| 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 |
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.
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]
Some minor new features included a tribute to deceased legendary wrestlers as well as a tutorial fully narrated by Bret Hart.
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: