Best Wrestling Games On The PS1

Best Wrestling Games On The PS1

The original PlayStation’s range was lackluster regarding quality wrestling games except for a few. However, what it did have was choice and there were several to choose from offering different gaming styles. Today’s wrestling title range grows with the AEW Fight Forever and upcoming indie wrestling games like Ultra Pro Wrestling, and the Wrestling Code. However, the WWE 2K series still dominates the wrestling game market.

Related

WWE 2K24 Full Roster (All Superstars, Legends, and DLC Wrestlers)

The fullWWE 2K24roster has something for just about everyone, with every playable superstar offering something a little different.

The Fire Pro Wrestling series still enjoys a cult following and there are hopes that the UPW game will recapture the magic of the AKI classics like WCW vs. NWO Revenge and WWF No Mercy. In the meantime, it's good to look back at what the older consoles offered and see how good the wrestling games were on the original PlayStation.

Updated June 24, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: The original PlayStation wasn't the best platform for wrestling games, but it does have an interesting history of being the starting point for the WWF Smackdown! series and the beloved WCW vs. games on the N46. This article has been updated to include game specifications and another wrestling title that deserves recognition.

WCW Backstage Assault

GameFAQs Score 2.36/5

• Platform: PS1 and N64
• Released: 2000
• Developer: EA

WCW Backstage Assault was released and developed by Electronic Arts in 2000. The entire game centers on the Backstage Brawls that become overdone on the televised product. Unfortunately, like the televised product, relying on the novelty of fighting backstage in hardcore brawls wears thin, and the gameplay was awful especially compared to the WWF Smackdown! games that launched the same year.

Related

Best Wrestling Games On The PS2

The PlayStation 2 is home to some of the greatest wrestling games of all time, and that selection goes beyond just WWE projects.

Backstage Assault showed a lack of understanding by EA about what a wrestling fan wants from a grappling game. Furthermore, despite having interesting-looking animations the character models were hideous and many of its marquee WCW stars were unrecognizable.

WCW Nitro

GameFAQs Score 2.66/5

• Platform: PC, PS1, and N64
• Released: 1997
• Developer: Inland Productions

WCW Nitro was released and published by THQ but wasn’t developed by Asmik Ace who worked on its predecessor WCW vs. The World. Instead, it was created by Inland Productions whose only game before Nitro was a fishing game, and their lack of experience in the genre was evident here.

The wrestlers came in two categories high flyers or heavyweights which meant there was nothing unique about any of the performers. It lacked the exciting back-and-forth matches of its predecessor and played more like a clunky fighting game. Its sequel WCW Thunder launched to promote WCW's Thursday night show, but it wasn't well-received by fans or critics. It was identical in gameplay to Nitro and marked a severe decline in quality from the AKI-developed titles.

ECW Hardcore Revolution

GameFAQs Score 2.44/5

• Platform: GBC, PS1, and N64
• Released: 2000
• Developer: Acclaim Studios

ECW Hardcore Revolution was developed by Acclaim. It was their first wrestling game since losing the WWF license to THQ. Despite being a game based on the most hardcore mainstream wrestling promotion on television there was a surprising lack of hardcore wrestling mechanics. The gameplay was still arcade-like in its execution, with up-down-left-right inputs that felt awkward and unsuited to a wrestling title.

ECW Hardcore Revolution played identically to WWF Warzone and WWF Attitude except for a few underutilized match types like the Barbed Wire match. Furthermore, the graphics looked worse than Acclaim’s previous wrestling titles.

ECW Anarchy Rulz

GameFAQs Score 2.58/5

• Platform: Dreamcast and PS1
• Released: 2000
• Developer: Acclaim Studios

ECW Anarchy Rulz was launched just six months after its predecessor ECW Hardcore Revolution. The game was once again developed by Acclaim and very little had changed from their previous efforts in the wrestling genre.

Anarchy Rulz did introduce some interesting features like stable creations, Backlot brawls, and several other new arenas to wrestle in. Unfortunately, the most important aspects of a wrestling game were missing from this game. The controls were unresponsive, the targeting was horrible and the moves once again required complicated button presses and combinations. It did, however, feature some improvements to the artificial intelligence in single-player matches.

WCW Mayhem

GameFAQs Score 3.01/5

• Platform: GBC, N64, and PS1
• Released: 1999
• Developer: 2n and Kodiak Interactive

WCW Mayhem was EA’s first game published for the WCW brand since THQ moved on to the WWF games with WWF Smackdown! on the PS1 and AKI series on the N64. It was a better game than EA’s second effort with WCW Backstage Assault but it didn’t come close to what Asmik Ace and AKI developed.

WCW Mayhem had some strong points like wrestling introductions and impressive commentary for the time. However, the momentum meter helped add some authenticity to the wrestling matches and a similar mechanic is still used in today’s WWE 2K games.

WWF War Zone

GameFAQs Score 3.07/5

• Platform: GB, N64, and PS1
• Released: 1998
• Developer: Iguana West and Probe Entertainment

WWF Warzone was Acclaim’s answer to the far superior WCW vs. NWO titles on the Nintendo 64. The game featured the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret The Hitman Hart, Owen Hart, The Undertaker, and Kane.

