WWE Legends of WrestleMania Preview

After launching the Smackdown vs. RAW franchise to critical and commercial success, YUKE’s and THQ are taking a different approach to the pro-wrestling genre with their upcoming grappler, WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania. Legends of Wrestlemania takes players back to the good old days of Sgt. Slaughter, Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and so on, allowing players to relive the best moments of Wrestlemanias 1-15. You’ll even be able to make your own dream matches, pitting wrestlers like Hulk Hogan or Andre the Giant against the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. The controls are also casual enough for anyone to be able to get into, making it the perfect wrestling game for those who haven’t gotten into the wrestling game genre in several years.

WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania gives you control of roughly 40 wrestlers from the past 20 years of the WWE. The game features several different game modes, allowing you to rewrite, recreate, or redefine classic bouts of Wrestlemanias past, turning the tides or changing history as you see fit by taking on the roles of the winner or loser of each Wrestlemania, or choosing a all new match-up. You can watch feud montages leading up to each match, learning the history of each bout and the wrestlers that partake in it. You'll even be able to employ the use of managers in order to give your wrestler extra assistance in the match, healing your wrestler or distracting your opponent in some pretty funny ways.

As opposed to other wrestling games in recent years, Legends of Wrestlemania features a very simplified control scheme, requiring you to only use the left thumbstick and the face buttons to control your wrestler and his moves. For casual wrestling fans who’ve been overwhelmed by the complex control schemes in many wrestling titles, this is definitely a blessing.

You’ll use the face buttons to control your character’s punches, grabs and blocks, though you’ll still be able to pull off some technical moves like advanced throws, turnbuckle moves and signature finishers once you charge up your special meter. Once you become even more comfortable with the controls, you’ll be able to perform reversals and other more complex moves. While there is a certain skill level required to pull off some of the more advanced moves in the game, it never feels overly complicated.

One of the most intriguing new elements in the game is the ability to import the roster from Smackdown vs. RAW 2009 into Legends of Wrestlemania. The added wrestlers will utilize the Legends of Wrestlemania control scheme, and you’ll even be able to import your created wrestlers into the mix, which is a fine touch.

Graphically, the game looks pretty solid, with the character models stepping away from the sim side of other wrestling titles in favor of a more arcade-style look. The characters look a lot more muscular and larger than they were back in the day, but this adds to their larger-than-life personas. The animations are generally pretty solid, but there are some collision issues (hands will go right through some opponents, while they’ll hover above them if you’re attempting certain grapples).

The game’s sound is pretty well done, as each of the characters has their own authentic ring entrance music (the WWE actually created some for the wrestlers that didn’t have them in their time), and some great new commentary.

Legends of Wrestlemania is shaping up to be a fun and accessible entry to the wrestling genre, giving casual fans the chance to relive the glory days of the 80’s and early 90’s. Look for it to release later this month.