By mid-1998, the WWF were back on track after a tumultuous New Generation era that had almost killed the company (which you can also chronicle on this blog. As of this post we're nearing the end of 1994) and had bounced back big time with their attitude era. The product shifted its focus on more hardcore, more raucous and more raunchy styles of entertainment with big time stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, the Rock, Triple H and more. It was an era of prosperity that has not since been emulated. However, gamers looking for that true wrestling feel still had some bumps in the road. Is that the case with the first N64 WWF Game WWF War Zone?
Acclaim and the WWF go way back from their first dabbling with the company in 1989's WWF Wrestlemania. And throughout the 90's they (along with LJN) would deliver the likes of WWF Royal Rumble, WWF Raw, Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game and more. After their release of WWF In Your House was met with dissatisfaction from fans wanting a 3D WWF Experience, development was underway for the next big game from Acclaim and developer Iguana Entertainment, WWF War Zone.
Originally titled WWF '98, War Zone was developed for both the Playstation and Nintendo 64 and spent a year and a half's worth of development using the engine from Acclaim's NHL Breakaway game. This long development is primarily shown in the game's dated roster by its release in July/August of 1998. Bret Hart had left the WWF for WCW after the infamous Montreal Screwjob, British Bulldog left with Hart, Shawn Michaels had left the company, and Ahmed Johnson was released earlier in the year.
To look at the state of wrestling games at this point is to understand how the landscape was for both consoles come the releases for both systems. For the Playstation, the best outlets prior to Warzone were Power Move Pro Wrestling, and WCW Vs the World. All that was offered for WWF fans were two arcade fighters in Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game and WWF In Your House. In the case of the N64 there was the much more well built WCW/NWO Vs the World, which was the early use of the legendary AKI wrestling engine. WWF Fans however were left with no options until War Zone.
WWF War Zone can be played by up to four players. Compared to the prior WWF games by Acclaim, this one feels somewhat more bound to a wrestling system compared to a more arcade feel, due in part to a wider variety of moves and abilities. However, the biggest issue that plagues this system and the games that follow it is that unlike the AKI engine that simplifies how to do moves, every move in the game is done by a certain button combo, as Acclaim could never get over losing that Mortal Kombat franchise. Every move is displayed in the game's pause menu. This means you have to constantly break from action to check your menu and see what you have to do to hit a certain move. If your memory is strong, you'll have no problem. But if you are one with a shorter span, you'll have to check constantly.
Also, finishing moves aren't displayed, which feels pretty foolish, but I can see that being almost intentional, as if to keep them from the player to ensure a purchase of the strategy guide. Fortunately moves were eventually revealed on GameFaqs, cutting out the middle man, but if you were a kid in the late 90's without ease of access to a computer than plunking out the dough for a strategy guide or a magazine with the moves were the only option. Truly these are slightly better times.
The roster comprises of 18 Superstars and is dated due to the length in development. The roster includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Faarooq, The Headbangers, Owen Hart, Triple H and more. You can even unlock Mick Foley's alter egos Cactus Jack and Dude Love. It's an eclectic group for sure, definitely a fine sign of that era in wrestling. However, some move differences aside there really feels to be no difference in terms of stats that really makes one superstar stand out from one another. The game also features commentary from Jim Ross and Vince McMahon, which dates it slightly more since McMahon had left commentary to pursue the heel Mr. McMahon persona by this time.
There are a good variety of match types to choose from including one on one, tag team, steel cage, weapons, Royal Rumble, battle royal and more. There's also a create a superstar function, that was a new feature in wrestling games at the time. It's very limited in options, but was a nice addition for the time. The main attraction to the game is Championship mode, where you choose a superstar to face off with multiple others to advance to the WWF title. These will also feature grudge matches with superstars you defeated resulting in rematches like cage and weapons. This will allow you to unlock many of the items in the game.
In terms of issues I have with the game, the biggest I have is in exhibition as you can't choose your opponent for matches. It feels foolish to not allow for something that simple in a wrestling game. Other than that, the biggest downside to the N64 port is the lack of the FMV cutscenes, meaning you lose the great promos from the wrestlers, including the legendary Ahmed Johnson rambles. But you also don't have to deal with load times, so I guess that's a fair trade off. Also I do find that certain combos, mainly the finishers can result in a lot of trial and error especially with timing, which can make things far less fun.
Graphically, the game looks fine considering its time period, with some better motion capping for the superstars and their faces digitally added. They look a bit weird, but they do the trick for the game. There are some pros and cons to the N64 audio however. The game retains the sound effects from the superstars and most of the McMahon/Ross commentary, but for some reason uses weak midis for the superstar theme songs, which all sound way too goofy.
WWF War Zone is a dated product of its time, but I don't think it's horrible. There is some charm to this weird little wrestling game, and Acclaim tried their best to offer something unique. You could pick it up and probably get a few minutes of enjoyment out of it before moving on to something like No Mercy. The controls and often getting the hang of moves can be the biggest crutch however, which may turn most people off. Acclaim would continue to use this engine for the duration of their PS1/N64 run and their second attempt in 1999 would prove to be the best use of the engine. We'll get to why when the time comes.
RATING: C+
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