WWF WarZone -- Reviewed and Editorialized
Brad Pilcher
put this in. For one thing, it isn't short, so don't expect a quick read
here. I'll be covering the positives and negatives and how they pan out in
comparison to each other, and I'll also be putting in some nice strategies
and information. I'll also link up to a text file that will give you all
the moves and the finishers plus a good many (if not all) of the secrets for
the Playstation version. There's some other stuff in that text file here,
and in keeping with my promise to link to it:
http://www.mindspring.com/~pilcher/wwfwarzone.txt
Now, on with the piece.
First, the positives:
1 - The look of the game is top notch. They did quality character textures
and layed them over very well. In short, the wrestlers look like the real
wrestlers. I wish they'd made Triple H with his hair down, but I can live
with his hair tied back. Other than that, the look is fantastic. They also
spent much longer than normal on making the following things much less
prevalent:
(polygon break-up, despite having oodles of polygons for each wrestler)
(lag on gameplay. With all the things you can do in this game and the
possibility of up to 4 wrestlers in the ring, I'd expect some slowdown or
lag in the video -- nada, it's all smooth)
(accuracy... when you hit those moves [the clothesline occassionally
breaks this rule] they look like you hit 'em. I can't stand to see a move
miss by a mile and still get sold, but I guess in a way that does add some
realism. Also, when you jump off the turnbuckle and the opponent is
standing, this ain't always true. I actually landed a solid 10 feet from my
opponent and he still sold it like a pro.)
2 - The music is great, and you can always turn it down. The intro's are
nice and while I do wish they would make them a bit longer so you could hear
a bit more of the music of each wrestler, the fact that they're there and in
such good form is great.
3 - The sound effects are bloody evil. I mean, I actually laughed when I
got to hear Golddust whimper like a girl when I put him in a rest hold. And
when Owen is getting pounded in a submission move, he really sounds whiney!
I actually get a little iffy when I hear a brain-buster. Those neck
crunches are WOW!
4 - The cage match is solid. The weapons match is fun as hell. The Tornado
is a fantastic way to compete. The tag matches are done well too.
5 - The most important thing of all is the gameplay. To put it shortly,
it's fantastic. The game moves very quickly and very smoothly. The moves
are executed with precise realism and true effectiveness. The way Acclaim
and Iguana have worked out the physics and the influence of crowd reaction
just goes that one step further. The game meets it's goals... it's
realistic, it's fun, it's not too hard and it's not too easy.
6 - Something simply must be said for the Create-A-Wrestler feature. OH MY
GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily. I sat
down and made 5 or 6 guys and they all looked as realistic and tough as the
wrestlers in the game. Plus there are so many options you could go on
forever with quality appearances. I wonder what the total number of
possible combinations are?
Second, on with the negatives:
1 - Sometimes the moves are a little difficult to execute, but only the ones
requiring 3-4 button pushes. It's a matter of being in the heat of
battle -- but practice pretty much negates this.
2 - For Playstation users... don't ya just wish you had the Gauntlet and
Royal Rumble features? I know I do.
3 - No managers... and here's why. Acclaim had a choice -- include managers
and people at ringside and take a loss on smoothness and gameplay OR not
include them and have quite simply the best gameplay of any wrestling game
made from the "Big 2." I gives kudos to the choice, but sometimes I really
wish I had Sunny or Sable there.
4 - I wrestled Kane. Guess what Kane did to me? First, he gave me a
Northern Lights Suplex. Then, he executed a Single Arm DDT. Following
that, he DDT'ed me and executed a Gut Wrench Powerbomb. Then, as I lay on
the mat, he climbed the turnbuckle and landed a Frog Splash on me. After
some offense by me he retaliated with a Swinging Neck Breaker and a Flying
Clothesline. As I lay on the mat, he pulled me into a Half Crab and then
dispensed with me by Chokeslam and Tombstone. When I see Kane display such
maneuverability and offensive depth in real life, I'll take this slight
recess from realism in the game.
5 - In tag-team matches, I often find it difficult to execute a simple tag.
<shrug>
Now, for the basic strategies.
1 - In a weapons match, brawl a lot to stun your opponent. While they are
stunned, go get a weapon and don't use it until they're back to normal.
You'll immediately stun them again and you can wait and then do it again.
