WCW/nWo Revenge

Last updated

WCW/nWo Revenge
WCWnWoRevengebox.jpg
North American Nintendo 64 cover art featuring Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash, Raven and Goldberg
Developer(s) Asmik Ace Entertainment
AKI Corporation
Publisher(s) THQ
Director(s) Geta San
Producer(s) Takeshi Kajii
Programmer(s) Hiro Abe
Artist(s) Kenji Kimura
Composer(s) Kouji Niikura
Yukie Sugawara
Platform(s) Nintendo 64
Release
  • NA: October 26, 1998 [1]
  • EU: November 30, 1998
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

WCW/nWo Revenge is a professional wrestling video game released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 game console. It is the sequel to 1997's WCW vs. nWo: World Tour . Like its predecessor, Revenge features AKI's proprietary grappling system; as well as heavily improved graphics, a championship mode, and a large roster of wrestlers (real and fictional).

Contents

Revenge gained critical praise and tremendous commercial success. According to a 1999 article by IGN, Revenge was the best-selling wrestling game for the N64 console, [2] and at the time, was the top selling third-party Nintendo game ever. [3]

Revenge was the last AKI-developed WCW game for the Nintendo 64. The next AKI wrestling game released for the console, WWF WrestleMania 2000 , sported THQ's newly acquired World Wrestling Federation (WWF) license.

Background

The Revenge grappling system is part of what ensured the game's success and popularity. The system was simple to learn and allowed for a variety of moves to be performed depending on the character. The graphics were improved from World Tour, and many new features were introduced to expand the popular series.

Reception

WCW/nWo Revenge surpassed the success of its predecessor, World Tour. Within a month, it became the highest selling console game in North America. [8] Like its predecessor, Revenge also won "Console Fighting Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, marking the second consecutive year an AKI/THQ title achieved the honor. [9] It would quickly reach Player's Choice status and become heavily responsible for THQ's profits in late 1998 and 1999, [10] eventually selling 1.88 million copies in the US and ranking substantially among the best-selling N64 games. [2]

Next Generation rated it four stars out of five and commented that the full exhibitionist phenomenon of professional wrestling was better presented in Revenge than in other similar titles. [7]

Revenge's main competition that year was WWF War Zone by Acclaim, based on WCW's rival promotion, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Due to War Zone being delayed into 1998 Bret Hart and "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith make appearances in both titles (both men having departed from WWF in late 1997).

The game achieved critical favor for its numerous improvements on World Tour. Matt Casamassina of IGN commented that Revenge is better than World Tour in terms of gameplay, graphics, wrestler roster, atmosphere, controls and the ability to play the game with four players. [5] In IGN's 2008 "History of Wrestling Games" article, Rus McLaughlin also commended Revenge for its expanded roster, authentic venues, and "style to burn". [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntys Revenge</i> 2003 platform game for Game Boy Advance

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge is a 2003 platform game developed by Rare and published by THQ for Game Boy Advance. It is the third installment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and takes place between the events of the Nintendo 64 (N64) games Banjo-Kazooie (1998) and Banjo-Tooie (2000). In Grunty's Revenge, the evil witch Gruntilda travels back in time to prevent the events of Banjo-Kazooie from happening, and the bear Banjo and his bird friend Kazooie set out to stop her. Grunty's Revenge retains the focus on collecting items and most of the other game mechanics from its predecessors, but is presented in 2D rather than 3D. Aside from the main game, players can also access minigames such as fishing and target shooting.

<i>WWE Day of Reckoning</i> 2004 video game

WWE Day of Reckoning is a 2004 professional wrestling video game released for the GameCube console by THQ. The game is based on World Wrestling Entertainment, and many of the wrestlers who were on the WWE roster at the time of release were included as player characters. The game also features the option to create wrestlers.

<i>WCW vs. nWo: World Tour</i> 1997 video game

WCW vs. nWo: World Tour is a professional wrestling video game released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 game console. Released at the peak of World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) dominance in the Monday Night War, World Tour was THQ's first foray into the N64 wrestling scene and is a semi-sequel to the lesser known WCW vs. the World for the PlayStation. It is the second best-selling wrestling game for the N64 console.

