Customer Reviews

WWE Legends of WrestleMania

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Lacking a career mode and general manager mode makes this title a very shallow wrestling game. Being able to replay or rewrite pivotal moments in Wrestlemania history is cool, and the video footage of classic Wrestlemania matches, as well as the superstars trash-talk videos before the events, is a feast of nostalgia. The roster and entrances are also a satisfying trip back to the good old days. However, once you get into the gameplay it has absolutely no depth, and leaves you longing for so much more. Excuses have been made for the lack of a career mode, like the fact that most of these wrestlers are now retired. But I have not heard a valid excuse. The career does not have to take place today. If you can rewrite history on the classic matches, why not with your favorite classic wrestler's career? The roster will bring back a lot of great memories for any long time fan, but there are still some glaring ommissions, such as Macho Man Randy Savage or Mick Foley (in any of his personas), or ANY, yes ANY of the divas either as wrestler or manager, like Sensational Sherry, Elizabeth, or Chyna (there are no female wrestlers at all). The good news is there are a lot of names on the roster, and instead of only getting the most popular stars like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair you also get names like Brutus The Barber Beefcake and Big Bossman (both of whom I was delighted to see).

The controls are NOT an improvement over other wrestling games of late. The flow of the match is disturbed, and the controls don't feel as natural. The changes were supposedly for "casual" gamers but bad controls are bad controls - I don't care if the person playing is casual or hardcore...

Unless you enjoy doing exhibition matches for countless hours this game will get old fast. The videos are worth reliving. But I would not recommend this game to anyone but serious wrestling fans who long for a trip down memory lane.

I actually waited awhile before picking up "Legends of Wrestlemania" simply because I had laid down enough cash for "Smackdown vs. Raw 2009" and hadn't really played that all too much. Didn't want to drop another $60 for "Legends of Wrestlemania" and have another game just gathering dust.

What changed my mind, and to be honest one of only two reasons I would recommend "Legends of Wrestlemania" to anyone, is that I found out you can import the roster from "Smackdown vs. Raw 2009" into "Legends of Wrestlemania". Meaning you can now pit Santino Morella against Andre the Giant or have Randy Orton take on Mr. Perfect. The only other reason to pick up this game would be for nostalgic purposes.

I was basically expecting the same gameplay which had been featured on the past couple of "Raw vs. Smackdown" releases, just with modified graphics, and a roster of past Superstars. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. What made the "Raw vs. Smackdown" titles so much fun to play are the innovative controls, the multiple game modes, and the variety of matches you can choose from. "Legends of Wrestling" features none of those. Instead of GM Mode or Career Mode, "Legends" gives you 4 game play options, "Legend Killer, and on the Wrestlemania Tour "Relive", "Rewrite", "Redefine".

In "Relive" mode, you go back to several famous matches throughout "Wrestlemania" history and replay the match as it was presented. The best part of this option is seeing the old video footage of the feuds leading up to the matches. For instance you get to replay the Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter match from Wrestlemania 7, prior to the match you get a re-cap of what the feud was about and promos from each wrestler, which is pretty cool. In this mode you cannot choose your character, you must wrestle as the pre-designated winner of the match. You can also earn EXP points by completing certain objectives during each match. When you earn enough EXP points you win a medal.

In "Rewrite" mode you are once again presented with a series of famous matches culled from Wrestlemania history. Once again you get original video footage of the feuds leading up to each bout, and you also have certain objectives per match you must achieve in order to gain EXP points in order to win the medal. With this mode, your objective is to change the outcome of the original match.

In "Redefine" mode you again play through several famous matches in Wrestlemania history, only this time you can choose which character you would like to play. You can try and `rewrite' history or `relive' history. Basically it combines elements from the previous two gameplay modes. Once again you have certain objectives to meet to gain EXP points.

In "Legend Killer" mode you fight through a series of matches in 4 tiers. The first three tiers are 10 matches you must win to advance. The final tier is called the "All Star Legends Tier" and you must win 38 matches to finish the level!! What is brutal about this game mode, is that once you start a tier, you cannot save and quit. The game forces you to play through the entire tier before giving you the option of saving, meaning that once you reach the "All Star" tier...you HAVE to play 38 consecutive matches??!!

You also get the standard "Create" a wrestler mode. There really isn't anything new to this aspect of the game, and if you've played any WWE title since the Nintendo 64 you should be familiar with this option.

