WWE Legends of WrestleMania
 

Press Release lifted from PWInsider:

Prepare to Relive, Rewrite or Redefine History with WWE(R) Legends of WrestleMania(R)

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - (Business Wire) THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) today announced that WWE® Legends of WrestleMania® is currently in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Joining the distinguished WWE® SmackDown®/SmackDown vs. Raw® franchise, which has shipped more than 37 million units worldwide since 2000, WWE Legends of WrestleMania is scheduled for release in March 2009 to coincide with the annual pinnacle of sports entertainment, WrestleMania® 25, in Houston, Texas.

“We have generated significant year-over-year growth in key global territories with WWE-licensed videogames, including tremendous success with the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise,” said Peter Matiss, vice president, global brand management, THQ. “The development capabilities afforded by next generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market.”

“JAKKS Pacific is pleased to introduce a new WWE videogame property to the fighting genre,” said Nelo Lucich, senior vice president of interactive, JAKKS Pacific. “The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise has captured a collective audience of WWE fans, game enthusiasts and casual players, and we are confident that WWE Legends of WrestleMania will be poised for great success.”

I just wish they didn't limit it specifically to "WrestleMania". Adding WCW/ECW/NWA legends would have made it so much better.

So essentially this probably means resources being diverted from the smackdown series to make another game probably with the same pre-dinosaur engine.


:|



As if the smackdown series wasn't in a big enough slump after last years effort.

The problem with legends games, is that the movesets of these wrestlers weren't as diverse. They were masters of psychology and story-telling, rather than flashy moves. Both of which are hard to portray in a game. Thats why the Legends of WRestling series had some fairly ficticious movesets.

If they want diverse movesets, I think the mannerisms of each wrestler need to be included in even the basic manuevers.

That sucks that it's not going to be on PS2.

I wonder how current the roster is going to be. I'm also curious to see if guys like The Ultimate Warrior and Chris Benoit will make it into the game.

The Venues should be pretty cool. Hopefully they'll have the old blue-barred cage.

This could be fucking awesome. The best part of Smackdown vs raw is the legends. Now I dont have to have main event feuds with Chris Masters.

Legends of Wrestling was fun and it sucked and was low budget.

Even if this is a SvR clone, Fucking Sweet!

This game will fail without Randy Savage.

I suppose now is when people start posting their dream rosters, eh?

Wonder if they will include HBK and Undertaker but in retro gear. One is undefeated and one is Mr. Wrestlemania and both have been a huge part of Wrestlemania.

I'm sick of the Smackdown engine.

HBK in WM12 Attire for the win.

It's going to feature Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Vince McMahon, and John Cena...all with 12 (slightly Altered) costumes. You can also unlock Mayweather and Mr. T

Coz it's going to be a shit game?

The reversal for the Tombstone will be the Sid Row.

Nah it'll have enough shit in it as it is already

MEH

wtf, no wii? fuckers

:mad:

How can you be surprised? Nintendo did it to themselves by not really upping the power of its system like the others did.

Not just that but I think Smackdown 2008 sold like shit on Wii.

2 thoughts about this game...

1) No mention of Yukes in the press release. Maybe a new developer? Even if it is Yukes they could try out a new engine...

2) Anyone else reckon that there may not be legends in the new Smackdown Vs. Raw becaus of this new game?

With THQs recent earnings report (READ: MASSIVE LOSSES) it will probably be the same engine to save cash :(

You'll still get legends in SvR, but they'll be half-assed attempts and/or shitty midcarders.

I'm going out on a limb to say David Arquette will be the big unlockable this year.

:shifty:

That better not be the case or this could be the first Smackdown game I won't buy, though I might still get it since I get it every year no matter how much either the game sucks or how crappy the roster is.

Yeah they need to leave the legends out of SvR 09 since they are making this. More room for current wrestlers.

Did I read that this game doesnt come out till April of 2009?

Thats almost a year from now.

<font color=goldenrod>Wonder what the roster would look like. I took a look and if they were to include everybody whose ever main-evented a WM, that would be only 29 right there (thanks largely to Hogan).

Obviously that won't happen as there's no chance at Benoit, Savage, or Warrior getting in. I seriously think Mr. T and Lawrence Taylor would have a better chance at getting in (which would make me mark out admittedly).</font>

Actually I would see Warrior being there if THQ offered him enough money, likewise with Honky Tonk Man. Savage and Benoit is a no though. I can see the roster being something like this.

