WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game
Digitized wrestlers battle with cartoonish special moves.
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is a professional wrestling arcade game released by Midway Manufacturing Co. in 1995, based on the World Wrestling Federation. It features digitized representations of eight WWF performers in fast-paced matches inspired by Midway's Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. Commentary is provided by Vince McMahon and Jerry "The King" Lawler, who appear at the announcers' table, with Howard Finkel welcoming players at the start screen.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Midway (arcade); Sculptured Software (home)
- Publisher
- Midway Games (arcade); Acclaim Entertainment (home)
- Artist
- Sal Divita, Joshua Y. Tsui, Eugene Geer, Tony Goskie
- Composer
- Chris Granner
- Series
- WWF
- Platforms
- Arcade, Genesis, 32X, Super NES, PlayStation, Saturn, MS-DOS
- Genre
- Sports-based fighting
- Modes
- Up to 2 players, simultaneous
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
WWF WrestleMania is more a fighting game than a sports/wrestling game, with digitized graphics and fast-paced gameplay inspired by Mortal Kombat. Its over-the-top, cartoonish attacks include Doink the Clown pulling out a mallet, Razor Ramon's arm transforming into a blade, and Bam Bam Bigelow's fists catching fire. Matches consist primarily of strike attacks and special moves, with uppercuts sending opponents sky high, flawless victories, and tongue-in-cheek animations. The one-player mode lets players choose from Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Bam Bam Bigelow, Yokozuna, Doink the Clown, and Lex Luger. Each character "bleeds" an object representing them, such as dumbbells from Lex Luger or valentine hearts from Bret Hart. Two single-player modes exist: the Intercontinental Championship requires winning four one-on-one matches, two Handicap 2-on-1 matches, and one Handicap 3-on-1 match; the WWF Championship requires four Handicap 2-on-1 matches, two Handicap 3-on-1 matches, and a "WrestleMania Challenge" gauntlet against all eight wrestlers. Multi-player modes include head-to-head and cooperative tag team play. In-game music uses snippets of the roster's entrance themes, including older versions for Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker, plus themes from WWF television shows.
Development
Programmer Mark Turmell worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week for six months to complete the game, receiving feedback from playtesters and ideas from artists and his partner Sal DiVita. Shortly after release, Midway executive Roger Sharpe claimed Adam Bomb appears in the game; developer Sal DiVita later confirmed Adam Bomb was a hidden character but stated the character was not fully completed.
Ports
The home versions of WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game arrived on Mega Drive/Genesis, 32X, Super NES, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and MS-DOS. The Super NES port dropped Bam Bam Bigelow and Yokozuna, suffered slowdown when three wrestlers appeared, cut several voice and commentary clips, and lowered damage from attacks. The Genesis release kept most of the arcade’s voice and commentary and allowed four wrestlers on screen, though slowdown still occurred. The 32X version boosted graphics and audio over the Genesis port but ran at 30 frames per second instead of 60. On PlayStation, most background music was removed, with only victory theme loops after one-on-one wins and music during tournament endings and credits; however, graphics improved with no slowdown, and an introduction by Howard Finkel was added, while Midway references were removed.
Reception
RePlay reported the arcade version was the third most-popular arcade game at the time. GamePro's Bruised Lee praised the digitized characters' detail, wacky humor, and accessible controls, calling it one of the most addictive arcade games. Next Generation described it as a bloodless Mortal Kombat, better than WWF Raw, applauding the cleanly digitized characters, variety of moves, and cooperative play. The PlayStation version received enthusiastic reviews: GamePro's Scary Larry gave it 4.5/5 for control and 5/5 in other categories, calling it a great wrestling and fighting game. Next Generation said it "looks great and plays even better." Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it 9/10 and an Editor's Choice Platinum award, stating Acclaim and Williams "turned out the lights" on other wrestling games. Scary Larry said the 32X version is no match for the PlayStation title but is a must-have for 32X owners. GamePro's Air Hendrix noted the Genesis version suffers from graininess and slowdown but outshines earlier wrestling games. Scary Larry criticized the Super NES version's reduced roster, slow speed, smaller sprites, and tinny sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game?
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game was developed by Midway (arcade) and Sculptured Software (home).
Who published WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game?
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game was published by Midway Games (arcade) and Acclaim Entertainment (home).
Who composed the music for WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game?
The music for WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game was composed by Chris Granner.
More in WWE Games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced