We all know that wrestling games have a lackluster track record. So we’ve singled out the best and the worst. Read on to find out what they are.

Eight Best and Seven Worst Wrestling Games

It’s well known that wrestling fans aren’t the kind of people that agree on many things. Do we love John Cena? Or does he suck? A similar unanswerable question is what makes a good wrestling game?

Wrestling games have so many aspects to them, that it’s hard to say which ones should be emphasized. For example, there is fighting in a wrestling game, but treating it like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter isn’t right either. For plenty of fans, the biggest attraction of wrestling is certainly the backstage drama; therefore, the game needs to have a story and mimic the weird, backstabbing world of wrestling. 

Wrestling games also need to appeal to both the hardcore audience and the more casual pick-up and play fans. Fortunately, there was a significant number of games that managed to do just that. 

The Worst

We’ll begin with the games that made us want to tap out and use them as a case study of things that you shouldn’t do.

7. ECW Hardcore Revolution

When WWE (then WWF) and Acclaim parted ways after the failure of WWF Attitude, Acclaim managed to survive by partnering with the infamous Extreme Championship Wrestling, known for their super low budget and ultra-violence. However, while ECW was winning over the wrestling world with their edgy take on the sport, Hardcore Revolution was a different story. 

The game managed to take all the worst elements of WWF Attitude and made them even worse. Finishers could only be completed with multi-button combinations, not to mention the bland and uninteresting environments. The character models had a blocky and incomplete look to them. Playing the game was a hassle and left you exhausted. It’s sad that ECW didn’t manage to get a good video game adaptation. 

6. WWF In Your House

WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game’s ill-fated successor was Acclaim’s second wrestling release. Like its predecessor, WWFIYH is more a fighting game rather than a wrestling one. Mortal Kombat’s influence is incredibly obvious, with over-the-top attacks, and MK-style character designs. 

All in all, WWFIYH seems rushed, feeling less complete than its predecessor, and this doesn’t feel like an upgrade but more like a downgrade. Furthermore, the game only had ten wrestlers in their roster.

5. WCW Backstage Assault

While we can commend EA trying something new with this release, we’re still not sure if we get it. Removing the ring, the pomp and pageantry and replacing it with some guys fighting backstage seems like a bizarre choice. Add to that the wonky controls, no entrances, and weapons with incredibly difficult controls, and you don’t get an enjoyable game.

In some ways, WCWBA was the perfect embodiment of the early ’00s — half-baked, disappointing, and completely forgettable.

4. M.U.S.C.L.E.

Not many people know that the infamous M.U.S.C.L.E. toys were actually from a Japanese manga named Kinnikuman.

It’s unfortunate that the quality of the manga didn’t rub off on the game itself. The game M.U.S.C.L.E. is most likely the absolute worst wrestling game ever. The graphics looked dated (even for that period), and keeping in mind what the NES was capable of, that was extremely unsatisfying. The gameplay mostly consists of jumping and punching. Sometimes, a flashing dot pops up in the ring, and if you succeed in capturing it, you’ll be practically invulnerable and can easily defeat your opponent. If your adversary gets it, well, time to restart.

These days, finding a copy of M.U.S.C.L.E. seems incredibly hard, but maybe that is actually a good thing.

3. WWF Betrayal

Now, WWF Betrayal is an odd one, as it is a wrestling game which doesn’t have any wrestling in it. 

There are only four characters (The Undertaker, The Rock, Steve Austin, and Triple H), but it makes no difference since the game is essentially identical no matter who you pick. And other than some special moves, each wrestler has the same mechanics, which is one more thing that this game does wrong.

After your title shot match is ruined by outside interference, Vince McMahon pledges to give you another shot if you rescue his daughter, who was kidnapped. 

WWF Betrayal is, in essence, an extremely basic beat ‘em up that seems barely related to WWF.

2. TNA Impact

TNA was always a slightly unfortunate company, never able to get out of its own way. Don’t get us wrong, they have jumpstarted the career of many a legend, but they’ve also made so many bad decisions in their programing. 

Likewise, their game also falls into the same pitfalls. The characters look crisp, and everything seems in place for a solid title, but bad and unresponsive controls and weak AI ultimately buried this game. 

Unfortunately, everything falls short, even the story mode. It might just be better to save hard drive space for something else.

1. Simpsons Wrestling

The wrestling craze of the late ’90s and early ’00s brought us a lot of great releases. However, it also had some consequences; everyone wanted in on the trend. Cue Simpsons Wrestling, now it’s a better idea than you’d think, especially for the time. Unfortunately, they forgot to make it any good. 

What we got instead was a lazy, underdeveloped mess. Combat is a disaster, consisting mostly out of kicking, punching, and jumping (i.e., not wrestling). The game is completely unsatisfying and filled with glitches. The only positive thing about this game is that they got the original voice actors to provide voiceover for the game. 

So if you’re aching for some Simpsons games, we’d recommend that you visit the arcade with a few of your friends.

The Best

We want to end this on a lighter note and finish this article with a list of the best wrestling games of all time.

8. WWE 2k14

After 2K replaced the bankrupt THQ as the developer of WWE games, it signaled a possible slew of changes to the franchise. Thankfully, 2K managed to deliver.

