WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game

Midway Manufacturing Co.

Industry	Video games
Headquarters	United States
Products	WWF WrestleMania (arcade game)

WWF WrestleMania (known as WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game on home consoles) is a 1995 arcade title created by Midway Manufacturing Co., inspired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

This game showcases digitized renditions of eight WWF wrestlers engaging in fast-action bouts influenced by Midway's Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. Commentary is delivered by Vince McMahon and Jerry "The King" Lawler, who are depicted at the announcers' table, while Howard Finkel greets players on the opening screen.

Acclaim Entertainment handled the publishing of console editions and developed a sequel titled WWF In Your House for platforms including PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and DOS.

Gameplay

Although rooted in professional wrestling, WWF WrestleMania merges digitized visuals with dynamic fighting mechanics reminiscent of Midway's Mortal Kombat. Its over-the-top, caricatured moves—such as Doink the Clown swinging a mallet or Bam Bam Bigelow’s fiery fists—set it apart from conventional wrestling games. Gameplay focuses on strike-based attacks and special moves alongside traditional wrestling techniques, featuring uppercuts that send opponents soaring and humorous animations.

Players can choose from eight wrestlers: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Bam Bam Bigelow, Yokozuna, Doink the Clown, and Lex Luger. Each character can "bleed" distinctive items symbolic of them, like Luger's dumbbells or Hart’s hearts.

The game includes two single-player campaigns: Intercontinental Championship and WWF Championship. The Intercontinental path requires winning four singles matches, followed by two 2-on-1 handicap bouts and one 3-on-1 handicap match. The more demanding WWF Championship mode features several handicap contests culminating in the "WrestleMania Challenge," a gauntlet where players face all eight wrestlers starting with a three-against-one scenario.

Multiplayer options allow for one-on-one competitive matches or cooperative tag-team play where two players join forces to defeat all eight wrestlers in pairs to claim Tag Team Champion status. The soundtrack incorporates segments of circa-1994 entrance themes for the roster (with some exceptions), along with opening themes from WWF Monday Night RAW, WWF Superstars, and WWF Wrestling Challenge.

Development

Programmer Mark Turmell dedicated extensive hours to the project, noting he "worked 16 hours daily, seven days a week for six months to complete WWF WrestleMania." Development involved ongoing player feedback and artistic collaboration alongside his colleague Sal DiVita.

Shortly after launch, Midway executive Roger Sharpe stated that Adam Bomb was accessible as a secret character. Years later, Sal DiVita confirmed Adam Bomb was included in the game but remained unfinished.

Ports

Versions were produced for Mega Drive/Genesis, 32X, Super NES, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and MS-DOS. The Super NES edition excludes Bam Bam Bigelow and Yokozuna, reduces damage visuals, has fewer voice clips, and experiences performance slowdowns when three characters appear simultaneously.

The Genesis port preserves most arcade voice samples and supports four wrestlers on screen but also suffers from slowdown. The 32X iteration enhances graphics and audio compared to Genesis but lowers frame rate to 30 frames per second.

The PlayStation release removes most in-match background music but offers improved graphics without slowdown at full wrestler count. It features an introduction by Howard Finkel and includes theme songs from WrestleMania VIII through XIV on the character selection screen.

Reception

At the time of its release, RePlay identified WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game as the third most favored arcade title. Bruised Lee from GamePro commended the game for its intricately digitized characters, comedic elements, and user-friendly controls, describing it as "one of the most addictive arcade games to date." Meanwhile, Next Generation characterized it as a non-violent alternative to Mortal Kombat, highlighting its superior digitization quality, diverse move sets, cooperative gameplay, and humor.

The PlayStation edition received even greater praise, noted for its straightforward combo system, lively commentary, and a mix of authentic and exaggerated wrestling maneuvers. Scary Larry of GamePro gave it high marks in multiple areas, labeling it "a great wrestling game" that is "as entertaining to watch as it is to play." Additionally, Next Generation lauded its impressive graphics and engaging gameplay. Electronic Gaming Monthly honored the PlayStation version with an "Editor's Choice Platinum" award, recognizing its leading position among wrestling games on the platform.

Although the 32X variant was regarded by Scary Larry as not matching the PlayStation version's quality, it was still deemed essential for 32X owners due to its enhanced visuals compared to the Genesis and Super NES iterations. The Genesis port was criticized for blurry graphics and occasional slowdowns but remained enjoyable overall. Conversely, the Super NES release faced criticism for a reduced character roster, slower pacing, smaller sprite sizes, and inferior audio quality.

The Sega Saturn adaptation was praised as an "almost flawless" conversion of the PlayStation version, with only slight graininess and slowdowns occurring during cooperative play; however, it did not introduce any new content despite launching later. Rob Allsetter from Sega Saturn Magazine highlighted its accessibility and humorous tone. In 1996, GamesMaster placed the Mega Drive version at number 10 in their Mega Drive Top 10 list and similarly ranked the SNES version tenth in their SNES Top 10 chart.

See also

• List of licensed wrestling video games