For fans of the late 1980s-early 1900s WWF, the ones who still rock out to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme and remember the "Million Dollar Belt", this game will be a gold mine of nostalgia. While the current most popular wrestling video game series (Smackdown vs. Raw) focuses on the contemporary wrestling stars, "Legends of WrestleMania" takes a step back, remembering such figures as Andre The Giant, Ted "Million Dollar Man" Dibiase, Bret Hart, Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior (to name but a few).
The most impressive thing about this game is the nostalgia factor. Each wrestler is a remarkable complete version of themselves from back in the day, right down to their appearance, mannerisms, theme songs, and finishing moves. Jake "The Snake" Roberts comes out with Damien in the bag, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake has the shears, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has the infamous 2x4, and Honky Tonk Man enters in the full Elvis get-up. Basically, for those of you who were "Hulkamaniacs" (or at least heard of the term), you could spend hours just watching all the entrances and (in some cases; the game modes) videos that lead up to each match.
The biggest complaint fielded about this game is the controls, but to me not even that was a negative deal-breaker. Sure, it isn't the smoothest of control schemes, but even after playing the game for quite awhile I am in no way disgusted with it or in any way affected by them in terms of my in-game enjoyment. In fact, for "old school" gamers like me who struggle with a two-joystick setup, the control scheme is actually a blessing in disguise, as the game can be played on a much simpler level (and still enjoyed) before venturing into the more complex moves.
The most glaring weakness I found in this game was actually a lack of some sort of "career" mode (akin to the "Season/Franchise" mode in the Madden series). Basically, besides the exhibition mode, three primary gaming avenues can be taken: Relive (play as the winner in key WWE matches throughout history), Rewrite (play as the underdog in other key matches), and Redefine (e.g. Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd in a Steel Cage...something that never actually happened). While those modes are great, they don't offer the same thrill as, say, perhaps picking your favorite wrestler and having to fight your way to the top belt.
Thus, for any XBOX 360 gamer looking for a bit of WWF nostalgia, this game will not disappoint. It even includes characters like The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Shawn "HBK" Michaels to bridge the gap. While the lack of a "career" mode severely limits your gaming options, that weakness is diminished due to the amount of time you will just want to spend re-creating your own matches (in multiple formats) with your buddies. Plus, because of the unique control scheme, beginner gamers will find the game easy to pick up on.
The most impressive thing about this game is the nostalgia factor. Each wrestler is a remarkable complete version of themselves from back in the day, right down to their appearance, mannerisms, theme songs, and finishing moves. Jake "The Snake" Roberts comes out with Damien in the bag, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake has the shears, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has the infamous 2x4, and Honky Tonk Man enters in the full Elvis get-up. Basically, for those of you who were "Hulkamaniacs" (or at least heard of the term), you could spend hours just watching all the entrances and (in some cases; the game modes) videos that lead up to each match.
The biggest complaint fielded about this game is the controls, but to me not even that was a negative deal-breaker. Sure, it isn't the smoothest of control schemes, but even after playing the game for quite awhile I am in no way disgusted with it or in any way affected by them in terms of my in-game enjoyment. In fact, for "old school" gamers like me who struggle with a two-joystick setup, the control scheme is actually a blessing in disguise, as the game can be played on a much simpler level (and still enjoyed) before venturing into the more complex moves.
The most glaring weakness I found in this game was actually a lack of some sort of "career" mode (akin to the "Season/Franchise" mode in the Madden series). Basically, besides the exhibition mode, three primary gaming avenues can be taken: Relive (play as the winner in key WWE matches throughout history), Rewrite (play as the underdog in other key matches), and Redefine (e.g. Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd in a Steel Cage...something that never actually happened). While those modes are great, they don't offer the same thrill as, say, perhaps picking your favorite wrestler and having to fight your way to the top belt.
Thus, for any XBOX 360 gamer looking for a bit of WWF nostalgia, this game will not disappoint. It even includes characters like The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Shawn "HBK" Michaels to bridge the gap. While the lack of a "career" mode severely limits your gaming options, that weakness is diminished due to the amount of time you will just want to spend re-creating your own matches (in multiple formats) with your buddies. Plus, because of the unique control scheme, beginner gamers will find the game easy to pick up on.