Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

WCW vs. the World puts you straight in the center of the ring with 51 wrestlers from across the globe, each bringing unique move sets and signature finishing maneuvers. The weight of choice is satisfying – from towering heavyweights to agile cruiserweights, selecting your fighter feels meaningful and encourages experimentation with different styles. Each wrestler handles distinctly, so mastering the nuances of grapples, strikes, and aerial assaults delivers a genuine arcade-style thrill.

The game offers seven varied modes to keep the action fresh. In League Challenge you battle your way up the ranks to earn the World Heavyweight Championship belt, while the Best of Seven mode challenges you to string together seven consecutive victories against different opponents. Exhibition Match gives you the freedom to test any single wrestler in a quick bout, perfect for casual play or settling debates with friends.

For those craving deeper tests of skill, Elimination Match puts you in charge of a five-man roster, demanding you preserve your winning streak under the threat of elimination. Tournament mode lets you pick eight competitors to duke it out in a classic bracket format, while League Match tasks you with accumulating the highest points across multiple encounters. Finally, the Double Title Match pits two champions in a high-stakes clash where both belts are on the line. The result is a well-rounded suite of options that keeps replay value high.

Graphics

Graphically, WCW vs. the World delivers colorful, punchy visuals that capture the excitement of late ’90s wrestling. Wrestler sprites are large and detailed, with clear animations for slams, suplexes, and finishers. While lacking the pixel-perfect realism of modern titles, the game’s bright color palette and bold ring backdrops convey the stadium atmosphere effectively.

Arenas and camera angles are designed to showcase the action, with dynamic zoom-ins during critical moments such as pinfall attempts or high-flying aerials. Crowd sprites in the background react appropriately, adding a layer of immersion. Though the backgrounds are somewhat static compared to contemporary 3D arenas, the sense of scale and energy remains intact.

Character portraits and menus lean heavily on scanned photos of real wrestlers, reinforcing the authentic WCW license feel. While some early polygonal elements appear rough around the edges, they’re kept to a minimum, letting the 2D artistry shine. Overall, the graphics strike a fine balance between clarity and charm, ensuring each bout looks crisp and readable even in the heat of battle.

Story

As a wrestling title, WCW vs. the World doesn’t follow a traditional narrative-driven campaign. Instead, the “story” emerges from your journey through the various modes and the escalating tension of championship pursuits. Every League Challenge victory, Tournament win, or Double Title conquest becomes its own mini-arc, driven by the personalities of the wrestlers in your roster.

Character bios and in-ring rivalries give tidbits of backstory, setting the stage for marquee matchups. For instance, you might find yourself pitting an underdog cruiserweight from Japan against a ferocious North American powerhouse, creating an organic David vs. Goliath feel. This light sprinkling of lore adds context to each clash without bogging the action down.

In absence of cutscenes or branching dialogue trees, the thrill of the story lies in skip-to-the-finish intensity. Your own performance and the narrative you build through victory streaks and title defenses become the centerpiece. In that sense, the game cleverly empowers players to write their own wrestling saga.

Overall Experience

WCW vs. the World delivers a robust, pick-up-and-play wrestling experience that caters to both casual brawlers and hardcore grappling fans. The extensive roster and seven distinct modes offer tremendous replayability, while the varied difficulty settings ensure newcomers and veterans alike can find an appropriate challenge. Multiplayer bouts amplify the fun, turning any living room into a makeshift arena.

Though its presentation bears the hallmarks of late-90s hardware – with blocky polygons and simple crowd loops – the game’s tight controls and punchy animations more than compensate. Matches feel responsive and fair, and the thrill of pulling off a perfectly timed finisher never gets old. The balanced mixture of depth and accessibility is a standout feature.

Ultimately, WCW vs. the World remains a delightful snapshot of its era, offering fast-paced, arcade-style wrestling action packed with variety. Whether you’re revisiting the golden age of pro wrestling or discovering it for the first time, this title provides an engaging, action-packed experience that’s hard to put down. It’s a must-have for fans seeking nostalgic thrills or newcomers craving a solid introduction to classic wrestling games.

Retro Replay Score

6.9/10