The controls are NOT an improvement over other wrestling games of late. The flow of the match is disturbed, and the controls don't feel as natural. The changes were supposedly for "casual" gamers but bad controls are bad controls I don't care if the person playing is casual or hardcore...
Unless you enjoy doing exhibition matches for countless hours this game will get old fast. The videos are worth reliving. But I would not recommend this game to anyone but serious wrestling fans who long for a trip down memory lane.
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I actually waited awhile before picking up "Legends of Wrestlemania" simply because I had laid down enough cash for "Smackdown vs. Raw 2009" and hadn't really played that all too much. Didn't want to drop another $60 for "Legends of Wrestlemania" and have another game just gathering dust.What changed my mind, and to be honest one of only two reasons I would recommend "Legends of Wrestlemania" to anyone, is that I found out you can import the roster from "Smackdown vs. Raw 2009" into "Legends of Wrestlemania". Meaning you can now pit Santino Morella against Andre the Giant or have Randy Orton take on Mr. Perfect. The only other reason to pick up this game would be for nostalgic purposes.
I was basically expecting the same gameplay which had been featured on the past couple of "Raw vs. Smackdown" releases, just with modified graphics, and a roster of past Superstars. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. What made the "Raw vs. Smackdown" titles so much fun to play are the innovative controls, the multiple game modes, and the variety of matches you can choose from. "Legends of Wrestling" features none of those. Instead of GM Mode or Career Mode, "Legends" gives you 4 game play options, "Legend Killer, and on the Wrestlemania Tour "Relive", "Rewrite", "Redefine".
In "Relive" mode, you go back to several famous matches throughout "Wrestlemania" history and replay the match as it was presented. The best part of this option is seeing the old video footage of the feuds leading up to the matches. For instance you get to replay the Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter match from Wrestlemania 7, prior to the match you get a re-cap of what the feud was about and promos from each wrestler, which is pretty cool. In this mode you cannot choose your character, you must wrestle as the pre-designated winner of the match. You can also earn EXP points by completing certain objectives during each match. When you earn enough EXP points you win a medal.
In "Rewrite" mode you are once again presented with a series of famous matches culled from Wrestlemania history. Once again you get original video footage of the feuds leading up to each bout, and you also have certain objectives per match you must achieve in order to gain EXP points in order to win the medal. With this mode, your objective is to change the outcome of the original match.
In "Redefine" mode you again play through several famous matches in Wrestlemania history, only this time you can choose which character you would like to play. You can try and `rewrite' history or `relive' history. Basically it combines elements from the previous two gameplay modes. Once again you have certain objectives to meet to gain EXP points.
In "Legend Killer" mode you fight through a series of matches in 4 tiers. The first three tiers are 10 matches you must win to advance. The final tier is called the "All Star Legends Tier" and you must win 38 matches to finish the level!! What is brutal about this game mode, is that once you start a tier, you cannot save and quit. The game forces you to play through the entire tier before giving you the option of saving, meaning that once you reach the "All Star" tier...you HAVE to play 38 consecutive matches??!!
You also get the standard "Create" a wrestler mode. There really isn't anything new to this aspect of the game, and if you've played any WWE title since the Nintendo 64 you should be familiar with this option.
Gameplay is basically a button mashing game. Unlike the last few titles, the basic gameplay required you to just smash various buttons repeatedly, almost like the old PS1 or Nintendo games. It's very difficult to block or reverse, meaning that for the most part opponents just take turns punching each other for a period of time.
The graphics are decent, and the inclusion of original video footage from old WWE broadcasts is fun to relive, but there is really nothing stellar, and actually seems as though the graphics don't "pop" as well as they do on "Raw vs. Smackdown 2009".
So overall, if you've already paid your money for "Raw vs. Smackdown 2009", I don't really recommend you drop the dough for this title. The gameplay is fairly weak, the various game modes don't hold a candle to the "Career" mode or "GM" mode found in recent titles. Unless you are willing to pay for the nostalgic aspect of the game, it's really not worth it.
Here is the complete roster you will find on the game (of course this doesn't include the roster you can import from "Raw vs. Smackdown"):
Andre the Giant
Animal
Arn Anderson
Bam Bam Bigelow
Big Boss Man
Big John Studd
Bobby Heenan
Bret Hart
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Davey Boy Smith
Dusty Rhodes
Greg Valentine
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hawk
Honky Tonk Man
Hulk Hogan
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Iron Sheik
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jim The Anvil Neidhart
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Hart
Junkyard Dog
Kamala
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
Michael Hayes
Mr. Fuji
Mr. Perfect
Nikolai Volkoff
Paul Bearer
Ravishing Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Rowdy Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Ted DiBiase
The Rock
The Undertaker
Ultimate Warrior
Yokozuna
Pretty solid group of legends....just wish they had been profiled in a better game.
