Creating The Ultimate Wrestling Game
Please, just no more WWE 2K20-esque bugs!
The pro wrestling video game has been around since the 1980s, with any wrestling promotion worth their salt putting out their own title at one point in time. From WWE, to WCW, to New Japan Pro Wrestling, to TNA, to ECW, to All Japan, and so many more - all of these companies have dabbled in the world of digital grappling.
Not all of these games can be described as all-time classics, mind, for there have been some utter stinkers throughout the years - *cough* WWE 2K20 *cough* - but there are some releases that are viewed as must-have games for wrestling fans and general gamers, period.
It's easy right now to think of the abomination that was WWE 2K20, yet it's far more appeasing to fondly think back to those heady days of WWF No Mercy, WCW/nWo Revenge, the early SmackDown games, and first discovering Fire Pro Wrestling.
Getting a wrestling game right is a tricky proposition, but it's one that can provide such a reward for all involved.
With several new WWE games in development, AEW working on their first video game, RetroMania on the way, and various other graps-based games on the horizon, here is a breakdown of how to put together the ultimate pro wrestling game.
10. Pick Up And Play
There's clearly something rewarding in being able to master an intense, intricate control system, but there also has to be a KISS option - as in, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
It's not necessarily about making a game all about button bashing randomness, but there's a lot to be said for offering a more basic, easy to use set of controls for any game - in this instance, a wrestling game.
Not everyone can be bothered to learn a complex control system, and not everyone is able to master such a detailed system even if they wanted to. And to not isolate that section of your audience, it's key that any wrestling game makes sure it's easy to pick up and play for anyone and everyone.
The more recent WWE offerings have at least given the option for players to use an alternative, easier submission system than the default system in place, and it'd be nice for any future wrestling games to go all-out with what would essentially be a plug 'n' play option that means novices (or outright awful players!) can find some enjoyment.