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WMx8 Review (IGN)

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June 07, 2002 - Looking for the best wrestler available for GameCube? THQ and developer Yuke's have worked non-stop for the last year to bring you the GCN exclusive WWE WrestleMania X8. It features the most comprehensive wrestler list, a rousing set of match types, and a unique Battle for the Belts mode to heighten its multiplayer replay value.
Unfortunately, X8 is not without its problems. Fans expecting a stunning sequel to the highly respected No Mercy on the N64 will be disappointed with the grappling engine. Fans of Smackdown! on the PS2, however, may find the intense counter system pleasing. Where does our opinion fall? Read on.

Features

Completely new game engine developed by Yuke's focuses on reversals and counter attacks
Stunning roster of 42 WWE superstars including former WCW stars play as The Rock, Booker T, The Hurricane, Ric Flair, and many more
Three main game modes including Exhibition, Path of Champion, and Battle for the Belts
Choose from several match modes including Single, Tag, Handicap, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Battle Royal, and Royal Rumble
A respectable list of match types including Hardcore, Cage, Hell in a Cell, Ladder, Table, TLC, and Ironman
Six of the 42 superstars must be unlocked in the single-player Path of a Champion mode
Authentic entrances and signature moves, including the deadly People's Elbow, Walls of Jericho, "Stone Cold" Stunner, and many others as well as numerous double team moves
Create-a-Superstar mode lets fans craft their own grappler with many options
Impressive visual effects including cloth effects, motion captured animations, specular lighting for "shiny" clothing, and real-time damage to weapons
Four-player support for frantic multiplayer matches
Win and customize your own belts and save to memory card to face off against a friend in a title match
Gameplay
A large portion of the GameCube audience no doubt comes from the Nintendo 64 where several of the most highly regarded wrestling games were released. WrestleMania 2000 and No Mercy are still preferred by many, even over recent next-generation titles. Based on that idea, we presumed that THQ and Japan-based developer Yuke's would follow suit and release an improved, upgraded sequel to these titles. With the promise of a completely new engine and a cast of wrestlers including former WCW stars, we were pumped. Instead, WrestleMania X8 is a sort of disappointing hybrid between Smackdown! and the reversal maneuvers from the N64 -- the only thing that seems to have carried over. If you weren't a fan of the No Mercy grappling engine, then you don't have as much to lose if you were hyped for X8.
How does the X8 fighting engine work, exactly? As we noted, the grappling is very arcadey in the vein of Yuke's other wrestling title Smackdown! Just Bring It! Using the A-button on the GCN controller you have five front grapples, five rear grapples, and a few miscellaneous ones like the evade and grapple, performed by pressing the X and A-button simultaneously. In the evade and grapple, your wrestler will dodge from the front of your opponent to back, whereupon he/she will perform a hold or throw. There is no pre-grapple as seen in the previous N64 versions and Xbox's WWF Raw. This doesn't leave as much room for moves and, equally, control over what you're doing. Like Smackdown! it feels very twitch and arcadey. WrestleMania X8 is definitely slightly slower than Smackdown!, so it doesn't feel like a button-mashing fest, but it's a huge departure from games like No Mercy. To pin opponents, you will see a blinking color meter next to your name. You want it to be red hot while your opponent's is icy blue. At this point your chances of pinning -- and success in modes like Royal Rumble -- are high.

The central part of the fighting engine revolves around counter moves. There are separate buttons and commands for reversals of strikes, grapples, and specials. Basically how it physically works is dependant on GameCube's R and L triggers. Press R and your wrestler will counter a strike, leaving you the opportunity to strike back. Of course, there's nothing that stops your foe from doing the same. Likewise, the L-trigger will counter grapples. To defend yourself in a signature move situation, you have to perfectly time a simultaneous press of both the L and R triggers. You are also able to defend yourself against weapons and flying attacks with the strike counter. The counter system is very handy, and is in fact what will make or break your WrestleMania X8 experience. Once you really nail your timing it drastically ups the intensity level of the matches. One swing of a chair could potentially shift the momentum of the match completely.

