$20 Game of the Week: TNA Impact (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii)

2001 was an interesting year for pro wrestling to say the least. The once mighty WCW, who in its prime had dominated the WWF in TV ratings for over 80 weeks had clearly seen better days. Thanks in no small part to backstage politics, fallout from the AOL-Time Warner merger, god-awful angles, and even worse booking, the company that had been home to superstars such as Diamond Dallas Page, Lex Luger, Bill Goldberg, and Sting was on its last legs. With fans deserting the promotion on a weekly basis, the company losing millions of dollars a year, potential investors pulling out, and advertisers pulling ad space, WCW was clearly running on borrowed time. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Paul Heyman’s ECW was undergoing a similar financial crisis. Since its inception in the early 90s, ECW’s bloody matches, homegrown superstars, and controversial storylines have gained the promotion a cult following, and was credited with supplying the blueprint for what made the WWF popular during its Attitude era. Even so, the fact remained that Heyman just didn’t have the money nor the muscle to compete with McMahon or Bischoff. The loss of their TV deal and the constant talent raids by WCW and the WWF did little to help matters. With worker’s paychecks bouncing on a regular basis, and wrestlers departing for the big time, ECW too would be shortly be becoming just a memory….

…until Vinnie Mac saved both brand names by buying out both companies for next to nothing and retaining some of their better workers. After that, Vince screwed up the whole thing by eschewing the dream matches fans wanted to see and instead presenting some of the worst inter-promotional booking ever seen, but that’s another story. Vinnie Mac had finally done what he had set out to do: monopolize mainstream North American pro-wrestling by either absorbing or eliminating his competitors. No one believed that anyone would ever step up to take on McMahon at his own game ever again. No one that is, expect for Jerry Jarret and his son Jeff Jarret.

Now Jeff was not new to the wrestling business. In fact he was a longtime performer for the WWF after gaining popularity as a local star. He was also part of WCW during its final days, where he even had a run as the world champion (before losing it to David Arquette. Yes, that David Arquette.). Instead of rejoining the WWE after the WCW buyout, the Jarretts began work on an all new promotion. Though it would begin life as an offshoot of the NWA, Jeff’s goal was to introduce an all new style of wrestling, one based around total nonstop action. Thus, TNA wrestling was born (not exactly my first choice for to name my newly created wrestling promotion, but I digress). The promotion would feature a six-sided ring, a revamped cruiserweight division (known as the X-Division), a more respectable women’s division, and a mix of new superstars and veterans. The promotion started out small, but then grew bigger, and gained a TV deal with Spike TV, as well as a video game deal with Midway, which brings up to this week’s $20 GOTW.

TNA Impact is Midway’s attempt at bringing to consoles the total nonstop action (no pun intended) seen every Thursday night on Spike TV. Most of the big names are included, from Kurt Angle, to Sting, to AJ Styles, to Samoa Joe. However, you have to unlock most of the others, as well as most of the arenas. Unfortunately for fans of the knockout division, there are no women included, nor can you can create one in create-a-wrestler. This omission irks me, especially since one of the special features on the disc is an exclusive knockout battle-royal/gauntlet. Speaking of create-a-wrestler, it’s rather limited, kinda closer to the Playstation WWF Smackdown games. Worse yet, you can only create up to five wrestlers, one of which you’ll use in story mode. That’s a serious damper for people like me who like to create entire stables of wrestlers. The match types are rather limited. You have your usual 1 vs 1, tag team, handicap, Free-for-alls, and such, but there aren’t as many options as in other games. However, TNA Impact does include the Ultimate-X match, the ultimate X-division high flyer showcase. Suspended above the ring on two ropes is a giant X, and to win the match, players have to climb up the poles, cross the rope, and unlatch the X (or title belt if applicable). It’s different, and it helps define what TNA wrestling is about.

The game mode in which you’ll spend the most time is the game’s story mode which tells the story of Suicide (you know, that superhero guy who has been showing up these past several weeks on TNA broadcasts). Here, you’ll create the guy under the mask. It seems that at one time you were the hottest guy in TNA. However, after refusing to throw a match, you have been beaten beyond recognition and left for dead. You reawaken in Mexico with no memory of how you got there, your past as Suicide, or your wrestling moves. You start from the bottom all over again, wrestling independent shows until you eventually gain a contract in TNA wrestling. It’s here where you’ll unlock most of the game’s content, including wrestlers, new moves for your CAW, and new arenas. Although you can gain ‘style points’ in any game mode, Story mode is the easiest way to do so.

Despite its omissions, TNA Impact is quite easy and fun to play. You can do strikes, grapples, reversals, submissions, and high flying turnbuckle moves with the greatest of ease. Sadly for hardcore fans, there is only one weapon: a chair. It’s right there outside the ring, and you can pick it up without getting disqualified. In fact, there are no count outs either. Anytime at my leisure, I can travel outside, pick up a chair, then proceed to bash my opponent’s brains in. It gives an arcade-like feel to the game, and keeps the action fact paced. It’s as if Midway wasn’t concerned with making a super deep game as much as it was with making something that was easy to pick up and play, and Midway succeeds.

While I refused to pick this game up at full price, it’s perfect for its current $20 price tag. The critics have been harsh on it, but mast gamers have been spoiled by years of more superior wrestling games to appreciate the effort Midway has put towards their first real wrestling title (for me in particular, Fire Pro Wrestling is the yardstick by which I judge all present, past, and future wrestling games). Midway announced work on a sequel that would no doubt address the original game’s shortcomings. Sadly, its status is up in the air thanks to the company going bankrupt. That’s a shame too, as just like the product is based on, TNA impact could become a real contender with some polish.

By the way, be here later this week for a $20 GOTW/Maximum Letdown/Lost Classics special in celebration of the upcoming Street Fighter 4!