemania XIX moves ahead of Smackdown; Shut Your Mouth as the best console wrestling game since N64's glory days with Revenge, Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy.

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