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In addition to this there is some flexibility in move possibilities, but it's certainly not as expansive as we would have liked to see. With only five basic front grapples, for instance, you just feel cheated out of what was possible. But, you're able to Irish whip your opponent into the ropes or turnbuckle by pressing A and Y simultaneously. This can be a bit clumsy, though, because the Y-button is also used to make your own character run. If you're not in the correct position, you'll usually end up running briefly into the direction you were attempting to throw your opponent. There are a few other control methods that require this kind of precision. For instance, if you want to flip your opponent over while they're lying on the ground, it requires you press X and A at the same time. This usually works with little effort. However, then you factor in the idea that to pick up weaponry you must press in the direction of the weapon and hit X and A simultaneously. If you're standing next to a wrestler, lying dazed on the ground, and a weapon at the same time your chances of picking up the weapon successfully take a turn for the worst. It takes some practice and you'll usually have to position yourself so the weapon is in between you and your opponent. For performing your signature moves you must use the double-button method, too. Most often it works, but there's always a little randomness where you merely grapple or strike when you didn't want too. These are the major issues you'll run into with the control.
Speaking of signature moves, we should note that all the grappler's specials are taken care of. Everything from the Stunner to The Worm to the Triple German Suplex is covered. Even for signature tag moves you'll see they're present. Even the 3-D is possible with the Dudley Boyz, though for some reason your opponent's facing the wrong way when it's performed. Along with all the trademark moves and personalities come flashy entrances. The WWF stars all have their official music and animations. The presentation could probably be considered better than Smackdown!, but not by much, and certainly not as slick as Raw's. Sadly, there is a huge problem with the former WCW stars like Booker T, Hogan, and the NWO theme as a whole. THQ purchased its license before the dissolution of the WCW, and apparently the music rights must not have been available because you won't find them in WrestleMania X8. It would be an understatement to say that seeing Ric Flair enter to totally fabricated music is lame. Granted, it doesn't interfere with the gameplay, but it hurts overall presentation -- something the WWE is all about.

Moving back to a discussion of the movies list, there are definitely other options to seek when it comes to laying the smack down. You have the ability to tie foes up in the ropes, set them up on the turnbuckles in multiple ways, and with tables or ladders tossed into the mix, you can be very creative. In regards to tables, you can actually set them up to slam or even suplex your opponent through. Equally, the announcer's tables can be fought on and smashed through. You also have the flexibility to set tables up in the corners of the rings so you can Irish whip into them, or even clothesline an opponent through. Oddly enough, weapons like tables will disappear after breaking, instead of, say, breaking in half so you can use them as a weapon.

When you start experimenting with weapons the problems with collision detection begin to rear their head. Before the bad news, we should mention that weapons like garbage cans and metal sheets see real-time damage, bending under the pressure of smacking against another's forehead. It's a nice effect, and eventually they will disappear. However weapons that stay around, ladders for instance, begin to behave very frenetically. Your wrestler may begin to shake or, more likely, the ladder will explode outward, even falling out of the ring even though you barely touched it. The problems with collision also show when you're pulling off moves. You'll see your opponents' heads and feet poking through parts of other wrestlers bodies, but fortunately the moves still work just fine. This much is visual, and not really a huge problem. What is a problem is when you perform an elbow drop with The Undertaker and find that due to Kurt Angle's size, it has no effect. Despite the elbow clearly connecting, Angle just doesn't react sometime. This is a specific combination of wrestlers, and it only happens a small percentage of the time -- but it still happens

It's things like this that really show X8's lack of polish in some areas. It's a rushed product without a doubt. We remember hearing about the ability to fight backstage. There's nothing like this present that we've seen. It would have certainly been handy for the Hardcore matches where you're tied down to fight within the confines of the arena. Additionally, you may remember hearing the certain initials DDP. Yes, one of our favorite WCW stars. Of course, this is one of those occasions where THQ would remind you that its initial projections for the superstar lineup wasn't final at that point, but we will definitely be missing pulling off the Diamond Cutter with the energetic star.