Related

The Strangest Wrestling Games of All Time

Wrestling is a fan-favorite event, but some video games have featured the sport in some strange outings.

While the game still plays better than its ECW successors, the controls were still needlessly complicated. The game's fighting system was more arcade-like than a wrestling sim and had no tactical or timing-based mechanics but it was one of the better WWE wrestling games on the PS1 at the time. It had better commentary than the N64 version, but the graphics were noticeably worse on the PS1.

WWF Attitude

GameFAQs Score 3.2/5

• Platform: GBC, Dreamcast, N64 and PS1
• Released: 1998
• Developer: Acclaim

WWF Attitude is the sequel to WWF Warzone by Acclaim. From a mechanics standpoint, very little had changed from the previous entry the wrestlers still moved and looked the same as they did in WWF Attitude.

What had improved, however, was there was more emphasis on reversals seemingly taking cues from the AKI-developed WCW wrestling games. Crowd noise felt more natural and reactive adding to the arena's atmosphere and the commentary was improved from its predecessor. However, the PS1 port looked and performed badly compared to the Sega Dreamcast version, which despite being a better game, may have led to a less positive reception.

Power Move Pro Wrestling

GameFAQs Score 3.38/5

• Platform: PS1
• Released: 1996
• Developer: Yukes

Power Move Pro Wrestling was developed by Yukes, the team responsible for nineteen Smackdown and WWE 2K titles. Those familiar with the Yukes-developed wrestling games will instantly recognize the wrestling engine behind the game.

Unfortunately, the character model's limbs would disembody and resemble hot dogs in tights and the wrestlers skate rather than walk across the ring. Regardless of the janky controls, the old-school wrestling mechanics provide gamers with technical Japanese-style wrestling in the game. Power Move Pro Wrestling was better than the games from Akklaim. Interestingly, Power Move Pro Wrestling was originally an NJPW title called Toukon Retsuden in Japan. However, despite retaining their movesets all Japanese wrestlers were replaced with fictional characters.

WWF Smackdown!

GameFAQs Score 3.65/5

• Platform: PS1
• Released: 2000
• Developer: Yukes

WWF Smackdown! was the first WWF wrestling game from Yuke's. It was similar to Power Move Pro Wrestling but featured faster and more accessible gameplay. The wrestling felt smooth with fluid animations, with everything from arm drag takedowns to the People's Elbow looking great on the PS1.

It was more arcade-like than the WWF games from the AKI on the N64, but there was an element of back-of-forth action that felt great for wrestling fans. Moreover, the popularity of Yuke's Smackdown! series meant Yuke's games would become the leading wrestling games for three generations until Visual Concepts took over with WWE 2K20.

WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role

GameFAQs Score 3.93/5

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

Platform(s) PS1Released November 21, 2000Developer(s) Yuke'sGenre(s) Fighting, Sports

WWF Smackdown! 2 Know Your Role was released less than a year after its predecessor in 2000 and improved on nearly everything in the first game. Developed by Yukes, the game pushed the PlayStation to its limits and was easily the best-looking and animated wrestling game of its day.

Smackdown! 2’s gameplay wasn’t as good or as technical as WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64 but the presentation captured the Attitude Era perfectly. The game featured more storylines and a multiplayer season mode. Moreover, the wrestler's entrances captured the theatrics of the stars like The Undertaker, Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, and more in their prime. Additionally, it featured several create modes like create a wrestler, create a manager, create a stable, and create a taunt.

WCW Vs. The World

GameFAQs Score 3.01/5

• Platform: PS1
• Released: 1996
• Developer: The Man Breeze

WCW vs. the World (Virtual Pro Wrestling in Japan) was developed by The Man Breeze also known as AKI, the developers responsible for WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64. Being the predecessor to what many consider to be some of the greatest wrestling games ever developed WCW vs the World perfectly captured what a wrestling game is supposed to be.

The character models aren’t particularly impressive compared to the Smackdown series but the gameplay is far superior. Just like the AKI-developed N64 titles, matches were determined by a character's spirit/momentum and there was a big focus on reversals and counters for strikes and grapples. Outside of the ring, the game featured a create a championship mode and unlockable wrestlers. Furthermore, the game featured a variety of game modes including League, League Challenge, Best of Seven, Tournament, and Double Title matches.

Despite its issues, this is one game that shouldn't be overlooked. It was one of the lesser-known wrestling games until WCW won the "Monday Night Wars" for 83 weeks. The AKI wrestling engine is still considered by many to be a benchmark for wrestling games. The visuals are dated, but the wrestling mechanics play more like a sim than a fighting game. Winning a hard-fought match against the AI was far more satisfying than its rivals. WCW vs The World still has a loyal fanbase in the modding community thanks to it being the blueprint for the engine in WCW vs. NWO: World Tour, WCW vs NWO Revenge, WWF WrestleMania 2000, and WWF No Mercy.

More

Wrestling Games With Best Gameplay Features, Ranked

Wrestling games might seem to focus more on theatrical presentation, but these ten games featured some of the best gameplay mechanics of the genre.