WWF Royal Rumble
The box art for the Dreamcast version features Steve Austin and The Rock.
Developer(s)	Sega/Yuke's
Publisher(s)	Arcade: Sega Dreamcast: THQ, Yuke's (Japan release)
Platform(s)	Arcade, Dreamcast
Release date(s)	NA August 15, 2000 JP April 26, 2001
Genre(s)	Fighting game
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen )
Media	GD-ROM (Dreamcast)
Input methods	Joystick/control pad, 3 buttons
Cabinet	Standard upright, two-screen version
Arcade system	Sega NAOMI
CPU	Hitachi SH-4 32-bit RISC CPU
Sound	ARM7 Yamaha AICA 45 MHz
Display	Raster, medium resolution

WWF Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling video game released in 2000 for arcades and Dreamcast. THQ released the game for the Dreamcast while Sega released the game for arcades.^[1][2] Japanese company Yuke's, developers of the popular WWF SmackDown! series of wrestling games was involved in the game's development and released the Dreamcast version in Japan.^[2] The game is based on the World Wrestling Federation and the company's yearly Royal Rumble event. One of the game's most notable features is support for up to nine wrestlers on the screen simultaneously.^[3]

[edit] Gameplay

The game's Royal Rumble mode features more than six characters on screen at once. The game also allows multiple instances of one wrestler to be in the same match: in this picture there are three Steve Austins

The game has two modes, Exhibition mode and Royal Rumble mode. In Exhibition mode, the player chooses a main wrestler and a partner and wrestles a series of singles matches. The player's selected partner can interfere on the player's behalf on command. These partner moves can be used any number of times during the match, but must be recharged before they can be used again. Matches can end by knockout if a wrestler's energy meter is completely depleted.^[3]

Royal Rumble mode involves one multi-wrestler match where the player must eliminate a certain number of opponents from the match within a time limit.^[3] The game features 20 Superstars (22 on Dreamcast), but the Royal Rumble match has 30, which results in some superstars appearing twice in the match.

Special moves can be executed by charging up a meter and storing "S" icons.^[3]

[edit] Reaction

Critical and commercial response ranged from lukewarm to resoundingly negative. The biggest complaints were aimed at the lack of modes, and the system of moving backstage against the player's will. Many also criticised the small roster of wrestlers, which often resulted in the same character fighting each other as separate entities.

[edit] References