You can do this for a long time as long as you still have weapons to use and
all. It's a great way to work an opponent over quickly.
2 - In a cage match... you have got to... and I mean got to... beat the
living hell out of your opponent before you start climbing that cage.
You've also got to go into this type of match with a strong depth of
offense. Pure fisticuffs and kicks will do you no good here. The fans will
quickly get behind your opponent and you will be rendered useless unless you
start throwing in some variety.
3 - If you want to take a break from your opponent, climb out of the ring
and walk aroung to another side. He'll be a smart fellow and climb out
after you -- in the same spot where you climbed out. While he's lumbering
about you can get away long enough for a breather and climb back into the
ring where you'll have an advantage when he re-enters. This also works well
in a weapons match. You can leave the ring and run over and grab a weapon
while he follows you out.
4 - A good way to get in a variety of offense and thus get the fans behind
you is to bounce off the ropes. Try a few fists then a kick or two and then
run into the ropes and hit a clothesline or a cross-body-block or a dropkick
and then try another running move this way. You'll stun your opponent
quickly and the fans will really begin chanting your name.
5 - If your move set comes with moves like the Crucifix or the Small
Package -- USE 'EM! They are fantastic ways to sneak in a pin without having
to stun your opponent. I created a wrestler and gave him just such a move
set (Pit Scorpion). They were both easy to execute and I snuck in quite a
few pins in desperate situations that way.
6 - Built up a repetoir of moves with one move set. Also, stick mainly to
the moves that require only a combination of ONE directional button and ONE
"shape" button (triangle, square, circle, x) or the moves that you find are
easy for you to execute quickly. These moves will give you plenty of
variety in various situations and you'll be able to throw 'em out without
too much time killing or effort.
7 - Here's a great way to become acquainted with the game. Click on the
link I put above and find the "Playstation Secrets" section. You'll find
some quality cheats there and many of them require you to beat the Challenge
with a particular wrestler. Try going through 'em all and here's what
you'll accomplish. You'll learn a lot of great moves and how they work in
relation to different situations. You'll find the move set that best suits
your personal style. You'll get in LOTS of practice. You'll have some
great matches. You'll get access to all those cheats!
Now in closing, my personal thoughts on the game: I loved it! I bought it
because I bought into the reviews and the hype. It lived up to my
expectations in every way. Sure, I resent not having the Gauntlet or Royal
Rumble in my PSX version -- but I'll have an N64 version soon over at a
friend's house... so BAH! It has great music, great intros, great moves,
great wrestlers, great create-a-wrestler... etc. If the game doesn't come
with a wrestler, I'm able to easily create him. I can make the Giant
(equiped with one-strap tights and all)... I can make Goldberg. I can make
Vader. I can make... well, anybody! If I had access to the masks, I'm sure
I could create a Spiderman or Batman character. I even made some G.I. Joes
while I was in there.
Also, once they've been made... they work great. The gameplay is fun and
realistic and you really do scream sometimes when you see a combo of moves
thrown off perfectly. And I still flinch when I hear a Brain-Buster...
<shiver>. I love it, and quite frankly, you'll love it to. I'm willing to
guarantee that. If you're not so sure -- rent it first. You'll find
yourself dropping it off at the local Blockbuster and immediately driving
over to Best Buy to get your own copy.
Sincerely,
Brad Pilcher
Darien of the loud utterance Allen
when "Brad Pilcher" <pil...@mindspring.com> uttered these magical
words:
>There is a decent thread about this, but I felt I had to step out of that to
>Second, on with the negatives:
>2 - For Playstation users... don't ya just wish you had the Gauntlet and
>Royal Rumble features? I know I do.
Why? Gauntlet mode is the same mode that is in every fighting game
that I never bother to play. I could care less how many wrestlers I
can get through on one bar of energy(If that's the mode I'm thinking
of).
