WWE WrestleMania X8 | Nintendo GameCube
Take a whiff of what the GCN's cookin'.
WWE WrestleMania X8 brings the bright lights and brutal action of World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly Federation) to the Nintendo GameCube.
With a star-studded roster of 42 wrestlers, WWE WrestleMania X8 lets you control your favorite superstar. Masters of the squared circle like The Rock, Hollywood Hogan and Chris Jericho are all here, complete with entrance music and trademark moves.
WWE WrestleMania X8 serves up a feast of special matches, multiplayer modes and colorful gladiators. A few graphical quirks aside, this game should satisfy your jones for piledriving.
Buttons-Down Action
Given THQ's proven record of churning out hit wrestling games, GCN owners have been eagerly awaiting WWE WrestleMania X8. Featuring simple controls and a slick countering system, THQ's latest brawler makes bone-crunching moves accessible to veterans and rookies alike.
Press the A Button to grapple and the B Button to strike your opponent. This simple button layout will allow even little brothers to deliver smackdowns.
With exact timing and a little luck, though, over-zealous button-mashers can be stopped in their tracks with a well-timed reversal.
Simply reverse a grapple by pressing the L Button and a strike by pressing the R Button. This reversal system is what makes matches in WWE WrestleMania X8 play out like real-life battle, in which momentum can shift more often than a Mini driver in rush-hour traffic.
Metric Systems
Adding further to the life-like pacing of a typical match are the various indicators that show the status of each gladiator. Do well and your Adrenaline Meter will fill up. At 100 percent you can use a special move like the Stone Cold Stunner or the Twist of Fate.
When the Stamina Meter shows green your brawler's spirit is normal, when it turns red he or she is in tip-top shape and when it dips into the blue, a pin is most likely in your immediate future.
Graphics
Props to THQ for always privileging great gameplay over glittering graphics. WWE WrestleMania X8 continues that trend with graphics that are solid, if not spectacular. Still, with stunning entrances and detailed character models, the game has its moments.
The body type of each wrestler fits their real-life counterpart to a T, so The Big Show is massive while Taz is short and stocky. For both male and female wrestlers, the tattoos, outfits and facial details are all included for a healthy dose of realism.
Create A Superstar mode gives detailed control over the look and gropes of your wrestler. In this mode you will find a wide selection of faces, haircuts, pads, clothes, entrances and moves. Create A Superstar boasts a complex coordinate system for choosing abilities in categories like flexibility, grappling and recovery. You can even fabricate authentic replicas of absent stars like DDP and Shawn Michaels.
Despite all this attention to detail, iffy collision detection results in frequent overlapping of limbs and bodies. A nasty slam just doesn't look as brutal when your head occupies the same space as your opponent's torso.
Game Modes
One area where WWE WrestleMania X8 manages to destroy the competition is with the variety of game modes.
When you choose an Exhibition match you are greeted with a bewildering array of choices, including Tag, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Battle Royal and Royal Rumble. The many special matches include Hardcore Match, Cage Match, Hell in a Cell, Table Match, Ironman Match and Ladder Match. TLC Match, has nothing to do with motherly tender loving care -- that "TLC" refers to Tables, Ladders and Chairs. Duck!
Because all these match types are available for as many as four players, wrestling your buddies will feel fresh and interesting for hours on end. Our advice is to brush up on your verbal putdowns beforehand.
The Path of a Champion mode lets a solo player play for any of six championship belts. Once you choose a wrestler and a belt you will be faced with a variety of challenging match types. Success will unlock new wrestlers.
The two-player Battle for the Belts is a great way to face off two created wrestlers to see who has fashioned the finest wrestler.
Bottom Line
WWE WrestleMania X8 has plenty of game modes to keep you and your friends busy. As with THQ's previous wrestling games, WWE WrestleMania X8 triumphs in pick-up-and-playability. The graphics are detailed but the collision detection will hopefully be improved in future titles. While it doesn't revolutionize the genre, this is a no-holds-barred fighter that will satisfy wrestling fans.
WWE WrestleMania X8 is in stores now. Fourteen memory blocks are needed to save progress on a Memory Card (not included). This game has been rated "T" (Teen) by the independent Entertainment Software Rating Board.
- Vendor: Nintendo
- Type: Nintendo Games