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This game looks and handles just fine. Until you lock up with another wrestler. At that moment, a giant picture of a random controller button will appear on the screen and you have to press the same button at the EXACT moment it appears. You have about a 25% chance of success on that, since there are 4 buttons, X,Y,B and A. If you don't win "guess that button", you get reversed and slammed. Doesn't matter how much power you have. So if you can win a match by punching and kicking, you will be in good shape. If you attempt a move, there is a 75% chance it will backfire and you will be counter attacked. There is no rhythm, rhyme or reason to the button thing, its just random. What an incredibly stupid thing to implement into an otherwise perfect example of gameplay. I give it 2 stars just because the roster is awesome. But the game is unplayable.Honest reviews on WWE Legends of WrestleMania
Gameplay:As an avid wrestling games fan, I believed this game would be at least worthwhile, to play around with the multiple match types as well as go through the career mode with my created wrestler. I didn't get that chance. I came to realize you could only relive, rewrite or re-decide WWE History with the wrestlers provided to you, which makes creating a wrestler virtually pointless (unless you want to play matches which don't get you anywhere). I hadn't owned the Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 version, so I was unable to import any sort of roster into the game which to me, is a major downfall.
Control Scheme:
One word to explain this: sucks. It's horribly put together as you have to rely on button combinations for EVERYTHING. The grapple system is completely lacking, as well as the finisher system, and well... everything. This causes CAW to be limited as well because you have only a few moves to pick from for each action, AND even inputting the variety of moves literally does not make a difference because you cannot even comprehend how to execute them. Running is pretty bad too, as you can only run away from a given opponent, or bounce of the ropes for an attack. If you just wanted to run straight to them to start the match, (as I do mostly with other genres) you can't.
Achievements (360):
This game makes it really easy to get 200g in Achievements within the first 30 min of playtime (within the Legend Killer mode), therefore greatly reducing the replay value trying to earn those extra achievements.
Replay:
None, unless you have been drinking with some friends and don't care about gameplay anyway, you could literally waste 45 minutes before you decided you couldn't really do anything exciting, or before you slammed your Xbox on the floor due to the immense frustration.
Finale:
I wouldn't suggest this game to anyone, unless you are an extremely hardcore fan of the WWE history, or just want to farm some easy achievements. However, if you could find this for 5 dollars somewhere, it may be worth it. Otherwise, don't waste your time.
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For fans of the late 1980s-early 1900s WWF, the ones who still rock out to Hulk Hogan's "Real American" theme and remember the "Million Dollar Belt", this game will be a gold mine of nostalgia. While the current most popular wrestling video game series (Smackdown vs. Raw) focuses on the contemporary wrestling stars, "Legends of WrestleMania" takes a step back, remembering such figures as Andre The Giant, Ted "Million Dollar Man" Dibiase, Bret Hart, Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior (to name but a few).The most impressive thing about this game is the nostalgia factor. Each wrestler is a remarkable complete version of themselves from back in the day, right down to their appearance, mannerisms, theme songs, and finishing moves. Jake "The Snake" Roberts comes out with Damien in the bag, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake has the shears, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has the infamous 2x4, and Honky Tonk Man enters in the full Elvis get-up. Basically, for those of you who were "Hulkamaniacs" (or at least heard of the term), you could spend hours just watching all the entrances and (in some cases; the game modes) videos that lead up to each match.
The biggest complaint fielded about this game is the controls, but to me not even that was a negative deal-breaker. Sure, it isn't the smoothest of control schemes, but even after playing the game for quite awhile I am in no way disgusted with it or in any way affected by them in terms of my in-game enjoyment. In fact, for "old school" gamers like me who struggle with a two-joystick setup, the control scheme is actually a blessing in disguise, as the game can be played on a much simpler level (and still enjoyed) before venturing into the more complex moves.
The most glaring weakness I found in this game was actually a lack of some sort of "career" mode (akin to the "Season/Franchise" mode in the Madden series). Basically, besides the exhibition mode, three primary gaming avenues can be taken: Relive (play as the winner in key WWE matches throughout history), Rewrite (play as the underdog in other key matches), and Redefine (e.g. Andre the Giant vs. Big John Studd in a Steel Cage...something that never actually happened). While those modes are great, they don't offer the same thrill as, say, perhaps picking your favorite wrestler and having to fight your way to the top belt.
Thus, for any XBOX 360 gamer looking for a bit of WWF nostalgia, this game will not disappoint. It even includes characters like The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Shawn "HBK" Michaels to bridge the gap. While the lack of a "career" mode severely limits your gaming options, that weakness is diminished due to the amount of time you will just want to spend re-creating your own matches (in multiple formats) with your buddies. Plus, because of the unique control scheme, beginner gamers will find the game easy to pick up on.
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