Gameplay is basically a button mashing game. Unlike the last few titles, the basic gameplay required you to just smash various buttons repeatedly, almost like the old PS1 or Nintendo games. It's very difficult to block or reverse, meaning that for the most part opponents just take turns punching each other for a period of time.

The graphics are decent, and the inclusion of original video footage from old WWE broadcasts is fun to relive, but there is really nothing stellar, and actually seems as though the graphics don't "pop" as well as they do on "Raw vs. Smackdown 2009".

So overall, if you've already paid your money for "Raw vs. Smackdown 2009", I don't really recommend you drop the dough for this title. The gameplay is fairly weak, the various game modes don't hold a candle to the "Career" mode or "GM" mode found in recent titles. Unless you are willing to pay for the nostalgic aspect of the game, it's really not worth it.

Here is the complete roster you will find on the game (of course this doesn't include the roster you can import from "Raw vs. Smackdown"):

Andre the Giant
Animal
Arn Anderson
Bam Bam Bigelow
Big Boss Man
Big John Studd
Bobby Heenan
Bret Hart
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Davey Boy Smith
Dusty Rhodes
Greg Valentine
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hawk
Honky Tonk Man
Hulk Hogan
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Iron Sheik
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jim The Anvil Neidhart
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Hart
Junkyard Dog
Kamala
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
Michael Hayes
Mr. Fuji
Mr. Perfect
Nikolai Volkoff
Paul Bearer
Ravishing Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Rowdy Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Ted DiBiase
The Rock
The Undertaker
Ultimate Warrior
Yokozuna

Pretty solid group of legends....just wish they had been profiled in a better game.

Usually THQ waits a whole year before re-releasing the same game with a different roster and some new features. But the excuse this year is that the roster included is "legends" from the old days of WWF (yes, WWF, not WWE, children).

The only really questionable "legends" additions are Hunter Hearst Helmsley, though his inclusion would likely be due to boning the boss's daughter. Using the name "Legends of WRESTLEMANIA" allows the game to stay WWF focused and not go all-out in offering us WCW talent and ECW talent.

Instead we get the well-known likes of Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake Roberts, Junk Yard Dog, Iron Sheik, Ric Flair, Rick Rude, Michael Hayes, Mr Perfect, Ted DiBiase, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart.

People can argue and complain all they want about who made the roster and who didn't; ultimately it doesn't matter because the game is terrible.


For some inexplicable reason, the sticks on the Xbox360 controller are done away with, and all the controls for punching and grappling are now centered just on the buttons. Even to buttom-mash to get up involves hitting just these buttons.

If this was designed to make the game more "approachable" to more "casual fans" who may have played old wrestling games on the N64, then it implies that they think the "casual fan" is too old (or re; stupid) to learn the Smackdown vs Raw controls, and need something familiar to their old days.

The problem is that these controls do not even mirror the control scheme of N64 wrestling games.

But worst of all comes QUICK TIME EVENTS! Now it's less of a wrestling game and more of a PPV with added Simon Says feature (just like Indigo Prophecy). The quick-time event completely ruins the fluidity of play, and the shame of that is that it includes chain wrestling and multi-step events in wrestling that are very much impossible in Smackdown vs Raw 2009.


Collision detection is terrible in this game, arguably worse than even in Smackdown vs Raw. I've had to deal with playing as Steve Austin vs The Rock, and trying to punch The Rock only for him to lightly fidget, moving his shoulder near me, or taking a half-step back, and so despite my fist clipping through his body, it doesn't register as a hit because the Rock moved too much.


Then there's a slight bit of historical re-writing. Keeping true to McMahon's love for muscly men, most of the legends here have been "embellished" in their physical build.

For example one comes the Iron Sheik. Viewing pictures of him in his old days, he's rather thick, but with some smooth natural musculature to his chest, but still thick around the center, like a fat/muscular guy. The Iron Sheik in-game has an upper body build of someone like Dave Batista.


And then comes the end-game mechanics! Reminiscent of TNA's abortion video game, this game seems to favor finishing moves over anything else, really. You have to work hard to fill a series of momentum bars, which increase your attack and damage and overall endurance. You become more powerful and stronger. Making a taunt causes some loss in momentum though.

HOWEVER, once you pull your finisher, your momentum is completely gone. Back down to zero. So you go from being THE IMMORTAL HULK HOGAN to the BROOKLYN BRAWLER counting the lights.


Kicking out of pins is equally a pain from TNA iMPACT!, and yet the computer doesn't seem to have the same troubles you do.