As for Royal Rumble mode. I would only be jealous if it was a true
Royal Rumble with more than 4 competitors in the ring at a time. As
it is, I'll simply play WCW vs NWO World Tour repeatedly. :)
>
>4 - I wrestled Kane. Guess what Kane did to me? First, he gave me a
>Northern Lights Suplex. Then, he executed a Single Arm DDT. Following
>that, he DDT'ed me and executed a Gut Wrench Powerbomb. Then, as I lay on
>the mat, he climbed the turnbuckle and landed a Frog Splash on me. After
>some offense by me he retaliated with a Swinging Neck Breaker and a Flying
>Clothesline. As I lay on the mat, he pulled me into a Half Crab and then
>dispensed with me by Chokeslam and Tombstone. When I see Kane display such
>maneuverability and offensive depth in real life, I'll take this slight
>recess from realism in the game.
If any wrestling game were THAT realistic...there would be a huge
disparity in the number of moves certain characters had. Even some of
the popular ones. No thanks, I'll take it the way it is.
>5 - In tag-team matches, I often find it difficult to execute a simple tag.
><shrug>
Practice.
>6 - Built up a repetoir of moves with one move set. Also, stick mainly to
>the moves that require only a combination of ONE directional button and ONE
>"shape" button (triangle, square, circle, x) or the moves that you find are
>easy for you to execute quickly. These moves will give you plenty of
>variety in various situations and you'll be able to throw 'em out without
>too much time killing or effort.
I disagree. For many characters the high damage moves are ones that
require multiple directional press AND a button or two. It's not that
hard to do these with practice, and you'll want to do the high
damage/stun moves against many of the higher strength characters(Kane,
Ahmed, etc.).
The basic way to do it is simply to start the directional sequence as
your opponent is getting up from your last move...that way as you hit
the button to activate the move it will come up. Simply make sure you
are out of the range of the get up punch, or get up trip. Again it
takes practice.
--------------------------
DRA - ICQ #2927081
Let me put something witty here.....
Remove"TAKETHISOUT" to reply
Christopher Bird
questions. Why? NO GUNS!
> 6 - Something simply must be said for the Create-A-Wrestler feature. OH MY
> GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily. I sat
> down and made 5 or 6 guys and they all looked as realistic and tough as the
> wrestlers in the game. Plus there are so many options you could go on
> forever with quality appearances. I wonder what the total number of
> possible combinations are?
Let me put it this way.
I rented the game for three days. In those three days, when I wasn't
playing the game endlessly, I was experimenting to see how easily and
accurately I could create different wrestlers.
In my first sitting with creation, I decided to push it as far as it could
go and create six wrestlers with as little in common as possible: Taka
Michinoku, Yokozuna, Ric Flair, Goldberg, Steve Williams, and Fit Finlay.
With a few expected limitations (Taka doesn't do the M-Driver, Goldberg
doesn't do the Jackhammer), the wrestlers were *dead-on*. The various
move-sets that each wrestler template has give you *so many goddamn
options it's not funny*. I mean, I'm not just talking moves here, but also
*look* (Taka and Flair in particular were very cool-looking).
I kept making wrestlers the entire time I had the game, and didn't fail
once to create a reasonable facsimile of a wrestler. This game is so good
at wrestler creation it very nearly renders all future wrestling games
obsolete.
The only limitation of the creation function that I've found is that you
can't really do "giant" characters (Paul Wight, Andre, Reese, Silva,
etc.). But that's a small problem at best.
-chdb
--
"Chimpanzees look mighty cute trucking around on their roller skates,
wearing funny hats, and going "ook, ook", but when roused they are vicious
little bastards and not to be trifled with."
--Cecil Adams
Trevor Barrie
>4 - The cage match is solid.
Didn't like it, but I suppose it's no worse than actual WWF-rules cage
matches.
>5 - The most important thing of all is the gameplay. To put it shortly,
>it's fantastic. The game moves very quickly and very smoothly. The moves
>are executed with precise realism and true effectiveness. The way Acclaim
>and Iguana have worked out the physics and the influence of crowd reaction
>just goes that one step further. The game meets it's goals... it's
>realistic, it's fun, it's not too hard and it's not too easy.
No argument. My first thought was that strikes were way too effective
(a problem almost all wrestling games have, really), but I got over it
when I figured out that you can do throws and holds without locking up.
Having fighting-game style throws and Wrestlefest style lockups in the
same game seemed odd, but it works well. I often found myself in a
groove of mixing up punches with leg takedowns and headscissors and such
to gain advantage before locking up for a big move - fairly realistic.
>6 - Something simply must be said for the Create-A-Wrestler feature. OH MY
>GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily.
