While it was clear the games were developing, WCW vs. nWo: World Tour isn't a complete overhaul of the formula seen in WCW vs. The World, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. Why tamper with a successful format, right? There's more of a definite focus on what was happening in WCW, rather than just a game which happens to include a number of American wrestlers, and the gameplay is further refined, making it just slightly more enjoyable that what came before. Again, numerous 'fake' grapplers appear, based on counterparts in the Virtual Pro Wrestling series, and in truth, it's these wrestlers which dominate. It's actually fascinating to look back to this time period, even though this was a game which included the WCW license, it's still definitely a Japanese-orientated game, and even though there's more focus on American wrestling than what gamers witnessed in vs. The World, the fact that the game involves blood, and even a barbed wire baseball bat, shows where the roots are. The game was a huge hit upon release, and would only be usurped by later games in the series, as well as one which came completely out of left-field.