Capcom is making a wrestling game? Has the whole world gone nuts!?!?!
Overview
Since everybody knew Capcom was the ruler of 2D Fighting, it was only a matter of time until they would try to branch off into other different genres. Wrestling would be one of them and thus it would be “Saturday Night Slam Masters” that came out of that project. So does the CWA (Capcom Wrestling Association) have what its takes in the wrestling ring?
Graphics 7/10
The characters’ personalities can be reflected through their moves and attire, though I find Titan’s sprite look ‘dumb and generic”. The in-ring entrances are okay as it gets the job done. The wrestling ring stages in different areas of the world are exactly the same setup, but in different colors. Then again, you won’t even notice anything since you are too damn busy laying the smackdown on your opponent.
Gameplay/Controls 8/10
Capcom did a good job with the wrestle formula as they have submission holds, tapping out of it, count outs, tables, chairs, stomping, top ropes, etc. This is what brings this game together. The single player mode is a long and treacherous road as it is your job to beat all the wrestlers before winning the ultimate championship…and to prove you are a true champion…you going to have to beat all of losers a second time. Same thing goes with tag team mode, except you can’t go out the ring. The good thing is having your tag team partner saving you from losing or vice versa makes for a great time. The enemy AI is very hard to predict and will punish you like there is no tomorrow. Jumbo and Scorpion are excellent as singles’ mode bosses. Tag Team is an even harder fight then you think. If you win the single or tag titles, be prepared for some surprising comebacks from the computer to take away the title, if you make it that far.
The best option in this game is the ability to not just have two players joined in, but up to four players can slam each other into oblivion and with the arcade having a double screen cabinet give each person enough arm space. Its one of the few games that 4 group of friends or strangers can battle in perfect harmony.
The buttons layout comes in threes: attack, jump, and pin. It may not sound as much, but don’t be fooled. Attack has a lot of purposes. By itself, a slight tap gives a weak attack, while pressing harder let’s out a fierce hit. Pressing towards with attack on an opponent makes your player grab them and from there, hit attack again (together with a jump or a certain direction if you want) and it does a wrestling move in easy fashion. Each wrestler has two special moves: One non-grab special that usually hits others surrounding you and one wrestling special move, that do the most life lost on an opponent. Sure there is no blocking available. You can do these special as many as you want, so enjoy! In conclusion, when you go deep inside the center of Slam Masters’ style, it’s just Final Fight in a wrestling ring. Not like there’s anything wrong with that!
Sound/Music 7/10
I’ll make this short and sweet. The sound effects, which mostly composed of the punching and slamming on the mat, are killer. The crowd cheering is good as well. The announcer is fine, as he does make you feel great when you pin somebody for the 1, 2, 3! You will like the soundtrack for all the stages, but once you get away from the game, it won’t last in your brain after a few seconds.
Replay Value 8/10
The first you’ll notice is Final Fight’s very own Haggar is included here. Awesome!!! With 8 wrestlers in singles and 10 in tag mode, Capcom manages to make these wrestlers not a bore, with their limited arsenal. Although two people cannot play the same person, every person has one skill they can easily win their matches against others. Like Scorpion’s easy special moves’ execution, Jumbo’s powerful foot stomping power, and Sting’s unmatched speed. This makes the crew evenly balance so no one can be considered cheap. The four human players in tag are what make up for the majority score of the replay value. Without it, the value to play this again would be a 6.
Overall 7/10
Unless you are playing the 2 or more players in tag team mode, there is really nothing much else left of it. The lengthy time you’ll spend to beat the game in both wrestling modes are tiresome. The 4 player join in is what will leave a long lasting impression on you and your friends…that is if you have more then two or more friends to compete with. If you don’t mind the time consumption this game make you lose, it’s a fine game to play once in awhile.
- By Mr. Boombada
