by Wyatt "JOEDOG" Elliott
There have been a ton of different World Wrestling games of the years. Until now, the craziest title we've seen was "In Your House" on the original PlayStation.
However, THQ along with Smack Down creators Jakks Pacific decided to change that.
Now, you can play your favorite WWE star in a Twisted Metal style car combat extravaganza. WWE Crush Hour for PlayStation 2.
Crush Hour features all the current WWE superstars, each their own custom vehicle of destruction.
The levels are named after different wrestling matches. Other than that, it's just like Twisted Metal. Not Twisted Metal Black, I'd say more like Twisted Metal 3.
WWE Crush Hour is the first WWE game, you don't have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy.
However, the similarities to a wrestling game are coincidence. Each wrestler has an entrance sequence mixed with live footage and a theme song.
As mentioned before, the levels are named after matches. Raw, Smack Down, Rage in the Cage, etc. etc.
Graphically it's not bad. With the exception of the FMV sequences, the graphics are good. Not great, adequate.
The levels don't offer anything to sing about. However, the levels are of decent size, and will provide enough running space. WWE Crush Hour allows for only two players and no on-line capabilities. A typical mistake most PS2 titles make.
If Crush Hour were a movie, it wouldn’t win an award for best sound effects editing. I find this part the most disturbing.
These hefty muscle cars come fully loaded with a two ton, double barrel, BFG chain gun on the hood. And it shoots lasers! LASERS?!!
Okay, lasers are cool in Star Wars, and perhaps Star Trek. But this is just silly. Remember the old G.I. Joe cartoon, and how everyone shot lasers? Which never hit anything, but that's besides the point.
The point is, it cheapened the show, because they thought lasers were more "kid" friendly.
I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I would have much prefered the loud noise of a manly automatic M16 of those wimpy lasers. They still wouldn't have hit anything, but it would have been cool. Yes, there is a point to this rant.
This is a WWE game aimed for a teen crowd of higher. So why wimp out with lasers?? Kind of a long way to go for a point, huh?
I did enjoy playing this game. It's obvious if you liked the Twisted Metal series you'll appreciate this game.
What's not obvious, is that the game actually ain't half bad. Especially since it carries a SRP of only $19.99. Not bad at all.
I guess the idea is to expand the WWE into more than just wrestling. After all, its World Wrestling ENTERTAINMENT.
Next thing you know, we'll have a WWE football game. . . . Oop's, maybe that's still a sore subject. Sorry, Vince.