Old School Gamer’s Patrick Hickey Jr. counts down the best wrestling games in video game history that are over 10 years old, ranging from arcade favorites to…the Gamecube. Do you know them all?
10: WWF Warzone: While the controls mirrored a Capcom fighting game, Warzone’s fun create-a-wrestler made for an enjoyable title that could steal hours of your spare time.
9: Fire Pro Wrestling D: Although it’s more of a niche title, the attention to detail, vast roster and fun, old-school graphics make it a fan favorite.
8: Power Move Pro Wrestling: Yuke’s first American pro wrestling game, it’s completely underrated. Although the roster is small, the season mode alone provided a bevy of playtime.
7: Wrestlefest: The countless remakes on various systems prove that this arcade title is still loved by fans.
6: WWE Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain: Arguably the best wrestling game on the Playstation 2, HCTP is the result of THQ cleaning up all the problems that plagued previous versions of the series. Cleaner graphics, smoother animations- this game had it all.
5: Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation: AKI, the developer responsible for the fantastic wrestling games on the Nintendo 64, made sure the Gamecube had at least one great grappling game. Using many of the animations from the 64 games and cleaning them up, Ultimate Muscle feels like those classic games, but with cel-shaded graphics and a plethora of unlockables, it’s easily the best wrestling game on the system. Take that THQ.
4: Def Jam: Fight for NY: Although this is more of a brawling/fighting game, it uses so many of the classic elements of wrestling games, from the taunts, massive create options and of course, finishers. Even if you don’t enjoy hip-hop, this is a game you’ll love.
3: WCW/nWo Revenge: The best game in WCW history. With all the factions and belts, this game had a longer lifespan than the company. The control scheme was simply stellar and has been copied over a dozen times by other developers.
2: WWF Wrestlemania 2000/Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Once THQ lost the WCW license they made their first WWF game. It didn’t disappoint. As a matter of fact, it was it a step up. Although on the surface it felt eerily similar to WCW/nWo Revenge, the create-a-wrestler option revolutionized the genre. Simply put, the game is legendary and can still be enjoyed today. The Japanese version? Even better.
1: WWF No Mercy: Wrestlemania 2000 was amazing, but No Mercy was perfect. More moves, better graphics, more create-options, this game is still put under the pillow of gamers every night. The emulators online that have hacked the game’s engine prove that this title is in a league of its own.
