Reviewed: November 14, 2003
Reviewed by: Daniel Sayre

Publisher
THQ

Developer
Yuke's

Released: September 8, 2003
Genre: Sports
Players: 4
ESRB: Teen

7
8
8
8
8.8

Supported Features:

  • Memory Card

    		•
    The second “true” wrestling game to hit the Gamecube, Wrestlemania XIX brings with it more up-to-date happenings from America’s premiere source of sports entertainment, the WWE. Whereas Wrestlemania X8 had little to compete with it upon release, XIX emerges onto a crowded field. Competing against everything from Def Jam to Ultimate Muscle. Developed by Yukes, who in turn have developed both X8 and the faster paced “Smackdown” series on the rival PS2, XiX is the latest WWE offering on the Gamecube.

    Wrestlemania XIX Features:

    • Overhauled game engine for the ultimate grappling experience
    • Experience ‘Sweet Revenge’ as you battle through multiple stages and various missions in an all-new story mode
    • Compete with more than 50 top WWE Superstars featuring realistic abilities based on strength, speed and stamina
    • Target specific body parts and wear down opponents with location specific damage
    Upping the playable roster to 46 (X8 had 42) you’ll have a wider range of wrestlers to choose from. Each one is modeled well and each has their own requisite move sets. In a weird, seemingly un-intentioned, turn of events, every WWE game seems to have regular (non-hidden) superstars native to certain consoles.

    For example, both XIX and Raw 2 feature Hulk Hogan on the roster, but in Smackdown:HCTP the Hulkster is MIA. For those of you wanting to play with Kevin Nash, best you seek out Raw 2 or Smackdown, as he’s nowhere to be found in XIX. It’s a puzzling move, as each game was released within two months of each other.

    XIX builds on what we saw previously in X8, most notably by adding the “Revenge” mode in place of a regular season mode. Revenge is a very mixed bag, some of the ideas showed merit, but whatever promised the concept showed is drowned by it’s flawed execution. Pretty much every problem you could find with a beatem-up or adventure game is present in Revenge. The AI is pretty good, not getting stuck in walls or jumping off ledges so it’s better then some games.

    Revenge offers all the problems, from a crappy, non-dynamic, camera, the sheer monotony of beating up wave after wave of security or construction workers, the unresponsive controls, Revenge pretty much seems coded to annoy. In its defense, the missions do showcase a little variety, some charging you with breaking objects; others making you retrieve items. ALL involve lots of beatings, be it on security, workers, or other wrestlers.

    The endurance missions especially are sheer aggravation with luck being the sole thing that allows you to win. These missions boil down to you protecting an item, usually on a pole or on another level, from opponents for five minutes. That’s right, opponents, as in more the one. So there you are, fighting off two people. If either of them climbs to the top, you lose and have to repeat the whole five-minute process over again.

    You are allowed, provided you can get away from the other opponent, to shake the object and knock the climber off. Not to hard right? Just remember, often your character will refuse to shake the pole and just punch air while you frantically hit buttons to knock them off. While you are at the bottom, hitting any key to knock them off, the other opponent is also trying to grapple or attack you. If either one of the opponents reaches the object, you fail the mission and have to do the whole thing, all five minutes of it, over again.

    Revenge could’ve been great. If Yuke’s had fashioned a gameworld akin to “Powerstone” the resulting game would be so much more satisfying. Even then however, Revenge should’ve only acted as a side game, not the bread and butter season mode. Revenge is far too short, and much too annoying, to serve as something anyone would want to invest serious playtime in.

    On the other end of the design/quality spectrum is the create-a-wrestler option. XIX’s rivals the great CAW in games by Human (who are responsible for the Fire Pro series for the uninitiated.) XIX finally brings the things most wrestling fans have been clamoring for. Pixel by pixel editing for clothes, check. Entrance editing, check. You can even go so far as too completely alter the face, body, arm, leg, nose, mouth, etc proportions.

    XIX contains the deepest CAW I’ve ever seen in an American wrestling game. The customization options are almost limitless. My only quibble is the fact, upon first inspection, that the CAW is so massive that you might be a little overwhelmed. But, just jump in and you’ll be creating great wrestlers in no time.

    The Shopzone is where you purchase things using the money earned in Revenge. An oddly modeled Stacy Keibler serves as your guide. You can purchase new weapons, clothes, ability points, all standard stuff. Buying new items opens up even more selections in the already abyss like CAW system and is well worth the effort. Most items are only around three thousand dollars and you can make that pretty quickly in Revenge.

    The control is pretty similar to the one found in Def Jam Vendetta. This was a wonderful idea as that control system is highly, and rightly as far as I’m concerned, praised as *the* proper wrestling control set-up. The de facto “standard” if you will since the N64 days. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

    The only immediate differences are that specials are done by using a special taunt (A+B) and then performing the action in the appropriate place (A+B in front of the opponent for the Stunner for example.) The X and Y buttons have also been “switched” but it’s not that distracting.

    By and large the game is a beauty to look at. The wrestlers look a little wide, but that’s negligible. The faces look good; we’ve come a long way from No Mercy in the graphics department at least. Any presence of liquid is absent though. Stone Cold likes nothing better after a match then drinking some already empty steve-weisers apparently.

    Most games shy aware from tackling water physics, it’s a peeve, but one I’ve come to accept. The women are modeled less impressively then the men, but that’s probably a cross between “hard to capture their look properly” and “Who cares, they’ll play with the male wrestlers anyway.”

    The stages and menu system are both well constructed. The stages are expansive and even tailor the crowd signs in the arena to the current match. The entrances are much like on TV, with flames, flares, and fireworks in abundance.

    The weapons are also suitably “real” garbage cans crunch, steel chairs bend after excessive use, the Spanish announcers table explodes after someone is piledrived through it, etc. The ring ropes are handled pretty well, seeming more solid then in previous games, hands and such still do pass through them, just not as pronounced nor as often.

    Offering the themes you’ve heard so often on TV, XIX doesn’t disappoint in the sound department. Every tune sounds like it does on TV. The weapons sound pretty accurate, having never hit someone with a metal pipe; it sounded much like I imagine it would.

    Ms.Keibler does provide a voiceover for her shop zone segment but matches, besides the pain grunts, are a largely silent affair. No wrestler or ringside commentary, though the crowd will chant your, or your opponents, name depending on the situation.

    Without a season mode, and Revenge really not filling that slot, the main draw of the game is the multitude of match types. TLC, Hell in the cell, cage matches, The Royal Rumble, iron man matches. The CAW could keep you occupied for weeks by itself. Items and points can be earned in the Shopzone, further enhancing the games longevity.

    The game also offers both a tutorial and superstar bios. That said, the shelf life of XIX is much higher as a party game then it is as a solo endeavor. If you are tired of Def Jam and looking for a party game for you and your wrestling buddies, you can’t go wrong with XIX.

    As a single player game, XIX is devoid of any kind of long-term interest grabber. Revenge could be completed in a matter of hours if luck is on your side and without any kind of huge season mode so XIX isn’t the world best single player game. If customizing is your thing, the CAW is the single most amazing thing about XIX. You could get lost in the myriad options it offers to you.

    Multiplayer offers a much better overall experience in this case. But, if you liked No Mercy, odds are you’ll like enough about XIX to at least give it a rental. Of course, the $50 price point may put off all but the most serious WWE fans among you. Still, if you want the best WWE game for Gamecube, it is by far Wrestlemania XIX.