10 Landmark Wrestling Video Game Firsts
Wrestling trivia time: 'Create-a-Wrestler' debuted in which game?
Suffice to say, wrestling video games have come a long way since the pixelated messes of yesteryear. Squint at the screen and WWE 2K16 almost looks like the real product, which is an incredible thing to say. Things haven't always been that way, gamers once had to rely on a high level of imagination to carry them through the experience.
Even though graphics weren't anywhere close to the standards of today, there are still older wrestling games that remain enjoyable. Perhaps it's nostalgia that carries people through, rekindling those glorious days when they first popped a copy of WWF War Zone or WCW Mayhem into their console of choice.
Remarkably, whilst graphics have come on leaps and bounds, today's games will never have the true originality of older titles. Everything had to start somewhere, and the wealth of content available to players now was once non-existent.
Features such as 'Create-A-Wrestler', story modes and even weapons were at one time individual key selling points for different wrestling games.
Let's look at those ground-breaking titles, analysing 10 true firsts in the history of wrestling video games...
10. Fully-Licensed WWF Game (WWF WrestleMania, 1989)
Despite being the market leader in terms of real-life pro wrestling for years beforehand, the World Wrestling Federation didn't have a licensed video game until 1989. That title turned out to be WWF WrestleMania, released exclusively for the NES. The chance to play a fully-licensed WWF product on the Nintendo console must have been a joy for gamers.
Unfortunately, the game hasn't exactly aged well, but it's still a pioneer in terms of licensed products from the juggernaut company. A prior WWF game called MicroLeague Wrestling had been released in 1987, but it wasn't fully kitted out with the proper licensing, even if the cover did boast that the game was an official WWF product.
WWF WrestleMania only featured six different wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Andre The Giant, Bam Bam Bigelow and The Honky Tonk Man), and players could only fight in one-on-one matches.
The full WrestleMania branding was wheeled out to try and make the game appear more appealing, but it's not one that many modern gamers would enjoy going back to.
Nonetheless, it takes pride of place as the first ever official WWF game.