Before anyone passes off any negative comments, these are just my opinions and you of course do not have to agree with me I would just like to hear some of your thoughts on the current state of wrestling games. What would you like to see? With that said, please feel free to read below:
Ok, so we got the yearly release of the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games. But what about other wrestling games? What about PC Wrestling games? Sure the Smackdown series remains the most popular but is that because the games are so good or is it because of lack of any real competition? Let`s take a time travel back to The WWF No Mercy game. It had a quite an impressive customization feature and the ring apron moves were great as well. The physics were pretty good too. I remember how blown away I was when this game was released. Anyway, what has been puzzling me is why aren`t there any unique wrestling games for the PC? Think about it, the incredible amount of customization and modding possible, it would be great wouldn`t it?
No weapons, or tables disappearing
No special needed to break a table
Being able to directly contact the creator/programmer(s) to request certain moves or ideas
Enviromental hotspots for weapons like chairs and ring posts and guard rails Special weapon grapples like "Raven`s Drop Toe Hold" onto The Chair and a Chair Gullotine and Chair DDT and of course RVD`s and Sabu`s weapon grapple moves
At least as much tag team finishers as single finishers in the game. (Too many wrestling games don`t focus enough on tag team finishers, Smackdown v.s. Raw 2009 had a good idea with the tag team explosion concept but sadly it just fell short! They (tag finishers) deserve proper recogniton just look at how popular they were in the WWF of the 80`s and early 90`s)
This is just some of the stuff that I`d like to see in the future. Anyone else agree? Thoughts?
Speaking of original PC wrestling games here is a list of some of them:
Wrestling Mpire 2008:
Pros: Custom soundtracks, moddable, moves, arenas and wrestlers and objects and being able to fight in the crowd and jump off the balconies and springboard attacks and also (on a fast computer) a 30 man battle royale Cons: While you can break tables you can`t put any of the wrestlers onto the tables and do any top rope moves down onto them through the table. Also there is only like maybe 3 double team moves which leaves the tag team matches less than desirable.
Homebrew Wrestling 4.0:
Pros: Great game with special abilites, being able to light tables on fire and several different match types and tables do not disappear, moddable wrestlers, moddable arenas, custom soundtracks and an excellent battle royal mode that allows more than 6 men in the ring at once Cons: None really, other than maybe the game could stand to see some more single moves/finishers and more tag team finishers. Also some top rope moves like a superplex or hurracarrana would be nice too. The creator is a nice guy and is busy in other game projects right now but it would be nice to see him update this game or expand on it in the future
Pro Wrestling X Uprising:
Pros: Looks very promising, lots of potential but the game seems to have been in production since 2003 I believe. The creator is a very pleasant gentleman and always seems optimistic. This game has had alot of ups and downs but the creator estimates a release around February 2010. Cons: None so far that I can see, other than many people have been patiently waiting on the release of this game. Some have even called it vaporware. The fanbase this game has attracted is incredible, though some have bailed out on it but it seems to be gaining it`s once popular ground back again and it could be quite a monumential game once it is released. Some compare it to AKI wrestling games, if it is indeed anything like those games along with having a vastly large amount of customization/mods with being on the PC this may be the PC wrestling game to make PC wrestling game history.
International Wrestling League:
Pros: Beautiful textures, great concepts and a building, loyal fanbase. Cons: The guy creating this game is a very nice and dedicated individual. He, like the other creators of these mentioned PC wrestling games works alot and is very busy and he is creating this game with minimal help thus far. He is also looking for help with the game on his site. The only thing hurting this game right now is the lack of character models and some demo gameplay. Other than that this game could easily become one of the greatest wrestling PC games ever
In conclusion, unless these console wrestling games have regular DLC updates to keep them up to date with certain features and such to keep them interesting, I think the PC for wrestling games is the wave of the future? We need wrestling games on the PC for it`s easy moddability and of course DLC/Expansion Packs Thoughts?
Oh yeah one con about HBW4.0 is that it doesn't work well on labtops. (I need a desktop lol)
With the SVR10 making it harder and easier at the same time PWX all PWX gotta do is be open like a Bunny Ranch prostitute while SVR10 be the boring girlfriend that does something every anniversary
Nice round up. Thanks for posting it! I'm almost positive there are at least two other PC wrestling games in various stages of production but I can't remember where I read about them. GamingRing forums maybe?!
Oh and don't forget to add to the PWX "pros" list:
Yup. Total Extreme Warfare 2009 (I think) is due for release anytime soon, and in celebration of its impending release, earlier this year he made TEW 2005 available FOR FREE. I've been getting as much mileage out of it as I can, and it is loads deeper and more intricate than EWR (Extreme Warfare Revenge) 4.2 ever could have been. Hopefully Wrestling Spirit 1 will receive the same treatment when he likely announces WreSpi 3. :)
It's Total Extreme Warfare 2010, and it's scheduled for released early next year. I can't wait either since I consider that series to be the most fun of any other wrestling game series out there. And believe me, I've played many (including Wrestling Mpire which I thought to be boring and Zeus Pro which is OK, but tends to be exasperating).
Zeus pro is god, but it almost impossible to find another fed for use, it just have some old WCW, WWF and ECW, not that this is bad, but I would love to create a fed, but every time I save it, and them get out of the game, and get back to the game, all my titles, referees, tag roster, and comentators have blank names, and that is driving me mad.