First look: WWE Wrestlemania XIX

[Guest mach7]

THQ takes the wraps off of its next GameCube wrestling game.

 

Today at an event in Seattle, WA, THQ unveiled its next WWE-licensed wrestling game, WWE Wrestlemania XIX. The game is currently under development by Yuke's, the Japanese team responsible for last year's GameCube game as well as the SmackDown! series on the PlayStation 2.

 

The focus of this year's game is to respond to much of the criticism users had about last year's game, overhauling much of the game's engine and feature set in the process. The game will feature a single-player story mode called the revenge mode, which opens with WWE owner Vince McMahon stripping your superstar of the championship belt and banning you from wrestling. SmackDown! general manager Stephanie McMahon gives you a helping hand and sets you on your quest to get back at Vince in 30 different missions designed to get your WWE superstar back to the limelight of Wrestlemania.

 

As you progress through the single-player game, you'll earn cash that can be spent at the WWE ShopZone, which will sell a variety of unlockables, including more superstars, arenas, extra skills and attributes, and new parts, clothing, and moves for the game's create-a-wrestler mode.

 

The gameplay has changed quite a bit over last year's game. In a nod to the popular wrestling engine that powered all of THQ's Nintendo 64 games, Wrestlemania XIX will have strong and weak grapples that are executed by holding down the grapple button for different lengths of time. The game has a nicely intuitive counter system that uses the R trigger to counter incoming strikes and the L trigger to counter incoming grapple attempts. Finishers are executed by taunting when your finisher meter is full, which taunts your opponent and activates your finisher ability for a short period of time. Finishers and taunts are done by pressing the A and B buttons simultaneously.

 

While only one arena and two superstars are being shown in the pre-alpha build that THQ is displaying, the game is set to contain all of the standard WWE match types that you've come to expect to see, including Hell in a Cell, cage matches, and the like. Wrestlemania XIX will contain blood, so the game will also feature the first blood match type, in which matches are ended when one player begins bleeding. The game will be playable by four players and will also contain a new tutorial mode to help players become familiar with the gameplay.

 

The game's various wrestlers will have their own set of unique attributes, meaning a wrestler like the Undertaker will be slower, but more powerful than a cruiserweight like Rey Mysterio. When asked about how these various differences could effect the game's overall balance, THQ representatives stated that expert players will be able to take the smaller, less-powerful guys to victory over the larger, stronger guys, but that it would, at times, be a struggle.

 

Visually, the game's animation will be able to convey location-specific damage, which will allow you to soften up an opponent's arm, leg, or head, making it easier to score a victory by submission. The damage will be shown via the wrestlers' idle animations. The game is also striving to look more fluid than its predecessor. From an audio perspective, the game is shooting for an "in the ring" point of view, with over-the-top sound effects designed to give players a feeling for the impact of the stronger moves. There will be no commentary in the game. The final product may have support for progressive scan televisions, but that decision has not been made yet.

 

While no final count has been set, and no roster has been released, WWE Wrestlemania XIX is currently scheduled to feature somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 to 45 superstars. The version we were shown only contained the Undertaker and Rey Mysterio, but the game will also feature the standard roster of currently active WWE superstars, such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Scott Steiner, and more. Additionally, interviews with relatively new superstars such as Jamie Noble and John Cena revealed that they had been photographed and talked to about upcoming video game products, so it's reasonably safe to assume that they'll make the roster, as well. Finally, there is still room to include new wrestlers that may or may not be debuting in the WWE in the coming weeks, though THQ representatives wouldn't elaborate on who they may or may not have been referring to.

 

We'll have lots of new screens and video of the game on Monday. WWE Wrestlemania XIX is scheduled to ship to stores in August.

 

By Jeff Gerstmann, GameSpot

 

Well, judging from the new grapple system, this could be the "No Mercy" sequel that people have been wetting their pants over for so long now. Here's hoping that Yukes & THQ don't yank half of the "announced" features or gameplay mechanics like they usually do with WWE games..

[Guest The Tino Standard]

I will take this time to post what just about everybody said in the last WMXIX post:

 

That storyline mode alone is enough to sink this game. Your ultimate goal is to have a match with Vince McMahon just to get your job back? Guh.

 

And if you want a game that is the next No Mercy, then go pick up Def Jam Vendetta. That IS the SAME control system as No Mercy, just moved onto the next generation of consoles.

[Guest Insane Bump Machine]

There'll also be a regular season/championship mode, so it's not so bad.

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

I suppose its a first look for Gamespot, but other places had First looks weeks ago.

