We're kicking this brand new show off in style with 2004's PlayStation 2 exclusive, WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW. In my opinion, this was the first chapter in a brand new SmackDown! book, dropping the catch phrase subtitles in favor of the 'vs. RAW' moniker. 'SVR' would remain the title until 2010 with the release of 'WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011.' DanDans, it's time to play the game!
'Def Jam Vendetta' is the game that was SUPPOSED to be WCW Mayhem 2. The WWE's purchase of WCW in early 2001 canceled the production of the game in the very early stages, but not all was lost. EA and AKI teamed up, put their heads together, and used what was built of the foundation to release a truly unique game in the fall of 2003.
TNA iMPACT! isn't just a television show that aired on FOX Sports Net and SPIKE TV, guys. It's also the name of the one and only true home console video game TNA Wrestling ever released! It's hard for me to believe that this game dropped 11 years ago, but it was easy for me to decide that I wanted to do a full retrospective on this one. This is Triangle X Squared O, DanDans, and it's time for Ultimate X!
What happens when you take the vehicular combat premise of Twisted Metal and mix it with the sports entertainment world of WWE? Well, you wind up with a little game called 'WWE Crush Hour.' This title has been kicked around on the internet for over 15 years now, but does it really deserve the hate? Or is it just misunderstood? Let's take a look, DanDans. Enjoy it!
When the 'Legends Of Wrestling' series popped up in the early 2000s, fans and critics alike were overjoyed to see the stars of yesteryear stepping into the squared circle once again. After the first two installments didn't exactly set the world on fire, developer Acclaim Entertainment looked to give everything they had to their one last attempt at a main event. This, DanDans, is Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling.
They call baseball "America's Favorite Pastime," but I'm going to call bullshit on that one. Backyard Wrestling is way more entertaining than baseball. Has a shortstop ever slammed a right fielder through a barbed wire table? Has a catcher ever smash light tubes over a pitcher's head? I don't think so. Backyard Wrestling became so popular in the 90s and early 2000s that it even earned its own video game, if you can believe it. This is Triangle X Squared O, DanDans. Don't try this at home!
Very few wrestling games are as divisive as the 1998 Acclaim classic, WWF War Zone. Love it or hate it, you'll never forget it, and this brand new installment of Triangle X Squared O - The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series plans to dive in like never before. Are you ready to step into the War Zone?
It's not often that a game with a premise as off the wall as Def Jam Vendetta finds critical and commercial success. It's even less likely that a sequel to said cult classic would be as good as the original, let alone better. 2004's Def Jam Fight For New York had a die hard fan base those 16 years ago, and I'm here to tell you today, we haven't gone anywhere. Buckle up, DanDans. On this episode of Triangle X Squared O, we're heading to the streets of NY.
When wrestling games turned into Madden-style yearly clones with very minor differences between them, the gaming audience released a collective sigh. Would we ever see a dynamic shift in theme and presentation ever again, or would we be playing practically the same game every year for the rest of our lives? In 2011, THQ San Diego answered that question, delivering a brand new WWE title to break up the monotony. But was it any good? Watch and find out!
1993's WWF Royal Rumble isn't just the first wrestling game I ever played, but it's solely responsible for me becoming a wrestling fan in the first place. This Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis grappler features Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, The Undertaker and more in all of their 16 bit glory. Can you survive the night and win the Royal Rumble?
After all the talk, all the speculation, all the chatter on the dirtsheets, it has finally arrived. 'The History of SmackDown! Part I - PlayStation's First WWF Champion' is the first installment of a five part series covering the classic SmackDown! games. So sit back, grab an ice cold beverage of your choice, maybe grab something to eat, and enjoy this walk down memory lane.
Just 8 short months after the release of WWF SmackDown! on the PlayStation, we had a sequel by the name of 'Know Your Role' busting down the doors to our beloved home console. Did SmackDown! 2 live up to the hype and improve on what was so great about the original, or did it take a step in the wrong direction? Let's find out!
WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It was released on November 16, 2001. The third installment in the franchise was the first on the PlayStation 2, and the first to feature full play by play commentary. Oh boy, does it have commentary. Enjoy!
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth isn't just the fourth game in the SmackDown! series, its also the best (up to this point). Just Bring It was a let down in more ways than one, and PlayStation fans were ready for the next game to wow them once more. Let's not waste any time, let's get right to it!
For nearly half a year now, we've been taking a trip through SmackDown! history. Here we are in November of 2017, and its time to say goodbye. WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain is regarded by many as the greatest wrestling game of all time, and there's no better way to end the series that with a banger like that. I hope you've enjoyed this piledriving trip down memory lane, I certainly know I have. PLEASE leave a comment and let me know what you think! If you haven't already, LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE! More content like this is coming down the pipeline, and I'd love for you to see it.
