Revive the LJN Wrestling Games for Iphone/Android

When thinking about what old school wrestling games would be perfect to bring today on andriod and Iphone technologies, I can't help but only thing of one franchise of wrestling games. The games on the SNES and Genesis that where the best a wrestling game could be at the time.

Sure, WWE did in recent years allow a revival version of the arcade classic Royal Rumble to be released. However, it lacked the feel of the original arcade, and ripped everyone off having to pay a price for the game, and continue to fork out money for extra wrestlers. That spells nothing to me but bullshit.

But thinking back now, a game that would work perfectly for the handheld technology now would be the old LJN classic wrestling titles, mixed into one, like everyone wanted before the games became obsolete.

Sure, LJN have a pretty bad reputation with making video games, especially if you are familiar with reviews from The Angry Video Game Nerd. However the titles they did get right are classics, and bringing them back for downloadable apps to play is the perfect time to revisit some of the best wrestling games of the early to mid 90's.

Super Wrestlemania (1992

Being that I was a Nintendo fan during the Nintendo vs Sega wars, the game I first played was Super Wrestlemania on the SNES. It was a basic wrestling game, with basic moves. Your moves where limited to a standing punch or kick, an irish whip, a suplex, a headbutt, a body slam. Ground moves where a simple stomp or elbow drop, and the same elbow drop animation could be done from the top rope of either side of the upper left or right corner ring posts. Outside the ring you could pick up a chair to whack over an opponents head. Apart from a couple of running moves, there wasn't much more.

However it did feature a some of the greatest wrestlers of the day, which have since become some of the greatest of all time. Starting with the immortal Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, The Road Warriors, Randy Savage, The Natural Disasters, The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, Jake The Snake Roberts and Sid Justice (Better known today as Psycho Sid Vicious).

Matches where limited to one on one, two on two and if memory serves me right, 3 on 3?

The game did provide a few hours of enjoyment back in the day, but it was the follow up game that made this particular version look like shit. 

Before I go onto that tho, I will talk about the Sega released version of Super Wrestlemania. Like I mentioned before, I was a Nintendo boy all the way, so I never would have even glanced at anyone who may have had Super Wrestlemania on Sega. However, had it happened, it may have changed my views on Sega back then. Sometime only a few years ago I played the game on Sega for the first time and released the SNES got screwed with it's version. Not only did it contain a few characters I loved at the time like The Ultimate Warrior & The British Bulldog, but it also featured finishing moves. Or special moves if you wanna call it that.

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw Hogan give me the atomic leg drop and Ultimate Warrior splashed me! Since then I have to admit, Sega did get the upper hand on that first release of the game.

However, so much was improved on both systems for the next release.

Royal Rumble (1993)

WWF Royal Rumble unleashed the most awesome wrestling game imaginable at the time in 1993. This was a game I played for hours on end and never grew tired of. Its controls where the same as the previous game, but new moves had been added with the top shoulder buttons, illegal moves, such as an eye gouge and a choke hold. But the biggest improvement was the finishing moves and new modes not seen in the previous game.

Despite being a much larger roster, the game modes where awesome. 1 on 1, Tag, Triple Tag, Survivor Series, and the Royal Rumble. There might have been more I am forgetting. But in 1993, this was a huge thing to have so many modes to choose from, as most things where a rail system or the same thing every time.

This is the game in particular that I want revived, as it got a bit whacky in the next release and implemented bizarre moves. But why I always seem to come back to this version was because it seemed to be the only one that was flawless.

Again tho, I had to admit years later... Sega got the better version, only because I was a Hulkamaniac and only the Sega version had him in it. It was due to Sega getting the first version, while Hogan was still with the WWF, but by the time SNES got its release, Hogan had gone and he was taken out of the game :(

It's not so much that either version is any different to each other, they are both exactly the same, but if you are a Hogan fan, or want him in the game to beat up, you have to settle for Sega's version.

RAW - (1994)

By the time RAW, aka "Raw is War" came out, I think the early 90's wrestling boom had died out, and didn't pick up again for a couple more years. Back in these days most of us rented games before even considering buying them, and this title seemed to be one local video stores where not interested in getting in. It wasn't until the early 00's I first got my chance to play this one.

My initial thoughts of first playing was that it almost felt like nothing had been changed but an updated roster and whacky new alternate finisher moves... but I soon found they had mixed up a few of the regular moves, however some of the new ones looked horrible. I couldn't tell if Undertaker was choke slamming or backbreaking, but once I saw Doink the Clown fold someone up and kick him out of the ring with a field goal, it made me realize why people say they prefer Royal Rumble over this one that got whored to every console imaginable, and not one of them is regarded as classic today.

Rage in The Cage - 1994

Don't be surprised you have not heard of this one, but you may be surprised to find it was probably overall the best version of these LJN wrasslan' games. although it was a good effort, it was unfortunately released on Sega CD, a device that was for many too expensive in the day, or when someone did fork out enough for it, their first choice of buying an expensive CD rom based game was not going to be a wrestling title.

However, those who did play it got a version of Royal Rumble with extras modes and a shitload more characters to choose (20 in total). It featured everything that Royal Rumble had, but this time it also included a steel cage match!

Reviving This S.O.B

Basically the game is already great the way it is. All that needs to be done, is take Rage In The Cage, and choose a new roster. I myself obviously want Hogan put back in, but I don't think anyone would give a rats arse if say the Headshrinkers where taken out and replaced by Stone Cold, The Rock, Kane etc...




A few new animations will need to be done for their finishers and look, but it's a 16bit game, it's piss easy these days.
Maybe add a few new moves, a custom wrestler option, add a hell in a cell and a hardcore match, and you have a perfectly revived game from the old 16-but days that would sell like hot cakes today with the current android/iphone technology.

Someone Attempted To Do Tho, I know, but...

Before anyone mentions that MDickie! has already done this... let me tell you, he hasn't. I'm not bashing MDickie's wrestling games available on the itunes store at all, he has done a terrific job in trying to recreate something simmilar. But it's not quite the same.

1)  He has used Flash, or something simmilar to make the graphics. It feels very cartoon like and floppy at times.
2) He does not have the licenses to use actual wrestler names.
3) The controls need to be improved alot.
4) 2kSports I'm willing to bet could make a much better game reviving the old LJN games and creating a monster wrestler game perfect for androids/iphones that fans of the franchise have been wanting for many years now.

Just imagine what could be using the same ideas Mdicki had, and using the same engine as the original LJN games?