WWE Legends of WrestleMania

[Radiation]

More screens -

-

Looks like the hogan finger point is in the game - though it looks like it will be only available in the Relive modes.

 

[Tim7]

So, if you have SVR, then all those wrestlers will also be in WWE Legends!?

What about if you rent SVR and save it will they appear then in WWE?

 

[Shazam!]

I doubt it - one of the main features of this game over the smackdown games was the QTE finishers. And if you're having an Epic match already, what better way to finish it off with a quick flurry and then a big finish and pinfall?

You can always just hit the wrestlers signature move instead of the QTE finisher so say for the Rock you can do his Rock Bottom finish which is a strong grapple at level 3 instead of his QTE the corporate elbow.

If you can edit guys moves to give say, Austin a different stunner as a signature move that you can pull off without the QTE, that'll be fine by me.

 

[Shazam!]

I still say Hogan has too much hair.

 

[Radiation]

If you have a GAME SAVE of SDvR 2009 on your HDD you can import all of the roster over onto the legends game. No patching or paying, just press import and it will do it for you. If you have any created wrestlers on that 09 save you can import them across too. There is also a legends tier that's specifically for imported CAWs only.
--
I don't think you can change Austin's finisher to anything that won't be a QTE. They said that everyone you import over from SD v R 2009 will have QTE versions of their finishers.
I'm guessing that finishers will be set up into 3 sections in the 'create a moveset' section, almost like a 3 hit combo.

So Part 1 will have a variety of punches or slams
Part 2 kicks or slams or placing the wrestlers into a position
Part 3 actual finishers

Though I do reckon you'll be able to assign a stunner to one of his level 3 strong grapples just like The Rock has his Rock Bottom finisher as a strong grapple.
--
Hogan used to have much less hair in the early builds but it seems he's played his creative control card and got them to add some more on top. At least he hasn't forced them into adding a bandana like we had a few games back.

 

[oreillysairguitar]

Thats cool!

Arn Andersons music was used for a Summerslam - 1991 I think. Great event that... think the main event was Hulk/Brutas v Zeus/Macho...

That was the main event for Summerslam 1989.

As the main event for Summerslam 91 was Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior v Sgt. Slaughter, Colonel Mustafa, and General Adnan.

 

[YoungGun_UK]

Would we be able to use your save then KRad

 

[Radiation]

My Smackdown 2009 save file, yeah sure.

I'm currently adding legends to a new save file so i can import them over onto this game pre made ready to use so I can upload that the week it's released. You'll be able to import the entire SD09 roster using that as well.

At the moment I have a few old school caws i made myself.

Bushwhacker Butch
Bushwhacker Luke
Akeem

Then I've grabbed a few formulas of Xbox 360 caws that I'm going to convert and then tweak into legend version so off the top of my head i have;

Scott Steiner (Change into Steiner Brothers Attire)
Rick Steiner (Change into Steiner Brothers Attire)
Kevin Nash (Change into Diesel)
Owen Hart
Goldust
HBK shawn Michaels (Change into The Rockers Attire maybe)
Mick Foley (Probably have 2 caws, Cactus Jack and Mankind versions)
Macho Man Randy Savage (I might leave him naked as his attire appears to be on the Legends game, but I might make him in his trunks/Stars attire)

There are probably others i have made and have formulas for but i cant remember them.

 

[DagsJT]

I'll definately be using your save file if you add in the likes of Randy Savage and Kevin Nash

 

[tobi]

Any chance that you've created Kurt Angle Rad?

 

[Radiation]

I've used the one 'The D' made on the 360 on a different save file which looks good but it's his current TNA look. Though it could easily be given some hair and the USA singlet attire.

 

[tobi]

Cool.

 

[Carl]

The game looks great, and I did enjoy it, but I lost all 3 fights I had, I really cant fathom how you win in this game!

 

[YoungGun_UK]

I was gonna say I thought it played good but the SVR Roster was a lot better but if I can get the whole roster combined then it seems great.

 

[paddyknight]

i have to say watching those vids has meant that with 2 weeks to go and most of a dissertation to write, rather than work, ive spent the day on youtube watching wrestling documentaries on mick foley, the rock, hhh, austin etc... those characters were so good, really appreciate now when if i tried to tune in to it now i might recognise 5 or so names but there are no stars even comparable to the era around 2000. edge for example is champion now i think, and he was just a jokey character with christian when i watched it... oh the changes...!

 

[Coopz]

The game looks great, and I did enjoy it, but I lost all 3 fights I had, I really cant fathom how you win in this game!

I found that but once you get to grips with it you will enjoy it alot

 

[Radiation]

Gamingring Legends of WrestleMania Preview

http://gamingring.com/news/?p=3796

WWE Legends of Wrestlemania Preview
Posted on Sunday, March 8th, 2009 by Joey Esposito

Gamingring goes one on one with WWE Legends of Wrestlemania

Only six months or so after the release of THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 comes an all new wrestling game experience. This begs the question: why should you bother buying yet another wrestling game, when there is already a yearly edition coming out? Not only that, but should Legends of Wrestlemania prove to be successful, you can count on it become a franchise as well. Yes, the nostalgia factor of a Legends game would come in buckets, but would there be enough new content, both in gameplay and presentation, that would warrant another $60 purchase?

Well, after seeing a thorough presentation on the game, and testing it out thoroughly, I can give an enthusiastic yes. In fact, the moment I successfully delivered a Doomsday Device with the Legion of Doom on a clobbered Hart Foundation, I knew things would be okay.


Don’t get me wrong, nostalgia is indeed this game’s greatest asset. As a matter of fact, compared to SvR 2009, Legends is relatively light on features and match types. While the exclusion of matches like TLC, Hardcore, Elimination Chamber, etc. are warranted due to their non-existence in the days of WrestleMania I-XV, the fact still remains that there are less match types in the game, leaving the nostalgia factor and gameplay to make up for the difference.

Match types include the following: Single, Cage (yes, the classic blue cage), Ladder, Hell in a Cell, Iron Man, Submission, Tag Team, Triple Threat, Battle Royal, Royal Rumble, and Handicap. The game also includes 16 arenas, including every WrestleMania from I-XV. From the arenas seen in the presentation and gameplay, THQ did a fantastic job recreating every detail from these historic arenas. From the outside, Caesar’s Palace theme of WrestleMania IX, to a drum set next to the entry way at WrestleMania XIV, it’s clear that the designers are THQ are wrestling fans, and want to see these things in the game as much as any fan. One thing missing that would have been really neat to see is WrestleMania-specific entrances for wrestlers, like Shawn Michaels’ descent from the rafters on a zip line at WrestleMania XII.

Legends of WrestleMania also features 40 Legends, including 4 managers. Everyone you would imagine to be on the roster is there, with only a few glaring omissions. People like Razor Ramon, Randy Savage, and Mick Foley are not present, presumably to issues with Vince/WWE, but aside from that, the list is impressive. Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, The Rock, King Kong Bundy, British Bulldog, Jake Roberts, Koko B. Ware, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bam Bam Bigelow, and dozens more make an appearance, with the four managers being Jimmy Hart, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Mr. Fuji, and Paul Bearer. It’s safe to assume that anyone not included in the game will be able to be created fairly accurately in the Create-A-Legend mode.

The THQ presentation of the game began with Senior Creative Manager Corey Ledesma explaining how they had kicked around the idea of a Legends game for a few years, but it was set into motion through various focus groups that made their voice heard on the desire for a game showcasing wrestling’s past. THQ is pushing the concept of “Relive, Rewrite, Redefine” as their pitch for the title. In fact, each of these are options within the game’s WrestleMania Mode. Relive allows you to take on the role of the winner and recreate the epic matchup, whereas Rewrite puts you in the role of the loser, with the goal being, obviously, to have the match end differently than it did in real life. Both Relive and Rewrite feature optional objectives that the player can achieve throughout the match to obtain trophies within the game that lead to unlockable content. THQ was mum on what the unlockable extras would contain, though they stressed that the entire roster was available by default, and there are numerous characters with alternate costumes. These objectives are relative to how the actual match transpired, including things like making sure Hogan hits a leg drop in the match, just as he had at the real event. The player will be notified during the match of their progression towards completing all of the objectives. The Redefine mode was described by the design team as a sort of “fan fiction” mode, where players could change the match types, rules, and characters of different events.

