It’s wrestling season again, and to celebrate this joyous occasion, we’ve compiled a list of top 20 best wrestling games of all time. Read on to see if your favorites are there!
Top 20 Greatest Wrestling Games
We’ve searched high and low to compile this list for you to enjoy this wrestling season.
20. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
The last game in the venerable SmackDown series is truly among the greatest in the franchise’s long history. With a new physics engine that makes everything more tactile and hardcore — even though it’s not very realistic. Furthermore, this is the first wrestling game to have a Universe mode, which became a mandatory feature of later games, even though it feels rather underdeveloped here.
However, the biggest problem the game has is that it feels rather stale, without many new features and a creeping feeling of deja vu. Although, this shouldn’t surprise anyone seeing how this is the twelfth game in the SmackDown franchise.
All in all, a decent addition to the SmackDown name and worthy of paying attention to if you’re new to the genre.
19. ProWrestling
For this one, we’re going back to the old school. The NES game ProWrestling tries to occupy the space left vacant by terrible WWE and WCW releases. Fortunately, Nintendo was there to fill in the gap of quality wrestling titles. Therefore, ProWrestling doesn’t have any licensed wrestlers, but what it does have is solid gameplay and realistic simulation that holds its ground even today.
18. WWE 2k17
After a horrific debut on next-gen systems, Yuke’s is trying to redeem themselves with the improved triple threat, ladder matches, more balanced gameplay, and the return of beloved match types like backstage fights. Furthermore, the roster for WWE 2k17 is huge and includes an enormous number of stars and fan favorites, with some notable exceptions like Hulk Hogan. What truly holds the game back is the lack of different game modes.
The MyCareer mode is uninspiring, and WWE Universe hasn’t changed at all in recent years. Regular showcases were axed, with only Hall of Fame showcase being available (sadly as DLC).
While the mechanics are solid, the overall design is rather uninspired.
17. Saturday Night Slam Masters
Capcom was always a master of fighting games, but to this day, SNSM is their only effort to corner the wrestling market. Characters are beautifully stylized — no wonder, considering that Tetsuo Hara (creator of Fist of the North Star) was responsible for the art.
The game somewhat plays like Street Fighter, as it includes finishers and special moves. Another added feature is pinning or submitting your opponents. This unique combination makes it stand out compared to all other wrestling games.
16. WWE Day of Reckoning 2
Before THQ began releasing the Smackdown series on all platforms available, the once beloved publisher had differing WWE franchises on each console. The PS2 had SmackDown, GameCube had WrestleMania and Day of Reckoning.
Out of those, Day of Reckoning 2 handley defeats its competitors, with their precise grappling system, amazing graphics, and a very enjoyable story mode.
15. WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game
Imagine Mortal Kombat but with a WWE license. In essence, that’s what WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game is. It has similar graphics to the earlier Mortal Kombat releases, but instead of blood, random objects fall out of wrestlers when they are hit.
WWF WrestleMania is a silly artifact of the ’90s that, surprisingly holds up incredibly well. Just be aware that during this era the WWE roster was quite lackluster.
14. WWF Wrestlefest
Back in the ’90s, home consoles lacked any decent wrestling games, so WWF fans had to play at the arcades to get their fix. WrestleFest features cartoony, bright graphics, which are perfectly representative of the year. And although the roster was limited, it was well-chosen. Legends such as Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect, and the Ultimate Warrior were all present.
The grapple-based gameplay was ahead of the curve and would be a mainstay of the games following it. THQ remade WWFW for the iPhone in 2012 with an updated roster. A console port was planned but was unfortunately scrapped when THQ went bankrupt.
13. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
The 2007 effort from Yuke’s put much more emphasis on simulation. By adding a stamina bar that forced the players to plan out their moves so they do not spend their stamina bar. Nevertheless, they added the possibility of taking the match into the crowd for those adrenaline-pumping moments. However, the gameplay has divided the community, there can be no discussion on the quality of the roster. It’s the last wrestling game to feature the Hall of Famer Kurt Angle and is probably the last game where Chris Benoit appears.
12. Tecmo World Wrestling
Early ’90s game consoles had trouble simulating wrestling. However, TWW came pretty close to modern wrestling games. It only features ten characters, based on professional Japanese wrestlers, but every character had more than twenty moves available to them. They even included a cinematic replay feature, where exceptionally powerful moves were showcased. There is an announcer who gives pretty decent commentary at the bottom of the screen.
Even a quarter of a century later, TWW still is one of the most memorable wrestling games of the early ’90s.
11. Virtual Pro Wrestling 2
AKI’s N64 release holds a high place in the gaming hall of honor. But what few Westerners know is that the Japanese versions of the games were very different — Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 without a doubt being the best. The game has no WWF or WCW license; however, it has more customization options and moves than the Western version.
While the language barrier might cause some problems, it’s generally not that difficult to navigate around the game menus.