I didn't expect much, but this was lamer than I could ever have imagined.
Maybe I'm missing something, but it seemed as if you can't even choose
your wrestler's moves - just pick from a pre-made move set. How can they
even claim to have a Create-A-Wrestler feature in that case?
>Second, on with the negatives:
>1 - Sometimes the moves are a little difficult to execute, but only the ones
>requiring 3-4 button pushes. It's a matter of being in the heat of
>battle -- but practice pretty much negates this.
Actually, this wasn't as bad as I expected. I suppose it's because this
was a native console game rather than an arcade port - they apparently
made sure the moves could actually be done on those near-worthless
controllers that they give you instead of an actual joystick.
>4 - I wrestled Kane. Guess what Kane did to me? First, he gave me a
>Northern Lights Suplex. Then, he executed a Single Arm DDT. Following
>that, he DDT'ed me and executed a Gut Wrench Powerbomb. Then, as I lay on
>the mat, he climbed the turnbuckle and landed a Frog Splash on me. After
>some offense by me he retaliated with a Swinging Neck Breaker and a Flying
>Clothesline. As I lay on the mat, he pulled me into a Half Crab and then
>dispensed with me by Chokeslam and Tombstone. When I see Kane display such
>maneuverability and offensive depth in real life, I'll take this slight
>recess from realism in the game.
Yeah, this is a problem - every wrestler has the same damn moves.
>5 - In tag-team matches, I often find it difficult to execute a simple tag.
><shrug>
Somewhat - a much bigger problem in my experience was getting your wrestler
to face the right opponent in double-team situations or Tornado matches.
Another serious beef: the stun system makes it almost impossible to
actually finish somebody with most finishers. You generally need to stun
somebody before you can apply a standing finisher, but then their stun
is generally gone before you can go for the pin.
>Now, for the basic strategies.
>1 - In a weapons match, brawl a lot to stun your opponent. While they are
>stunned, go get a weapon and don't use it until they're back to normal.
>You'll immediately stun them again and you can wait and then do it again.
>You can do this for a long time as long as you still have weapons to use and
>all. It's a great way to work an opponent over quickly.
I find groin-targetting attacks (headbutt to groin, leg split) really
useful here; you can apply them just as stun is running out for decent
damage, and the opponent usually writhes long enough that you can grab
a weapon.
DirtRock
worth every penny that I spent on it. The gameplay is EXCELLENT...I just
wish it was easier to crash the guys through the tables in the weapons
match. As far as the Create-A-Wrestler...STUPENDOUS. So far I have managed
to make dead-ons of Doink, Old School Bob Holly, George the Animal Steele,
The Dudley Brothers, Tommy Dreamer, and my crowning acheivement...
Little Guido (I swear...ECW could pull my creation right out of my game and
use it for their forthcoming one...IMHO)
Great game and it blows the absolute pants off of Nitro, which I thought was
a pretty decent game until this came along.
Mike "DirtRock" Johnson
Confucius say:
He who live in glass house...
should not walk around naked
News
>GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily. I sat
>down and made 5 or 6 guys and they all looked as realistic and tough as the
>wrestlers in the game. Plus there are so many options you could go on
>forever with quality appearances. I wonder what the total number of
>possible combinations are?
Something else must be said about the Create-A-Wrestler feature--there
is no way to wrestle against created characters (except in the two
player mode). What's the point of creating someone like Ricky
Steamboat, Nikita Koloff, or Magnum TA when you can only wrestle against
lame default guys like Mosh and Thrasher?
Brad Pilcher
>In my first sitting with creation, I decided to push it as far as it could
>go and create six wrestlers with as little in common as possible: Taka
>Michinoku, Yokozuna, Ric Flair, Goldberg, Steve Williams, and Fit Finlay.
>
>With a few expected limitations (Taka doesn't do the M-Driver, Goldberg
>doesn't do the Jackhammer), the wrestlers were *dead-on*. The various
>move-sets that each wrestler template has give you *so many goddamn
>options it's not funny*. I mean, I'm not just talking moves here, but also
>*look* (Taka and Flair in particular were very cool-looking).
>
>I kept making wrestlers the entire time I had the game, and didn't fail
>once to create a reasonable facsimile of a wrestler. This game is so good
>at wrestler creation it very nearly renders all future wrestling games
>obsolete.
