Acclaim is losing out on the license for the World Wrestling Federation after its next title.
It seems THQ threw around its wrestling expertise (and a whole lot of cash) to acquire right to the WWF after losing World Championship Wrestling to Electronic Arts.However, Acclaim is trying to squeeze the last bit out of the WWF cash cow with its latest WWF Attitude for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Graphics-wise, the PlayStation version fails to capture the intensity seen in past titles. However, the N64 prevails again.
Acclaim went the extra mile this year with the "create-your-own" wrestler option.
It's so detailed that the company states you can basically create yourself right into the ring.
As with most wrestling games of late, sampled sounds of both wrestlers and announcers are littered throughout the game. Each wrestler also comes equipped with his or her own theme music to get you pumped before a match.
Gameplay hasn't changed much since "War Zone." Each player is equipped with generic moves as well as an abundance of individual specialty moves that can only be performed by an individual.
Cool details, such as wrestlers coming to the aid of their friends from the sidelines, make the game interesting to play and will keep players on their toes even during a blowout match.
Acclaim has done a good job with the license, but it's hard to say that it will be "king of the ring" this year.
Going up against the likes of EA may hurt the performance of this title. Loyal WWF enthusiasts will love the game while others may seek out the WCW.
Joel Easley writes about video games for The News-Sentinel. Questions for his column should be addressed to Joel Easley, Weekend!, The News-Sentinel, P.O. Box 59038, Knoxville, TN 37950-9038.