wrestling
Latest
WWE 2K14 Phenom Edition brings back the American Badass for $100
2K Sports announced a special edition for WWE 2K14 that features arguably the best wrestler in the business, The Undertaker. Coming in a collectible tin coffin, the Phenom Edition includes a copy of WWE 2K14, an art card signed by The Undertaker, a controller skin, the first disc of "The Streak" DVD set that details the Deadman's undefeated streak at WrestleMania and a special playable version of The Undertaker's "American Badass" character from the Attitude Era. Players that pick up the Phenom Edition also gain access to the Ultimate Warrior in WWE 2K14, a playable character otherwise locked to pre-orders. The Phenom Edition is available for pre-order on Amazon or the WWE Shop for $100. The game is slated to strut into stores on October 29. %Gallery-195175%
Mike Suszek08.01.2013
TNA making an impact on iOS, announcer reveals
A new TNA wrasslin' game is in the works for iOS, announcer Jeremy Borash revealed during a recent wrap-up show. Borash specifically mentioned iPad as a platform, which you can see around the 29:45 minute mark in the above video."Even if we were to announce it now, the turnaround time on a game is a long time so I don't think you will see anything in the next couple months at least," Borash said. A tweet from pro wrestler Kurt Angle also confirms TNA is working on something, though he didn't go into any specifics.
David Hinkle07.24.2012
WWE '13 is your big chance to wrestle like a professional boxer (Tyson, specifically)
Mike Tyson is known for his years as a professional boxer slash professional ear-biter, so you can imagine our surprise when THQ announced this morning that he's appearing in upcoming wrestler WWE '13. Tyson's reprising his role from 1998 as a "ringside enforcer" for D-Generation X. He's also a playable character, though, ya know, he's totally not a wrestler."The baddest man on the planet is back – and only in WWE '13," Tyson said in the press release, totally of his own volition and not written by someone else. "Fans everywhere can now relive what I experienced during the 'Attitude Era.'"Only pre-orders of WWE '13 get access to Tyson as a playable character. The game launches on October 30 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.%Gallery-158593%
Ben Gilbert06.19.2012
WWE WrestleFest on iOS today, coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Android in 2012
Well, this is definitely the craziest thing to happen in wrestling games in quite some time -- and wrestling is a sport built entirely on human insanity. WWF WrestleFest, the classic arcade game by Technos, has been updated for release on iOS by THQ. The new "WWE Wrestlefest" has smoother graphics and an updated roster of wrestlers (a rostler, if you will) including John Cena and Randy Orton, alongside old-school wrestlers like the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage. It's also been modernized with "an extensive downloadable content program."The app is available in a free "Lite" version and a $2.99 "Premium" version for iPhone, and both "Lite" and paid for iPad.THQ also plans to release this new WrestleFest on XBLA, PSN, Android, and PC, sometime in 2012. So we hope the new version is good.
JC Fletcher02.21.2012
WWE '12 review: Men in Tights
Pro wrestling has never been depicted as well as it has in WWE '12, a decidedly non-wrestling game. Sure, it's got "wrestling" embedded somewhere in its acronymic title, but WWE '12 acts like a fighting game. In pro wrestling, the "other guy" in a match takes bumps, and helps dictate the pace of the bout. The video game versions of wrestling don't include blatant options to take falls. There is no intentional means of losing to give a low-card wrestler a "push." WWE '12 continues the tradition of advancing the illusion of wrestling. Both as a video game and as an extension of the WWE product, it accomplishes that task exceedingly well. %Gallery-125042%
Mike Suszek11.28.2011
The next WWE game is just 'WWE 12'
The latest iteration of THQ's wrestling simulation series is dropping the unwieldy and kind of silly "Smackdown vs. Raw" title in favor of the short, easy to remember WWE 12. Hard to believe the same series can include both a game with that svelte a title and ones called "WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain." The new game hasn't been specifically announced for any platforms, but the trailer features PlayStation, Wii and Xbox 360 logos. THQ is showing off its revamped wrasslin' game at E3 and will stream gameplay demos every day during the show next week. In the meantime, you can see the first screens in our gallery and get strangely emotional with Randy Orton after the break.%Gallery-124924%
JC Fletcher05.31.2011
Have fun with your family and friends in 'Hulk Hogan's Main Event' for Kinect
Hulk Hogan, the wrestling legend, Mr. Nanny star, and guy who nearly showed us his sack in a Def Jam Rapstar trailer, has his very own Kinect game coming this fall, in which he'll teach you how to be a professional wrestler. Hulk Hogan's Main Event, developed by Panic Button LLC and published by Majesco, allows players to "learn the ropes from the man himself," develop a wrestling persona and learn how to put on a show by "emulating famous Hulk poses and performing more than 30 punishing combos." Players will create their own wrestler, including options for tattoos, clothing, body type, and entrance music, and will get to use that wrestler in both single-player mode and tag-team (in which two players take turns in front of the camera). In the absence of an actual trailer, find "I Want to Be a Hulkamaniac" by Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band after the break. You're welcome!