While almost any of 2K’s WWE releases would find a home in this list, WWE 2k14 is still their strongest release in the series with an enormous roster which includes plenty of classic stars like the Ultimate Warrior and Macho Man Randy Savage. The matchup possibilities were almost endless. This was the last WWE release for PS3/Xbox 360, and their character customization was filled with options, a number of which were removed when the franchise moved to next-gen consoles. 

In addition, the “30 Years of Wrestlemania” mode gave players the chance to relive some of the best moments in WWE history. Add to that the brilliant commentary by Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross, and this game is definitely a must-have.

7. Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium

Now, this is a cult classic for any hardcore fan. Fire Pro Wrestling is known for its detailed, realistic, and methodical combat. This particular release is probably the pinnacle of this type of design philosophy. 

It was truly ahead of its time in so many ways. The combat is slow-paced, precise, and based on timing — a far cry from the arcade-like feel of the SmackDown franchise. Even the graphics aged well, especially considering it was released on the Super Famicom. Character models actually look like their counterparts in real life, and while the game only has a few American wrestlers, where the roster truly shines is in the number of Japanese fighters. 

The game boasts a create-a-wrestler mode, an unheard-of idea at the time. 

SFPWXP might not be for the casual pick-up-and-play fans but for the more hardcore among us, it’s heaven.

6. Def Jam Vendetta

At first glance, combining Def Jam’s hip hop roster with AKI’s wrestling engine seems like such a Ludacris idea. But Def Jam Vendetta managed to prove everyone wrong. 

Players can select a character from a variety of their favorite hip hop stars, including Method Man, DMX, Ghostface Killah, and many more. 

Def Jam includes an amazing story mode that takes the player from the streets to the absolute heights of the wrestling world. The incredibly fun, arcade-style gameplay, the crisp visuals, and the fascinating roster truly prove that you don’t need wrestlers to make a good wrestling game. 

5. WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain

HCTP is probably the most memorable wrestling game of the PS2 era. The SmackDown series (later Smackdown! vs. Raw) was a smash hit from its first release, and for a while, it was one of the rare franchises which actually got better with each iteration.

HCTP is their fifth release in the series, and it brought everything to the next level. It had extremely potent grappling mechanics, which in turn allowed each wrestler sixteen unique moves, each based on their style. This created the possibility of chaining together more complex combos. 

Even today, the character models look decent. HCTP was also the first ever game to include Elimination Chamber matches. 

If you enjoy wrestling games, this game is a mandatory purchase.

4. WWE All Stars

At its core, wrestling is about fun with the almost fantasy nature of it, the superhuman fighters clad in spandex beating each other up until one emerges as the victor. WWE All Stars was always aware of this idea and pushed it to its limits. 

With its over-the-top character models that resembled the Hulk more than actual people, WWEAS was truly about delivering a fun-filled experience rather than a realistic simulation. 

The roster was filled with, predictably, all-stars, and let the players recreate wrestling history by featuring legendary superstars, such as Sgt. Slaughter, The Rock, John Cena, Steve Austin, and of course, Hulk Hogan.

WWEAS is a blast to play, wrestlers jump fifteen feet into the air before they deliver their finishers. Slow motion emphasizes big moves and increases the drama and excitement. 

WWE All Stars doesn’t provide a realistic wrestling experience, and we’re thankful for that.

3. WCW / nWo Revenge

The Nintendo 64 era was the golden age of wrestling games. AKI’s legendary N64 titles all brought wrestling games to a new level, releasing some classics that people fawn over to this day.

The game perfectly blends simple and complex game mechanics. Throwing punches and kicks is easy, but you can hold down the button for stronger results. The same goes for grappling; light grappling attacks will almost always be successful, but you can risk attempting a heavy grappling attack that your opponents are able to reverse. 

WCW / nWo Revenge made up for a lack of story mode with its huge roster. Furthermore, it added the option of editing wrestlers’ costumes, a predecessor to the now mandatory create-a-wrestler mode. 

2. WWE SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2006

Great story mode, numerous create-a-wrestler features, and even buried alive matches are just some of the things that make this game worth your time. However, what truly makes it shine is the addition of GM mode.

GM mode puts the player in the shoes of a general manager of either Raw or SmackDown shows. The player is tasked with drafting their superstar roster and fighting the other show. Every aspect of the show is planned by the player, from keeping wrestlers happy to planning feuds, airing promos for your pay-per-views or making brand deals to generate revenue. Every week, a news report informs you about how well you did and how many people were watching.

GM Mode is one of the features that is sorely missing from the more recent titles in the franchise. However, since SmackDown and Raw have once again split, we might see a future WWE title with this mode restored.

1. WWF No Mercy

WWF No Mercy being number 1 on this list was probably a bit obvious. There isn’t any other wrestling title with such universal acclaim as WWFNM. WWFNM perfectly mixes realistic with arcadey. The wrestlers look as good as they can on the N64. Controls are fast and responsive, and the momentum system truly contributes to the realistic feel of the game.

The create-a-wrestler mode was a revolutionary idea at the time in the genre, with a huge amount of costumes and items for you to customize your character. Once again, AKI has provided a huge roster for you to pick from.

If all that wasn’t enough for you, No Mercy boasts a story mode that was revolutionary for the time, with branching paths depending on your performance. The game is still alive in a way, with modders constantly adding new content to the game.

No Mercy is the glory of ’90s wrestling incarnate into a game, and it will be beloved by gamers, always.