Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

WWF Rage in the Cage delivers a robust, arcade-style wrestling experience by letting you pick from thirty of the era’s biggest Superstars—from The Undertaker and Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. Each wrestler comes equipped with a unique finisher (the Tombstone Piledriver, Sweet Chin Music, and more) in addition to a solid moveset of suplexes, body slams, and grapples. This diversity ensures that every match feels distinct as you exploit each Superstar’s strengths and work around their weaknesses.

The game offers a wide range of match types, including single-fall bouts, tag team, six-man tags, battle royals, and the eponymous Steel Cage match. The Steel Cage mode in particular stands out: the ring is enclosed by a towering mesh structure that changes the pacing entirely, encouraging pin attempts and high-risk maneuvers off the cage wall. Meanwhile, the standard modes draw on the familiar but refined WWF Royal Rumble engine, trading complicated move lists for intuitive inputs that let you chain combos, reverse moves, and execute finishers without breaking your momentum.

Under the hood, Rage in the Cage strikes a fine balance between accessibility and depth. Newcomers can dive right in—just mash punches and kicks to feel the power of each Superstar—while seasoned players can master timing-based reversals and grapple counters. The AI adapts to your playstyle, ramping up aggression if you stall or relentlessly reversing if you spam the same move, which keeps solo sessions challenging and replayable.

Graphics

Graphically, Rage in the Cage marks a notable upgrade over its predecessor. Character sprites are larger, more detailed, and closer in likeness to their real-world counterparts, capturing The Undertaker’s imposing silhouette and Dizzying colorful tights of Bam Bam Bigelow. The ring itself boasts sharper ropes, a textured canvas, and dynamic corner turnbuckle animations when Superstars are thrown into them.

The Steel Cage stage showcases the game’s graphical muscle: every rung of the cage is clearly defined, casting shadows on the ring floor below. Crowd sprites in the background sway and cheer, and you’ll even see individual fans holding signs or jumping in excitement. Subtle details—like sweat glistening on a Superstar’s forehead after a sustained beating—add a level of polish that elevates the immersion during your most intense matchups.

Audio complements the visuals with enhanced commentary clips, authentic entrance riffs, and booming crowd reactions that swell as finishers connect. Impact sound effects—body slams, chair bounces off the steel mesh—feel weighty, reinforcing the visceral brutality of each encounter. Together, the updated graphics and sound create an atmosphere that feels true to the WWF spectacle of the mid-’90s.

Story

Unlike modern wrestling titles, WWF Rage in the Cage forgoes a dedicated story or career mode. Instead, it empowers you to craft your own narratives within its versatile match framework. Want to settle a long-standing feud between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels? Book a best-of-three series under cage rules. Looking to crown a new “undisputed” champion? Stage a brutal battle royal and cement your legacy.

The absence of a scripted campaign might feel like a drawback if you’re seeking cutscenes or dialogue, but it also means you’re not bound by a predetermined path. Rivalries simmer and boil over based on match outcomes, and you can simulate tournament brackets or round-robin competitions with friends. In that way, the game’s open-ended structure encourages creativity—your only limit is how wild you want your WWF universe to become.

For players who miss the narrative flair of later wrestling games, the raw, exhibition-style offerings here can actually be a boon. Without tutorials masquerading as “story beats” or repetitive backstage segments, the action kicks off immediately. If you crave the drama of wrestling’s biggest moments, you’ll find it in the heat of battle—especially when you finally pull off that perfectly timed finisher and send your opponent crashing through the cage wall.

Overall Experience

WWF Rage in the Cage stands as a testament to mid-’90s wrestling game design: easy to pick up, hard to put down, and packed with enough Superstars and match types to keep even the most dedicated WWF fan busy for weeks. The blend of responsive controls, varied modes, and memorable finishers makes multiplayer sessions a riot, whether you’re duking it out in a one-on-one slugfest or teaming up against a friend in six-man tag chaos.

While the lack of a formal story mode may deter players looking for a structured progression, the game’s strength lies in its pure, unfiltered ring action. Its enhanced graphics and sound breathe new life into an already solid engine, and the Steel Cage matches deliver tension and spectacle that still hold up today. Casual players can jump in for quick bouts, and completionists can experiment with every Superstar to learn their most devastating combinations.

In the end, WWF Rage in the Cage offers an engaging wrestling experience that captures the spirit of the WWF’s golden era. It’s a must-play for collectors and retro enthusiasts, and it remains an entertaining party game for anyone who wants to step into the squared circle with icons of the ’90s. Lace up your boots, select your favorite Superstar, and prepare to rage—because in this cage, there are no rules, only glory.

Retro Replay Score

7.4/10