>
>The only limitation of the creation function that I've found is that you
>can't really do "giant" characters (Paul Wight, Andre, Reese, Silva,
>etc.). But that's a small problem at best.
I agree! I had tons of fun creating not only "real" wrestlers (Vader, Paul
Wight [although his hair just wasn't right], The Patriot, etc.), but also
wrestlers that I just made-up! That feature alone provides for half the fun
of the game. I immediately won the Challenge Mode with Kane so that I would
have that many more options. The only complaint I have is the lack of long
hair, but that is easy to get over. I even made Steve Urkel!
Question: Would you care to provide the directions for making all of these
characters?
Brad
Brad Pilcher
Darien "of the loud utterance" Allen wrote in message
<35c92e45...@news.earthlink.net>...
>I disagree. For many characters the high damage moves are ones that
>require multiple directional press AND a button or two. It's not that
>hard to do these with practice, and you'll want to do the high
>damage/stun moves against many of the higher strength characters(Kane,
>Ahmed, etc.).
>
>The basic way to do it is simply to start the directional sequence as
>your opponent is getting up from your last move...that way as you hit
>the button to activate the move it will come up. Simply make sure you
>are out of the range of the get up punch, or get up trip. Again it
>takes practice.
I agree with you whole-heartedly on the practice issue. However, it is very
effective to throw a bunch of medium-impact maneuvers out, and it is
sometimes even more effective because you get a good bit of crowd reaction
from your move variety. It's the same notion with most sports. The 49ers
in the 1980's built a solid offense around quick-&-short passes with an
occasional long-bomb. Baseball teams who don't have a lot of sluggers make
it by filling up the bases with singles and the sort. The same is true
here. While I DO recommend that you sit in practice mode and wrestle a few
singles matches so that you can be able to throw of those high-impact moves,
you shouldn't rely on them unless you've mastered their execution.
I prefer to stun an opponent with medium-impact moves and then it a big move
from the top rope (i.e. Splash, Top Rope Clothesline, etc.). It's not only
easier to do, but it's also much more aesthetically pleasing most of the
time.
Brad
Cberwick
>use it for their forthcoming one...IMHO)
What? ECW has a game coming out?
Does this mean I'm gonna have to go up in my attic and find my trusty ol' Atari
2600?
I'll bet the chairs and trashcans look 'boxy.'
Chris Berwick
Christopher Bird
questions. Why? NO GUNS!
> Question: Would you care to provide the directions for making all of these
> characters?
About all I can remember is that Taka used the Ahmed Johson moveset (which
gives him both a Reverse Falcon Arrow and a Tiger Driver), that Finlay
used Kane's moveset (giving him the tombstone finisher as well as the
powerslam and single-arm DDT) and that Flair used Austin's moveset (of
all things).
TonyMyers1
>characters?
>
scoops has a page with a whole bunch of them
http://www.scoopscentral.com/cgi-local/goto_page.cgi?action=Go_To&director
y=TWW&name=Acclaim&file_name=created
is what the url say, but it would be eaiser just to find it from the main
scoops page, I think
"I guess we were all guilty, in a way. We all shot him, we all skinned him, and
we all got a complimentary bumper sticker that said, "I helped skin Bob" -
Jack Handy
I don't read e-mail.
http://members.aol.com/TonyMyers1/basement.html
have clue--will travel
Brad Pilcher (pil...@mindspring.com) wrote:
>6 - Something simply must be said for the Create-A-Wrestler feature. OH MY
>GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily. I sat
>down and made 5 or 6 guys and they all looked as realistic and tough as the
>wrestlers in the game. Plus there are so many options you could go on
>forever with quality appearances. I wonder what the total number of
>possible combinations are?
It says something about the American market that it's taken close to two years
for any US game to even approach Fire Pro Wrestling S: 6 Men Scramble in
gameplay depth and character creation. While the games are very different
(Warzone goes for the 3D polygon look and some Tekkenish multiple-button moves
that aren't my cup of tea), it's still a definite step forward. But:
>4 - I wrestled Kane. Guess what Kane did to me? First, he gave me a
>Northern Lights Suplex. Then, he executed a Single Arm DDT. Following
>that, he DDT'ed me and executed a Gut Wrench Powerbomb. Then, as I lay on
>the mat, he climbed the turnbuckle and landed a Frog Splash on me. After
>some offense by me he retaliated with a Swinging Neck Breaker and a Flying
>Clothesline. As I lay on the mat, he pulled me into a Half Crab and then
>dispensed with me by Chokeslam and Tombstone. When I see Kane display such
>maneuverability and offensive depth in real life, I'll take this slight
>recess from realism in the game.