Basically, the game becomes an easy rental once you conclude that you can pretty much beat everyone with punches and kicks, a finisher, and a hard pin.



Nostalgia is a nice factor, but you cannot play nostalgia. You cannot eat nostalgia. You cannot spend 50 dollars for nostalgia baked in crap.

For fans of the late 1980s-early 1900s WWF, the ones who still rock out to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme and remember the "Million Dollar Belt", this game will be a gold mine of nostalgia. While the current most popular wrestling video game series (Smackdown vs. Raw) focuses on the contemporary wrestling stars, "Legends of WrestleMania" takes a step back, remembering such figures as Andre The Giant, Ted "Million Dollar Man" Dibiase, Bret Hart, Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior (to name but a few).

The most impressive thing about this game is the nostalgia factor. Each wrestler is a remarkable complete version of themselves from back in the day, right down to their appearance, mannerisms, theme songs, and finishing moves. Jake "The Snake" Roberts comes out with Damien in the bag, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake has the shears, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has the infamous 2x4, and Honky Tonk Man enters in the full Elvis get-up. Basically, for those of you who were "Hulkamaniacs" (or at least heard of the term), you could spend hours just watching all the entrances and (in some cases; the game modes) videos that lead up to each match.

The biggest complaint fielded about this game is the controls, but to me not even that was a negative deal-breaker. Sure, it isn't the smoothest of control schemes, but even after playing the game for quite awhile I am in no way disgusted with it or in any way affected by them in terms of my in-game enjoyment. In fact, for "old school" gamers like me who struggle with a two-joystick setup, the control scheme is actually a blessing in disguise, as the game can be played on a much simpler level (and still enjoyed) before venturing into the more complex moves.

The most glaring weakness I found in this game was actually a lack of some sort of "career" mode (akin to the "Season/Franchise" mode in the Madden series). Basically, besides the exhibition mode, three primary gaming avenues can be taken: Relive (play as the winner in key WWE matches throughout history), Rewrite (play as the underdog in other key matches), and Redefine (e.g. Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd in a Steel Cage...something that never actually happened). While those modes are great, they don't offer the same thrill as, say, perhaps picking your favorite wrestler and having to fight your way to the top belt.

Thus, for any XBOX 360 gamer looking for a bit of WWF nostalgia, this game will not disappoint. It even includes characters like The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Shawn "HBK" Michaels to bridge the gap. While the lack of a "career" mode severely limits your gaming options, that weakness is diminished due to the amount of time you will just want to spend re-creating your own matches (in multiple formats) with your buddies. Plus, because of the unique control scheme, beginner gamers will find the game easy to pick up on.

Great game for fans of pro wrestling, gameplay is simple, fun going back in time and playing with your favorite wrestler from the past.The video in Wrestlemania Tour mode are great to watch, Create a Legend goes in-depth and you can create all your favorite wrestlers not in the game

I would usually set my review telling you why to buy it,but let's face it if you are A Old School Wrestling Fan chances are you are already getting this Games.So,for the rest of the undecided here are the best reasons-Relive,Redefine and Rewrite Game modes as well as Legend Killer are challenging and will provide for some fun Gameplay.The Roster of Legends are impressive and the Stages are well done as well as the mini movies in between the Game Modes.One of the best additions to this game is the abilitie to import your SVR Created Characters and some current WWE Superstars.Also,giving created characters attributes is A lot simpler.

However,I'm afraid (if you noticed) I didn't mention Gameplay.That's because the best I can describe it as A broken Arcade circa 1987-type control.If you think for one hot second that this game will have the exact same controls as Smackdown VS. Raw you are very sadly mistaken.Let's start off with the most frustrating things in the game to do-Blocking!You have to hold back against your opponent and press Y,A lot of the time it's unresponsive and when you face another direction you're never quite sure which direction to hold back.This leads to the opponent weakening you enough even if you're dominating and eventually knocking you down and getting A cheap pin and winning the match!It took me A Week to figure out how to Irish Whip someone and even longer to figure out how to get A weapon.This game I swear to you is out to get you at every turn and too bad because the presentation is spot on.

So,it's like giving A wax to wrecked Car.Why?I can not understand why they did not go with the SVR control scheme.It would of make the game perfect,but as it is it's not the best-far from it.It's A game you'll find in A bargain bin A couple of years from now unused for twenty Dollars and few copies of that will sell.It's A grave disappointment and one that if the sequel does not address it will truly be the end of this Franchise.But just going on the merits of this game alone I don't think anybody will feel bad to see it go away forever.

