For a start on the N64, this game isn't too bad. But it's nothing compared to what's to come from THQ and AKI in the years to come. 3 out of 5 stars from me.
It took a while for the N64 to get its first wrestling game, although it ended up getting a LOT after this one. It’s quite difficult to judge these properly as WWF No Mercy essentially invalidated all the other wrestling games on the console and set the standard going forward.
For the first on the N64, it does a good job. The gameplay works well enough, although putting the special moves on the control stick is a very odd move (you move around with the D-pad). You punch, kick and grapple. That said, individual matches do go on for far too long – upwards of 20 minutes.
But there’s not much to the game. There aren’t that many wrestlers and there are just a few basic modes, the first of which is a 5v5 where they duke it out one at a time. If one wrestler wins, they fight the opponent’s next.
For the first on the N64, it does a good job. The gameplay works well enough, although putting the special moves on the control stick is a very odd move (you move around with the D-pad). You punch, kick and grapple. That said, individual matches do go on for far too long – upwards of 20 minutes.
But there’s not much to the game. There aren’t that many wrestlers and there are just a few basic modes, the first of which is a 5v5 where they duke it out one at a time. If one wrestler wins, they fight the opponent’s next.
This changed everything
Gotta' start somewhere.
Played this at a cousins house. Other wrestling games were better.
WCW vs. nWo: World Tour is pure wrestling fan nostalgia. If you grew up on this era, the simple but fun grapple-based gameplay will bring you back instantly. The roster is packed with legends, creating your own wrestler is goofy fun, and the championship mode is a blast. It hasn't aged perfectly, the graphics are rough, and the AI can be kinda dumb, but it's still the N64 wrestling game for a reason!
While it's true that World Tour has aged horribly, this game served an important role in paving the way for modern wrestling games and introduced the magic of the AKI Corporation's intuitive wrestling gameplay mechanics that have been used in many games and that, in my opinion, remain the best in the industry.
Even at the time of its release, the graphics and presentation were not the best but the gameplay mechanics and great selection/design of the gameplay modes (such as tournament and battle royale) more than made up for any presentation flaws.
Another plus for this game is that it's based on arguably one of the best (if not the best) eras of wrestling, particularly in the WCW world which was experiencing the best entertainment angle with the nWo storyline.
Even at the time of its release, the graphics and presentation were not the best but the gameplay mechanics and great selection/design of the gameplay modes (such as tournament and battle royale) more than made up for any presentation flaws.
Another plus for this game is that it's based on arguably one of the best (if not the best) eras of wrestling, particularly in the WCW world which was experiencing the best entertainment angle with the nWo storyline.
Barely holds up. Controls feel weird, and the whole game is super mid.
My friends and I would play a single, unending match for hours because none of us understood how to pin each other
But we would still play all the time because it was so much stupid fun
But we would still play all the time because it was so much stupid fun
This one does not hold up to the others in the series