JC Fletcher05.27.2011
EA Sports MMA 2 'definitely' happening
EA Sports associate producer Jeff Ecker is totally confident that EA Sports MMA 2 will become a reality at some point. Speaking with Figure Four, Ecker didn't even spend a second beating around the bush and directly stated, "There is definitely going to be an EA Sports MMA 2." Ecker even characterized the sequel's launch not as an "if" but a "when." EA Sports MMA reportedly only moved 45K units in its first month at US retailers. EA Sports' Fight Night: Champion is already set for a 2011 launch, so you'll be able to beat up friends relentlessly via EA Sports, even if the company doesn't return to the octagonal mat quite so soon.
Ben Gilbert12.02.2010
Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring review: Suicide dive
Wrestling fans are a forgiving bunch. We excuse the industry's numerous problems -- the high mortality rate, intelligence-insulting storylines, John Cena -- whenever two guys do a really good job of not actually hurting each other. As long as a match is exciting, with consistent psychology, believable near-falls and a well-told story, nothing else matters. It's the same with wrestling video games; they're only as good as the matches they let you experience, which means Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring translates to "no bueno." %Gallery-90096%
Christopher Grant10.18.2010
Mad Catz creating FightSticks and FightPads for WWE All Stars
Mad Catz has created FightPad and FightStick accessories for fighting games like Street Fighter IV and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. It has now announced a partnership with THQ to produce ... WWE-branded FightSticks and FightPads, for the upcoming WWE All Stars game. All Stars is supposed to be more arcade-like and feature "combination sequences" (according to its original announcement), so ... no, this just isn't going to make sense no matter how hard we try. Mad Catz intends to produce the accessories for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, which means that if you missed out on the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom FightStick, you'll have another chance to get a Wii arcade stick, albeit one with pictures of wrasslers all over it. Mad Catz has declined to offer images or specific details for the devices, so we're just going to have to dream for now.
JC Fletcher10.18.2010
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 getting 'Fan Axxess' DLC delivery program
Bros, oil up them chests and get ready to bump 'em because THQ has announced a new DLC delivery program for WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 called "Fan Axxess." Yeah, bro -- it's totally called "Fan Axxess." Spend 800 MS Points ($9.99) on Xbox 360 or PS3 and you'll be placed in the Fan Axxess program, a system that "will enable WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 owners to obtain select downloadable content released throughout the life of the videogame." This "select content" will include "a number of playable WWE Legends, WWE Superstars and WWE Divas, alternate ring gear, playable arenas, a WWE Superstar Attribute Customizer, instant access to all unlockable content and an in-game badge," identifying you as Fan Axxess member. If you're not interested in purchasing a label or its accompanied liberal use of the letter X, you can purchase each DLC pack individually. THQ has lined up the first few, so head past the break for the details.
David Hinkle10.13.2010
Fire Pro-Wrestling pins Xbox 360 release with Avatar support
Microsoft is hitting Japan right in its beloved franchises. Along with Radiant Silvergun, the company announced a new version of Human/Spike's long-lived wrestling series Fire Pro-Wrestling. The twist this time is that instead of (legally distinct) simulacra of your favorite wrestlers, you'll be able to take to the mat with your Avatar. If you make a really big Avatar, do you have an advantage? %Gallery-102405%
JC Fletcher09.15.2010
THQ spinning off another WWE series
THQ has another WWE game on the way, joining its WWE Smackdown vs. Raw series and the new WWE All Stars (pictured). According to THQ's Danny Bilson, the new WWE "extension" shares All Stars' focus on accessibility over Smackdown vs. Raw's detailed ... simulation of simulated wrestling. "Next year you'll see another new extension [of the WWE license]," Bilson told CVG, "that's just as exciting as All Stars, but a little different. We're not talking about that yet." He said that the plan was to release a WWE game every six months (presumably for many years to come), alternating between Smackdown vs. Raw, All Stars and this new series -- the latter two being "more friendly, easier and less simmy than Smackdown vs. Raw." There's a fourth franchise too, WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw Online, but that's intended solely for the Asian market. If you're thinking that the "new" series will feature WWE wrestlers driving in cars and shooting at each other -- THQ tried that one already. Our wild guess: the new game's gonna really Kinect players to the Moves.
