Ranking The Best Wrestling Video Game For Each Major Console

14. NES - WWF WrestleMania Challenge

mankind smackdown 2 know your role
LJN

Like the SEGA Master System, the original NES console also had WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge released on it. But unlike its SEGA rival, the NES has a better game on offer than Steel Cage Challenge.

That better game was actually Steel Cage Challenge's predecessor, WWF WrestleMania Challenge.

This was the first time where the glitz and glamour of the then-WWF finally felt like it was truly brought to life. 8-bit life, admittedly, but brought to life nonetheless.

For the time of its 1990 release, WWF WrestleMania Challenge featured a who's who of Vince McMahon's company - from Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Ultimate Warrior and 'Macho King' Randy Savage, to 'Ravishing' Rick Rude, the Big Boss Man, 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan, and, err, Brutus Beefcake.

Of course, you'd expect to see a wrestling game feature the biggest names of the day, but WWF WrestleMania Challenge was the first time that such a roster was assembled - even if the in-game sprites weren't all that much to look at.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.