Showdown: Legends of Wrestling
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007) |
| Showdown: Legends of Wrestling | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Acclaim Studios Austin |
| Publisher(s) | Acclaim Entertainment |
| Series | Legends of Wrestling |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Fighting, Wrestling, Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer, online |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | DVD |
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling is the third part of the Legends of Wrestling video game series developed by Acclaim Entertainment for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. A version of the game for the Nintendo GameCube was also planned but was canceled.
Contents |
[edit] Roster
A significant coup for Showdown: LoW was the inclusion of much requested fan favorite legend Ultimate Warrior who, due to ongoing hostilities and financial disagreements with the WWE, had not been featured in video games since WWF In Your House in 1996. Warrior did, however, appear in WWE Legends of WrestleMania in 2009 & WWE All Stars in 2011.
[edit] Music
- The theme music in the last two games was composed by "The Mouth of The South" Jimmy Hart. Hart appears as a manager in all three games. He also composed some of the theme music for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.
- A cover of "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot was used in promo videos for the game and the instrumental is played at the main menu and Create-a-Legend screens.
[edit] Reaction
Showdown: Legends of Wrestling was greeted with much derision from critics upon its release. Consumer reaction was negative too, though not excessively so, primarily tempered by the stellar roster available in the game. The inclusion of former WCW commentary team of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Tony Schiavone, and "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko was welcomed. The commentary system turned out to be a failure, however, being unsophisticated and repetitive. It has arguably the best roster of popular 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s pro-wrestlers, including many 'legends' who didn't appear in the first two games.
The game was riddled with many serious bugs, glitches, crashes, and lock-ups. This suggested that Showdown: LoW was a rushed product with little attention to quality assurance (game testing) on Acclaim's part. Other major negative aspects of the game are terribly lacking opponent AI, sluggish character movement, and clumsy game controls. Errors and omissions in the accompanying instruction booklet compounded this. The game's box also advertised commentary from Jerry "The King" Lawler which also was omitted from the game.[1]
[edit] Features
Some minor new features included a tribute to deceased legendary wrestlers as well as a tutorial fully narrated by Bret Hart.
[edit] Arenas
Another major point in the game's favor was the inclusion of many famous arenas used for pro wrestling and many other sports. They included:
- Madison Square Garden in New York City
- Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan
- Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan
- The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia
- Cow Palace in San Francisco, California
- The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
- Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan
- Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina
- Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee
- Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas
- L.A. Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California
- Wembley Stadium in London, England
- Moscow
- Dory Funk's Gym
- Legends Colosseum in Austin, Texas