The History of WCW Video Games starts right here, right now, DanDans. We're going back to 1990 to take a look at WCW's lone NES title, before jumping forward to 1994 and going deep on WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling for the Super Nintendo. These are the early days, the debut and push, if you will. Let's get to it!
December 25, 1997 was a day that changed my life forever. To my 7 year old brain, a Sony PlayStation and World Championship Wrestling the ultimate tag team, and I couldn't wait to step into the squared circle. This is The History of WCW Video Games Part II - Where The Big Boys Play(Station).
Many look at the AKI wrestling games on the Nintendo 64 as some of if not THE greatest games in the entire genre, and it all started right here. WCW vs. nWo World Tour and WCW/nWo Revenge stand the test of time, are easily playable and still loads of fun today, and spoilers: I do agree, this was the golden age of video game grappling.
It had to happen, right? After the might, the majesty and the wonder that made WCW's Nintendo 64 offerings the best of the best, the PlayStation titles from Inland Productions had to show up to ruin the party. Nitro and Thunder are special, DanDans, but not in the way you want them to be.
WCW Mayhem signified a new beginning for WCW video games, and unfortunately, WCW Backstage Assault proved to be the bitter end. This is the final chapter in the 'History of WCW Video Games' series, and I'm happy to say, I think we're sending out the franchise with a BANG! Thank you to my friends who made the cameos and produced the music used across this series, and thank you to all of you DanDans for watching. You guys make the dream come true.
These days, video games based on pro wrestling are, for the most part, going for a simulation style. The WWE 2K series is the biggest in the industry and it's trying its hardest to recreate what you see on television every Monday and Thursday. And that's fine! They (for the most part) do a pretty good job with what they're trying to accomplish. But it wasn't always like this. We used to have games like WWE All Stars, where over the top, cartoonish versions of our favorite current and classic WWE Superstars would fly 30 feet in the air when executing a maneuver. Before that, we had WWE WrestleMania XIX, with a story mode that's... Oh man, we'll jump into that somewhere down the line.
In the early 2000s, you couldn't walk 2 feet without bumping into a new WWE video game. With the SmackDown! series running on the PlayStation, RAW holding things down on the Xbox, and WrestleMania keeping the GameCube side of things covered, everyone had a little something of their own. This installment of Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Games Retrospective Series is going to zoom in on the latter, DanDans. The Nintendo GameCube may not have set the world on fire in the sales department, but I'll be damned if that little guy didn't play host to some fantastic games in its time. 2003's WWE WrestleMania XIX picks up where it's predecessor left off, improving in every way, and solidifying the GameCube as a great place to be for wrestling fans.
ECW! ECW! ECW! Man, do you remember the time? The time when the Philadelphia based Extreme Championship Wrestling was the underground, hardcore, blood soaked wrestling promotion that you always heard whispers about in the hallway? "I can't watch ECW, I'm not allowed... ECW is real." The rumors about what ECW was and represented were absolutely out of control, that's the kind of power this company had on the underground scene. But you know what this show is about. Triangle X Squared O is the Wrestling Game Retrospective Series, after all. So on this third episode of Season 2, we're (balcony) diving into the video games... of ECW. Let's get to it!
The AKI Corporation were once known for delivering the greatest wrestling games of all time. For those of us here in the US, those games all came under one banner: World Championship Wrestling. The video games of WCW were simply a cut above those of their main competitor, the World Wrestling Federation, and that's putting it nicely. Many fans wondered what might happen if AKI had, like so many people in the field of entertainment they covered, had jumped ship. What might WCW/nWo Revenge look like if it were a WWF game instead?
The Simpsons are iconic, right? One could even consider them 'immortal,' having established their legendary footprint all the way back in 1989. Over the decades of weekly television, across which The Simpsons have produced more than 700 episodes, the legacy has grown exponentially. From TV to film, from action figures to t-shirts, from posters to video games, there's no stopping The Simpsons. Of those video games, though, not all were created equal. Titles like Road Rage or Hit And Run have stood the test of time, where others like Simpsons Skateboarding have... not. And with as low down as Skateboarding is, it doesn't hold a candle to Simpsons Wrestling.
Professional wrestling has changed. Back in 1993, icons like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Sting and Vader were on top of the world, running both the WWF and WCW. When one of these athletes got a hold of you and locked in their finishing move, it was lights out. These days, that's no longer the case. A DDT or a powerbomb doesn't get the job done. Hell, a front flip piledriver on the concrete floor doesn't get the job done. Here in 2021, everything is double backflips, two counts, and endless finishers without an end in sight. You know what's funny, though... This sort of high octane, over the top action DID exist in 1993.
