WTF happen to THQ and Wrestling games

[JT]

I just made a purchase of Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 for my PSP (because my DLed copy didn't work), and got to say the game sucks ass. And it's not just this game...I played the previous version of this game (SvR06) for PS2 and thought that sucked as well. I remember THQ had one of the greatest video gaming engines of all time. No Mercy is still a game I play regularly and WM200, Revenge, and World Tour are still some of my favorites. However, since the premeire of the Smackdown games, I've felt THQ's wrestling games really suck. It's like we moved to some horrible Revenge/Warzone hybrid engine that sucks ass.

I tried playing SvR and notice that the character constantly are slow to react to each other, half the time aren't facing each other, the grappling system is horrible, and it feels like I'm back in 1999 playing WWF Attitude again (fine game in it's time, but no where near the level of the old THQ games). When I play No Mercy, the movement of the game is very fluid like, the moves are solid. The fact that I'm almost constantly facing my oponent and know what moves I'm going to deliever as to SvR where I don't know why I'm facing away from my oponent and don't always manage to pull off the move I wanted to.

Also what's this stanama crap? I'm finally withing in this game, the other person starts getting knocked out, and I fall to the ground! Why am I knocked out when I'm winning!?! I actually have to hold down on select to gain energy while my opponent recovers as well. Seriously, nothing beats the gage system of the other games. Hell, I'm colorblind and I love the gage better than the stuff used in SvR. It told you how much power you had at that moment and that's all you really needed...the rest of guessing if you had a chance or not made it fun. Even better was the gage being a cold hearted bastard and one good hit would send an opponent from red to danger.

So if someone has an answer for me here, I'd love to hear it. Were they banned from using the engine? Was it too hard to apply a nintendo engine to the playstation? Or did they just get a garbage bag filled with some really great weed and it's lasted them for 7 years?

Also note I want my $20 back for this shitty game! :rant:

[Vietnamese Crippler]

I think it was something about the old team that did No Mercy/Wrestlemania 2000/etc was disbanded and they abandoned the engine or something :o

[Funky Fly]

AKI developed the No Mercy engine. They're no longer with THQ. Yukes does the SvR engine. It's sad because they also did the DoR games, which if combined with elements of the SvR engine could be a great improvement.

[JT]

I think it was something about the old team that did No Mercy/Wrestlemania 2000/etc was disbanded and they abandoned the engine or something :o

Think if I threatened their families lives so they'd come back together, they might build me a brand new wrestling game that doesn't suck? :(

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Think if I threatened their families lives so they'd come back together, they might build me a brand new wrestling game that doesn't suck? :(

They made the first two Def Jam Games :p

[Kalyx triaD]

Def Jam Vendetta was actually nice. It has 'sense'.

I gotta be honest JT, some of your rants seem to stem from your lack of skill in recent wrestling game engines. I rarely had issues facing an opponant or doing a move I wanted to do, and the Stamina system was one of the last great additions to the SvR series (although used better in DoR2).

[Kane Knight]

AKI developed the No Mercy engine. They're no longer with THQ. Yukes does the SvR engine. It's sad because they also did the DoR games, which if combined with elements of the SvR engine could be a great improvement.

DoR was greatness. All they needed was a better CAW and more features.

Of course, every new SVR game takes a hit to CAW, so a "better CAW" is getting iffier and iffer.

[Savio]

I hate how in no mercy they just stand and look at each other.

[U-Warrior]

as good as no mercy was, fire pro still shits all over it, so get that.

[JT]

Def Jam Vendetta was actually nice. It has 'sense'.

I gotta be honest JT, some of your rants seem to stem from your lack of skill in recent wrestling game engines. I rarely had issues facing an opponant or doing a move I wanted to do, and the Stamina system was one of the last great additions to the SvR series (although used better in DoR2).

I won't fight that...you may be right. It might be the fact that I just haven't played the game as much as I did No Mercy, but as I started to play it I felt like I was playing WWF Attitude again. Or more acurately WWF Smackdown which I did play quite a bit before getting bored of it, and that's the thing. No Mercy and Smackdown are the same age, but I haven't played Smackdown in years (though I have it), and I still play No Mercy as much as I play Smash Bros and other games I enjoy, past and present.

I realize there are people who may like it, and even decided to purchase it after a friend talked to me about how he enjoyed it. I was not impressed though, and feel that moving from the AKI engine to the current engine was bad, but understandable. Still, can you admit to me that the engine used 7 years ago for the WCW and WWF games are better than the ones for current WWE games? If so, tell me why and I'll give the game another try.

BTW, I never played Def Jam so I didn't know it had an engine similar to No Mercy. Thanks HH, gonna check that out.

[JT]

BTW, didn't like the stamina system because I feel it's a waste. It's an argument I have with games these days where they try to be too real by adding stuff like this. When I play a wrestling or fighting game, I want to beat on my opponent...not charge up after every attack. With any older wrestling game it's simple...you get your ass beat and you start slowing down. I was perfectly fine with the "dazed" wrestler after getting his ass kicked...but this just sucks some of the fun out of it for me. :-\

Also maybe it's not really that the characters aren't always facing each other, but the game just doesn't seem fluid to me, or flow at a steady pace. At times it feels like the game moves too fast to where characters aren't lined up or ready to do a move, to a punch/kick/grapple going too fast and if it misses, leading back to the first problem. If it was a little more steady, I might be less judgemental on the game but I do find it annoying. Stiil, I'll give the game another chance and see if I can get into it...but I have a feeling it will go the way of Smackdown. V_V

[JT]

as good as no mercy was, fire pro still shits all over it, so get that.

I only ever played the Gameboy version. Reminded me of Smackdown done right.

[U-Warrior]

yeah. firepro has a much better stamina system. Smackdown's is annoying as hell. If you don't press the button after every freaking move, you run out of breath.

[Destor]

AKI left THQ and they went to shit.

PS-Yukes sux

[Kalyx triaD]

WWF No Mercy is the best wrestling game that generation. DoR2 surpassed it (IMO) on the Gamcube with the most competitive engine to date. I agree the N64 AKI engine is something that's still playable (AND infinitely updatable).

[Savio]

I liked HCTP

[Xero]

I pulled HCTP out and am playing it again. It's pretty great. Nice roster and can get some great matches out of it. It seems like the most well-tuned game in the series.

[Vastardikai]

The awkwardness of '07didn't bother me at all.

Of course, I only played as the Great Khali, so... :shifty:

[JT]

WWF No Mercy is the best wrestling game that generation. DoR2 surpassed it (IMO) on the Gamcube with the most competitive engine to date. I agree the N64 AKI engine is something that's still playable (AND infinitely updatable).

Hmm...maybe I was too quick with my comments because I honestly never played DoR2 because I never had a Gamecube. However, I got a Wii now which is compatable...I might try it out if the price is right.

[Kane Knight]

Can't imagine DoR or 2 being worth much. They could have done the Stamina system better, but it's one of the best gameplay engines in a wrestling game, period.

[Dorkchop]

I just read this rumor:

THQ is bringing back WWE No Mercy via the WiiWare Channel. It will feature updated rosters.

If this is true, holy fuck!

[U-Warrior]

Matt Boone tell you that?

[Dorkchop]

www.gonintendo.com did. So far it's only a rumor that I want to come true. I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

[Kalyx triaD]

I just read this rumor:

THQ is bringing back WWE No Mercy via the WiiWare Channel. It will feature updated rosters.

If this is true, holy fuck!

THQ never struck me as a fan-service company...

[U-Warrior]

Holy shit balls, it's a quarter man rumor tho. 90% of the time, he turns out to be right.