10 Worst Wrestling Video Games Ever
Last weekend, WWE and 2K Games unveiled their new '30 Years of WrestleMania' mode at WWE SummerSlam Fan Axxess.
Since WWE Games and 2K are hard at work on could be the greatest wrestling game ever released, we thought we'd take a look back at some of the worst wrestling video games ever.
Some of the games are early from early generation systems and some were released not so long ago. These games are so bad even the biggest marks hate their plastic-covered guts.
Here are the 10 worst wrestling video games ever.
- 10
The Simpsons Wrestling
First on the list of the worst wrestling video games ever is The Simpsons Wrestling. Wrestling was booming at the turn of the century, and even The Simpsons tried to get in on the act. The game was more of a belching simulator than a wrestling game. The game is almost as bad as the last few seasons of the show. Almost.
- 9
Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home
The Insane Clown Posse is known for being huge wrestling fans, but this foray into wrestling gaming was as bad as any of their lyrics.
Horrible graphics, terrible gameplay, and confusing menu options made Backyard Wrestling almost unplayable even after the first few minutes. The only bright spot is the wrestling roster available to players, sporting some popular names and indy workers, like MDogg20, for instance.
Drop this game into a 2 liter bottle of Faygo and let it drown.
- 8
WCW: Backstage Assault
We're not sure who thought it was a good idea to make a wrestling game that doesn't take place inside a wrestling ring, but WCW: Backstage Assault was horrific. WCW games were all downhill after AKI/THQ moved on to WWE games.
Much like every other game on this list, you'll have a better time browsing the roster than playing the game. This game took the WCW license to new low's. If the company wasn't going out of business before this abomination, Backstage Assault sealed the deal.
- 7
AAA: Lucha Stars of Wrestling
In this day and age, the wrestling game market is cornered by WWE games. This AAA game tried to capitalize on whatever popularity Lucha Libre has on American soil (very little) and it failed miserably.
It's the most recent game on this list, so all the same resources were available to the game makers, but that doesn't help in the slightest. It's just as unplayable as the older games on this list of the worst wrestling video games ever.
- 6
WWF In Your House
WWF had an arcade hit on their hands with WrestleFest back in the 90's, but In Your House is the bastard step-brother who followed in its footsteps.
The game was like Royal Rumble meets Mortal Kombat, which is just as big of a mess as it sounds. The biggest problem with In Your House, aside from the gameplay, were the sound effects. Noises so distracting players had to mute the game to finish a match. It's one of the worst wrestling video games ever.
- 5
WWE Crush Hour
Apparently, someone at WWE thought the brand needed a horrible Twisted Metal rip-off, hence Crush Hour, and one of the worst wrestling video games ever.
THQ doesn't exist anymore because they did things like this with their most successful franchise. There is something hilarious about a video game that allows users to drive around as Rob Van Dam, though. Just hope he doesn't get pulled over.
- 4
ECW Anarchy Rulz
Acclaim had a wrestling engine that WWE passed down to ECW. Each ECW game was progressively worse than its predecessor and the final installment, Anarchy Rulz, was the worst. Wrestling moves shouldn't be more difficult to pull off than a Street Fighter combo, but that's what this engine was notorious for. While it was nice to see ECW with a licensed game, it was just a shame it had to come to this end. It's an end almost as bad as the fate of the actual promotion.
- 3
WCW Thunder
One of the worst wrestling video games ever, WCW Thunder, relied heavily on video footage between the matches. The in-game engine was basically unplayable, but the game was slightly redeemed by all the actual wrestling footage featured. Each playable wrestler had their own pre-match promo for the game, which was Thunder's best feature. That said, if you're buying a video game for the WRESTLING FOOTAGE, something is very wrong.
- 2
Fire Pro Wrestling 360
Fire Pro Wrestling is a long running series that has found itself bastardized on the Xbox Live Arcade. Everything that was great about the original series -- 2D gameplay, cartoony character designs, ultra-realistic wrestling simulation -- was ruined in Fire Pro Wrestling 360. This game is 3D, features some of the worst wrestling gameplay of all-time, and does it all in an annoying way. Everything from presentation, to execution, leaves much to be desired.
- 1
TNA Impact
The worst wrestling video game ever honor goes to TNA. Back when the fed still had a six-sided wrestling ring (remember that?!?), TNA released the TNA Impact video game. The result was a repetitive mess where all the characters essentially played the same way. The ring having six sides didn't add much to the gameplay either, and the whole thing ended up failing. Very muck like the product on SpikeTV each week.