10 Landmark Wrestling Video Game Firsts
1. Only Game Without An Actual Wrestling Ring (WCW Backstage Assault, 2000)
That's when things got silly. Released in 2000, WCW Backstage Assault was a horrendous product that coincided with the dramatic downfall of World Championship Wrestling as a whole. Wrongly misreading their audience, Electronic Arts decided to do away with a wrestling ring altogether and focus strictly on the backstage areas Mayhem had introduced.
This proved to be a grave mistake, but it was also truly original. To call it a pioneering move would suggest positivity, something Backstage Assault doesn't really deserve, but a wrestling game without a wrestling ring was something new at the very least. Sadly, it was a flawed idea from the start.
Mayhem had excelled due to the novelty of moving away from the ring into extended areas, but Backstage Assault felt monotonous by comparison. No other wrestling game had tried such a thing, but the WWF would give it a bash with WWF Betrayal around a year later on Game Boy Color.
Backstage Assault did provide a real first for pro wrestling video games, even if it turned out to be a negative gameplay decision.
What other wrestling video game firsts can you think of? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!