...this is just silly. Fudge factors with player creations is inevitable,
as no game (not even Fire Pro) can get every move accurately included.
But the company-made characters really need to be realistic, else you're
not fighting as Kane, you're fighting a generic character with window
dressing layered over top of it.
And while it was done for savefile-size considerations, I'll wager, the lack
of an ability to customize _every_ move individually is a real problem.
I'll take a character with some slight flaws in his appearance if he _moves_
and _feels_ like the original.
But that's just me.
jeff. up to 42 creations in FPW6, 38 slots to go!
(STILL looking for more info on Baron Von
Raschke, however)
Brad Pilcher
against custom wrestlers -- but I can understand the limitations. I CAN
wish though. Perhaps the next WWF release will be better in this area.
News wrote in message ...
>>6 - Something simply must be said for the Create-A-Wrestler feature. OH
MY
>>GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily. I
sat
>>down and made 5 or 6 guys and they all looked as realistic and tough as
the
>>wrestlers in the game. Plus there are so many options you could go on
>>forever with quality appearances. I wonder what the total number of
>>possible combinations are?
>
>
Brad Pilcher
MY
>>GOD! I never dreamed of being able to build a wrestler this easily.
>
>Maybe I'm missing something, but it seemed as if you can't even choose
>your wrestler's moves - just pick from a pre-made move set. How can they
>even claim to have a Create-A-Wrestler feature in that case?
Well, very simply actually. The sheer depth of those move sets makes up for
this. Sure, I found myself thinking, "I wish I could make my own moveset,"
but then I looked at the variety. I could pick move-sets for big wrestlers.
I could pick move-sets for fast and "Luchador" style wrestlers (luchador in
the sense of high-flying, high-speed maneuvers NOT in the moves themselves).
I could pretty much accommodate any wrestler I wanted to and the depth of
options on appearance as TOO MUCH!
Brad
Jake Troughton
<pil...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> I do agree that I wish I could choose who I wrestle against and wrestle
> against custom wrestlers -- but I can understand the limitations. I CAN
> wish though. Perhaps the next WWF release will be better in this area.
I read an interview with the project manager of Warzone (I think it was at
www.nintendojo.com, but I'm not certain). He acknowledged several of the
flaws in the game, including the inability to choose opponents and face
custom wrestlers, as well not being able to choose more detailed movesets
for custom wrestlers and a few other things. He said that they would try
to correct all these things in the sequel.
--
Jake Troughton http://members.rotfl.com/paragonofvirtue/
You mean, pro football *isn't* pre-determined? Well I'll be damned...
*** E-mail is not as easy as it may seem ***
Vrunk
well...sucks outright.
Now before I get into my explanation, I must state that I consider
myself fairly knowledgable regarding the PSX, as well as wrestling video
games.
My complaints:
A)Collision detection- Physics for collision detection are simply
unpredictable. This error is most glaring when an opponent throws you
out of the ring and exits the ropes, diving onto you either from atop
the turnbuckle or the ring apron. It seems that you can be the physical
equivalent of up to 15 feet away from the opponent, yet his flying
fistdrop/kneedrop/forearm smash (these things are not well distinguished
from each other) will connect anyway.
B)Reversal system is a farce- Let's see...this game actually tricks
players into believing that there is a reason that their reversals are
performed. Actually, reversals are either, 1)random, or 2)based on the
number of consecutive times a move is executed. I can execute a
northern lights suplex on an opponent as the first move done in the
match (Never happens in real life) and it won't be reversed, yet if I
try two consecutive hammerlocks on an opponent who is in the red, the
second is reversed. A weaker wrestler should be WEAKER! (Just look at
NJPW 2, fellas-*I have yet to play NJPW3*)
C)Weapons mode is a waste- I have yet to be *hit* with a weapon in this
mode while I am not stunned. The weapon movement is too slow and
downright _inaccurate_ for connection to occur. This is due to frame
skipping and slowdown while the weapons are in use. This is also why
"dead" weapons continue to appear in the ring, only to flicker horridly
and disappear.