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In the relatively short production time that X8 had there wasn't enough time for a Career mode either. What is present are six belts you can go on a quest after in the single-player mode called Path of a Champion. The real goal of this mode is to brag that you got the belt, as well as to unlock the secret characters. Where WrestleMania X8 shines through is in match types: Hardcore, Cage, Hell in a Cell, Ladder, Table, TLC, and Ironman. Namely, Cage and Hell in a Cell are very entertaining. Hell in a Cell is especially rockin'. The cell extends around the entire ring, leaving a gap between the mat and the outer border. So, you can really get rowdy and slam each other into the walls of the cell. Even better, you can eventually break down the edge of the cell and climb up to the top. Once there you can fight on the unforgiving steel and slam your opponent right through it to the mat below. Then, climb right back up and do it again. Best Hell in a Cell ever? Definitely. There are some modes like Royal Rumble that will clash with the multiplayer ideal, however. In the Royal Rumble mode you can only fight with four grapplers at the same time. To get them out of the ring, you'll have to toss them over the ropes with an Irish whip or beat them over it by striking relentlessly. You cannot suplex or toss anyone over it. And, for players that don't like sitting around and watching their friends fight the CPU in Royal Rumble, you will have no choice. There's no option to switch in and control a CPU opponent while you wait for your wrestler to run out.
Still, as we said, matches like Hell in a Cell really are a redeeming experience. And, there are more multiplayer features that you should know about. The Create-a-Superstar option is fairly robust. It doesn't have nearly as many options as Smackdown!, but if you read this IGNinsider only feature Ringside with WrestleMania X8 you can see many of the options for yourself. It's a good start, and leaves plenty of room for the sequel to X8 (will it be X9?) to build off it. The Battle for the Belts mode is really what makes X8 unique, and certainly multiplayer focused. This mode will let players quest for one of fiction 51 belts (i.e. GCW belt) ranked easy to painful. There are two ways you can win them. You can fight the CPU, which is indeed going to be difficult when vying for those ranked "painful," or if your friend has already won a belt you want, you can face off against him for it if he brings his memory card over. You have the ability to name each of these belts and change the basic color of the straps. There's not any customization beyond that. So, if you want to vie for the IGNcube belt, we'll just bring it over and face off in a Cage match, okay? Yes, this is a very cool feature that we're sure wrestlers to follow will implement. We just wish making your custom belt had a little more to it than changing the name and color. Still, it's not bad at all and a very good effort on Yuke's part.

For the sum of all its parts, WrestleMania is sorely lacking in the single-player department, something THQ has admitted from the beginning. The hope is that the multiplayer will make up for what's likely to come in future installments. We would have been thrilled to report to you that the IGNcube offices were sent into a frenzy with all the multiplayer action. Yes, we had our fill of heated matches, even screaming at the top of our lungs, "What!? Oh hell yea! What's up wit' dat!?" But, the core controls of the game just didn't deliver what we were desperately hoping for. The simulation elements of No Mercy are all but a distant memory. To hardcore fans and admirers of the N64 greats, we don't recommend picking up X8. It's definitely worth the rental, especially with such a stunning lineup of wrestlers. If you don't mind the similarities to the Smackdown! grappling system, you should definitely consider picking up X8. It's the best GameCube wrestler available, and the intense counter system sets the stage for some heated multiplayer games. But, this is a title reserved for wrestling gamers, not the average GameCube fan.

Graphics
WrestleMania X8 falls between Smackdown! and Raw. The 3500 polygon wrestlers are accurate to their true selves for the most part, although a bit blocky. They are all fleshed out with some kind of visual extra. Triple H has fully animated hair that falls across his leather jacket, which, incidentally, is fully decked out with specular lighting and dirt mapping (areas that don't reflect light) to make it look more realistic. This is apparent on most of the grapplers, and everyone looks fairly respectable. Booker T's hair looks very much like it does in real life, which is a great accomplishment.