 

Im guessing that Goldberg will be in the game..

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

The No Mercy engine was good because of more than just the grappling. It was just an all around good system.

[Guest mach7]

And if you want a game that is the next No Mercy, then go pick up Def Jam Vendetta. That IS the SAME control system as No Mercy, just moved onto the next generation of consoles.

Yes, if it's based on gameplay alone. But Def Jam Vendetta doesn't have a C.A.W. - of which WMXIX will...

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

But isn't this game where you blow up yachts and shit?

 

Is it so wrong to just keep playing No Mercy? It works for me.

[Guest Lil Naitch]

What system is this for? Is this the new Smackdown, or the new Gamecube game?

[Guest Lightning Flik]

the new Gamecube game?

WM19 and the WM series is Gamecube.

 

Smackdown and it's series are still PS2. #5 although not named yet, it'll be on it's way before Christmas.

[Guest The Amazing Rando]

It's Grand Theft Auto: WWE~!

 

*scenes of Hogan trying to run around with a baseball bat beating up gang members to the tune of Real American*

[Guest MrRant]

I read GameSpy's review and it seems like you don't have to have a match with Vince... but go from nothing and get to WM to show him up since he fired you.

 

Nothing too bad about that IMO.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

I read GameSpy's review and it seems like you don't have to have a match with Vince... but go from nothing and get to WM to show him up since he fired you.

 

Nothing too bad about that IMO.

Except for the part where you beat up thugs in alleys Final Fight style and then blow up a cruise ship.

 

Hate to harp on it, but the "Wrestling game without the wrestling" thing is bothering me.

[Guest MrRant]

I saw that no where in the GameSpy review.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

GOOD. Maybe they got rid of it.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

I saw that no where in the GameSpy review.

Where is this supposed Gamespy review? I haven't found it.

 

If you are talking about the "feature" (which is not a preview nor a review) just had 16 WWE superstars playing the game for the media. Nor did it cover any of the games features. Which is here for those who wish to read it: http://www.gamespy.com/articles/april03/wrestlemania/

 

I'm amazed that Kane is the most hardcore gamer of the WWE. Thought it'd be like Christian or Edge.

[Guest MrRant]

Though it was one of THQ's most successful games of 2002, WrestleMania X8 was something of a disappointment. WMX8 was supposed to be a modern-day version of those classic Aki titles for the Nintendo 64, which many gamers still regard as the pinnacle of wrestling gameplay. Unfortunately, it was still more like a Yuke's wrestling game than an Aki one -- not necessarily a bad thing, just not what was expected. The company is fully aware of the game's shortcomings and admits that its engine, graphics, and animations were not where they needed to be. THQ vowed to make drastic improvements in WrestleMania XIX, and after giving a pre-alpha version of the game a whirl recently, it's easy to see that the game has the makings of a champion. With a totally new engine that plays similarly to an Aki game, this might be the wrestling game fans have been waiting for.

 

The overhauled grappling system is easy to learn, yet promises to feature tons of depth. Offensively you can initiate the action with a weak grapple, strong grapple, or strike. The intensity of the grapple determines which moves you can execute next. You'll be able to pull off more devastating moves after a strong grapple, but it's much easier to lock-on a weak one. Every move can be reversed with the shoulder buttons. The left shoulder counters grapples, the right shoulder blocks punches, and pressing them together nixes special moves. Icon hints pop up above your wrestler's head when you have an opportunity to counter, making the reversal system easy to learn.

 

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I was able to play several matches against my fellow journalists. At this time, only two wrestlers were available: Rey Mysterio, Jr. (pronounced Raymond Stereo, Jr.) and the Undertaker. The grappling system is definitely easy to pick up and I really liked the icon hints. While I was able to time counters after a few matches, the icons are a great way for mainstream fans to learn the game. Aside from the standard suplexes, punches, and dropkicks, I was able to execute Rey's "X-Factor" and Taker's "Last Ride." The game's producers also showed me Rey's incredibly dynamic 619 finisher and Taker's industry-standard chokeslam. The finishers looked fantastic and I can't wait to see some from the other WWE superstars.

 

THQ promises that players will notice more of a difference between WWE stars. If my matches were any indication, then that promise is true. Rey was faster than a speeding bullet, but definitely on the weak side and slow to recover from damage. Taker, on the other hand, was more powerful than a locomotive and could absorb punishment better, but was as slow as molasses. The sentiment among the journalists that are wrestling fans is that this is definitely a good thing, but all of us hope the backstage politics will come into play. If that were the case, then Triple H would be the most powerful character in any video game -- that guy refuses to job to anybody.

