WWE All Stars

I'll be frank. This game has absolutely no business being as awesome as it is. I'll qualify that later but for what it is, this game is just about perfect. First off, this isn't a professional wrestling simulator in the least. Think along the lines of NFL Blitz or NBA Jam; over-the-top games that feature super-spectacular moves, caricatures of real-life players, and relatively easy game play. This kind of game fits the already cartoonish WWE expertly.

OK, I'll start qualifying that now. This is definitely one of the best party games I've ever played. Yes, that's what this game really is at it's core. A game you can break out while all your IRL buddies are hanging out drinking. The mix of new and old wrestlers will also appeal to the most casual of wrestling fans, who may only know Andre the Giant because he was in The Princess Bride. The moves are pretty simple to pull off, and look amazing. Street Fighter or Soul Caliber, this is not. Even though there are 4 different classes of wrestler most every character has the same basic set of moves, which means you can try out your favorite fighters with ease.

I do have some gripes, though. Even though the game is supposed to be easy to pick up, the move list is pretty extensive. Almost all of the buttons have different functions depending where you are in the ring. Not nearly to the extent of a UFC game, but it can get confusing when you try to pick up a chair with a the same button you use to climb a turnbuckle and instead exit the ring. Also, the single player is boring and repetitive, with a goddamn exponential difficulty curve to boot. One match you're chugging a long with that one combo you know really well, and then next match everything is getting countered and reversed. The only interesting cutscenes are The Undertaker's, with his threats of soul-taking and corpse-buring. Unfortunately those are in the first campaign, and every other heel's trash-talking pales in comparison.

WWE All Stars is very cool. It's fun with friends and reminds me of one of my favorite Dreamcast games, Power Stone. Sure, it's got it's issues, and it's not completely perfect, but it's does what it's meant to do better than a lot of other games. Plus, it's great to see Andre the Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper, John Cena and The Rock all in the same ring duking it out.