<i>WWF WrestleMania 2000</i> (video game) 1999 professional wrestling video game

WWF WrestleMania 2000 is a professional wrestling video game released in 1999 on the Nintendo 64 (N64) console. It was based on the World Wrestling Federation's annual pay-per-view, WrestleMania. Despite the fact that this game is based upon WrestleMania 2000, the game was released five months prior to the actual PPV itself, therefore resulting in the game using the stage design from the 1999 event, WrestleMania XV, instead. Released at the height of the WWF's Attitude Era, WrestleMania 2000 was the first WWF game released by THQ. The wrestling company ended its long relationship with Acclaim Entertainment after witnessing the video game success of its competitor, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), on behalf of THQ. WrestleMania 2000 shares its game engine with the Japan-only release Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō.

<i>WWF No Mercy</i> (video game) 2000 professional wrestling video game

WWF No Mercy is a professional wrestling video game released in 2000 by THQ for the Nintendo 64. It is based on the World Wrestling Federation and is named after the company's annual event of the same name. Developed by Asmik Ace Entertainment and AKI Corporation, No Mercy is the last in a series of Nintendo 64 wrestling games from the companies that started with WCW vs. nWo: World Tour.

<i>WWF WrestleMania X8</i> (video game) 2002 video game

WWF WrestleMania X8 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released on the GameCube by THQ in June 2002.

<i>WCW/nWo Thunder</i> 1999 video game

WCW/nWo Thunder is a professional wrestling video game based on the professional wrestling television show of the same name and released on the PlayStation console by THQ in January 1999. Thunder is the sequel to WCW Nitro and updates the previous game with new characters and features, including cage matches, battle royals, weapon use, and the ability to select what stable each wrestler competed for. However, Thunder received poor reviews. Many of these were due to its graphics, style, and overall atmosphere, which bore too many similarities to WCW Nitro, along with concerns that the game was too easy.

<i>Virtual Pro Wrestling 64</i> 1997 video game

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 is a professional wrestling video game released in 1997 on the Nintendo 64 and the second game in the Virtual Pro Wrestling series. The game is a sequel to the original Virtual Pro Wrestling released in 1996 exclusively for the PlayStation. The game was only released in Japan, and is the Japanese counterpart to WCW vs. nWo: World Tour. The game features wrestlers from World Championship Wrestling, but also includes generic renditions of wrestlers from major Japanese promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, a feature that would continue following the release of the sequel Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō. VPW 64 was succeeded by Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō, which was released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000.

<i>Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō</i> 2000 video game

Virtual Pro Wrestling 2: Ōdō Keishō is a professional wrestling video game released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. The game was only released in Japan and is the sequel to 1997's Virtual Pro Wrestling 64. The subtitle, Ōdō Keishō, translates to English as Royal Road Succession, which is also the name of the game's single player mode.

<i>WCW Mayhem</i> (video game) 1999 video game

WCW Mayhem is a professional wrestling video game published by Electronic Arts (EA), based on the American promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The first WCW game produced by EA, it was released for Nintendo 64 and PlayStation in 1999 and for the Game Boy Color the following year.

<i>WCW Backstage Assault</i> 2000 video game

WCW Backstage Assault is a professional wrestling video game developed by Kodiak Interactive and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for the PlayStation in November 2000, and for the Nintendo 64 in December. It was the final World Championship Wrestling (WCW) game released before the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) purchased WCW's assets three months later. Backstage Assault features commentary by Tony Schiavone and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Gameplay takes place outside of a wrestling ring, an approach that was poorly received and resulted in the title selling 200,000 copies.

