ECW Hardcore Revolution

The Good
Not everything is perfectly bad, and even games like ECW Hardcore Revolution have their moments. The positively best part about ECW Hardcore Revolution is the fact that the game features an extensive roster of characters and many ECW legends such as Sandman, Raven, Rob Van Dam, and many, many more.

For its time as well, ECW Hardcore Revolution has great create options. Players can use a very in-depth create a wrestler (for the Nintendo 64 it's deep) to make their own extreme wrestler. Also in the game is the ability to edit the arena, including the ability to change the color of the ring ropes.

The Bad
Despite ECW's decent roster selection and create options, the game just flat out plays terribly. Compared to other N64 wrestling games (all of which came out before this game), the control scheme is uncomfortable and obtuse. This scheme rarely makes any sense and never allows players to get used to the control scheme. What's worse is that (most likely due to a programming error) punches and kicks will GO THROUGH other wrestlers (and do not register) unless they are standing an exact distance apart. Often times trying to initiate a grapple is too much work for what it's worth.

ECW Hardcore Revolution, despite what the title says, is hardly a revolution. Players will notice how uncannily similar this game is to previous WWE titles made by Acclaim, including match types and how the menu functions. Match types are exactly the same as found in other titles and default matches have count outs and there's no weapons available. Even in the "Death Match" (a sad excuse for a Hardcore Match), weapons can't be taken outside of the ring and are limited in variety.

The Bottom Line
ECW Hardcore Revolution could have been a better game had Acclaim looked at it as its own property and not as a chance to rehash the WWE engine after loosing the license. With bad controls, poor game modes, and much, MUCH better wrestling titles available out there (WCW/nWo Revenge & WWF No Mercy), you have no reason to play this game unless you get a perverse kick out of bad games and have a dedicated friend to play it with.