RETRO REBOOT - WWF WrestleMania Challenge (NES)

It's WrestleMania season again, and while there's never NOT a period to talk about some bedlam in the squared circle, now feels like a better time than any. The rise of Hulk-A-Mania propelled pro wrestling into the mainstream in the 80's. With the Nintendo Entertainment System a staple in the households of kids who were told to say their prayers and eat their vitamins, video games and pro wrestling could gel like Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. Well...results certainly varied, and WWF WrestleMania Challenge hits the palette like a bad tasting smoothie.

Developed in 1990 and published by LJN, WWF WrestleMania challenge was produced by Rare. I'll cut some slack, considering the time period this was made, it's safe to say that a lot of the ideas of how to implement elements of pro wrestling into a video game were pretty abstract, given the limitations of the tech. Buuut, I can't be too lenient, because games like Pro Wrestling and Tecmo World Wrestling precede WrestleMania Challenge by three years and one year, respectively, and both of those have a degree of depth and replay value. Challenge gets old immediately.

Challenge has a respectable roster size. You can play as nine different wrestlers, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, The Ultimate Warrior, Randy "Macho Man" Savage (in the midst of his Macho King heel run), Ravishing Rick Rude, Brutus The Barber Beefcake, Big Boss Man, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and a generic wrestler titled "Yourself", one of the more comical self-insertion attempts I can recall in a video game. Not that I was expecting a full-fledged creation feature, but this template fiery babyface couldn't be any more off-brand if he had "Great Value" stamped on his forehead. Challenge tries to use an isometric view and the health bars are placed along the ring apron. Points for originality there, though visually it's awkward to me and I would've preferred a HUB atop the screen, if I needed something to monitor. The sprites look commendable, each one bears enough resemblance to the wrestler they portray, but come off squatty. And I know the NES has a limited color palette and lighter shades of brown weren't possible, but these games could never get Hulk Hogan's tan right. The Hulkster always looks like he was basted in Worcestershire sauce before hitting the ring. Maybe he's more accurately portrayed than I give credit. Also love that even his tiny sprite still has three pixels of a mustache across his face that is clearly visible.

The music, I'm a fan of, I'll admit. David Wise, who has been mentioned here on Retro Reboot (see R.C. Pro Am) does a great job of producing cool 8-bit arrangements of each wrestler's theme. I do get amused when 8-bit wrestling games gave Andre the Giant, who never had an entrance theme, a score to accompany him. I also don't know what Jim Duggan's music is doing. It sounds like a theme I've heard before, but I can't truly place it and it drive me nuts. The OST is pretty quality and probably this game's best highlight. You haven't lived until you've heard "Hard Times" in 8-bit glory.

When it comes to controls, WrestleMania Challenge feels very cumbersome. Even though the game has an isometric view, your wrestler still walks on a grid, unless you hold the directional pad diagonally in order to walk vertically or horizontally. It's as awkward to do as it is to read, and avoiding the computer, who constantly tries to nail you from behind, can be a real pain in the ass. Brutus Beefcake will always try to put you in the sleeper hold, and Rick Rude is always going to hit you with the Rude Awakening neckbreaker, maneuvering out of the way barely feels like it works. It has less to do with poor hit detection and more with awkward spacing. I hate that there's no way to counter moves, so every match just dissolves into frantic button mashing, whether it's getting your slam in before your opponent or trying desperately to kick out when your life bar is depleted by a couple of elbow drops.

How FUN is WrestleMania Challenge? Eh, I don't think the amusement lasts for long. Signature moves from everyone is present, executing them isn't particularly hard. The controls are technically fine, but attacking isn't helped by the fact that even though the game gives off the illusion of three dimensions, the attacks still only strike on a two dimensional plain with nothing resembling lock-on.

There's much better to choose from when it comes to wrestling games. It has some decent graphics and like the roster selections (cool seeing Big Boss Man and Rick Rude in a video game. This is a better entry than its predecessor WWF WrestleMania, but I was spoiled by Tecmo World Wrestling, which renders this game pretty obsolete. Pop it in to hear some awesome 8-bit entrance themes from the wrestlers, that's about it.

 

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