So if you’re bored of No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000, this is a worthwhile addition to your catalog.
10. WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
N64 wrestling games focused mostly on realism; PlayStation wrestling games concentrated on providing silly arcade-like fun times. SmackDown! 2 revolved around juggle-heavy gameplay and included multiple finishers to defeat your opponents.
These matches probably aren’t anything like you’ve seen on TV, but they made up for that by being extremely fun.
To put it mildly, the graphics didn’t age well, but SmackDown! 2 solidified the position of the franchise and set the course for what would come next.
9. WWE All-Stars
Currently, WWE is the only wrestling company licensing out its intellectual property to video games. This means that there are fewer options for those that prefer more arcade-like grapplers. THQ released one game exactly like that before going under.
All-Stars boasts a fantastic roster of both modern stars and legends of old. Names like John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase all appear in All-Stars.
The Path of Champions is a bit underdeveloped and skimps on the features. However, the Fantasy Warfare mode, which simulates how today’s WWE stars would fare against the legends of old, along with lengthy video vignettes, is alone worthy of the purchase.
8. WWE ’13
The change from the SmackDown franchise to the current annual WWE franchise was slightly lackluster, with WWE ’12 being nothing but a graphically upgraded SmackDown game. However, in WWE ’13 is where the series really stood on its own two legs. A better Universe mode is here, but the highlight surely is the Attitude Era story mode, which includes 60 storyline matches set during what many fans consider the best era in WWE history.
It’s very rare when a wrestling game does a story mode right, but WWE ’13 manages to do just that.
7. WCW/nWo Revenge
It seems hard to believe, but during the ’90s, the WCW drove WWF out of business. The main reason for that was the insanely popular New World Order storyline. Besides that, during that time, WCW had an incredible roster, with such names as Chris Jericho, Diamond Dallas Page, Raven, Goldberg, and The Giant (aka The Big Show).
We all know about the fall of WCW, but WCW/nWo Revenge remains as a testament to its glory days.
6. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns
A huge number of wrestling game fans would claim that FPWR is the Holy Grail of wrestling games. While the WWE games have only recently managed to break through the 100-wrestler mark, FPWR includes more than 300 wrestlers from various promotions. Furthermore, you can create 500 more with their customization options.
Threads upon threads are filled with advice on how to make the ideal version of your favorites. Afterward, it’s possible to see how they fare when in Japanese death matches or your own custom promotion. FPWR doesn’t have the flash or polish of other wrestling titles, and the depth can be intimidating to some, but for the truly hardcore, there is no better choice.
5. WWF WrestleMania 2000
Only a year after AKI released the amazing WCW/nWo Revenge on the N64, they outdid themselves with one of the best games in wrestling history. Using the same graphics engine as WCW/nWo Revenge, WWF WrestleMania 2000 features an enormous roster of stars, with unique animations and entrance themes. It also includes all the match types you could ever want and pay per views.
Not only that, but the game features one of the most entertaining story modes of all time. A worthy purchase for any wrestling fan.
4. Def Jam: Fight for New York
After releasing amazing games for both the WWE and WCW (which was later bought by WWE), AKI found a new partner in EA, who were looking for someone to develop a fighting game based on the Def Jam record label.
Fight for New York plays like a quicker, more cartoony version of the classic N64 wrestling games, but with the wrestlers replaced with rappers. Carmen Electra and Danny Trejo are also in the game for some weird reason.
A truly unique wrestling game, considering its theme and characters, and a worthy addition to any collection.
3. WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
One of the more common criticisms of the current WWE games is how they tend to limit the player for the sake of realism or to hold on to their PG rating. In contrast, previous WWE titles used to allow intergender matches and more hardcore options. They’d include things like inferno matches, where the aim was to set your rival on fire.
Here Comes the Pain literally allows you to chuck your adversary off a building, jump on a chopper, and then elbow drop off of it down on your opponent. It’s this type of silliness that makes this a title worthy of remembrance.
2. WWE 2k14
A large factor which made the WWE’s transition to next-gen so underwhelming is that they have almost reached perfection with WWE 2k14. The story mode includes more than 40 greatest WrestleMania matches. This also meant the inclusion of legends like Goldberg and Big John Studd. The game even included most members of the NWO as DLC.
Add to that a smooth-as-butter gameplay and a Streak mode (based on Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak), and you got a game for the ages.
1. WWF No Mercy
Even nearly twenty years later, we’re still hard-pressed to find a game that beats out No Mercy. It’s accessible and perfectly paced, with such incredible depth that players are still mastering it today. The community remains strong and is still creating mods for this game (like adding newer wrestling stars).
But even without any mods, No Mercy still remains head-and-shoulders above all others, with its infinite replayability, enormous roster, loads of match types, and the ultimate create-a-wrestler mode.
It’s difficult to tell what makes No Mercy the ultimate wrestling game, but Yuke’s legacy is secured with this legendary release.