For one, no matter who you use as a tag team, the finisher is always the doomsday device (finisher for the Legion of Doom/Road Warriors). That is kinda like having the Ultimate Warrior use the sharpshooter as his finisher. As someone else mentioned more legends would be great pending legal matters. Also more varieties in moves and matches as well. A sequel would be cool, and make it so you can import these legends if they won't be included in the sequel. But it's an overall great game and fun to play, just needs more variety.

IMO, I think this game could've been so much more. If they only incorporated the controls from Smackdown vs. Raw '09 I think this game would've been rated higher. Once I read the controls setting in the manual I knew this game was gonna be horrible to control. There's not much you can do to your opponent when he is down. Again, IMO this game could've been made so much better.

I think the creators rushed this game. It's like they just thought of certain moves to incorporate in the game and once they had that down that's when they 'teased' the fans of the trailers. Looks great in the trailer but once you play it you'll think otherwise.

Just rent the game first before you consider buying this game. I'm all the way in Afghanistan right now and there's no way I can rent out here so I decided to buy it. I think I wasted money on this.

My biggest problem with this game is the LACK OF A CAREER MODE. The Relive, Rewrite, and Redefine modes are unique & interesting, but they should not be the primary ways to play this game. Legend Killer Mode, as previously stated, is absolutely horrible. I find myself only playing in Exhibition Mode, and keeping track of my wrestler stats by writing them down on a piece of paper after each match... yes, that is how much I miss having a career mode.

I was a fan of wrestling as a kid, but not so much anymore. I am also what developers would consider a "casual gamer"... I fit perfectly into the target audience this game was intended for. The developers have stated that they wanted to make this a pick up and play, arcade-style game targeted at people like me. Well, all I can say is that the SvR controls are MUCH easier to pick up and play! Legends controls are simple & limiting, making the actual wrestling experience repetitive & boring. If I want "arcade-style" wrestling, I'll go to an actual arcade and play Technos WWF WrestleFest. That game is 18 years old & STILL better than this one.

The only great things (5 star) about this game are the vintage video clips & ring entrances. Luckily, I didn't blow $50; I just rented this game. When I return it, I think I'll rent some of the old Wrestlemanias on DVD - that will be a much better way to "Relive" these classic matches.

REQUEST - When SvR 2010 comes out, it would be great if the developers allowed players to import the Legends roster. That way I could finally play a good wrestling game with all of my favorite wrestlers.

One last note - aside from Macho Man and the others mentioned, I'd like to see Hillbilly Jim, Earthquake & Barry "O" featured in the next version.

UPDATE...

I am not a follower of MMA or UFC... regardless of that fact, UFC Undisputed 2009 is so realistic and engaging; I have found myself playing it for hours on end. I consider myself a 30+ yr old casual gamer. What I love most about this game, is that unlike THQ's WWE Legends of Wrestling, UFC doesn't cater to what the developers THINK 30+ casual gamers want in a fighting game (i.e. dumbed down, overly simplistic, button-mashing). Instead, they have created a game that is challenging & DOES NOT INSULT MY INTELLEGENCE. I would much rather lose match after match & have little mastery of the controls (playing UFC), than win dumbed down match after dumbed down match with overly simplistic controls (playing WWE Legends).

UFC also has an in-depth CAREER MODE!!! The only issue with the UFC Career Mode is that your character does not age.

I wonder how many people who rated WWE high when it first came out are still playing the game? I doubt many are... UFC's depth & realism, however, make it much more replayable. The only things I like more about WWE Legends, are the fighters and the fact that the fighters have entertaining ring entrances (entrances have been omitted from UFC for some reason).

I know MMA/UFC and WWE are not the same thing. When it comes to video games, however, fighting is fighting. When it comes to fighting, I'm glad to see THQ redeem themselves with UFC. I have been playing a rented copy of UFC 2009. I like this game so much I have decided to purchase it. You couldn't pay me to play WWE Legends again.

UFC Undisputed = 10/10
WWE Legends = 0/10


oh... and I was joking about Barry "O".

Reversing and blocking is really hard in this game meaning that button mashing can get you a win. And you can't play this game online b/c there is no challenge to it. An online match will only last you about a minute. basically what happens it the your opponent will strike over and over again and since blocking is hard to do, they will when within 30 seconds. PLEASE PLEASE watch the YouTube videos of this game before even considering RENTING. I can't believe I wasted $60+ on this game.