<i>WCW Nitro</i> (video game) 1998 video game

WCW Nitro is a professional wrestling video game based on the television show WCW Monday Nitro. Released by THQ for the PlayStation game console in 1998, the game featured a large roster of playable WCW wrestlers as well as full motion video clips of the television show. The game was followed by WCW/nWo Thunder, which was based on Nitro's Thursday night counterpart. Ports for Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows were released later in 1998 and 1999 with the updated roster featured in Thunder.

<i>WWF War Zone</i> 1998 professional wrestling video game

WWF War Zone is a professional wrestling video game developed by Iguana West and released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1998 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy. The game features wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

<i>WWF Attitude</i> 1999 professional wrestling video game

WWF Attitude is a professional wrestling video game based on the World Wrestling Federation released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1999 for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. A slightly enhanced port of the game was later released for the Dreamcast, as well as a handheld version for the Game Boy Color. The game is named after the WWF's then-current "Attitude" marketing campaign, with the tagline "Get it" also being used on company programming during that period.

Virtual Pro Wrestling is a professional wrestling video game series developed by AKI Corporation and published by Asmik Ace exclusively in Japan. The series started in 1996 with the release of the first Virtual Pro Wrestling for the PlayStation, which was localized in the West as WCW vs. the World. Two other games in the series were released exclusively for the Nintendo 64, Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 and Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.

<i>ECW Hardcore Revolution</i> 2000 video game

ECW Hardcore Revolution is a professional wrestling video game released by Acclaim Entertainment, based on the professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The game was released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, and Dreamcast in 2000. It was the first wrestling game to be based on ECW, as well as the first professional wrestling video game to receive a Mature rating from the ESRB, although the Game Boy Color version was rated Everyone. Acclaim followed this title with the release of a sequel, ECW Anarchy Rulz, in August 2000.

syn Sophia, Inc., formerly AKI Corporation and The Man Breeze, is an independent video game development studio located in Kichijōji, Tokyo, Japan, founded on June 19, 1995. The company is best known for its popular wrestling games in the late 1990s and early-mid-2000s, starting with the release of Virtual Pro-Wrestling in 1996.

<i>WCW vs. the World</i> 1996 video game

WCW vs. the World is a professional wrestling video game for the PlayStation video game console. It was the first game developed by The Man Breeze to be released outside Japan, and is an American localization of their Japanese game Virtual Pro Wrestling, the first game in the Virtual Pro Wrestling series. WCW vs. the World marks the first World Championship Wrestling video game released during its rise amidst the Monday Night War.

<i>AEW Fight Forever</i> 2023 professional wrestling video game

AEW Fight Forever is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ Nordic. It is the debut title on home consoles and personal computers based on American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

References

  1. ↑ "PR - 12/2/97 - TTHQ JUMPS INTO SQUARED CIRCLE FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF WRESTLING MAYHEM WITH 'WCW/NWO REVENGE™,' ONLY ON NINTENDO 64". March 3, 2000. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved March 18, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. 1 2 "US Platinum Videogame Chart". The Magic Box. December 27, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  3. ↑ IGN Staff The History of Wrestlemania IGN.com (September 24, 1999). Retrieved on 2-13-11.
  4. ↑ "WCW/nWo Revenge for Nintendo 64". GameRankings . Archived from the original on December 9, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Casamassina, Matt WCW/NWO Revenge IGN.com (October 26, 1998). Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  6. ↑ Green, Mark (December 1998). "WCW vs NWO: Revenge". N64 Magazine. No. 22. Future Publishing. pp. 73–76.
  7. 1 2 "Finals". Next Generation . No. 48. Imagine Media. December 1998. p. 126.
  8. ↑ IGN Staff THQ's Revenge Explodes in the Charts IGN.com (November 13, 1998). Retrieved on 2-13-11.
  9. ↑ 'Revenge' Tastes Sweet Reward IGN.com (May 24, 1999). Retrieved on 2-13-11.
  10. ↑ IGN Staff THQ Posts Pretty Penny IGN.com (October 27, 1998). Retrieved on 2-13-11.
  11. ↑ McLaughlin, Rus IGN Presents the History of Wrestling Games IGN (November 12, 2008). Retrieved on 2-03-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.