WWF Royal Rumble has it's annoyances but all-in-all it's still a good game.
THE GOOD
-Fun multiplayer
-Great selection of wrestlers
-Good control scheme
-Exciting audio
THE BAD
-Difficult to perform reversals
-All characters play the same
-Graphics are a little rough around the edges
OVERVIEW
WWF Royal Rumble is the sequel to WWF Super WrestleMania. If you haven't already guessed, this game is wrestling themed. WWF Royal Rumble has a great selection of superstars to choose from like Bret Hart, Crush, Mr. Perfect, The Narcissist, Randy Savage, Razor Ramon, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Tatanka, Ted DiBiase, Undertaker and Yokozuna. Unfortunately, each wrestler plays exactly the same except for their signature moves. So, instead of picking a character based on their attributes you're really just picking your favorite wrestler. Although this is a notable setback, there is still plenty of hardcore action to enjoy by yourself or with a friend.
GAMEPLAY
The game modes offered in this game include: One-on-one, Tag Team, Triple Tag Team and Royal Rumble. The winner is decided differently based on the game type. In One-on-one, two men enter the ring and only one leaves victorious. To win you must eliminate your opponent by pinfall, submission, count-out or disqualification. Tag Team is similar with the exception that you're on a team with another Superstar. Only one person from each team can appear in the ring, however, you can "tag" your teammate in at any time. Triple Tag Team works the same as regular Tag Team except for the fact that each team consists of three Superstars instead of two. The last and my personal favorite is the cutthroat Royal Rumble. Two superstars start off in the ring and more will enter as time progresses (up to six at a time). Pinfalls, submissions, count-outs and disqualifications won't eliminate your opponent here; instead you have to throw them over the top rope and out of the ring. With up to six people in the ring it can get pretty chaotic.
WWF Royal Rumble supports up to two players. I would highly recommend playing with a friend, not that playing by yourself isn't fun (because it is), because it can be just as crazy and intense as the TV show. Computer players will fill in if you don't have a friend to play with and you can select their difficulty setting.
The controls are both intuitive and easy to use. You only have six buttons on the controller but you can perform almost 15 different maneuvers. Grappling is main form of attack in this game. When you're in a grapple with an opponent, a gauge will appear above both characters and success comes from excessive button mashing. Jamming on different buttons will perform unique moves like body slams, throws, and suplexes. The first player to initiate a grapple typically ends up winning because the game gives that person a slight edge which ends up being quite annoying to the other player because it can be really easy to dominate the match. Aside from the grapple there are punches, kicks, chokeholds and eye gouges that you can do to stop your opponent. Also, once your foe's health bar reaches the red section you'll have the chance to perform a signature move like Ric Flair's Figure 4 Leg Lock or Randy Savage's Flying Elbow Drop. Now you, like the real wrestlers, can end the match with bang.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The graphics are mediocre for WWF Royal Rumble. All the in-game graphics look pixilated and rough around the edges making this game quite a eye-sore.
The audio is absolutely fantastic from the bone crushing slams to the high flying elbow drops. Plus, the roar of the crowd makes it feel like you really are in the main event. Another noteworthy tidbit is that each wrestler's theme music appears at the character selection screen.
CONCLUSION
WWF Royal Rumble is a good wrestling game with a fair amount of replay value. This game is really easy to pick up and play with your friends or by yourself. There are a few moderate setbacks that are frustrating but there is still more good than bad in this game. I would recommend this game to WWF fanatics and others that like fighting type games may enjoy Royal Rumble. Just like the WWF, this game is filled with bone crushing hits and gratifying slams.