Though gaming has evolved in a way almost unbelievable during the 1980s, ’90s, and even the early 2000s, there is a need to go back to where it all began for both long-time gamers and novices of the entertainment media. Thanks to the advancements in technology developers and gaming studios have been able to give retro-enthused gamers a chance to take a trip down memory lane or attain a blast from the past with things like mini-consoles and game collections from the crème de la crème of certain eras.
And then there are other developers who are influenced by what came before and look to put their stamp on a niche market while paying homage to the past. “RetroMania Wrestling” is the next game on a growing list of experiences that harken back to a time when sixteen bits were pushing the limits of a console. As the successor to the much lauded “WWF Wrestlefest” from thirty years ago, “RetroMania” looks to bring the old style of wrestling video game fun back to the market while showcasing non-WWE talent in a variety of modes & match stipulations. Without hesitation I paid my twenty-five dollars when the Xbox One version became available to see if “RetroMania” could make me feel like a kid again playing “WWF Royal Rumble” on the Sega Genesis.
Did I Complete “RetroMania Wrestling”?
Not surprisingly, “RetroMania Wrestling” keeps things mostly simple as possible including its list of achievements & trophies. The “Versus” option allows gamers the chance to play against the computer, with other players locally, or simply watch the AI fight each other in a variety of matches including Steel Cage bouts, Fatal Four Way collisions, and even elimination tag team battles. There’s also a “Retro Rumble” – which is the game’s equivalent of the “Royal Rumble” match where the player can change the interval time in regards to entries, how many wrestlers can be in the ring at a time, and eliminations can occur through pin falls, submissions, or by pitching opponents over the top rope.
There are also two single-player modes: “Story” and “10 Pounds of Gold”. “Story” mode sees the player taking control of Johnny Retro (John Morrison of WWE) as he tries to get back in the ring after an injury; featuring branching narrative paths with choices that dictates whether Retro is a fan favorite (“Face”) or a nefarious individual (“Heel”). “Story” mode in its current form is incredibly short; barely lasting a couple of hours while ending on a cliffhanger.
The arcade ladder style “10 Pounds of Gold” has the player taking one character through a series of matches to win the NWA World’s Heavyweight title from Nick Aldis before defending the title five times during the same playthrough. “10 Pounds of Gold” mode will take up a player’s time more than “Story” mostly because of the achievement requiring the player to make it through the mode with five different wrestlers (though in my case I had to play through the mode six times before the achievement popped).
The other achievements/trophies are pretty simple including winning a tag team match with The Road Warriors. The most difficult trophies/achievements will most likely come without the player even trying that hard including kicking out of an opponent’s finisher. The only distressing about achievement hunting on the Xbox One version is the fact the last achievement for completing the achievement list is glitched and won’t pop at the time of this review – something that they hopefully fix as I’ve completed the game’s achievement list after a little over seven hours of playing.
Did “RetroMania Wrestling” Live Up to the Hype?
Though promoted as the successor of “WWF Wrestlefest”, “RetroMania Wrestling” isn’t a licensed WWE product; but does have some familiar faces to old school fans and those into modern day independent wrestling. Making up the base sixteen character roster is none other than The Road Warriors Hawk & Animal, former ECW champion Tommy Dreamer, current NWA World’s champion Nick Aldis, AEW star Colt Cabana, and legendary figures like Nikita Koloff and Austin Idol. Depending on the wrestler they perform slightly uniquely especially in regards to their strongest maneuvers (Road Warrior Animal will do a big swing on a downed opponent when grabbing their legs while the smaller Zack Sabre Jr. performs a leg lock).
“RetroMania Wrestling” plays a lot like its predecessor with players being able to land strikes when at a distance before automatically grappling when the wrestlers get close enough to each other. It’s during the grappling portion that things take a turn into a more “Fire Pro Wrestling” style presentation. Underneath the health bar of each character is a three-segmented “Momentum” bar. Depending on how successful the wrestler has been during the match the meter will rise or fall; either limiting or expanding the effectiveness of a wrestler’s move-set as a grappler with low momentum can only perform weak grapple moves while someone with high momentum can execute their strongest attacks including their finisher if the momentum bar is flashing (the game doesn’t inform the player what situation or button combination is needed to perform a wrestler’s finisher and it will be something gamers have to look up). Taunting also increases a character’s momentum, but a taunt can be interrupted.