 

 

Hulk Hogan hulks up against The Rock. The developers are implementing a few features that should up the game's presentation values. First are the changing camera angles. Throughout the game, the camera moves, which makes it feel more like a television broadcast. Things get really cool during finishers; since those moves take several seconds, the camera changes can be more dramatic given that it won't disrupt the gameplay. The camera angles definitely add some flair to the game. Also helping the cause are injury animations. Most wrestling games feature great animations on the offensive side, but "selling" the offense is as important as the move itself. WMXIX features specific selling animations, like a wrestler grabbing his leg after several blows to the knee or a grappler arching his back and wincing in pain after a power bomb. It's a subtle inclusion, but one that goes a long way towards re-creating the feel of a wrestling match.

 

 

Rey Rey gets ready to do the 619 on a stunned Kurt Angle. One of the complaints about WMX8 is that it didn't have a story mode. WMXIX answers this with a storyline that's straight out of WWE Raw. It goes a little something like this (think Tone Loc): Vince kicks you out of the WWE and you're forced to work you way back to the top. You'll have to embark on all sorts of matches, including some dangerously outlandish ones, to get your main-event status back. As the wins pile up, you earn cash that can be used in the WWE Shopzone. Here you can purchase new outfits for numerous characters, unlock arenas, and more.

 

WrestleMania XIX's foundation has a ton of potential, more than any other THQ wrestling game, and this one already feels more like a classic Aki title. That said, it remains to be seen if Yuke's can refine its new grappling system so that it's tight and balanced. Last year THQ said that WrestleMania X8 would be closer to the classic wrestling games for the N64, but it looks like WrestleMania XIX is the game that will deliver on that promise. •

[Guest mach7]

But isn't this game where you blow up yachts and shit?

WTF are you talking about?

 

WrestleMania XIX? Blowing up yachts? Are you thinking of Crush Hour? And even that's stretching it if you are.........!

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

wow, maybe they did change it.

 

months ago when this game was first previewed, the story was said to be Vince kicking you out of WWE, and so you try to get revenge on him by invading titan towers, beating up his "goons", stupid Double Dragon crap. The worst was when you sneak onto Vince's boat and blow it up, which inspired at least a page of Cheatum the Evil Midget jokes.

 

 

EDIT: you can't make this stuff up

 

DOUBLE EDIT: by "months ago" I mean "less than a month ago". I have excellent memory.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

Looks pretty cool to me... *Runs off*

[Guest mach7]

wow, maybe they did change it.

 

months ago when this game was first previewed, the story was said to be Vince kicking you out of WWE, and so you try to get revenge on him by invading titan towers, beating up his "goons", stupid Double Dragon crap. The worst was when you sneak onto Vince's boat and blow it up, which inspired at least a page of Cheatum the Evil Midget jokes.

 

 

EDIT: you can't make this stuff up

 

DOUBLE EDIT: by "months ago" I mean "less than a month ago". I have excellent memory.

Fucking hell! I missed that thread.. thank FUCKING god they changed their plans...

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Fuck this, where's my improved RAW II for X-Box?

[Guest MrRant]

Fuck this, where's my improved RAW II for X-Box?

Up your ass and around the corner.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Next year. Don't worry. I want it too.

 

MrRant:

Up your ass and around the corner

 

Well, I can think of ONE person who won't be making his own entrances now, hmm?

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

That's what you're excited about? You can make your own enterances in Attitude for christ sake.

[Guest MrRant]

I have both the GC and XBOX so I can get both.

[Guest AndrewTS]

But isn't this game where you blow up yachts and shit?

 

Is it so wrong to just keep playing No Mercy? It works for me.

Well, many of us sold/traded in our Doorstop 64s expecting that a sequel to the best North American wrestling game around (albeit one with gltches) would be forthcoming.

[Guest AndrewTS]

wow, maybe they did change it.

 

months ago when this game was first previewed, the story was said to be Vince kicking you out of WWE, and so you try to get revenge on him by invading titan towers, beating up his "goons", stupid Double Dragon crap. The worst was when you sneak onto Vince's boat and blow it up, which inspired at least a page of Cheatum the Evil Midget jokes.

 

 

EDIT: you can't make this stuff up

 

DOUBLE EDIT: by "months ago" I mean "less than a month ago". I have excellent memory.

Fucking hell! I missed that thread.. thank FUCKING god they changed their plans...

Geez, reminds me of that idiotic "WWF Betrayal" game where you have to save Stephanie McMahon (who would want to do that?).

 

They better have changed it.