Top 5 Wrestling Games of all Time – Day 3, Sucka!

We’re back for Day 3 for another Hellacious list of Wrestling Games!

Wrestling Games. You really can just go on and on about your favorites, why they are your favorites (mechanics, options, ease of move execution, etc.), the list goes on. One thing is for sure is that we all loved them and we all made bets with each other on whether you could beat your friend as Bret “The Hitman” Hart while they played as The Undertaker. You would bet lunch tickets, chocolate milk, whatever you had but you knew that your skills were unparalleled and will not be challenged lightly.

The generation of wrestling games really spanned a vast number of years. Starting from the NES Pro Wrestling which came out in 1986 (which I consider a fantastic throwback of a game. Star Man anyone?) stretching to this years WWE 2K17 which will be out in October 2016. That is 30 years of wrestling greatness that we have all been able to enjoy. That is a span of time older than some of our readers (that is actually 3 years shy of this writers entire life span!)

 

Since it is Day 3 of our “Top 5 Wrestling Games of all Time” feature, I have some special news! I was able to get a Top 5 list from Brutal Gamer’s Editor in Chief himself, Jason M. He’s been keeping busy along with most of the other staff with E3 rumblings and announcements but he was able to hook us up with his own Top 5 list. So without further ado, let’s see what his Top 5 look like and see if we agree! Scroll below!

 

Before we start though, the Chief did have a few words (disclaimers) to say before jumping into his list: “There might be a few dark horse candidates on my “best-of list”, but I had a great time with all of the games here. Some even took over my gaming-life completely for a while, and a few I still play today… and no, there’s nothing from the last few years listed here.

#5. Saturday Night Slam Masters (SNES): “This little gem is the only game on my list that doesn’t count the WWF/E as its inspiration. Not that it had to, with Capcom dreaming up the wrestlers on its roster, which included Final Fight’s Haggar! Great controls, fast action, and that signature (16bit) Capcom style make this one a wrestling game that’s still fun today.”

 

 

#4. WWF Wrestlefest (Arcade): “When I was a kid, there weren’t too many great wrestling games on the home consoles. The NES’ offerings were god-awful and the SNES didn’t get any decent ones till like 93/94. Thankfully, there was Wrestlefest. Never really making it to home consoles (the one we got a few years ago wasn’t the original), this game had huge sprites, a terrific roster of classic 80s characters, and fast tag-team action. The only down side was running out of quarters. Well, that and the stunningly hot pizzeria my buddies and me used to play it in.”

 

 

 

#3. WWE Legends of Wrestlemania (Xbox 360/PS3): “The only wrestling game other than my number one that I still play today, LoW had some kind of magic. It sported over-the-top character designs, a GREAT create a wrestler, all the necessary modes and excellently simple controls. It also had many of the WWF superstars from the golden age of wrestling. A joy to play (and watch!)”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2. WWF WarZone (PSOne): “When I got back into wrestling in the late 90s (I was lapsed for a few years), one of the first wrestling games that I picked up was Warzone. One of my friends and I became obsessed with the game pretty damn fast too. Yes, it’s got some janky controls that are the opposite of what I usually like in a wrestling game (slower is better), but at the time it was all kinds of awesome. And it’s (now crappy) create a wrestler was one of the first – spent many an hour with that one.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1: WWF No Mercy (N64): “What’s there to say about No Mercy? It’s quite honestly  wrestling game perfection. THQ tapped AKI for the game and its precursor Wrestlemania 2000 (which is also awesome, but too similar to add here), and they did a job like no other. Matches are strategic, perfectly-paced, and most of all they just feel like real WWE bouts. Add in flawless controls, great (for the time) graphics, and a create a wrestler feature that, while simple, could turn out some incredible custom jobs (complete with up to 3 alt outfits!) and you’ve got a winner on all counts.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well there you have it folks! Straight from our Chief’s… erm… well, text! Another fantastic “Top 5 Wrestling Games of all Time” list. Do you agree with any of these? I must say, he pulled out some oddballs but, man, weren’t these great? I was a massive fan of Wrestlefest and spent many an afternoon with several quarters on the screen waiting to “Get Next.” While it was fun to play and sometimes win, sometimes lose to my friends… there was something more when it was against a stranger. Even better if they happened to be older than you and you showed them who was boss. Those were good days when I walked back home. I knew my mom would yell at me for taking too long, but you know what? It was totally worth it. I felt just like the Ultimate Warrior of arcade Wrestling those days.