The engine cranks out four wrestlers, two announcers, and a ref on the screen at 60 frames second. We experienced no trouble here. Entrances, where the effects are more elaborate, are locked to 30 frames per second, but it's barely noticeable. The biggest problems that X8 runs into in the visual and technical department are animations. There are tons of motion-captured sequences, so fighting in the ring is a mix of really smooth animations and some choppier ones. It's the entrances, though, where it's really apparent that Yuke's didn't have a lot of time to work with. You'll see some awkward entrances from your favorite wrestlers, and it's just jerky as a whole, which sullies the presentation.

Overall, textures are modest and the crowd is very similar to what it's been in all wrestling games -- bad. Blurry sprites will animate with just a few frames, but on the bright side they do hold up wrestler-specific signs to show support for their favorite stars. X8 doesn't offer up any extras for high-definition TV owners such as progressive scan support or a 16:9 mode.

Sound
Prepare to be extremely under whelmed. There is absolutely no commentary from Lawler or J.R., despite them sitting ringside. We're certainly glad to not have to hear the horrible commentary that we've seen in some other wrestling games, but it makes the presence of the
What do you think of the X8 grappling system?

announcers moot. Likewise, sound effects and music are pretty unmoving. Sound effects are compressed, boring, and far and few in between. Putting someone in a headlock could be described as silent, but deadly. It just sounds odd. The music is also rather unfitting. The best music always comes from the wrestler entrances, and is licensed. But, even this is compressed and a bit tinny. Combined with the lack of Dolby Surround support we can't say that we're pleased with the audio efforts.

Closing Comments
By now, I've no doubt many wrestling fans are either disappointed with the outcome of X8 or totally hyped for its multiplayer potential. Chances are, there isn't going to be much middle ground. Wrestling is a big production and the games need to be just as huge when it comes to design and scope. My biggest disappointment for X8 is that it does not continue the greatness that I experienced with No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000. I hate to say it, but I actually admire the grapple system in Raw on Xbox. It isn't exactly like No Mercy in terms of the grappling engine, but it is very close. Do I agree it's the best wrestling game ever? Certainly not. But, I really find myself wishing that I could have the counter system of WrestleMania X8 with the simulation grapples of Raw. For all the extras that X8 provides -- the match types and custom belts -- it just doesn't have the core controls I was looking for.
If you don't fall into the same category, definitely give X8 a look. It's certainly the best wrestler available for GameCube, but there are little touches that you may miss. Take the ladder match, for instance. In Smackdown! you can leap off of the ladder to go for the belt. It's a cool feeling, but in X8 you have the set the ladder up directly under the belt and hop up to grab it. Of course, for the little touches it doesn't have, there are some unique points it has over other titles. In the ladder match you can pull people off of the ladder in addition to striking them on it.

X8 is more a victim of hasty design than it is huge flaws. It has some very cool ideas with the custom belts and the stellar Hell in a Cell, but the engine really needed to go the extra mile and become an extension of the old Aki engine for No Mercy -- at least, in this reviewers opinion anyway.

So, what do I recommend when it comes to spending your hard-earned money on X8? Hardcore wrestling fans that own a GameCube won't want to be without it. It's the best wrestling game on the system, and provides some intense multiplayer action if you can venture past the control mechanics. If you're not a hardcore wrestling fan or are looking for a single-player game, this isn't for you. A rental is absolutely advised, if just to lay the smack down on some friends.

Scores

Presentation: 7.0
-Stiff animation and the lack of a good deal of licensed music dulls the presentation. The list of wrestlers is impressive, but without proper entrances you can't help but be disappointed.

Graphics: 7.0
-Runs fluidly at 60 fps with multitexturing, cloth effects, and even with four grapplers on the screen. Character models could stand to be improved.

Sound: 4.0 (ouch)
-Sure there's licensed music, but the rest will make your ears bleed. Needs a lot of work.