Other modes in the game include Legend Killer, which allows you to place a created legend through different series of gauntlet style matches in order to get your rightful place in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame includes stats and records on your specific system, as well as a viewing room for all trophies received. There is also Exhibition, which is just your standard mode for pick and choosing whatever it is you want to do.

Perhaps one of the most exciting features of the WrestleMania Mode, which plays heavily into the nostalgia factor, is that each WrestleMania match in the game has a brand new video package specially created by WWE, highlighting the feud leading to the WrestleMania match between the two contestants. THQ says there are over 20 of these included, the most amount of footage ever included in a WWE game. To begin, Corey chose to demo the WrestleMania VII match between Hogan and then Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter. The video package was at least a few minutes long, and was very good in recapping the lead-in to their epic confrontation at ‘Mania. THQ made it a point to emphasize the nostalgia factor of the game, even to the point of creating the crowd to appear in typical 80’s and 90’s clothing, with neon colors and headbands. WWE also made brand new TitanTron videos and entrance music for older wrestlers that may not have been around for those things at the time. Also be sure to look out for Howard “The Fink” Finkel, who provides all ring announcing duties in the game. As far as spoken commentary goes, good ol’ Jim Ross and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler provide ring side announcing, and they include details of the feuds between the two characters as you play - much like the story line specific commentary of SvR 2009’s Road to WrestleMania mode.

The control scheme of Legends is equally meant to inspire nostalgic memories of games past. Forget what you know about the SvR games - it won’t help you here. The game uses only the four face buttons and the left analog stick (or D-Pad). That’s it. There is a strike, grapple (which can be held for a strong grapple), defensive button, and a miscellaneous actions button. This scheme makes for a much more arcadey experience, which is intentional. THQ also stressed how Legends is not intended to be a simulation like SvR, but to be a throwback to the wrestling games of the past. In most respects, it works. While playing, I had trouble doing things like climbing the turnbuckle/cage, performing an irish whip, and picking opponents up off of the mat. While it was fixed with a simple pause and a check of the tutorials screen, it was still a tad bit annoying. The only other action that is a bit awkward to perform is running, which is accomplished by a double tap of the stick or D-Pad. No, it’s not the most difficult thing to do, but one can’t help but think that just the inclusion of one bumper button wouldn’t have hurt.

At this point in the presentation, as Corey and Paul Edwards were demoing WrestleMania VII’s Hogan vs. Slaughter for us, we were relatively frightened by a loud banging at the conference room door, with a deep, loud voice yelling “Hogan!! Are you in there, Hogan?!” As the door busted open, and the intense figure of Sgt. Slaughter himself emerged, calling us to attention. He talked about his experiences in the wrestling business, facing Hogan, and gave insight on a true legend’s opinion of a game like this. He even played, successfully delivering a cobra clutch. It was nice to hear someone so appreciative of what wrestling has given him, and truly excited to see people so interested in his career and legacy.

As Sarge and Paul Edwards played, Corey continued to show off the new aspects of the gameplay system. There is still a momentum system, but no limb accurate damage, in keeping with the arcade theme of the game. The momentum goes by “levels”, from 1-3. Basically, you start at level 1, which is basic moves, can move up to level 2 which unlocks access to bigger power moves and signature maneuvers. Level 3 gives the player access to their finisher, which is pulled off by pushing the strike and grapple buttons at the same time. Depending on the move, once the finisher is triggered, the game moves into a timed button press mode, (think Prince of Persia), which must be accomplished in order to finish the move. This system is also employed in the game’s chain wrestling system, which is actually really interesting. The same kind of timed button presses occur, but these moments can become really intense if playing another human player, as whoever completes the press first will win the engagement, resulting in many counters and mat wrestling. This is a system I would love to see included in the next SvR, or hell, even actual wrestling.

The taunts in the game also hold a purpose - different taunts enable different “power ups”. Corey described things like a speed boost, defensive boost, health regeneration, and increase of damage, all with a rebuff time of about 10 seconds. Taunting comes at the cost of some momentum, so it’s wise to use it sparingly.

