As far as wrestling games go the Xbox has really yet to receive a good wrestling title. Both of the RAW games were decent, but compared to the Smackdown! Series on the PS2 and wrestling fans just did not smell what THQ was cooking with RAW. Studio Gigante is ready to change all of this and they plan on doing it with the grand daddy of them all, Wrestlemania 21. This Xbox exclusive has a nice roster topping out at 45 superstars from both RAW and Smackdown as well as legendary wrestlers such as Bret Hart and Mankind. Each superstar is a faithful digital version of their real life counter parts complete with voiceovers done by every superstar that appears in the game including non-playable characters like Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff. These features are just the tip of the iceberg, by the end of this preview you will smell what THQ and Studio Gigante are cooking!
Wrestlemania 21 will looks like it will be quite a departure from the Anchor developed RAW titles. The grapplers this time around sport amazing visuals that rival those of anything seen on the Xbox to date and the wrestlers themselves have been painstakingly recreated in amazing detail. Unlike RAW 1 & 2 the grapplers in this game will not look like they just rolled around in oil for an hour. Blood and sweat will stain the bodies of the wrestlers, not only will blood stain the bodies of the WWE superstars, it will stain hair, that means we can finally see a virtual Ric Flair with his hair covered in blood! This game may be under the development house that was built by one of the masterminds behind the Mortal Kombat series, but don’t expect blood to flow like geysers as it does in the MK series. From the screen shots and videos we have looked at blood looks like it will remain stationary on the body like it does in the Smackdown games on PS2. Needless to say the character models in this game are some of the best we have ever seen on the Xbox to date.
Studio Gigante didn’t stop at the character models though. They gave the games 21 arenas the same graphical flair they gave the characters. Each arena will be individually lit which will give off some noticeably different shadows and glistening effects on the superstars as they walk down the ramp and battle it out in the ring.
These arenas are of course worthless without a bevy of match types to square off with and luckily Wrestlemania 21 has plenty of match types to keep any wrestling fan busy for months.
- Single Match Types
- Normal
- Cage Match
- Hell in a Cell
- Table Match
- TLC
- Ladder Match
- Tag-Team Match Types
- 2-on-2 Tag
- Tornado Tag
- Cage Match
- Hell in a Cell
- Table Match
- TLC
- Ladder Match
- Handicap Match Types
- 1-on-2
- 1-on-2 Tag
- 1-on-3
- 1-on-3 Tag
- Triple Threat Match Types
- Normal
- Cage Match
- Hell in a Cell
- Table Match
- TLC
- Ladder Match
- Fatal Four Way Match Types
- Normal
- Cage Match
- Hell in a Cell
- Table Match
- TLC
- Ladder Match
- Other Match Types
- Bra and Panties
- Royal Rumble
- Battle Royale
- Last Man Standing
Wrestlemania 21 will also be the first wrestling game to be fully playable online. Every match type listed can be played online or through system link and to the biggest incentive to get online with Wrestlemania 21 will be the ability to defend your created title belts online and win other players belts for your own collection. This makes Wrestlemania 21 one of the most unique multiplayer experiences on any console.
Climbing the Ladder to the Top
Studio Gigante has taken everything Anchor has done with the RAW series and thrown most; if not all of it out the window and created a brand new career mode. Players will start out by creating a superstar in the Create-A-Wrestler mode. Players customize everything from the name, weight class, expertise, and move set. Once you have created a wrestler you will embark on journey to the top of the business. You will start out as an indie wrestler doing whatever it takes to get noticed by the WWE, you will do this by wrestling in basements, gymnasiums, and clubs.
Eventually the WWE will notice you and move you up to their roster of superstars where you will start out doing house shows and wrestling on either Heat or Velocity, depending on the brand you join. Once you have proven that you can hang with the big boys, you will finally move up to RAW or Smackdown and from here you will start on your path to glory on the largest platform in professional wrestling, Wrestlemania. Along with this deep and involving career mode there will be actual synced voiceovers which is a major step up from what Yukes did with Smackdown vs. RAW.
Of course you won’t be wrestling for free. You’re on Vince McMahon’s payroll, so you will earn cash depending on your status with the company and if you hold a title belt or not. Maybe next year THQ will opt for a way to marry the boss’s daughter and become dictator of the WWE. With the money you earn you will be able to buy a number or things in the Shopzone. Here is a list of the categories that will be available to purchase things at in the Shopzone.
- Legends – Legendary superstars and items.
- Arenas – Arenas for online brawls
- Weapons – Expect to find some deadly and weird weapons in here.
- Create-a-Superstar – Trick out your CAW with additional accessories and moves.
- Create-a-Belt – Some mad bling for your belt.
Movies - Diva Photos – Nude pictures of Christy Hemme can be found in Playboy, but not here!
Screens
The question on everyone’s mind is will Wrestlemania 21’s gameplay be an evolution to what was seen in the RAW games or will it turn out like the NWO did in WWE and fall flat on it’s face. Well the answer to that question is still on the fence, but from the looks of things Studio Gigante is on the track to evolution and success on the gameplay front. To control scheme goes something like this, both the R + L buttons will be used as reversal buttons. One will reverse grapples while the other will reverse striking moves. There will also be two grappling buttons which is a departure from traditional wrestling games. Both grapple buttons will have two functions. The A button will have a quick grapple and strong grapple depending if you press or hold the button down, which is very similar to what was done in the AKI wrestling titles on the N64.
You can do the same with the B button for a signature grapple or a submission grapple and as in most wrestling games once you’re in a submission hold you will end up in a button mashing contest to get out of it before you are forced to tap out. You will be able to maneuver your superstar around the ring with either the D-Pad or the thumbstick depending on your preference. You will be able to run by pressing the Y button or perform striking moves with the X button, irish whips, picking up weapons, and tagging in your tag-partner will all be done with the white and black buttons. The control scheme seems to be in good shape, but will likely take a bit of getting used to.
Studio Gigante has dubbed its new reversal system, Pro Reversal system. Most grappling moves will have two phases. One phase where you will be able to immediately counter the move as well as a second phase where you will have the opportunity to counter in mid-move. The animations for reversals look very good too. Wrestlemania 21 will also see the return of the old “special†meter, dubbed the “heat†meter. Your heat meter can be raised by performing taunts and beating down your opponent, once your heat meter is full you will be able to pull off your finishing maneuver and they look devestating in Wrestlemania 21.
Wrestlemania 21 is shaping up to be one of the best wrestling games to come along in years and with a ton of match types and online play it will surely be a force to reckon with. We here at Xbox Advanced are excited and plan on bringing you more coverage as we come closer to Wrestlemania 21’s March release. In the mean time check out the complete roster for Wrestlemania 21 here.