Hulk Hogan
The Rock
Stone Cold
Andre The Giant
Bret Hart
Roddy Piper
The Undertaker
HBK
Brutus Beefcake
Jake Roberts
Ted DiBiase
Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Mr. Perfect
Junkyard Dog
Greg Valentine
Hawk
Animal
Jimmy Snuka

Of course that would not be the full list, I'd probably say a good 30-40 wrestlers will be in.

How about Diesel or Razor Ramon?

Nash is under TNA contract.

BUT DIESEL ISN'T!!!111!1!!!!!1!11!

You're telling me nobody but me noticed their use of the term 'Fighting Game' rather specifically in that press release? I don't think this game is what you guys think it is...

Yeah it'll probably be like WWF Wrestlemania the arcade game or some shit.

Or god forbid, WCW Backstage Assault.

Haven't they been using "Fighting Game" for a lot of their WWE release titles?

Edit: Actually, re-reading it it does sound a bit too specific.

Wrestling games are classified by many editorials and websites, as fighting games.

And yet they never made such emphasis on the genre in past press releases...

I think you are reading too much into it.

Well riddle me this, Bat-chump;

Why in the Hell would THQ allow two 'wrestling' games for the core consoles unless one was fundamentally different from the flagship series?

Why the emphasis on the 'Fighting Genre' term all of a sudden? (I don't need to be over-analytical, they used the term a few times in less than 6 lines of the press release)

I'm betting it's gonna be an arcadey wrestling game aimed at kids/casual to coincide with WWE's dip into the younger demo and further detour the fanbase from TNA's debut offering.

A wrestling game based on legends would be nice but they got that covered with the Legends roster in the main series, and since when did they do what the hardcore fans would like in any case.

With your first Q, EA does that with FIFA...

I still think this is going to be exactly the same as Smackdown. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, THQ racked up a net loss of $35.3 million, so a cheap and dirty port with a slightly different roster could easily rake in a bit of cash.

Hell, just put in the moving platform entrances and wrestling fans would buy it :shifty:

If so, something tells me Guitar Hero inspired this...

You know what I'd like to see: use of a modified version the Legends of Wrestling series' engine.

NOW BEFORE YOU ALL FLING SHIT AT ME, HEAR ME OUT.

Legends of wrestling 2's engine had a very good concept that was ruined by poor execution. If you've never played the game, here is how it basically breaks down:

From the collar-and-elbow grapple you have 4 basic grapple positions to start from, each represented by a face button on the controller: body slam, vertical suplex, Samoan drop and piledriver/powerbomb. You choose the basic style you wish to perform, then your character positions his victim accordingly. Next, you choose the specific move you want to perform, again represented by the 4 face buttons on the controller. For example, if you wanted to do a Last Ride, you'd lock up, hit the piledriver/powerbomb button (let's say the X button since all of the major consoles have an X button), then hit the button for the Last Ride (let's say Y/Triangle) and boom, you hit the Last Ride.

Now the awesome part is that you can chain moves together pretty seamlessly. Like if you are doing the aforementioned Last Ride, a yellow meter appears on your HUD and if you press the chain button within the time limit, you will hang on to the victim's legs after hitting the powerbomb and you can chain the move into any lower leg moves like the Walls of Jericho, the Sharpshooter or a groin stomp.

See the way I look at it is that if the team that did Day of Reckoning got a hold of that engine, re-animated all the moves and sorted out the hit detection, we'd have a seriously awesome game on our hands.

It'd be easier to just implement the system instead of shitting around with the engine.

The engine was terrible, but the concepts were sound.

<embed src='http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=14252213&downloadURL=http://xbox360movies.ign.com/xbox360/video/article/888/888641/wwe_legends_trailer_071108_flvlowwide.flv&allownetworking="all"' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360' ></embed>

Looks pretty great.

I hope they use sample of Gorilla, Brain, etc for the commentary.

I know that was all CGI, but that almost cel-shaded look suited it. I also like how this is only coming out on 360 & PS3. If they're going to try out a new engine for the next-gen only Smackdown (2010, unless PS2 is still selling strong next year somehow) then this scaled-down WWE game would be the place to do it.

I still think it might be a re-hash of Smackdown with different characters though.

looked cool from the video. I wonder what the roster will be?