Gameplay: 6.0 (double ouch)
-X8 is totally unique with its counter system, but too close to the home called Smackdown! This should have been the sequel to No Mercy -- it's not. Numerous collision detection and other limitations

Lasting Appeal: 5.0 ( :unsure: )
-Multiplayer-focused. Questing for the belts is really only useful for unlocking wrestlers. Once that's over, the 42 wrestlers are all for multiplayer. Get some friends.

Overall: 7.0

Ouchies :unsure:

That's gotta hurt.

I just want to see BreakABone's reaction :)

I was telling him that he was way over-hyped about this game :unsure:

-EDIT-

By the way....

I saw the "WWF" Logo one too many times when watching the Intro videos... why couldn't they just fix it? I guess they are trying to rip all the $$$ they can with this licence on this one game.

I knew this game would be suck a while ago. Kinda sad, the ratio of people who wanted the old engine from AKI to the people who don't is probably something like 29:1.

worst part is... it prolly sucks this much, yet still better then the other wrestlers out =/

*waves good bye to good wreslting games...*

*keeps his n64 just for no mercy*

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Originally posted by Null
worst part is... it prolly sucks this much, yet still better then the other wrestlers out =/

Well, methinks Raw's gameplay is the farthest away from Smackdowns... making it the champ right now... (plus it got a score over a 9.0 from the same site ;) )

same site, differnt people.

one persons 9 could be another persons 7. or vice versa. theres no set standard for scoring.

i personally liked smackdown slightlyyyyyyyyyyy more then RAW.

(dont get me wrong. i think they both suck. lol)

but EGM absoultly loved Smackdown. so it got a higher rating from the same mag. (see how it means squat? :P)

hehe

Undesputed Champion = No Mercy

I don't like wrestling (games), but I knew you guys were sooo excited about this one. Too bad it turns out to be crap. :unsure:

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Originally posted by Angrist
I don't like wrestling (games), but I knew you guys were sooo excited about this one. Too bad it turns out to be crap. :unsure:

It's not the fact that there's another weak WWFE game out there that pisses me off, it's the fact that they completly ruined the best wrestling series ever by losing Aki.

Oh, and Null, I like Raw more for the weapon use and the interuption of intros, but as far as in-game action (w/o weapons) they are equally as fun.

The thing that pisses me off is that WWX8 is backed by a "multi-million dollar marketing campaign" Aki is no where to be found...the only thing that is really wrong with the game is the controls.....wrestling games always had crap music....I turn it down.....blah blah.....oh well.

The AKI team that made No Mercy, WM 2000, Revenge and so on is no more. The remnants of that team joined Yukes and were working on WMX8. Evidently it was the bottom of the barrel from the AKI team afterall.

What makes me the most angry is that an era is officially dead in the world of Wrestling Games. Pure sims have gone the way of the Dodo, I'm afraid, and are being replaced by crappy arcade/sim hybrids which manage to neither do the arcade or sim parts decently.

What developers don't seem to get is that a good wrestling game is not about button mashing, combinations and fast twitch gameplay. Its about strategy and timing.

A good wrestling game should be more like chess, and less like Simon (anyone remember that game?)

AKI should have developed X8!

Let me just start off by saying that No Mercy was the last great wrestling game...

MY WRESTLEMANIA REVIEW

Presentation: 6.5
X8 features a huge roster of wrestlers, but just where the hell is the licensed music? Oh, and accurate entraces would of been nice too! :(

Graphics: 7.0
WrestleMania X8 falls between Smackdown! and Raw. The graphics are simply so-so (hey, a category Raw actually beats X8 in).

Sound: 3.0
The music and sound effects in X8 will make your insides screech. A word of advice would be to play this game on mute. ;)

Gameplay: 5.0
WrestleMania X8 is a sort of disappointing hybrid between Smackdown! and the reversal maneuvers from the N64.

Lasting Appeal: 5.0
The "Path of Champion" mode is only worthwhile until you've successfully unlocked all 42 wrestlers. After that it's time to pull up a chair with three of your best friends.

My Overall Score: 6.0