WWF Wrestlefest
Year Of Release: 1991
Studio: Technos
Description
WWF Wrestlefest was brought to us by Japanese developer, Technos. This would be the 2nd game based on the WWF that they would release as they released WWF Superstars in 1989. The WWF license is actually very interesting in that three different game developers were allowed to make games based on the WWF at the same time. Technos were allowed to make arcade games, Ocean Software made games for the home computer market and most famously LJN made games for home consoles. For years people wanted WWF Wrestlefest to be released for a home console or computer, even in a downgraded form. The reason it was not had nothing to do with console or home computer limitations. It just boiled down to Technos were only allowed to make arcade games.
WWF Wrestlefest is just a drop dead gorgeous game. The game lets you pick from 10 different wrestlers. The wrestlers were big and chunky and they all had their own little mannerisms that they would do on TV. It really was incredible to see this level of detail and it was something that home consoles and computer WWF games never came close to matching. The presentation was immaculate with the area being full of life and there even being these little cut scenes in the game as well. In all Technos captured the look and feel of the WWF better than any other company until the days of the Playstation and Nintendo 64.
Game play wise, WWF Wrestlefest offers two game modes. One is Saturday Nights Main Event Tag Team Tournament and the other is Royal Rumble. In Saturday Nights Main Event Mode, you need to pick two wrestlers and then take on a series of tag matches. The goal here is to get to the championship match which is a boss battle against the WWF Tag Team Champions, The Legion Of Doom. Royal Rumble mode saw you pick one wrestler and you then needed to win a battle royal you could eliminate wrestlers by either pinning them or throwing them over the top rope.
WWF Wrestlefest only has two buttons, but each wrestler has a hand full of different moves that they can do. You can do basic moves like a punch and a kick, but when you get close to your opponent you enter a grapple. Here you need to mash the buttons as fast as you can. Which way you hold the joystick can result alter the move that you pull off. One interesting thing about the game is that when you put money into the game rather than buying an extra life you give your wrestler more energy. So the match can last as long as your money does!
Current High Score: 5 points, 100 percent completion by Justin Kakatsch
Related Titles
As we explained before WWF Wrestlefest was not legally allowed to be ported to home consoles or computers due to the WWF having deals with Ocean Software and LJN.
This would be the last WWF game that Technos would make and while they only made two games based on the WWF. These two games are actually regarded as two of the best wrestling games to be made.
After this there would not be another WWF arcade game until 1995’s WWF Wrestlemania The Arcade Game which was developed by Midway. After that Sega would release the very ambitious, WWF Royal Rumble arcade game in 2000. Unlike the Technos game, Wrestlemania and Royal Rumble were both given home ports.
In 2012, THQ released a remake of the game simply called WWF Wrestlefest. This remake featured a graphical style similar to the 1991 arcade game, but mixed up the roster with both classic and current wrestlers. The game was supposed to also be released for the Xbox 360, but despite a trailer appearing on Xbox Live the game still never made it to a home console.
