From the start, this game impresses. The intro is absolutely spectacular, mimicking the TV show almost perfectly, only sacrificing the video clips. The roster has been heavily re-arranged and includes the first female, Luna Vachon. Newcomers like the 1-2-3 Kid, Diesel, Doink, and the tragically deceased Owen Hart make it come to an even dozen.
All gameplay modes return (Survivor Series, Endurance, Royal Rumble, Tag), though the Bedlam now has a few new toys to play with. Along with the chair from "Royal Rumble," a bucket now sits ringside. You can hit your opponent multiple times with the weapons, the new addition being particularly effective. A bell is now attached to the side of the ring as well, producing a satisfying sound when Irish-whipped into it. Four-players at once can finally battle it out, a feature that should have been in the first game.
Gameplay is faster here than it was in previous games. It still relies on continuous button mashing, but new "super moves" have been added. These are more close to Midways WWF game in the arcades than real wrestling though. Once a player's life has been drained, these immensely powerful maneuvers can really turn the tide of a match. Other new additions include pile drivers and the roster updates latest finishing moves. This does help differentiate the wrestlers a bit as well since the same move sets no longer apply to everyone.
Not much has changed graphically, but the ringside area sports a few new details. Look for Jerry Lawler ringside. The animation is still great, though almost completely carried over. All the sound effects follow the same path, though they chose to include some idiotic air horn sound that tends to glitch and play countless times during a match. Any new music is just as good as it's predecessors of course, especially Diesels.
This is the best game in this series without a doubt. The super moves aside, this is as good as 16-bit wrestling gets. The wrestlers finally have some different moves and added speed really gets things going. Oh, and nothing can match beating someone's face in with a bucket. Nothing.
