Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

WWF Raw delivers an accessible yet surprisingly deep wrestling experience that captures the spirit of the late-’90s Attitude Era. You can choose from forty-five of the era’s biggest superstars, from The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin to The Undertaker and Triple H. Each wrestler handles differently, with unique move sets, strengths, and weaknesses, ensuring that no two matches feel identical. The controls strike a balance between simplicity and nuance, offering basic strikes and grapples for newcomers while providing advanced reversals, submissions, and high-risk maneuvers for veterans looking to chain together complex combos.

The inclusion of a tag team mode invites four players to duke it out in chaotic, multi-man bouts. Tagging mechanics are intuitive: step close to your partner in the corner, hit the tag button, and watch the fresh wrestler sprint in for a hot tag. This mode shines in local multiplayer sessions, where co-op strategies and interference tactics ramp up the fun. Outside of pure tag matches, you can even swap in and out mid-match, giving you options to rest a worn-down superstar or spring a surprise on your opponent.

For those craving a deeper single-player challenge, Superstar Mode lets you create and customize your own wrestler from scratch. You pick entrance music, attire, move sets, and even tailor victory poses. Guiding your creation through a string of escalating challenges—house shows, pay-per-views, and title bouts—captures the thrill of rising through the ranks. Decisions you make backstage, like whom to ally with or betray, influence rivalries and match stipulations, adding a light layer of strategy to the career progression.

Presentation details, drawn straight from the TV show, elevate the immersion. Wrestler introductions mirror live broadcasts with arena lighting effects, entrance videos, and pyrotechnics to match each superstar’s gimmick. The “double replay” feature allows you to bask in your finishing move twice, while the ability to assault opponents en route to the ring adds unpredictability. Throwing a rival into the crowd rails or ambushing them on the ramp sets the tone for a truly raw experience.

Graphics

For its time, WWF Raw’s graphics pushed the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 hardware impressively. Character models are easily recognizable thanks to distinct silhouettes, signature attire, and facial details that recall each superstar’s real-life persona. While polygons are blockier by modern standards, the game’s art direction and color palette help wrestlers pop against the darker, atmosphere-dense arenas.

Arenas are faithfully recreated down to minor details: sponsor banners, the familiar steel steps, announce tables, and even the commentary desk at ringside. Lighting effects—especially the spotlight on the ramp and the glow of arena floodlights—give matches an authentic televised quality. Crowd models remain static, but their background chatter and sporadic reactions lend a convincing sense of scale and atmosphere.

Animations are fluid for a late-’90s title, with a variety of signature maneuvers and finishers rendered in smooth, recognizable motion. Transitions from grapples to high-flying attacks, such as top-rope elbow drops and springboard maneuvers, are seamless, preserving match momentum. Occasionally, clipping or stiff animations occur, but these quirks are forgivable given the overall presentation quality and the volume of moves on display.

The replay camera adds a cinematic flourish, offering multiple angles to appreciate brutal finishers. Though it sometimes jiggles a bit too much, the intent—to recreate the excitement of live broadcast replays—is clear and largely successful. Overall, Raw’s visual package may show its age today, but it still stands as one of the most faithful wrestling game presentations of its era.

Story

WWF Raw doesn’t feature a traditional narrative campaign, but its Superstar Mode structures your climb to championship glory like a soap-opera-style storyline. Early matches are straightforward contests to build your wrestler’s reputation, while mid-card pay-per-views introduce rivalries and challenges that demand you adapt your in-ring style and strategy. This loosely scripted progression mirrors the TV show’s episodic drama, complete with surprise interference, tag betrayals, and last-minute opponent swaps.

Your custom wrestler’s journey is peppered with vignettes and cutscenes reminiscent of backstage segments. Managers offer contracts, trainers deliver motivational pep talks, and rival superstars taunt you through mock interviews. Though these scenes rely on text and static images rather than voice acting, they succeed in creating context and motivation for each match.

Key moments—winning your first title or exacting revenge on a longtime nemesis—are celebrated with impromptu backstage run-ins, surprise alliances, and evolving story ramifications. While branching story paths are relatively shallow, the sheer thrill of seeing your own creation outmatch legends like Stone Cold or The Undertaker grants a personal stake that drives replayability.

Additionally, the game’s arcade and exhibition modes allow you to recreate famous bouts or forge entirely new feuds, giving you control over your own wrestling saga. Though it lacks the cinematic storytelling of modern wrestling titles, WWF Raw’s approach remains both charming and effective for its generation.

Overall Experience

WWF Raw stands the test of time as an essential title for any wrestling fan seeking an authentic Attitude Era experience. Its blend of accessible controls, deep multiplayer options, and faithful presentation create an engaging package that appeals to both casual button-mashers and dedicated sim-wrestling enthusiasts. Whether you’re forging new rivalries in Superstar Mode or throwing down with friends in epic tag team bouts, Raw offers consistently entertaining gameplay.

The game’s longevity is bolstered by its customization suite. Creating your own superstar—down to signature moves and entrance theatrics—injects fresh excitement into each playthrough. Watching a self-made wrestler dethrone legends in the main event never grows old, especially when you’ve painstakingly fine-tuned that wrestler’s move set and ring persona.

Despite dated visuals and occasional animation hiccups, World Wrestling Federation Raw captures the electricity of Monday night broadcasts better than many later entries in the genre. From the opening pyro to the final bell, every moment feels charged with the heightened drama that made WWF must-see TV in its heyday.

For players eager to relive the rise of their favorite superstars or carve out their own legacy, WWF Raw offers hours of adrenaline-fueled action. It may not boast the cinematic polish of current wrestling titles, but its heart and soul belong firmly to wrestling purists—and that authenticity makes it a title well worth revisiting.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10