WWF Royal Rumble (DC) (WWF Royal Rumble (DC))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	WWF Royal Rumble (DC)
Date:	09/10/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some graphics

Disadvantages: Claustrophobic "Royal Rumble" mode

"WWF: Royal Rumble" is a video game which was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 by THQ. It is a sports title with professional wrestling being represented. In the United States, the game received a rating of "T" which deemed it suitable for ages 13 and above.

Yet another installment in the world of professional wrestling gaming, Royal Rumble comes across as somewhat weak in comparison to the other titles on the market at the time of release. SmackDown!'s growing popularity gave this title fierce competition but instead of creating a graphically stellar comparison, developers opted for a very arcade style experience. Royal Rumble features two gameplay modes. One is a single exhibition match where players select two characters; one primary wrestler and another who can run-in at opportune times and execute powerful two-on-one holds and throws. The other is, as wrestling fans may have guessed, the "Royal Rumble" event where 30 other wrestlers will enter the ring and only one will remain standing.

Gameplay of this title is fast paced and resembles an arcade fighter. The exhibition mode of play is odd in its implementation as matches nearing their time limit do not end in the wrestling ring. Towards the end of each exhibition match, if the player or opponent have not been pinned then the wrestling ring fades out of appearance and becomes a backstage area. I find this to be incredibly odd as it is a very sci-fi teleporting effect. Nonetheless, it does lend very well to the arcade aspect of the game. The Royal Rumble itself is a very claustrophobic in ring experience. The game allows up to nine combatants in the ring at any given time, over double the amount of other releases, and this becomes very difficult to navigate through. With fewer participants it is easy to see who my wrestler is facing and is ready to attack, but the sheer amount of wrestlers seen in Royal Rumble presents a strong learning curve that is difficult to pass. Several times on television, Jerry "The King" Lawler would suggest that a wrestler stays defensively in one corner and I find this to be particularly true in this video game; there are too many bodies in the ring at once. I found the roster of this title to be a bit lacking. With only 21 available wrestlers, I often felt as if I was repeating the same match over and over with each rumble. In fact, some wrestlers appear twice in the Royal Rumble event after being eliminated due to the lack of wrestlers on board.

The graphics of this title are acceptable. Each wrestler bears enough resemblance to their television counterpart and it is easy to identify them on screen without any further guidance. Some wrestlers did appear slightly blocky, and this was most evident in Mankind's masked attire. His typical brown studded mask did not convert nicely into Dreamcast format and came across as highly distorted and almost ugly to the eye. Each wrestler also sports a near identical body model which takes away from the distinct bodily features of wrestlers in person. The soundtrack of this title is acceptable. The crowd roars, hearty blows will make contact with opponents and a energetic rock theme accompanies each bout.

Overall, Royal Rumble provides an acceptable wrestling experience to Dreamcast players. While it is certainly not the best wrestling game available for the console, fans of the sport would likely find this title to be enjoyable despite its flaws. I would recommend this game to prospective buyers.

Summary: Thumbs up