THQ also demonstrated the impact of matches with managers, and stressed that the managers in Legends would have more of a role in the outcome of a match than ever before in a game. In the example they showed, they pit Koko B. Ware w/ Jimmy Hart versus Andre the Giant w/ Bobby Heenan. Throughout the match, each manager would climb up on the ropes to distract the opponent, often leaving them vulnerable to a roll-up or some other maneuver. The player is able to toss managers into the ring, leaving them cowering in fear and ultimately rolling out onto the mat. THQ’s emphasis on the important of managers was proven when there was a situation that had Koko ready to pin Andre for the three count, but pinned him too close to the ropes, only to have Heenan lift Andre’s foot and place it on the bottom rope, forcing a rope break. It was a genuinely cool moment, leaving me surprised that it had never been included before. Managers have their own AI, so there is no button presses needed to call them into action (for better or for worse). From what I experienced, their AI was very good and never impeded on the gameplay by doing something I didn’t want them to do, or vise versa.

One last aspect of gameplay that has changed a bit from past games, is the method to go about getting up off of the mat, be it from being knocked down or being pinned. In the past, button mashing was really the only way to go about it. While mashing is still an option, the player can also hold the button down. There is a circular meter that fills as you mash/hold, and when the meter is full is when your character will pick himself up or kick out. The interesting thing is that depending on the character or situation, one method has more benefits than the other. For example, at the start of a match, a player could simply hold the button down and have the meter fill at a very fast rate, but as the match wears on, it will take longer and longer, so button mashing will start to become a faster way to get up. It’s an interesting addition that will add a bit more strategy to the matches.

Continued ... (Too many characters to post in 1)

 

[Radiation]

Continued...

Moving on to the visual side of things, THQ made note that all of the character models are “accented”, to provide a sense of that larger-than-life superhero quality that so many of these characters took on back in the day. This includes things like Hogan being ripped beyond belief, or Andre having a bit more definition to him. It makes sense within the context of the game, and definitely adds to the arcade feeling that the game presents. More excitingly, Legends features entirely new animations for the roster, for everything. There are no recycled character animations here, a first since perhaps one of the early PS2 Smackdown games. The only exception here is the animations of characters imported from SvR 2009. Legends allows anyone that has an SvR 2009 save file to import all superstars and created characters from the game, allowing for crazy, in-game fantasy match-ups. It should be noted that all imported characters will be controlled in the same simplified control scheme of Legends, so all move sets will be adapted to that setup. However, all of the imported character’s entrances, music, and some character specific commentary will be available as well.

The only unfortunate drawback of importing the SvR 2009 roster is that any imported characters that feature a finisher created in SvR’s Create-A-Finisher mode will not carry over. Legends drops several extra features from 2009, most notably Create-A-Finisher and the Highlight Reel. It does however, feature the other standard create modes, including Create-A-Legend, Create An Entrance, and Create A Move Set. Legends also includes a Movie Theater option to view all of the video packages without going into WrestleMania Mode.

In physically playing the game, there were many little details that either added or subtracted to my initial observational impressions. Negatives first: there is still no way to edit a character’s attire. This may be nitpicking, but it’s something that limits the game from being truly customizable. Load times have also not been altered, and there is still a decent amount of time to wait before major menus and the start of matches. In gameplay, I had hoped that this was an entirely new game engine, we might see things like conditional move sets, meaning that someone like Shawn Michaels would not be able to give Yokozuna a vertical press as easily as Yoko could to him. However, just as in SvR, this is not the case, everyone seems to weigh the same as everyone else, except when it comes to the “get up” system.

That said, the positives outweigh the negatives by far. The first match I opted to play was a tag team match between Hawk & Animal, the Legion of Doom, against Bret Hart & Jim Neidhardt. I played at the WrestleMania XIII arena, and was pleased to see that the tag teams were introduced as such. The Road Warriors came out in their black and red shoulder pads, and their on screen graphic read “Legion of Doom”. Similarly, Bret came out wearing his signature glasses and leather jacket, with the graphic reading “The Hart Foundation”. The entrances were spot on, as were the move sets. As I stated earlier, giving The Anvil a Doomsday Device with relative ease was more satisfying than I can describe. For those wondering: no, face paint does not deteriorate as the match wears on.

