A Wrestlemania we'll never forget!

The global phenomenon that is Wrestlemania is almost with us; the matches are booked and the excitement is building. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania and to help celebrate this milestone in wrestling history, Yukes and THQ have created Legends of Wrestlemania.

An epic history lesson

Legends of Wrestlemania isn't just a game, it's a history lesson spanning 15 years of Wrestlemania. But instead of copying the Smackdown formula, Yukes have created a brand new fighting mechanic that makes Legends easier to pick-up-and-play than Smackdown 09. In addition, many of Smackdown’s characteristic match types have been stripped out in order to retain the realism of the era. So with two rather large changes to the formula that makes Smackdown 09 so much fun, why is Legends of Wrestlemania so enjoyable

The answer: Playability and Nostalgia.

The controls for Legends of Wrestlemania have been completely re-worked to let anyone pick up a pad and thrash it out in the ring. The only buttons needed in Legends are the face buttons. The right analogue stick triggers simply don’t feature. This back-to-basics control set-up in Legends of Wrestlmania is not too different from the legendary No Mercy on the Nintendo 64. For those who have never played No Mercy but play Smackdown, the controls in Legends of Wresltemania will feel odd, almost uncomfortable. But after a few matches you’ll be throwing opponents around like a true ring general.

The camera for Legends is also very different because it sits very low and close to the ring. As the wrestlers move, so will the camera. In fact this feels more like a side on beat-em up. The camera is not completely static; much like Smackdown, pulling off a move will result in the camera cutting to a more ideal position to capture the move in its most painful angle.

As this game is set through out the 80s and early 90s, the match types are quite basic, as they were back then. You won't find any Elimination Chambers or Extreme Rule Matches here. Some may frown on this decision to omit so many match types but in fairness to Yukes, they are trying to not only make this accessible to all players, but to also capture the feeling of yesteryear. In effect, seeing the face (good guy) winning and the heel (bad guy) being booed back to the locker room, rather than how much blood would be spilt.

To help in their ‘quest’ to capture yesteryear, Yukes have added video footage from all the matches that featured in Legends of Wrestlemania. With every match you play you’ll see highlights of the lead up to the match and, if you are in Reliving mode, the aftermath. If you are Re-writing then you’ll see only the opening video... because how it ends is up to you!

Visually, Legends of Wrestlemania is on par with Smackdown 09 as it uses the same game engine. My only real niggle with the look of Legends of Wrestlemania is that some of the Legends are not true to form. Some of them have lost weight, but gained muscle. Much like Umaga did in Smackdown 09.

Legends of Wrestlemania is for wrestling fans past, present and future. It doesn’t push the boundaries of the wrestling genre to new heights, nor does it lower the expectations in anyway. It is the celebration of an event that’s been going for 25 years and a tribute to those who laid the foundations for the wrestlers we cheer on today.

I’ll be watching Wrestlemania this year - no doubt about that. But where I was going to play Smackdown with my other half during the build up, I now think it would only be right to celebrate Wrestlemania 25 by saluting those that got us here.

GAME's Verdict

• Simple controls mean any one can pick up and play
• The amount of archive footage
• Connectivity to Smackdown 09, so younger players can use current Wrestlers

• Would have been good if you could use the Smackdown 09 controls
• Matches can occasionally be won very quickly
• Not knowing if later Wrestlemanias will be included via DLC

Review by: Tom "Jabroni-Beating" Daly
Version Tested: Playstation 3
Review Published: 13.03.09

Welcome to WRESTLEMANIA.

On the 5th April the grand-daddy of ‘em - Wrestlemania - will be here.

The irresistable force meets the immovable object!

If you’re a wrestling fan, then you’ll know how big this is. For those who don’t: it’s the World Cup of Wrestling. The biggest slam-fest in the wrestling calendar. This is, quite simply, the stage that wrestlers dream of walking out on, having their hand held high in victory before going down in the annals of Wrestlemania history.

What’s more, Wrestlemania is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a muscle pumping, slam-tastic new video game – Legends of Wrestlemania – released just two weeks before the event itself.

Legends of Wrestlemania gives players the opportunity to step into the shoes of wrestling’s original and best heroes; the men who paved the way for future generations of wrestlers. In Legends of Wrestlemania you will be given the chance to Relive, Rewrite and Redefine some of the biggest matches at Wrestlemania 1-15.

To Relive a match, Hulk Hogan Vs Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3 for example, you would play as Hogan and go toe-to-toe with Andre. As such you must win the match exactly as Hogan won the match, with the slam heard around the world and leg drop. As the fight rages on, you must also try and meet other criteria. Doing so will earn you points that can win you medals.

To Rewrite the match, you would take to the ring as Andre the Giant and beat Hogan thus re-writing the history books. Redefine allows you to play the match how you want. For example, the match between Hogan and Andre at Wrestlemania 3 is legendary, but how would it have panned out in a steel cage? Now you can find out.

The Rock is the Jabroni beating,Pie eating,Trail Blazing,Eyebrow Raising,Peoples Champ!

There aren’t as many match types in Legends of Wrestlemania compared to Smackdown 09 but this gives Legends of Wrestlemania a more authentic feel. There weren’t any Elimination Chambers in the day of the Macho Man.

One mode that has not been left out is the Create-a-Wrestler so if you’re not entirely happy with the 40 or so legends in the roster you can create your own. The Create option ties in nicely with another mode in Legends of Wrestlemania; the Legend Killer mode. (Not sure if they named it after Randy Orton). In Legend Killer you can pit your own creation against some of the biggest names in Wrestlemania history in an attempt to kill off their legacy.

There are two more things I should mention about the roster: Firstly, any fan of Wrestlemania will know that it’s not just the Wrestlers who get a response when they walk out on the stage. I refer, of course, to the managers! Yup, Wrestlemania just wouldn’t be Wrestlemania without the Managers causing some sort of upset. And that is exactly what they do in Legends of Wrestlemania with Mr Fuji throwing salt in your eyes and Paul Bearer ‘empowering’ Undertaker by raising the legendary Urn.

Another great roster feature is that you can import current wrestlers from Smackdown 2009. So, if you want to see John Cena receive a Bonzai Drop from Yokuzuna or Triple H pedigree himself then you can!

If you want to see Stone Cold at Wrestlemania, GIVE ME A HELL YEAH!

Legends of Wrestlemania is an arcade game at heart, whereas Smackdown is more simulation based. With this in mind, the controls have been given a complete overhaul giving it a more pick up and play feel. To a veteran this takes some adjusting, but once you’ve ‘got it’ the controls are fantastic. A lot of the grapples are quick time event based, so once you’ve started a grapple it’s a race to press the attack button on screen before your opponent does. This is how you counter the opposing move, so it’s a case of fastest finger wins.

To say that Legends of Wrestlemania made me feel nostalgic would be an understatement. I saw footage that I had totally forgotten about but remembered in a heart beat; a great feeling. Legends of Wrestlemania is not only shaping up to be a terrific game but a larger-than-life history lesson for a new generation of Wrestlemania fans too.

Preview by: Tom "Elbow-Dropping" Daly
Preview Published: 13.03.08