One of my favorite games to play when growing up was Wrestlemania 2000 for the N64. That game was incredibly fun and still holds up as one of the best wrestling games of all time. Yet, it wasn’t the only great wrestling game available on that console.
In fact, the N64 was littered with great grappling games. Here are the 5 best N64 wrestling games.
WWF War Zone Cage Match
Perhaps by merit of being the first wrestling game for the Nintendo 64, War Zone just makes it into the top 5. At the time, the game was fantastic, there can be no denying that. The first ever 3D pro wrestling game, a unique grappling system with button combination movies, and some pretty awesome entrance sequences.
There was a decent variety of match modes in War Zone, too. Things could get messy if you went for a Hardcore match, you could keep things simple with standard singles and tag team matches, or you could enter the chaos of a Royal Rumble – the latter of which was an exclusive game mode feature for the Nintendo 64.
In total, there were 18 wrestlers to choose from, including big hitters such as Kane, The Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. There are a whole host of other big names in the roster, all of whom make War Zone a great game and certainly one of the best N64 wrestling games around. It also spawned a worthy successor in WWF Attitude.
Virtual Pro Wrestling 2- N64
One of the lesser known wrestling games for the N64 is the Japanese game Virtual Pro Wrestling 2. What a game it is, too. If you’re a fan of Japanese pro wrestling, you’ll love this game for sure, but even those who aren’t familiar with it are in for a treat.
It’s biggest draw is the gameplay, which boasts an impressive array of move-sets and fighting styles. There is a huge roster in VPW2, too, with around 80 wrestlers to choose from in total, and multiple attires to select for each wrestler. Some of the better known names are The Great Sasuke, Kenta Kobashi, and Hayabusa.
Despite a few American legends being included in the game, the roster may be largely unfamiliar if you’re not well-versed in Japanese pro wrestling, but that shouldn’t detract from the game. An all-round brilliant grappling experience VPW2 is easily one of the best wrestling games for the N64.
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WCW nWo Revenge – Hollywood Hogan
If you were more of a WCW fan back in the day, then you may regard this as the best N64 pro wrestling game of them all. You wouldn’t be wrong to think so, either. Revenge is the sequel to the 1997 title WCW vs NWO: World Tour and, in a lot of ways, was a much improved version.
A range of new features were included such as ring entrances, ringside managers, a bigger roster, and better graphics, all of which combined to help Revenge become one of the best selling games for the Nintendo 64.
In a well-rounded grappling experience, you can play as the likes of Goldberg, Kevin Nash, and Chris Jericho. There were also a number of fictional characters and a pretty darn good character customisation tool as well. Revenge is up there with the most revolutionary wrestling games to ever be released and is easily one of the best N64 wrestling games around.
WWF Wrestlemania 2000 N64 – The Rock
Wrestlemania 2000 wasn’t perfect, but by gawd (in the voice of Jim Ross) was it fun. It marked the first WWF game published by THQ and developed by AKI and Asmik Ace, after they had all previously worked with a license for the WCW franchise.
Part of what made WrestleMania 2000 so enjoyable was the immense customisation possibilities that the game had. The “Create a Wrestler” mode had so many possibilities that enabled players to either create their own unique character, or even some of the big pro wrestlers that weren’t in the game, such as Hulk Hogan and Taka Michinoku.
There were new game modes, such as the cage and first blood matches, and a signature move system that made executing a Stunner or Tombstone more satisfying than it ever had done before.
The Road to Wrestlemania story mode is difficult, but also incredibly rewarding and the only way to unlock some of the hidden characters like Dude Love, Shawn Michaels, and Paul Bearer.
Try this game if you haven’t, it’s a timeless classic and easily one of the best wrestling games for the N64.
WWF No Mercy Triple H Ring Entrance
There is no doubt that I sunk more hours into WrestleMania 2000 than its successor No Mercy. It’s also undisputable, though, that No Mercy is just a cut above in every department and easily the best N64 wrestling game.
If you ever needed a game to showcase THQs fighting engine to the highest possible level, No Mercy is it. It gets everything right and doesn’t take itself too seriously. In fact, you could argue that all wrestling games since WWF No Mercy have gone downhill, at least proportionate to their respective release dates.
No Mercy is incredibly fun and tops this list of the best N64 wrestling games for precisely that reason. But let’s be honest, the Nintendo 64 was a golden age of gaming for many genres and niches, and this list proves that wrestling was one of them.
We hope you enjoyed reading about the best N64 wrestling games. Did you try all of these? Which one is your favorite? Did we miss your favorite wrestling game for the N64? Let us know in the comment section below!
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