WWF Superstars

Game Boy

Review by Matt Paprocki

LJN

Wrestling

Graphics: 8

Sound: 8

Gameplay: 4

Overall: 4

 

Loosely based on the arcade game of the same name, WWF Superstars was one of those early "wow' titles for the Game Boy, sporting huge detailed sprites that surpassed even NES wrestling titles. It doesn't particularly offer much in the realm of gameplay, there's very little to do, and that shuts the game out early. There's some mild fun to be had, probably more in multi-player, but there's little reason to stick around.

wwfsuperstarsgb1.gif (2974 bytes)The meager roster pulls five of the hottest superstars from the WWF in 1991 for one-on-one bouts. Each win pulls players closer to the title. They'll do that by using basic wrestling moves, though punches will win almost everything.

There are no special moves, their inclusion still a few years off for WWF games. There's obviously been quite a bit borrowed from the Double Dragon games, including beat-em-up mechanics that finish with, what the instruction book considers, special moves. These basic combos offer nothing resembling pro wrestling.

Grappling requires nothing but a press of the B button. Depending on the position of your opponent, a small array of moves can be performed. There's no skill involved (and even less than that in single player), just timing. The only other move available is to toss your opponent outside the ring, and you can only do that once per match.

wwfsuperstars2.gif (1922 bytes)These accurately done sprites feature nice animation, and obviously taxed the hardware enough to eliminate any AI. It's glitchy, so much so that you may have to reset the console when the other pugilist refuses to pin. They'll drop an elbow right at the moment you'll have a chance to recover, keeping you down. There's no way out but to restart.

The stirring little action theme that runs under the action is surprisingly good, perfect for the action, but maybe not for a pro wrestling game. It accompanies a lot of the game, including the fun trash talk segments before each match. All the wrestlers musical themes have been included too, so you can always get your fix of Hulk Hogan's Real American before getting in the ring.

Probably the most surprising thing about this title is that Rare developed it. Yes, the same company Microsoft shelled out millions for. They would develop a string of primitive wrestling titles for LJN, starting with the first Wrestlemania on the NES. If you want some WWF action on the go though, pick up the much better sequel to this, which would mimic the tolerable engine created for the SNES series.

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Last updated: Friday, September 09, 2005 05:29 PM