12/05/00

WWF No Mercy

Well you put this game under the win column for THQ, Jack's Interactive, and AKI.   If you liked WWF Wrestlemania 2000 then you should like this game as well.  Basically it's the same game with back stages added and a non linear story line.  Most of the story lines are just rehashed plots that have already taken place in the WWF.  I suppose that would be my only complaint about the game.  (or at least one of the few).   In the quest for the heavy weight title it seems that the dialogue is coming strait from the Rocks mouth no matter who you pick.  After you beat it an play again as the same character, suddenly you are a heal like HHH.  Of course you don't have to replay it and be a heal, but then it would make unlocking all the secrets a lot tougher.   

First I'd like to get the other complaints out of the way.  Besides the story lines being on the border of horrible.  The language was unnecessarily pushed to the very limit of a "teen" rating.  I would have enjoyed the game just as much (if not more)  if "ass" wasn't used in almost every sentence.   There is slowdown when there are four wrestlers.  So tag matches can be a little annoying.  Especially when there is a ladder.   Other then that I can't really think of anything else bad about the game.

Now as far as the things I liked about the game there are plenty.  Despite the story line's lake of originality,  it was still fun enough for me to keep coming back again and again to go down every path.  If you haven't played it I should explain that the story line changes weather you win or loose.  There are some matches you have to win, but there are others that you don't. Weather you win or loose those matches effects the story.  Also the story will be different if you start a championship mode with the wrestler that is already the champion.  There are different championship modes. One for each belt.  I have won all of them at least once.  The second time I beat the heavy weight division, I unlocked one of the best wrestlers that ever lived.  Andre the Giant. 

That brings me to the second thing I liked about the game.  For big wrestlers such as Andre it isn't easy to lift them.  In No Mercy wrestlers struggle to body slam these big guys.  On the flip side this does bring up a complaint I almost forgot.  While you have to really work to slam the big guys, it seems that a suplex isn't effected by size.

One complaint that I had about Wrestlemania 2000 was how hard the cage matches were.  Well they learned there lesson because the No Mercy cage matches are a lot easier.  You don't run out of spirit as fast on the climb, and the wrestlers seem to stay down a little longer.  Especially if they are in "Danger" or "Losing It".  This makes the game easier to beat.  Another thing that makes it easier than 2000 is that you don't have to win the Royal Rumble to win. (Witch at times was pretty tuff.  If not just long and annoying.)

Another thing I hated about Wrestlemania 2000 was that the weapons disappeared when you dropped them.  Well now they don't, and another added feature of weapons is that now you can not only hit someone with it, you can through it at them as well!  That comes in handy when you are out side the ring in a handicap match and both opponents are in the ring taunting you.  You can grab the stairs and through it at them and if they are close to each other it can take them both out!  

The ladder matches a cool, and you can be a guest referee.  You can put people through tables.  What more could you want?  OK maybe a table match and a Hell in the Cell match.  Maybe next time.

So basically if you liked Wrestlemania then you should love this game.  Its worth buying a system for.  (well if you buy the system at Game Hits and pay only $49.95)

Now if these companies could make this wrestling engine for a system like the DC then we could see this already great game taken to the next level.  And that's the FINAL WORD.

-Shawn

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