D)Fighting engine is hard on the hands and light on the brain- I really
can't stress how much worse this is than any of the New Japan games,
Power Move Pro Wrestling (American NJPW1), WCW World Tour, and WCW vs.
the World. Before anyone accuses me of being partial to WCW, I put WCW
Nitro in the same category as the WWF games, since it too is not on the
competitive level as the other games. In NJPW, for example, the way the
wrestlers perform the moves is different. Heavyweights will perform a
Belly-to-Back suplex deliberately, never lifting their feet off of the
ground. Juniors will often jump and twist, adding a bit of realism to
the game. Thus, warzone has Faarooq and Mankind throwing the same exact
powerbomb, while Toukon Retsuden has Liger and Sasake look completely
different while executing the moves. Thus, Warzone becomes generic
fighters with painted faces, and very poorly animated finishers thrown
in just to make it all seem different.
E)False sense of hardcore- This is minor, but it really pisses me off.
The only time you see blood in Warzone is when you get hit with
something...it squirts..and vanishes. Take a long look at WCW vs. nWo,
or NJPW. In WCW, bleeding occurs after a mega bump, and looks like the
legit blade job/cut we all pretend it is :) In NJPW, a wrestler's
nose/mouth/head will bleed progressively, depending on the number of
stiff shots landed in this area. Thus, five or six sharp palm strikes
with Liger will get the nose nice and pulpy. Warzone's blood is too
MK-esque to seem legitimate.
That's all, since I don't feel like typing anymore. If anyone wants to
discuss it further, feel free to mail me.
Brad Pilcher
<-- Deletia -->
>A)Collision detection- Physics for collision detection are simply
>unpredictable. This error is most glaring when an opponent throws you
>out of the ring and exits the ropes, diving onto you either from atop
>the turnbuckle or the ring apron. It seems that you can be the physical
>equivalent of up to 15 feet away from the opponent, yet his flying
>fistdrop/kneedrop/forearm smash (these things are not well distinguished
>from each other) will connect anyway.
Ya know what... I agree with you. I don't think it really takes away from
the game, because you can still avoid such moves if you pay attention. Sure
it isn't super-realistic... but who wants that? I for one would be bored if
I had to use the "real" Kane or the "real" Headbangers. They wouldn't be
able to wrestle a lick. It is nice to be able to use them and suspend my
disbelief at this flaw though.
>B)Reversal system is a farce- Let's see...this game actually tricks
>players into believing that there is a reason that their reversals are
>performed. Actually, reversals are either, 1)random, or 2)based on the
>number of consecutive times a move is executed. I can execute a
>northern lights suplex on an opponent as the first move done in the
>match (Never happens in real life) and it won't be reversed, yet if I
>try two consecutive hammerlocks on an opponent who is in the red, the
>second is reversed. A weaker wrestler should be WEAKER! (Just look at
>NJPW 2, fellas-*I have yet to play NJPW3*)
They are weaker. They get stunned faster... they get pinned easier... the
holds last longer on them... they give up sooner... etc. etc. I for one
have seen a very good counter system. When I try hammerlocks consecutively,
they usually end up getting countered over and over again as they would in a
real match. Plus, have you never heard of second winds... comeback
attempts?
>C)Weapons mode is a waste- I have yet to be *hit* with a weapon in this
>mode while I am not stunned. The weapon movement is too slow and
>downright _inaccurate_ for connection to occur. This is due to frame
>skipping and slowdown while the weapons are in use. This is also why
>"dead" weapons continue to appear in the ring, only to flicker horridly
>and disappear.
No way... I am able to hit guys with weapons stunned and un-stunned. In
fact, I've never had a problem with this. I may stun them to buy me time to
pick one up... but maybe not. I usually use the weapon TO stun them... not
after they're stunned. Dunno how you play this, but this is one of the most
"fun" features in the game. Perhaps it is personal preference.
>D)Fighting engine is hard on the hands and light on the brain- I really
>can't stress how much worse this is than any of the New Japan games,
>Power Move Pro Wrestling (American NJPW1), WCW World Tour, and WCW vs.
