WWF in Your House

Do you channel-surf past pro wrestling on TV with a sigh of disgust? You might become a fan after three rounds with this silly game.

The action is fast and furious, but it usually takes only 20 seconds to defeat an opponent, with moves looking more like Mortal Kombat than the WWF. Some maneuvers appear sloppily animated and unpolished, especially when compared to the dynamically detailed holds performed in Activision's Power Move Pro Wrestling. WWF fans will flock to this house, but most gamers will room with Power Move.

Despite all my complaints, I've actually had a lot of fun with this title. It controls a lot better than future Acclaim WWF titles, featuring a "pick-up-and-play" control scheme that doesn't have you memorizing button combos just to get past the menu screen. It's also a lot more creative than pretty much any wrestling title there is, with the powerups, unique arenas, and various objects flying out of your body whenever you get punched. This game reminds me of a souped-up SNES wrestling title, which is a good thing. (Unless you're talking about WWF Super WrestleMania, anyway.) It could certainly stand to have a few more modes of play, and maybe even a few more wrestlers (come ON, where are "The Grimm Twins"??!), but any wrestling fan out there should be able to have a good time with this title. Just don't go into it expecting N64's No Mercy.

Was mich Ende 1995 noch begeistern konnte, erntet 1997 nur ein müdes Lächeln. Außer der neuen Netzwerk-Option hat sich seit WWF Wrestlemania wirklich gar nichts getan. Klobige VGA-Pixelmänner könnten in Zeiten von Virtua Fighter PC von mir keine Wertungspunkte mehr ergattern. Von einer Fortsetzung mit dermaßen hohen Hardware-Anforderungen (Pentium 75) erwartet man sich zu Recht etwas mehr.

Imagine Mortal Kombat's Liu Kang and the gang replaced by professional wrestlers and you'll know what to expect from Acclaim's WWF In Your House for the Playstation. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it is further proof that WWF In Your House is a dated effort barely worthy of the 32-bit age.

It smarts like heck to admit it, but the game actually does get briefly interesting when up to four players are going at it hell-and-sidewinders in the ring simultaneously. Just like on TV, ludicrously elaborate three-on-one set-ups worthy of the Three Stooges can mark a combatant for the inevitable Finish Move ("PIN HIM"! I'm not kidding, it actually says that), and the mayhem starts to feel like some weird eye-boinking, gut-punching session of the old three-player arcade game Rampage. Oddly, the game is KA rated, because instead of blood pouring from your pummelled opponents, it's personal effects - decks of cards, gloves, hearts, as appropriate to the persona of the fighter in question. It gets old, really old - we're talking neutron-star old - fast, but one has to admit, for a while the gameplay is there. And of course, real WWF fans will eat it up.

If you're looking for a serious wrestling game, this isn't it. Simply, it's full of weird moves and plays more like a fighting game. The characters, while distinctive, are boring. The backgrounds are a nice idea, but look terrible. The addition of a four-player mode is a nice touch, but it isn't enough to make In Your House worthwhile.

The gameplay and the graphics are worse. There are little WWF signs appearing all over the ring (don't collect the red ones – they'll stun you). In addition to your moves, you also possess secret weapons, such as bat-like weapons that seem to shoot lightning flashes at your opponent. A strange innovation for a wrestling match, I’m sure you’ll agree. However, the game does have some fun features, like an internet multiplayer function, which does have some appeal. But it doesn’t quite make up for the general lack of gameplay. I have included a list of moves, but some of the moves are missing, e.g. pressing Super Kick + Super Punch enables you to pick up your opponent. To conclude, don't expect too much from this one. But that's just my opinion. Why don’t you play it yourself and see?

Aufgrund der anstrengenden, mühsam erlernbaren Steuerung gerät so mancher Angriff zum Schlag ins Wasser. Das ist schade, denn die Spezialattacken wirken teilweise ganz witzig. Außerdem sind die Computergegner verhältnismäßig stark und der eigene eMann erholt sich von manchem Tiefschlag nicht so schnell. Das schmerzt besonders, wenn es gegen mehr als einen Konkurrenten zu bestehen gilt. Mit vier Prüglern wird es dann fast unübersichtlich im Ring. Wenig Pro und zuviel Contra - deshalb kommen mir diese Wrestler nicht ins Haus!