WWF Attitude
Encyclopedia
WWF Attitude is a professional wrestling
video game based on the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) released by Acclaim Entertainment
in July 1999
for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64
. A slightly enhanced port
of the game was later released for the Dreamcast, as well as a handheld version for the Game Boy Color
. The game is named after the slogan
of WWF's marketing campaign at that time with the tagline
"Get it!"
The game is the sequel
to WWF War Zone
and is the last WWF game to be published by Acclaim. The WWF would unexpectedly defect to THQ
in 1999, ending its lengthy relationship with Acclaim. The game publisher followed Attitude with two sequels based on Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW Hardcore Revolution
and ECW Anarchy Rulz
).
on the side of the ring.
Create-A-Wrestler mode was expanded with original entrance music, as well as superstar nicknames with unique commentary and crowd chants for each name.
Full superstar entrances were also added. The game featured commentary from Jerry "The King" Lawler
and Shane McMahon
. Instead of the commentators talking about each of the wrestlers before the match like on War Zone, each wrestler has a set of pre-match taunts.
The Dreamcast version features improved graphics compared to its PlayStation and Nintendo 64 counterparts, with higher-resolution texture maps and a better animated, less pixelated crowd.
The Game Boy Color version of the game is slightly different from its home console counterparts, using passwords as a way to save a player's progress.
was for the most part retained. The previous edition's "Challenge Mode" was replaced by a Career Mode which allowed a player to wrestle as a WWF superstar. The player would first start wrestling on house show
s winning matches to work their way up to RAW
, then Pay-Per-View events, and eventually getting title shots as the Career Mode progressed. New match types were also added, including the First Blood Match.
that players would face early on in the Career Mode. For unknown reasons, the fictional jobbers were removed from the game; however, their voices, ring attires, and entrance theme songs remain accessible in the Create-A-Wrestler mode.
Though not playable in the game, The Hardy Boyz
did the motion capture for the moves. The intro included a dedication to Owen Hart
, who died shortly before the game's release, and was posthumously included in the roster. Oddly enough, this was removed from the Dreamcast version.
also lauded the game's presentation, but found fault with the game's vague play-by-play commentary. The Dreamcast version released months later was criticized for not improving much on the original versions.
The Game Boy Color version was criticized for being overly simplistic and too easy.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
video game based on the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) released by Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
in July 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
. A slightly enhanced port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of the game was later released for the Dreamcast, as well as a handheld version for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. The game is named after the slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
of WWF's marketing campaign at that time with the tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
"Get it!"
The game is the sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to WWF War Zone
WWF War Zone
WWF War Zone is a 1998 professional wrestling video game featuring wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation, developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake and released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1998 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy...
and is the last WWF game to be published by Acclaim. The WWF would unexpectedly defect to THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
in 1999, ending its lengthy relationship with Acclaim. The game publisher followed Attitude with two sequels based on Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
(ECW Hardcore Revolution
ECW Hardcore Revolution
ECW Hardcore Revolution is a professional wrestling video game released by Acclaim Entertainment, based on the professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling . The game was released for the Nintendo 64, Sony PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast and Game Boy Color...
and ECW Anarchy Rulz
ECW Anarchy Rulz (video game)
ECW Anarchy Rulz is a professional wrestling video game released by Acclaim Entertainment in 2000 based on Extreme Championship Wrestling . It was released for the PlayStation and Dreamcast...
).
Features
Features added since WWF War Zone include a Create-A-Stable mode and a Pay-Per-View mode, which allows players to set up their own wrestling event - a series of matches, the name of the event, and an arena. The game includes a customizable arena option, including the ability to edit the color of lights, ring ropes, turnbuckles, and logoLogo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
on the side of the ring.
Create-A-Wrestler mode was expanded with original entrance music, as well as superstar nicknames with unique commentary and crowd chants for each name.
Full superstar entrances were also added. The game featured commentary from Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
. Instead of the commentators talking about each of the wrestlers before the match like on War Zone, each wrestler has a set of pre-match taunts.
The Dreamcast version features improved graphics compared to its PlayStation and Nintendo 64 counterparts, with higher-resolution texture maps and a better animated, less pixelated crowd.
The Game Boy Color version of the game is slightly different from its home console counterparts, using passwords as a way to save a player's progress.
Gameplay
Gameplay from WWF War ZoneWWF War Zone
WWF War Zone is a 1998 professional wrestling video game featuring wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation, developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake and released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1998 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy...
was for the most part retained. The previous edition's "Challenge Mode" was replaced by a Career Mode which allowed a player to wrestle as a WWF superstar. The player would first start wrestling on house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
s winning matches to work their way up to RAW
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, then Pay-Per-View events, and eventually getting title shots as the Career Mode progressed. New match types were also added, including the First Blood Match.
Development
Originally, the game was to include fictional jobbersJob (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
that players would face early on in the Career Mode. For unknown reasons, the fictional jobbers were removed from the game; however, their voices, ring attires, and entrance theme songs remain accessible in the Create-A-Wrestler mode.
Though not playable in the game, The Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
did the motion capture for the moves. The intro included a dedication to Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
, who died shortly before the game's release, and was posthumously included in the roster. Oddly enough, this was removed from the Dreamcast version.
Reception
The game received good reviews upon release. IGN gave the Nintendo 64 version a 8.7 out of 10 and an 8.3 for the PlayStation version, lauding the game's many gameplay modes and customization options. Jeff GerstmannJeff Gerstmann
Jeff Gerstmann is an American video game journalist and former editorial director of the gaming website GameSpot and the founder of the gaming website Giant Bomb. He began working at GameSpot in the fall of 1996, around the launch of VideoGameSpot when GameSpot separated PC and console games into...
also lauded the game's presentation, but found fault with the game's vague play-by-play commentary. The Dreamcast version released months later was criticized for not improving much on the original versions.
The Game Boy Color version was criticized for being overly simplistic and too easy.
External links
- WWF Attitude at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...