It’s National Video Games Day! So let’s talk about some WWE games.
Pretty much everybody reading this has played at least a few wrestling video games at some point in the last couple of years. Whether you’re an MMORPG type of person or first-person shooter, wrestling games have likely found their way into your life in some form or fashion (even if it was at a friend’s house).
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Video games are important! So much so that we have a special day to celebrate them. So let’s talk about five WWE video games you probably didn’t know existed.
[ H/T WWE ]
Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling
Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling
This title was introduced for PlayStation 2 and Xbox back in 2004 and featured the greatest sports entertainers of all time – heroes like Ivan Putski, Abdullah the Butcher, Andre the Giant, Killer Kowalski, and more – battling in your perfect dream matches.
Sounds great, right? In theory it was epic. But in practice, well, it basically got body slammed by unending bugs, glitches and crashes.
It was so bad, in fact, that it’s failure made its developer Acclaim Entertainment go bankrupt.
WWE Betrayal
WWE Betrayal
This side-scrolling title was released for Game Boy Color (remember that thing?) circa 2001. In WWE Betrayal you could play as Triple H, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and the The Undertaker. Once you picked your character you had to help Mr. McMahon save a kidnapped Stephanie McMahon.
It was a cool concept to be sure and even had a surprise twist where the characters you didn’t pick became the bosses. But the game’s lackluster gameplay and short duration left players feeling, well, betrayed.
WWE Backstage Assault
WWE Backstage Assault
This semi open-world title was released for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 all the way back in 2000. Today, we take for granted just how expansive our virtual worlds are. But back in 2000, it obviously wasn’t that way.
Back in 2000 gamers just wanted to take their wrestling characters out of the arena and into the backstage areas. It was a huge trend and WWE Backstage Assault tried to capitalize on that by letting all the gameplay take place outside the arena. But since there was no ring to start in, fight in, and win it, it turned out being much less exciting than it sounds.
The title received mixed reviews at best and negative reviews at worst.
ECW Hardcore Revolution
ECW Hardcore Revolution
This title was released for Playstation, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color in 2000. It sported the who’s who of ECW superstars including Rob Van Dam, Sabu, New Jack, Tajiri and more.
It was a killer lineup, but Acclaim failed to update their engine from its WWE games, leaving ECW Hardcore Revolution lacking in novelty.
There’s nothing worse than a brand new game with last-gen graphics.
WWE Crush Hour
WWE Crush Hour
This title was released for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube in 2003. Remember Twisted Metal? That’s what WWE Crush Hour was trying to be, only with wrestlers.
WWE Crush Hour allowed players to select from a massive WWE roster of stars, stick them in a battle-ready car, and inflict some serious damage.
The title had a mixed reception and was criticised for its lack of depth and subpar gameplay. But let’s be honest, what’s better than blowing stuff up in a video game with your favorite WWE stars?
Happy National Video Games Day! What are you playing today?
