Lost Classics: WWF Attitude (PS1, N64, Dreamcast)

Without a doubt, we associate Acclaim with some of the worst games ever made. However, they’ve also had the longest run with the WWF licence. Up until the late 90s though, wrestling titles were only limited to a niche audience. All that changed with WWF Warzone. This title laid the foundation for wrestling games today as we know them. It included solid presentation, color commentary, and the one thing that’s pretty much a requirement in today’s wrestling games: create-a-wrestler. With this feature, it was possible to put yourself in the game, bring in a wrestler that was left out the cast, or even recreate a character from another wrestling organization. However, there were two major issues players had with the game, namely the small and out-of-date roster and lack of match types.  In an attempt to address these issues, (and perhaps spurred on by THQ’s WCW/NWO Revenge released later that year) Acclaim went back to work on WWF Attitude, which stands as one of the finest early wrestling games made at the time.

Acclaim expanded the roster to over 40 wrestlers, including favorites such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and the Rock.  The game also included a number of secret characters, such as Sable, Sgt. Slaughter, and Paul Bearer.  Of course you could once again create your own wrestler, and the interface was expanded to include different voice options and new entrance music.  As far as match types, players could pick from the usual single or tag team matches.  Players can also participate in King of the Ring or Royal Rumble matches.  One of the more favored match types included in the game is the stable match, in which players could select up to 4 teams of 4 wrestlers to compete.  Perhaps the best new feature in the game was the new create-a-pay-per-view.  Players can set up thier own match card, choose the wrestlers they wish to participate, and even design thier own arena (something that hasn’t been seen in wrestling games since).  Even the single player was been improved.  Players start off by wrestling in house matches, then make thier way to WWF saturday night programs, and finally getting a shot at Wrestlemania.

Unfortunantely, after this game the engine would quickly begin to show it’s age.  Acclaim lost the WWF licence to THQ, and began work on the ECW games.  The slow-paced wrestling engine just couldn’t keep up with the fast paced extreme action shown on ECW.  It didn’t help matters that the AKI engine THQ utilized for games like Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy was quickly gaining popularity among players.  After ECW was bought out by the WWF, Acclaim used the engine again on the Legends of Wrestling games, which gained mixed reviews at best.  Even so, Attitude is a blueprint which at the time included everything players wanted to see in wrestling games.  Even though later Wrestling game improved on the formula, the game has a certain flair to it that has yet to be matched by most of today’s wrestling games.