The WWF (now WWE) was a hot property for video games in the late 1980s and through the 1990s. There was a lot of home computer and console releases for gamers to enjoy at varying levels of quality but there was also a handful of WWF Arcade games too.
For most gamers one particular WWF Arcade game will spring to mind (we’ll get to that to one don’t worry) but there was in fact four arcade games released between 1989 and 2000.
Let’s take a look at all the WWF Arcade Games, Brother!
More on WWF Video Games:
WWF Superstars
Technos – 1989
1 or 2 Players
Playing Modes: Tag Team
WWF Superstars is a really fun arcade wrestling game. There is only one mode of play which is a tag team mode, but it is still a lot of fun. You can pick you tag team selection from the characters below and the challenge is to get to the tag team champions the Mega Bucks (The Million Dollar Man and Andre the Giant). If you can defeat them, you have to defend your tag team titles three times and defeat the Mega Bucks a second time to complete the game.
The control system is a simple two button attack and grapple configuration. You can brawl and use weapons outside of the ring whilst trying not to get counted out and you can use the wrestlers signature moves too. The game was developed in 1988 around the time of Wrestlemania 5 and the characters available reflect that period. A strong start to our small line-up of WWF Arcade Games.
WWF Superstars Playable Characters:
Hulk Hogan
Macho Man Randy Savage
The Ultimate Warrior
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
The Honky Tonk Man
The Big Boss Man
WWF WrestleFest
Technos – 1991
1 to 4 Players (depending on cabinet)
Playing Modes: Saturday Night Main Event (tag team) and Royal Rumble
In my opinion WWF WrestleFest is the best arcade wrestling game of all time. Again, developed by Technos like Superstars before it and they take what they did with the previous arcade game and take it to another level with huge sprites, frantic button bashing action and an extra mode of play – the Royal Rumble Mode.
They Royal Rumble mode is so much fun where you can eliminate wrestlers by throwing them over the top rope or by pinfall and submission. You can have four wrestlers in the ring at one time and as a wrestler is eliminated the next character’s animated face will pop up in the corner of the screen, so you know who is coming. If you win the Royal Rumble, you complete the game. That is easier said than done and a few credits might be needed.
The Saturday Night Main Event mode is pretty much the same tag team mode as in the WWF Superstars arcade game but this time the Legion of Doom are the tag team champions. Again, if you can defeat them you will have to defend your titles and then defeat LOD again before completing the game.
Both Superstars and WrestleFest can be challenging enticing the player to part with their money to get more credits which can be used to boost your health bar during both games.
WWF WrestleFest Playable Characters:
Hulk Hogan
The Ultimate Warrior
Jake the Snake Roberts
The Big Boss Man
Mr Perfect
Earthquake
Sgt Slaughter
The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Smash from Demolition
Crush from Demolition
Hawk from Legion of Doom*
Animal from Legion of Doom*
You can only pay as the Legion of Doom if you enter the game as a 2nd player when player 1 has reached them in Saturday Night Main Event mode.
You can read my full article on WWF WrestleFest here.
WWF Wrestlemania the Arcade Game
Midway – 1995
1 or 2 Players
Playing Modes: Intercontinental Title Mode and WWF Championship Mode
As we reach the mid-1990s Midway have acquired the rights to produce the next WWF Arcade game. We all know Midway loved their digitized graphics in this era of arcade gaming and following the success of Mortal Kombat this arcade game would follow that formula. Whereas the roster of Wrestlers from WWF Superstars and WWF WrestleFest overlapped a little with 3 wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Bigg Boss Man) featuring in both games this is not the case with this title.
WWF Wrestlemania the Arcade Game features a whole new set of wrestlers although some were active wrestlers during the release of the first two arcade games (Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and the Undertaker). At this stage the WWF had lost the big names of Hulk Hogan and Macho Man to WCW (as well as other) so we get some great wrestlers in the form of Bret Hart, the Undertaker, Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels.
There are 2 modes – the Intercontinental Championship mode and the WWF Championship mode. The Intercontinental mode is the easier of the two but in each mode you will have to win a series of single and handicap matches against multiple opponents to complete the mode.
Although Midway used digitized graphics similar to Mortal Kombat the wrestlers move sets in this game are a mixture traditional wrestling moves and cartoonish special moves. Doink will hit you with a colourful oversized hammer, the Undertaker will smash you with a literal tombstone and Yokozuna will hit you with a bucket of salt. There are lots of other crazy moves too. This was an era when the WWF was still trying to be family friendly (before the attitude Era) so the violence of Mortal Kombat would not have sat well with the Company. That being said this is a very different WWF arcade game which is fun in its on strange way and I personally enjoy the home port on the Sega Mega Drive too. Silly outlandish wrestling fun.
WWF Wrestlemania the Arcade Game Playable Characters:
Bret the Hitman Hart
Shawn Michaels
Razor Ramon
The Undertaker
Yokozuna
Lex Luger
Bam Bam Bigelow
Doink the Clown
WWF Royal Rumble
Sega – 2000
1 to 4 Players
Playing Modes: Normal and Royal Rumble
Five years have passed and come 2000 the WWF was a completely different beast compared to its 1995 product. This was the height of the Attitude Era and Vince McMahon had the biggest wrestling stars in the world in the form of Stone-Cold Steve Austin and the Rock. The product was much edgier and more violent than it had been before, but could Sega deliver a game to match?
Sadly, the answer is no. Although the roster of selectable wrestlers is a lot larger than any of the previous WWF arcade games featuring a really strong line-up some of which still wrestle today, the gameplay is just above average at best. This is a shame as this game was promoted as being able to feature nine wrestlers in the ring at one time (more than ever before), you could use weapons and even head backstage to brawl.
The game had promise with the single player exhibition mode allowing you to pick an additional character as a partner who could interfere in your matches when needed. That with the nine wrestlers being able to fill up the Royal Rumble ring could have made this game a big hit. I think the problem for this WWF Arcade Game was that it was released in 2000 when home console gamers in this era were getting some of the best Wrestling games in the form of Wrestlemania 2000 and its follow up No Mercy on the N64.
Also, it didn’t help not having enough characters to enter a 30-man Royal Rumble meaning some wrestlers will appear more than once (sometimes at the same time). A game released 9 years after WWF WrestleFest should have delivered a lot more than it does in my opinion.
WWF Royal Rumble Playable Characters:
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Undertaker
The Rock
Kane
Road Dogg
X-Pac
Big Show
Mankind
HHH
Chris Jericho
Jeff Hardy
Matt Hardy
Kurt Angle
The Godfather
Al Snow
D’Lo Brown
Edge
Taz
Rikishi
Vince McMahon
Shane McMahon
WWF Arcade Games
Although there was only the four WWF Arcade Games back in the day at least two of them were very strong entries and one was silly fun. WWF Superstars and WrestleFest (especially) will always be my wrestling go to games. I have fond memories of all of the games and getting ports of Wrestlemania the Arcade Game on the PS1, and Royal Rumble on the Dreamcast as it was always exciting to get a new WWF games regardless of quality. For me, the nostalgia hit comes from the late 80s and early 90s titles. This was when wrestling was new to me and it was exciting throw in two great arcade games in WWF Superstars and WWF WrestleFest and you have a lot of fun arcade memories.
You might also enjoy some of my other Arcade posts:
The Best 80s Arcade Driving Games
Robotron 2084 – An Arcade Classic
My Top 10 Arcade Games of All Time
Keep it retro, because Retro Daz said so!
Daz
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