WWF No Mercy is often regarded as the single greatest professional wrestling video game of all time. It's the pinnacle of AKI Corporation's prime, it's the perfect snapshot of the WWF's Attitude Era, and it's the star of many of our favorite, most important childhood memories. With a roster comprised of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Kane, Undertaker, The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, Mankind, Trish Stratus, Lita and more, it really doesn't get much better than this. If you owned a Nintendo 64, WWF No Mercy was a must have for your collection. If you were a PlayStation kid like I was, you were excited to head over to an N64 friend's house, because you knew you'd get to play No Mercy. This retrospective has been a long, LONG time coming, and I promise, it won't let you down. Let's get to it!
The WWF SmackDown series of video games made its big debut back in March of 2000 and for many years, across half a dozen sequels, the franchise called Sony’s PlayStation consoles home. From the PlayStation to the PlayStation 2, from WWF to WWE, from The Rock’s catchphrases serving as subtitles to an eventual switch into brand warfare territory, one thing never changed: for PlayStation gamers, SmackDown was our series. When the Nintendo kids had No Mercy, we had SmackDown. When the GameCube and Xbox kids had WrestleMania and RAW, we had SmackDown. SmackDown was our series. That is until WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 hit the scene, a game that would indeed see a PlayStation 2 release, but for the first time, a SmackDown title would cross over into Microsoft territory, launching on the brand new Xbox 360. Join me for a brand new episode of Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series where I'm diving deep into SVR 2007. Let's get to it!
In the long and storied history of video games based on professional wrestling, we’ve got a little bit of everything spread across the all time tier list. Titles like 2003’s WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain on the PlayStation 2 or 2000’s WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64 can be slotted anywhere around the very top, I mean, that’s where you’d put them if you have a brain in your head. Today, for the first time ever, Triangle X Squared O crosses the line into Microsoft territory with the very first wrestling game ever released on the XBOX, WWF RAW. Does this 2002 title find itself near the top with the No Mercy’s of the world? There’s only one way to find out.
In 2002, the World Wrestling Federation made its debut on Microsoft's brand new console, the Xbox. 'WWF RAW' released to middling reviews (at best) and lukewarm sales figures, leading developer Anchor Inc, publisher THQ, and parent company WWF, back to the workshop. In 2003, the sequel would hit store shelves. 'WWE RAW 2' promised to provide Xbox owners the game they were promised the first time... but not all promises come true. Even with an extensive list of speciality matches, updated roster and deeper customization modes, WWE RAW 2 failed to deliver the goods as promised.
Across the last two episodes of Triangle X Squared O, we’ve gone deep on WWF RAW and its sequel, WWE RAW 2. Neither game is particularly good, with RAW 2 falling far, far short of expectations. After these two failures, developer Anchor Inc. would be relieved of their WWE duties, with the keys to the kingdom being handed over to Studio Gigante, a team lead by Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias. On today’s episode of Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series, we close out the Xbox Trilogy with the third and final exclusive entry, WWE WrestleMania 21. You thought RAW and RAW 2 were sights to behold? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Business is about to pick up!
This is Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series. We’ve covered some of the classics on here, haven’t we? From the SmackDown vs. RAW games to WWF No Mercy, Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling to the Def Jam series, we’ve had variety on variety. 4 years ago I did an episode on Backyard Wrestling: Don’t Try This At Home. A game that promised the insanity you couldn’t find in WWE as well as traditional wrestling in the confines provided, should you decide to go that route. As we all know, Backyard Wrestling is not a good game. It sucks. It over-promised and under-delivered in practically every area. Today, we turn our attention to the sequel. Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes The Neighborhood. It can’t be worse than the original, right? Right? Well, let’s find out.
WWE aren’t just a pro wrestling powerhouse, they’ve not only been the undisputed industry leader for 25 years now, but they’re a merchandising titan as well. T-shirts and action figures are one thing, but on this show, I focus on the video games. In March of 2009, for the first time ever, WWE focused a brand new video game on their storied history with Legends Of WrestleMania. With a roster comprised exclusively of stars from decades past, going as far as to adorn the game with the classic block logo, this brand new title looked to land itself firmly in the digital Hall Of Fame. Today we’ll look back on this one off Legends entry and either place it amongst the brightest of stars of its time… or toss it in the dumpster like Cactus Jack on Sunday night. Let's get to it!