JC Fletcher07.28.2010
THQ announces two new WWE games
As today's E3 festivities kicked off, THQ slipped in a pair of its own announcements: Its catalog of titles based on the world's oldest sport, by which of course we mean professional wrestling, is expanding by a factor of two in the near future. First, WWE All Stars will pit legendary wrestlers against one another. Just imagine: Diamondface vs. Mr. Grabs: The Man With No Fear. We just made those two wrestlers up, of course, because THQ hasn't actually named any specific fighters included in the game, nor do we know enough about the sport to identify the wrestlers in the image above. Aren't you impressed? The second game is WWE SmackDown vs. Raw Online, a free-to-play PC wrastlin' title with microtransaction support that's being created by Seoul-based developer Vertigo Games. The game is slated to drop in Korea in early 2011 -- no North American release plans have been announced. Hey, come on, THQ! We like wrestling, too! (Well, some of us do.)
Griffin McElroy06.14.2010
UFC Undisputed 2010 video explores career mode
If the above video is any indication, UFC Undisputed 2010 is really looking to provide a comprehensive career experience akin to what you see fighters go through in those MMA reality shows, sans the camera confessionals. In THQ's sequel, you'll get to follow your virtual brawler through almost every facet of the sport -- from weigh-ins to training and even the WFA, to eventual UFC stardom -- picking up a rivalry or two along the way. We'll see if UFC Undisputed 2010 can pull off this ambitious career simulation when it hits the retail mat on May 25.
David Hinkle04.21.2010UFC Undisputed 2010 video focuses on fighting techniques
One of the most exciting aspects of MMA is the sheer variety of fighting styles you'll see in a single event. The original's repertoire was rather extensive: boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, judo, Brazilian jujitsu, and freestyle wrestling. UFC Undisputed 2010 adds three more fighting techniques into the mix: sambo, karate and Greco-Roman wrestling. This developer video goes into more detail about the three new styles added to the game, emphasizing the differences between karate and muay thai, for example. With the ability to "combo anything together" in 2010, the added move list should provide a number of interesting and painful combinations to explore.
Andrew Yoon04.13.2010Hands-on: Lucha Libre: AAA Heroes of the Ring
Konami is no stranger to the stranger side of wrestling games. After all, it was the company that brought us the all-girl Rumble Roses. Now it has picked up publishing rights to Lucha Libre: AAA Heroes of the Ring, which delves into the wild world of the Mexican luchadores and their masked in-ring antics. Playing an early build of the game at last week's Konami Gamers Night, I couldn't help but notice that, underneath all of the focus being placed on the type of wrestling going on, the game itself already feels like a competent wrestling title. I had a chance to enter the ring one-on-one against another human opponent and what followed was a well-paced match, albeit not the most exciting to look at -- but only because we were both just learning the ropes. %Gallery-90096%
Randy Nelson04.12.2010
THQ puts the Smackdown on iPhone
For those of you interested in wrasslin' on the subway, THQ has a new option that won't result in jail time or pepper spray. The publisher announced that WWE Smackdown vs. Raw is available now on the App Store for $4.99. Smackdown on iPhone allows you to pit your own fictional wrestler against eleven real (at least, the pro wrestling definition of "real") WWE wrestlers, or control one of those celebrity personalities in exhibition matches. Hopefully players won't have to grapple too much with the control scheme, which uses a combination of swipes and context-sensitive buttons, in their attempts to grapple with virtual wrestlers. %Gallery-83045% WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 ($4.99):
JC Fletcher01.14.2010
THQ pins WWE license down for 8 years
The new, extended deadline for THQ to sign its WWE licensing agreement elapsed two days ago, leaving several people in suspense about the outcome. Today, THQ shared the news that it has secured the exclusive rights to develop and publish games based on the WWE wrestling license for eight additional years, effective January 1, 2010. Not coincidentally, THQ has also settled its legal issues with WWE toy producer Jakks Pacific. THQ and Jakks will dissolve their venture using the other universal solvent: money. THQ has agreed to pay the company $20 million, along with previously earned royalties, and will pay the WWE $13.2 million. All of the companies found this agreement preferable to the previous offer, wherein WWE and Jakks would hit THQ with folding chairs while the referee mysteriously looked away.
JC Fletcher12.23.2009
SouthPeak publishing TNA Impact! on handhelds 'later this Winter'
Truth be told, loyal readers, we kind of already told you about SouthPeak Games scooping up the right to publish the Midway-developed TNA Impact!: Cross the Line for the PSP and DS. So when the company recently announced that it would be publishing Cross the Line "later this Winter," we weren't exactly flabbergasted. However, when SouthPeak's Q1 2010 financial report revealed the aforementioned last month, it wasn't clear whether the game publisher had secured rights to future TNA Impact! games or not. Speaking with representatives for SouthPeak this morning, we were declined comment on who owns said rights "other than what's in the [press] release." We've followed up with TNA and will update this post if we hear back. %Gallery-79233%
Ben Gilbert12.01.2009