WWE™ games aplenty
THQ confirms WWE™ line-up for 2002
In a press release which is sure to go down in history as featuring the greatest concentration of trademarks ever witnessed, THQ have announced their line-up of WWE™ games for the next few months. I think we can safely say that the final weeks of this year will be wrestling heaven for European fans of lycra clad wimps bouncing each other around a ring, with the release of no less than four games on a variety of platforms. Kicking things off in October is WWE™ WrestleMania® X8 on the Nintendo® GameCube™, featuring some 35 wrestling superstars battling it out across a variety of venues and events, including Hell in a Cell™ match-ups and "death-defying" TLC™ fights. We've no idea what that stands for, but we doubt it's tender loving care. Maybe Trademarked Licensing Crap? Also appearing in October will be the Xbox version of WWE™ Raw®, which has been available for several months in the US under the old WWF™ monicker, recently lost in a court battle to the World Wildlife Fund. Wrestling nuts can look forward to "stunning graphics" as 35 wrestling superstars battle it out across a variety of venues and events [Woah, deja vu - Ed], including the likes of The Rock™® and Triple H™. Meanwhile November will see the release of a PC port of the game, the first time that the WWE™ has appeared on the beige box™. November also sees the arrival of the latest handheld wrestling game (don't even go there™), going by the imaginative title of WWE™ Road To WrestleMania® X8. This will feature a scant 16 superstars, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in merchandising, with everyone from Hollywood Hulk Hogan™ to Booker T™ and Rob Van Dam™ [Rob van Who™? - Ed] included. Players will be able to rise their way through the ranks, developing their chosen star's abilities and exploiting their unique "fighting" styles on their way to the WWE™ Heavyweight Championship. Finally there's WWE™ SmackDown!™ Shut Your Mouth on the PlayStation® 2™, featuring more of the same. Compared to previous Sony outings of the franchise, Shut Your Mouth sports enhanced career and season modes, updates to the roster of available characters, revamped controls and a new Create-A-Wrestler option. Some sweaty white trash in a silly costume will be telling you to Shut Your Mouth in November. So there you have it - four wrestling games, five platforms, several thousand trademarks. Related Feature - WWF™ SmackDown™ Just Bring It! review (PS2)