WCW vs NWO World Tour

Summary

Genre: Fighting
Number of players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: Yes
Controller Pak: Yes
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

Over the years, practically every computer system has had a wrestling game to its name. And unfortunately, most of them turn out to be pretty bad. Now it's the N64's turn, with the release of WCW vs. NWO - so does it follow the trend?


Gameplay: The game features all the top wrestlers (best actors) of the WCW - World Championship Wrestling and the NWO - New World Order (whatever that is) giving a massive total of wrestlers to choose from. Each has a different set of moves, and no two characters are the same, although obviously some moves are done by multiple characters. Your character has a basic punch, and also a grapple.

The punch is quite well done. Hold the 'B' button down, and your character hits a powerful blow which will often knock an opponent to the ground. Or, alternatively, you can land a light punch just by tapping, which may knock him back a bit, but won't drop him. The advantage of little punches is that they are landed far quicker than big hits, making it less likely that your opponent will block or counter you.

Grappling is where the meat of the game lies. Tapping the 'A' button will make your character lunge at another one, getting him in a grapple. From there, you can perform all sorts of moves on him, including slamming him to the mat in several differing ways, throwing him against the ropes, or pinning him. There are absolutely loads of moves you can perform, and it will take you a good long time to actually use them all.

What makes WCW vs. NWO good is the fact that practically everything can be countered if the opponent guesses what you are about to do and reacts accordingly. For instance, if a player is about to grapple you, tapping the left shoulder button will result in your character either ducking away, or, if you catch them just before the grapple is landed whacking their hands away, leaving you free to take the offensive. It really keeps you on your toes, and means that no matter how well you are doing, it's always possible for your opponent to turn the match right around instantly.

Your character can also do rolls, athletic jumps from the corner turnbuckle, even from the ropes themselves, and can also fight outside the ring, grabbing weapons from the crowd! Great fun, but not when it's you on the receiving end of a whack from a baseball bat! Top stuff.


Challenge: There are plenty of modes to be completed, and titles to win, which will take you ages to do, but it's fun while it lasts. And it does last a while. The computers on their toughest skill setting are very tricky, since they are capable of countering every attack you throw at them! But like most games, once you've found a weakness, they don't have the brains to be able to stop you from exploiting it over and over again. Too bad.


Graphics: The characters are exceedingly well done, especially when you consider the age of the game now. Not so impressive, however, are the crowd, who look like they were doodled in at the last second by the designers. Oh well. You won't really be looking up there when the action starts anyway. So who cares?


Sounds: A variety of grunts, most of which aren't too annoying. Also present are sounds for the punches, the sounds of bodies thumping against the mat, and the crowd cheering away. Not too badly done at all. The music isn't too great but it does kind of blend in with the game, and isn't annoying in the least.


Multiplayer:Absolutely superb. You and a friend can take a shot at the tag team titles, and can fight against another human tag team combination too. You can have an all-on-all, a 2-vs-1, and a 1-vs-1 as well. There's never any slowdown, and the action is just as fast as when you're playing in single player, which is most impressive. It's great fun, especially the all on all, when things get out of control! You'll find it very difficult indeed to grow tired of it.


Summing up: An very good game, which should provide much entertainment for some time. It's been superseded of late by some of the more recent beat-em-ups like Smash Brothers, but this doesn't stop it being good fun, even if you don't like wrestling! Give it a shot.


Gamesmark: 81%


Reviewer: Tangycheese



Maverik's opinion: I generally agree with Tangy about this game - it is rather fun, and in places even hilarious. Plenty of wrestlers and moves abound, but there are a few features which make this game flawed. For instance, there's less all-out action than a normal fighting game; matches consist of a series of attacks by one player followed by some from the opponent, since once you knock your opponent down once, he is powerless to stop you doing it again and again and again until a random 'counter attack' occurs; and some stupid ideas like you not being able to lose while outside the ring, yet can stay there pumping up your 'spirit meter' while being virtually unassailable. A decent game, but not brilliant by any means. And I find it highly disturbing that Tangy knows all the wrestling terminology.