The art of the sports arcade game was, at one point, forgotten, when the likes of NBA Jam and NFL Blitz were brushed aside in favor of Madden and more “serious” sports sims. But lately, they seem to be on a comeback, with NBA Jam making waves last year via EA Sports and NFL Blitz being considered for a rehash. And now we have WWE All Stars, THQ’s “arcade” take on the wrestling world. And what fun it is. THQ made the smart move of hiring on Sal Davita and his team at (now renamed) THQ San Diego. In case you’re not familiar, Sal worked over at Midway during its arcade hey-days, when Mortal Kombat 3 and NBA Jam were all the rage. He once again works his magic here in a wrestling game that will definitely appeal to both fans of the “sport” and casual players. At first glance, the game looks like just another wrestling sim. You’ve got your array of superstars entering the ring and getting ready for battle. Business, though, is anything but serious. The characters have been redesigned with a cartoon-style motif, from John Cena’s incredibly bulky muscles to Andre the Giant’s resemblance of The Thing from The Fantastic Four…but without the rock skin.
There’s quite a few classic and current superstars to choose from, including personal favorites like The Miz, Eddie Guerrero, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton, among others. You can create your own as well, as the development team showed us. Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a sharp creation and, of course, Sal was put into the game. (Just like NBA Jam!) From there, you’ll be introduced to various techniques to bring your opponent down to size. You have a four-tier energy bar that runs from green to red. Once you’re down to flashing red, it takes one spectacular finishing move to take you out, and that’s it. Fortunately, there are ways of building up power moves, which are executed by hitting both weak (grapple and strike) or strong buttons. These moves feature over-the-top flying techniques, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin throwing you into the ropes from ten feet up or Rey Mysterio popping your head off the ropes with a 619. Once you charge enough energy (from performing diverse moves and taunting), you can execute your special technique, which is usually the wrestler’s signature finishing move, modified for the WWE All Stars universe.
There is some defensive play here as well, so you’re not screwed between juggles and grabs. A counter system enables you to turn over almost any move with the right button press, and you can slip past those who try to grab you for a power move as well. Each wrestler comes from a specific class, and each one has specialties. Big men, for instance, hit hard. Acrobatic high-flyers, however, rely on jumping off turnbuckles and the ropes. We saw this in action when John Morrison acted like his Spiderman-like self, bouncing all over the ring like a pinball. The game features a straight up arcade mode, along with a Path of Champions, where you follow a pre-determined path to challenge The Undertaker, Randy Orton, or tag team Degeneration X for title glory. In addition, there’s also a cool Fantasy Warfare mode. Here, you’ll face off against opponents in “dream” match-ups, which are wonderfully set up through spliced WWE clips and a background announcer. These match-ups include Hulk Hogan against John Cena and Ultimate Warrior versus Sheamus, among others – and they’re outstanding. Winning these challenges unlock some Achievements to stack onto your Gamerscore.
Other modes include the ability to wrestle your friends (we’re still awaiting confirmation for online play) and a tag team tornado mode, along with elimination matches, steel cages and Extreme Rules. Plenty of variety here for everyone. Presentation-wise, the game does look better than most wrestling sims, even with no backstage stuff. It’s just what happens on stage. It works, though. The animation is superb, as wrestlers taunt and throw each other around like lunatics. Their entrances are good, too. The arenas feature a lot of variety, including pay-per-view venues as well as Raw and Smackdown. As for audio, you’ve got authentic wrestler themes, cheering crowds and plenty of back-and-forth banter between good ol’ Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler – who will soon be playable as a character in the game via DLC. Yep, WWE All Stars is championship material, and a fine return to form for the arcade sports genre. That’s a good thing, because it’s taken itself a little too seriously lately. Lighten up, fellas. Get ready to hit the ring with our review on March 29. We’ll be back with the final verdict then, jabronie.