Another great thing that I saw while playing was a match between Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Rick Rude; after Roberts one the match, he was sure to take out his trademark snake, and wrap it around the neck of his opponent. There are so many small little details like that laced throughout the game that truly make it a work by the fans for the fans.

Yes, there are glaring issues that are common in all the wrestling games - clipping problems and the like - but the nostalgia and presentation truly outweighs it. My main concern for the game is it’s replay value. Yes, wrestling games nearly always have tons of value, but Legends’ lack of match types - even if they are historically accurate - could prove to be a sore spot in the eye of some fans. After all, if you can “rewrite”, why not rewrite something old with a modern era match type? Longevity also depends on the kind of unlockables and DLC provided by THQ, neither of which they would comment on. The only other sore spot that might bother some fans is the lack of any “real” story or career mode. Not that I have any idea how they would do it with the concept behind this game - but constant gauntlet matches as a means to build up your character’s stats doesn’t really seem to be all that enticing. Really, I think it will boil down to just how long the nostalgia can hold out. If I can see and play everything in the game and still get excited at recreating history, then this game should be the last wrestling game I ever buy.

As I’ve said; this is a true wrestling fans game, to the core. While the control scheme is simple, it does harken back to the old days, and the presentation of everything - from entrances, to menus, to on-screen title graphics, to the old school logos (WWE-efied, of course) - reeks of the classic days of WrestleMania. If you had any hesitation to jump on board a new WWE game so soon - rest assured that you will be pleasantly surprised in just how different of an experience it truly is. With the game racing towards a March 24th release date look for more exclusive coverage from Gamingring.com

 

[pboreham]

Good preview - glad the previewers are appreciating the lack of modes/moves is an intentional ploy and not a cop-out.

No doubt it will get 3/10 in E*** (I still refuse to type that mags fill name in light of their review policy).

 

[jaygrim]

I wouldn't give it a 3.

 

[Tim7]

Good preview - glad the previewers are appreciating the lack of modes/moves is an intentional ploy and not a cop-out.

No doubt it will get 3/10 in E*** (I still refuse to type that mags fill name in light of their review policy).

What mag is it? Seriously as well, I'm not just trying to get you to type the name of it! And why don't you like their review policy?

 

[DagsJT]

Edge.

 

[Metallica]

I dont really understand how the game works, all I seem to do is punch

The old Smackdown games for PS1 where brilliant I have no idea how to do moves and stuff on the newer games

 

[DagsJT]

Use the X button

 

[jaygrim]

Thats because this is for ten year olds.

 

[Radiation]

I doubt many 10 year old kids would be interested in a game full of wrestlers they will have hardly, if at all, heard of.

 

[matherto]

I must say the last decent game released was Here Comes the Pain, all the simplicity of the PS1 games, with better graphics and more stuff to do.

Everything since then has just been more stuff added for the sake of it that has actually made it worse.

Still, I'll have to try a demo of this.

 

[Tim7]

The best wrestling games were the ones on the Nintendo 64. I remember my neighbour had an N64 and the wrestling game and I used to go round his all the time and we used to do Royal Rumbles on it and Tag Team matches, it was brilliant .

YouTube - WCW nWo Revenge N64 Epic Tribute w/ Entrances & Finishers

The finishing moves start on 4mins 40secs! Quality memories .

 

[pboreham]

The best wrestling games were the ones on the Nintendo 64. I remember my neighbour had an N64 and the wrestling game and I used to go round his all the time and we used to do Royal Rumbles on it and Tag Team matches, it was brilliant .

The finishing moves start on 4mins 40secs! Quality memories .

Yup, that is the best wrestling game ever I reckon (and the WWF branded one... No Mercy I think).

It was just quality, had everything - and proves that graphics (though 'ok' for their time) aren't the be-all and end-all.

I actually set up an N64 emulator the other week just to give this a go again as the original cartridge THAT I OWN has ... erm, broken!

(Couldnt get it to work properly though)

 

[DagsJT]

You guys didn't play FirePro wrestling then?