>the World. Before anyone accuses me of being partial to WCW, I put WCW
>Nitro in the same category as the WWF games, since it too is not on the
>competitive level as the other games. In NJPW, for example, the way the
>wrestlers perform the moves is different. Heavyweights will perform a
>Belly-to-Back suplex deliberately, never lifting their feet off of the
>ground. Juniors will often jump and twist, adding a bit of realism to
>the game. Thus, warzone has Faarooq and Mankind throwing the same exact
>powerbomb, while Toukon Retsuden has Liger and Sasake look completely
>different while executing the moves. Thus, Warzone becomes generic
>fighters with painted faces, and very poorly animated finishers thrown
>in just to make it all seem different.
I can't really argue against this, not having seen NJPW games (where can I
get those for my Playstation?), but I'm willing to overlook it. I for one
prefer this control system that deals with combo's and proper button
sequences (the crowd reaction is a big factor) than just
"mash-a-bunch-a-buttons!"
>E)False sense of hardcore- This is minor, but it really pisses me off.
>The only time you see blood in Warzone is when you get hit with
>something...it squirts..and vanishes. Take a long look at WCW vs. nWo,
>or NJPW. In WCW, bleeding occurs after a mega bump, and looks like the
>legit blade job/cut we all pretend it is :) In NJPW, a wrestler's
>nose/mouth/head will bleed progressively, depending on the number of
>stiff shots landed in this area. Thus, five or six sharp palm strikes
>with Liger will get the nose nice and pulpy. Warzone's blood is too
>MK-esque to seem legitimate.
I truly wish I could disagree... but you're 100% right on this and I
complained about it as well. We can only hope that Acclaim will wisen up
with the sequel.
Now... just for an end note: can't you just overlook some of those minor
flaws and enjoy a game that really is realistic on the whole?
Brad
Trevor Barrie
>I know many people will disagree with me, but I think that this game,
>well...sucks outright.
>
>A)Collision detection- Physics for collision detection are simply
>unpredictable. This error is most glaring when an opponent throws you
>out of the ring and exits the ropes, diving onto you either from atop
>the turnbuckle or the ring apron. It seems that you can be the physical
>equivalent of up to 15 feet away from the opponent, yet his flying
>fistdrop/kneedrop/forearm smash (these things are not well distinguished
>from each other) will connect anyway.
True, but it doesn't strike me as a major problem. Not sure why.
>B)Reversal system is a farce- Let's see...this game actually tricks
>players into believing that there is a reason that their reversals are
>performed. Actually, reversals are either, 1)random, or 2)based on the
>number of consecutive times a move is executed.
Oh yeah, I meant to mention this in my post. Power Move had completely
random reversals too, and it irritated me a lot; I was hoping that wasn't
the case here. (Okay, maybe not completely random, but it's not influenced
by anything the player does with the controller, so it amounts to the
same thing.) OTOH, the idea that repeating the same move leads to an
increased chance of reversal seems like a good and logical thing to me.
>C)Weapons mode is a waste- I have yet to be *hit* with a weapon in this
>mode while I am not stunned.
Really? Have you played it 2-player? (I've never had the computer even
swing at me with a weapon - he never seems to grab them when I'm stunned,
and it's really easy to interrupt otherwise.)
>D)Fighting engine is hard on the hands and light on the brain- I really
>can't stress how much worse this is than any of the New Japan games,
>Power Move Pro Wrestling (American NJPW1), WCW World Tour, and WCW vs.
>the World. Before anyone accuses me of being partial to WCW, I put WCW
>Nitro in the same category as the WWF games, since it too is not on the
>competitive level as the other games. In NJPW, for example, the way the
>wrestlers perform the moves is different. Heavyweights will perform a
>Belly-to-Back suplex deliberately, never lifting their feet off of the
>ground. Juniors will often jump and twist, adding a bit of realism to
>the game. Thus, warzone has Faarooq and Mankind throwing the same exact
>powerbomb, while Toukon Retsuden has Liger and Sasake look completely
>different while executing the moves.
That's a nice plus, but I don't see how it equates to a more intelligent
fighting system. And incidentally, the "same damn moves" syndrome is
another problem this game shared with Power Move.