My Wrestlemania X8 impressions

One a 1-5 scale...

Background - This is the fifth installment of the series formerly started by AKI. However, the production has now been handed over to the same group that made the SmackDown! series for the PSX and PS2.

Gameplay - The same AKI grapple system returns, so fans of the N64 AKI wrestling games need not worry. However, the system has been striped down some ultimately giving the game a faster arcade-like feel. Gone is weak/strong grapple were each wrestler had 20+ front and back grapples...now the system only allows 5 front and 5 back grapple which removes some of the technical luster from the game IMO.

The game engine no longer suffers slowdown which severely hampered the gameplay in the fourth installment. The opponent AI is passable...normal level or higher provides a fair challenge. My only grip is during Triple Threat, Battle Royal, and Royal Rumble matchs...both opponents...even all three in BR or RR will gang up on you often in the match = fair, but not cool.
GamePlay = 4.5/5

Graphics - As with the upgrade in hardware Wrestlemania X8 looks considerably good. Entrances are full of color and flashbulbs...the wrestler models look accurate in size and shape...animations look excellent...and the menus are passable. Graphics - 4/5

Sound/Music - This is where the game takes a MAJOR dive in quality. The intro music for the wrestlers is great...high quality CD music ripped right from the best-selling soundtracks. But, the intro, menu, and in-game music is god-awful. I cannot believe the producers actually sat down...listened...and said yah...that's F'N awesome, let's ship it now....ugh. The in-game boofs and biffs are passable...the classic ding of the bell when you hit a wrestler in the no-no spot is still there...and the weapon sounds are spot on. Sound/Music - 2/5 (generous)

Replay - The same style of reward system returns...win a belt...be it Heavy Weight, Light Weight, European, any one and you unlock a "hidden" wrestler to use in the ring and his identity in Create-a-Wrestler. Six belts...six charecters...average wrestlers to boot. If someone wants me to list them...pm me. The create-a-wrestler feature is still quite limited...offering things present by other wrestlers...character models, moves, clothes, etc.
Replay - 3/5

Overall - The initial shock of a horrible intro and really bad music scared me at first. But, you eventually look past the flaws and realize the quality wrestling fun that is Wrestlemana X8. The game plays...it plays so well that I was locked in my room for hours...until I unlocked everything and continued to play. For the solo player I highly recommend you rent first as you can enjoy the entire game in one night. For those who enjoy senseless wrestling fun in the slightest and have more than one friend who's the same...BUY!BUY!BUY!

Overall - B- (a harsh score for sure, but play it and know why)

[ June 12, 2002: Message edited by: Shadowland ]</p>

I also got the game, I think it's pretty good, the CAW mode is extremely pitiful though, something you'd expect to find in WWF Warzone and not a brand new GameCube game, and compared to SmackDown's limitless options, it's inexcusably bad... But still, it had all the parts to make a perfect old school Shawn Michaels, so I can't complain THAT much. Gameplay is good though, and the fact that you can have two ladders in a TLC match is really sweet...
Do you know how to get out of the HIAC cage? Haven't figured it out yet, but then again I haven't really read the manual... Heh heh.

Excellent review Shadowland! I have to agree with you on many points except one; the entrance music. I found the entrance themes to be muffled quite a bit. Some prime examples of this would be The Hurricane's and Stone Cold's music. I personally prefer WMX8's gameplay over No Mercy's and SD's except for the lack of moves. I was shocked to see every single spare CAW move from JBI missing which unfortunately, will limit the replay value gratefully. It also seems that the same storage problems we saw in the N64 days have returned. The low quality themes don't seem to put out as much base as WMX8's PS2 counterpart JBI and the titantons are looped and seem highly compressed. But with the game's negatives aside, I have to say that it's the best try at a 1st generation wrestling game I have ever played. The full HIAC and completely interactive table matches are pure bliss and make the unfortunate lack of moves seemingly disappear. Overall, I'd rate it a 7.5/10.

Thanks for the review, I was just about to ask who bought it

I hate the fact that AKI is no longer developing these cause I *hate* the Smackdown games... they are horrible and I've have yet to like one game based on that engine.

Being that they dulled down the AKI system, do you think a hardcore smackdown hater such as myself would still like this game?

DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!

This game sucks royally, it is total shit. If you don't believe me read the customer reviews at EB and Amazon.com. Everyone says it sucks.

They didn't even use the real entrance music's for people, it's generic shit. THQ cannot make a wrestling game.

I'm not a big fan of the 3d wrestling games. And my friend just bought it. On a scall from 1-10 I give it a Suck Ass.

Reminds me of Raw on X-Box

Looked good up until I actually played it, then it sucked ass.

I HATE the WWF SMACKDOWN! series. Why did YUKE'S made the game play like crap?

Its an American Wrestling Game there all shit........look how they ruined the Touken Retsuden Engine!!

now if it used the Giant Gram Engine!!!

now we just gotta wait for the new Giant Gram game hopefully on the Cube!!

i like the game but 2 thing i did not like about it is 1. some of entrance music is diffrent from the the real entrance music and 2nd thing is to do moves in the game you have to push 2 buttons

Looks like the first wrestling games that THQ put out for the Next gen systems all sucked. <img src="graemlins/annoyed.gif" border="0" alt="[Annoyed]" />

That game reeks. I thought RAW was bad, but this is the worst. The engine is stupid. If they took No Mercy and only gave it a Gamecube facelift with nothing extra, it would be sensational. No Mercy's flaw is the slowdown with three or more wrestlers on screen. They should have used the expansion pak.

Back to the topic, WX8 reeks.

Now I don't have to buy a new game cube.

Yagami.