Tying into the “Momentum” bar is the timing system associated with grapple attacks. If the player tries to pull off a grapple attack too quickly after locking up the opponent will be able to reverse the intended attack – same for if the player tries to perform a grapple attack too late. Players can whip opponents into the ropes or turnbuckles for either rebound attacks or big maneuvers like a superplex. There will be times when the button-mashing aspect usually reserved for breaking out of pins or succeeding/stopping submissions also plays a role during a grapple sequence if both wrestlers attempt to do the same momentum-based grapple attack; leading to a short slug-fest where the lock up-winning character lands two successful haymakers.
Tag team bouts borrow a lot from “Wrestlefest” including using a grapple headlock to drag an opponent to the corner to tag out so the player’s characters automatically perform a double team maneuver. When the player’s active wrestler is being pinned or put in a submission during a tag match, the player is given control of the illegal character so they can break up the pin or prevent their other opponent from stopping a three count or a tap out.
Certain match types really add to the replay ability including Steel Cage bouts featuring the typical chain link fencing and even the WWF big blue cage (not to mention the “Hell” arena’s special cage). Thanks to the pre-match menu in “Versus”, players can adjust stipulations such as time limits, not having count-outs, or participating a “Survivor Series” style elimination tag war. The only weapons available at this time are the two chairs located in front of every ring. Thankfully everything runs fluidly with very few graphical hiccups.
“RetroMania’s” biggest issue has to be during multi-person matches where there are four or more wrestlers. Due to the graphical style, when bodies bunch up it becomes almost impossible to figure out what characters are doing what. With this game having such a precise grapple system that starts automatically it can really hinder progress when trying to thrive against an onslaught of offense. Another issue in these multi-person matches is the overall inability to cancel actions like grapples, submissions, or pins – meaning if the AI goes for a pin just a millisecond before the player’s character pins another opponent the player can’t cancel their pin to break up the AI’s lateral press.
As noted, “RetroMania” features two single-player-centric modes with the game’s “Story” presenting the rather basic tutorial that lacks a few informative tips such as the aforementioned tag team double teams and how to climb to the top of a steel cage. Both “Story” and “10 Pounds of Gold” modes display the game’s fantastic character animations outside of the ring and, in the case of the latter, some voice acting from the likes of current Ring of Honor wrestling commentator Ian Riccaboni and NWA wrestler Nick Aldis. Both modes are enjoyable for as long as they last with “Story” ending on a low note due to the cliffhanger “conclusion”. There is no online multiplayer or “Create-A” features at this time; making this an experience solely for those who only care about playing on their own or locally with someone else.
Technically, “RetroMania” is a wonderful mixture of old school graphics and bombastic sounds. Everything is bright & defined especially in regards to the various arenas available. Everything from the nostalgic soundtrack, to the sounds of pain when a wrestler is stuck in a Boston crab, to the ring announcer during his in-ring introductions sounds crisp & well mixed. The only sound issue is the commentary’s repetitiveness. While it makes sense that a game like this wouldn’t have “WWE 2K” levels of commentary dialogue, hearing that The Road Warriors are “dining on destruction” ten times in a match featuring Hawk or Animal can be too much.
“RetroMania Wrestling” doesn’t present itself as anything but what it is – a great sequel to a thirty-year-old game that tries its best to improve on a formula that worked so well all those days ago. Thankfully for any old school gamer looking for something different when it comes to their pro wrestling games, “RetroMania Wrestling” provides a lot of fun with room for improvement & more gratifying implementations.
Should You Play “RetroMania Wrestling”?
It depends on what type of wrestling gamer you are. For gamers who were around during the heyday of eight & sixteen-bit wrestling games this is likely better than expected thanks to the match stipulation options, single-player modes, and delightful gameplay. Wrestling gamers looking for online multiplayer or find themselves creating another roster of wrestlers will discover not too much to keep them busy here due to the fact the options aren’t available. The game is definitely priced affordably and has the potential of being an even better experience in the near future without sacrificing too much content (“Story” mode’s short nature aside). Those who understand what they’re getting from this game will most certainly enjoy a majority of everything “RetroMania” has to offer; forcing them to ask, “Whatchu gonna do when ‘RetroMania Wrestling’ runs wild on you?”