I kinda hope a challenge mode makes it in whereby you have to play a match from each WM...for example (Andre/Hogan WM3 , Warrior/Hogan WM6) only problem with that is it'd leave out Savage/Steamboat and what match from WM9 would you really wanna do? (IMO Perfect/Michaels is the only choice)

yea, Perfect wrestled Luger at 9. Luger pinned him using the ropes and then knocked him out after the bell. lol

With 9, I would love to do Doink vs Crush. Double Doinks

Money Inc. Vs. LOD?

they never faced each other at Mania. You're thinking Summerslam 92

Never happend. Hogan/Beefcake took them on at WM9

Virgil, get ready for the push of your life, buddy.

They were both outside, what do you want from me?!?!

Excited about this game, but the absence of some top deserving names will leave a hole in the game. Legends Of WrestleMania without Savage or Warrior??

Bet we get some trash to make up the numbers too, like Koko B Ware and The Warlord.

Demolition better be in this!

I hope they have a Gimmick Battle Royal mode.

:shifty:

They should definitely devote some space to giving most or all of the characters alternate attires.

More characters > Alternate Attires

To be fair I don't consider that trash, not necisarily great wrestlers, but fun to play around with anyway.

And I definately agree with alternate attires, for different generations and appearances. Like we've seen in previous games with Hogan and Foley, it would be cool to get that with other guys who have been in their fair share of Manias.

Can definately see myself getting this game

I agree with that, but seriously, how hard would it be to take a character model and put different clothes and haircut on them as a 2nd attire? I know THQ probably would look over this and instead give us 5 models of the Undertaker in different character slots, filling Undertaker Original, Undertaker 95, Ministry Taker, Biker Taker and Biker Taker Haircut. Or something

It's the way they have the models laid out. Instead of having different parts like the CAWs do, they're just one big model.

Well surely that makes things harder for them?

Yup, it probably helped them get better GFX on the PS1 and they never bothered changing it.

Andre looked pretty agile in that video.

All I demand from this game is one legend from WrestleMania (X-Seven): the Gobbledy Gooker. Include him/her and this game wins the universe.

But seriously, I love the fact that they're including the blue grid steel cage!!!111!222

Well if each of the guys are in their prime versions then Andre should be very agile.

Since this is Legends of WRESTELMANIA, maybe they'll have all the wrestlers who participated in Wrestlemania? It would be around.......alot of people.

I wish, that would mean Tazz and Stevie Richards :D

Why would them make all of them when they were in their prime? Why not make them how they were in Wrestlemania? Also why would you show Andre doing a huge spinning powerslam in a recreation of the WM 3 match when he could barely move? I am just saying that this game is going to be tough to pull off. Andre had like 5 moves.

I hope they have the old school titles in this.

Assume they'd employ a little artistic license, otherwise this game would be one of the most boring games of all time. Hopefully it won't be a massively fictitious moveset, but who would actually want to play as late 80s Andre The Giant, a man who could barely move?

I would.

Andre would be almost unstoppable and would be a bitch to get off of his feet.

Yeah, but if you got knocked down and you weren't close to the ropes to drag yourself back to your feet, you'd be fucked.

Plus, he would fail the season mode Wellness test, being a raging alcoholic and all.

In fact, no doubt there will be no sign of the Wellness mode in this game, the roster being full of coked up 80s roid heads (many of whom are dead, arguably in part due to the fact there was NO Wellness policy back then)

Well they keep putting Mark Henry in the SDvRaw games.

Oh yes, I said it.

Andre will have a special control scheme. Since he only has five moves, there are bars you need to charge to walk and breath.

Just do what they did in Wrestlemania 2000/No Mercy for the N64 for Andre, that was perfect.

.....make him a secret character?

...give players the ability to make him a cruiserweight and give him a hurricanrana as a finisher?

Change his appearance so he's Headbanger Mosh?

Hack the game to add TNA wrestlers, a 6-sided ring, and crappy painted-on faces?

I just realized the Warrior wont be in this...

Yeah kind of sucks, but there might be a 'create a legend' mode with all the parts and attire of legneds not included

Warrior may be in it. He can prob sign up for it with THQ rather than WWE. Doubt Vince would put the kibosh on it like he would if they tried to sign Savage.

Warrior was suppose to be in one of the games a few years back but a money dispute put a stop to it.

I forgot about the reason he wasn't included in HCTP, but good thing with a cheat device(well, his moves/entrance anyway as his model freezes).

Anyone considered this could have the DOR engine? Yukes has been using it in their Wrestle Kingdom games, so it's not dead yet.