WWF WrestleMania 2000
The arrival of WWF WrestleMania 2000 marks a new era for THQ, who recently signed a 10-year deal with the wildly popular World Wrestling Federation. For wrestling fans, that means more mat-pounding action than you can shake a metal chair at.
Exhaustive Research
Just as in pay-per-view events, WrestleMania's show-stopping entrances include authentic Titantron clips, fireworks and pounding music
As the WWF continues to push the boundaries of professional wrestling, it wins over more and more fans. Actual wrestling is now only half of the sport's appeal, with intricate plot lines and locker room politics becoming just as crucial as a well-timed suplex.
THQ is well aware of this trend, and they've obviously spent a lot of time pouring over highlight reels to get every little detail right.
"Have a nice day!" When Mankind's Attitude Meter is pumped up, he's inspired to pull out Mr. Socko
Every Superstar's walk to the ring is authentic, right down to the Rock's egotistical intro music. Signature poses and taunts are right on the money, and special props like Al Snow's infamous mannequin head have not been overlooked (somewhere in America there's a horrified window dresser wondering, "Why me?").
After watching an elaborate introduction sequence with digital versions of real-world Superstars recreating famous WWF events, you'll realize that THQ has done its homework.
Ways to Play
Even though Terri Runnels doesn't normally throw down, she's ready to take on even the toughest thug in WrestleMania 2000
If you've seen it on television, it's probably featured on WWF WrestleMania 2000. One to four players can brawl in a wide variety of modes, including the following exhibition matches:
Single Match
Tag Match
3-Way Match
Cage Match
King of the Ring mode allows you to compete in a round-robin ladder consisting of three to 16 competitors. Even more chaotic is the Royal Rumble, where 40 athletes rotate into a four-person battle zone.
The featured mode of play is Road to WrestleMania, which challenges you to survive a season of WWF action. You can either use one of the WWF Superstars, or create your own brawler using WrestleMania 2000's detailed Edit Mode.
If you secure enough wins in Tag Team and solo matches, you'll be invited to participate in the WWF's biggest event of the year, WrestleMania. Be prepared for unscheduled matches to pop up along the way as hidden Superstars like Dude Love and Cactus Jack emerge from the boiler room.
Pay-Per-View
In Tag Team matches, don't go for a pin unless your partner has the other tag teamer occupied
One of the most innovative features in WrestleMania 2000 is its completely customizable Pay-Per-View mode. You can create your own cable package by inventing your own event name, date and venue. You decide the match-ups, and determine which championships belts will be on the line. In fact, you can even design your own belt! After saving your championship belt to a Controller Pak, you can take your trophy to a friend's house and compete in a title match.
In addition to the WrestleMania Arena, you can hold your event at the Federation's most popular arenas:
Royal Rumble
WWF WrestleMania
Raw is War
King of the Ring
Sunday Night Heat
Survivor Series
Summer Slam
Professional Play Control
Visually, WrestleMania 2000 comes up a bit short. Wrestlers' faces are realistic, but their body parts appear patched together. No offense, Rock
Each athelete is equipped with around 120 moves, including authentic taunts and a unique signature move which can only be executed with a maxed-out Attitude Meter. Although there is no Practice Mode to perfect your moves, an adjustable difficulty meter allows you to work on non-aggressive competitors.
Play Control is tighter than Chyna's boot strings, thanks to Aki's grapple-based wrestling engine that has won two best-of-category awards from the AIAS (Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences) two years in a row. Smart camera angles recreate the feel of a televised broadcast and provide a good view of the action.
For the Fans
Steve Austin takes home one of the game's custom belts
Showing a strong attention to detail and obviously created by fans of the sport, WWF WrestleMania 2000 is good for hours of laughs and entertaining gameplay. The action is particularly fun when playing with a group of friends, but this Pak is fun even for single players.
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