Over the last several years, I’ve covered just about every Acclaim wrestling game there is to cover, at least when it comes to PlayStation. WWF War Zone, both ECW Hardcore Revolution and its sequel Anarchy Rulz, onto Showdown: Legends Of Wrestling. I created a bit of a problem for myself in that, I jumped all over the place, I didn’t produce these retrospectives in order. So now here we are in 2024, and I’ve stil got one more on the list. Today, we finally knock it out. One year after the release of WWF War Zone, the sequel would arrive. WWF Attitude promised more wrestlers, more action and more, well... ATTITUDE. Today, we’re gonna go all in. Get it?
The Nintendo Gamecube. Home to classics like Super Mario Sunshine, Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and more. Today, we turn the page and begin the next chapter of the WWE’s tag team partnership with the Nintendo's boxy console: WWE Day Of Reckoning. Are we about to discover the next legendary main eventer? Or is this an overrated, over-appreciated, midcarder at best, thrust into the spotlight before it was ready? There’s only one way to find out. Welcome to Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series.
In 2005, the Nintendo Gamecube was not only an official disappointment from a sales perspective, but it was on its last legs, as well. Rumblings of the mysterious ‘Revolution,’ were getting louder and louder, while the PlayStation 2’s numbers soared to record heights and the Xbox 360 was nearing its launch. Nintendo’s boxy little boy was on its farewell tour, and with World Wrestling Entertainment by their side, they were looking to close out their in ring career on a high note. With an impressive trilogy of games already in their wake and a fourth on the horizon, the trio of Yuke’s, THQ and WWE knew one thing: this final entry had to be a banger. On today’s episode of Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series, we dive deep into WWE Day Of Reckoning 2.
From 1996 to 2007, nearly my every thought revolved around pro wrestling. But it wasn’t just the TV shows that had my attention. I was way into the action figures. The video games, as you know if you frequent this channel, were a constant. But in 2007, heading into 2008, the tide was beginning to turn. My interest in professional wrestling wasn’t only fading, it was hanging on by a thread. I now had a PlayStation 3 and WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 was the first wrestling game to hit the console. With better graphics, an updated roster and ECW now crashing the party, this could be it. Even if the wrestling on TV was falling out of favor with me, this new game might be exactly what I needed to stay on course with my favorite hobby. Today on Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series, I’m diving deep, into WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008... Featuring ECW.
WWF SmackDown released on the PlayStation in 2000. Do you know how many games use that exact title? Just this one. SmackDown is protected, SmackDown has always been protected, because the series has always been high quality. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? But what about RAW? The original flagship program for the WWF, or, WWE. The original A show. We’re still looking at great TV ratings, huge stars still walk the hallowed grounds of the red brand, it’s not like RAW has fallen off a cliff. It’s still massive on television, still big in the real world. But we don’t talk about the real world on this show, do we? No, this series is about video games. In the digital realm, RAW hasn’t been so lucky. Today, in 2024, we’re rewinding time back 30 years to shine a light on WWF RAW. Welcome to Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series.
If you grew up around the time that I did, your wrestling game collection was probably awesome. SmackDown Here Shut Your Mouth, WWF No Mercy, we all had WCW Nitro or Thunder too, they couldn’t all be gold. But the Backstage Assaults and Hardcore Revolutions were easily washed away by Here Comes The Pain and WrestleMania XIX and… man, we really had it made, didn’t we? Everybody knows the kings of the ring, right? Well… Not everybody. There was one game, hidden in the shadows like Sting in the rafters, that was right up there with the absolute greats. That game was called Fire Pro Wrestling Returns. Today on Triangle X Squared O, I'll tell you all about it.
WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 released at a time were my interest in professional wrestling wasn’t just waning… it was on life support. I’d hoped that the first SVR game to hit the next generation of PlayStation consoles might revitalize my love for what was my favorite hobby for the majority of my life. Long story short: it didn’t get the job done. Today, we turn out sights to the sequel. Taking a look at it today, in 2024… was WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2009 just another forgettable slog like SVR ‘08? Or did I miss out a great installment in the series? Today on Triangle X Squared O: The Wrestling Game Retrospective Series, we find out.
On this show, I like to shine a light on professional wrestling video games. The all time greats are a joy to cover because we get to relive some of our favorite memories together, right? Even the lower end of the spectrum, they’re not good, but it doesn’t hurt to goof on the garbage once in a while, either. And while I’ll never celebrate a studio closure or rejoice that someone’s art crashed and burned… I do have to be honest in my criticism. And with honesty at the forefront, I have to tell you that today’s game, MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch… might be the absolute worst piece of garbage I’ve ever covered on this show.
We’ve been through the ringer over the decades, but all things considered, the pro wrestling video g