History Main / WrestlingGame

** Also in that timeframe, AKI developed the Japan-only ''Virtual Pro Wrestling" series using the same engine but with Japanese pro wrestlers instead. The first game was based off of ''World Tour'', while the second was based off of ''WM2000''. The second game also featured licensed wrestlers from ''Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling'', and a fighting style based of ''UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts'' using the AKI engine.

* ''Videogame/TotalExtremeWrestling'' and it's spinoff ''Videogame/{{iDomination}}''

* ''VideoGame/RumbleRoses'' is an [[PantyFighter all-female]] wrestling title. With such things as "embarrassment moves" that involve holding your opponent in such a way that the audience can see her goodies better. At least one match in every story mode takes place in a mud pit on a beach. Pure FanService aside, it did have quite a few genuine pro wrestling features, such as a Heel and Face version of each character, and pinfalls as well as knockouts.

* ''VideoGame/SumotoriDreams''

* ''VideoGame/SaturdayNightSlamMasters'' is a Capcom-produced hybrid between the FightingGame and the WrestlingGame. Be on the lookout for expies in the [[FistOfTheNorthStar Tetsuo Hara]] character designs.

** The series is also one that zigs zags on involving a story. The first two games had small cut scenes that would determine allies and enemies, ''Just Bring It'' and ''Shut Your Mouth'' was a more WideOpenSandbox where you could hook up, make enemies, and get involved with matches with other wrestlers, even CAWS. ''Here Comes the Pain'' and the original ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw'' had a single brand storyline, the latter removing the ability to play as a diva or Unknown type (HCTP had you get involved with a Diva). SvR 2006 was perhaps the best thought out story of the series, with brand specific storylines and your decisions having an impact on matches and the ending (accuse Wrestling/JohnCena of running down Teddy Long and it turns out you were responsible, side with Wrestling/TripleH and an incensed Shelton Benjamin will turn on you). The next two games had stock cutscenes, where by 2009 the focus shifted to a few individual wrestlers and a CAW, no Mickie James story for you (except in 2010).

* Between 1997 and 2000, AKI developed and THQ published a series of highly-regarded licensed WWF and Wrestling/{{WCW}} titles for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64. In order, they were ''WCW vs. [=nWo=] World Tour'', ''[=WCW/nWo=] Revenge'', ''WWF [=WrestleMania=] 2000'', and ''WWFNoMercy''. Each game improved on the mechanics and features of the last, and ''No Mercy'' still boasts one of the most complex story modes, with branching storylines depending on whether matches are won or lost; it's widely considered the greatest professional wrestling game ever. ''Revenge'' still has its loyal fanbase as one of the last ways to relive WCW's glory days.

** The series is also one that zigs zags on involving a story. The first two games had small cut scenes that would determine allies and enemies, ''Just Bring It'' and ''Shut Your Mouth'' was a more WideOpenSandbox where you could hook up, make enemies, and get involved with matches with other wrestlers, even CAWS. ''Here Comes the Pain'' and the original ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw'' had a single brand storyline, the latter removing the ability to play as a diva or Unknown type (HCTP had you get involved with a Diva). SvR 2006 was perhaps the best thought out story of the series, with brand specific storylines and your decisions having an impact on matches and the ending (accuse Wrestling/JohnCena of running down Teddy Long and it turns out you were responsible, side with TripleH and an incensed Shelton Benjamin will turn on you). The next two games had stock cutscenes, where by 2009 the focus shifted to a few individual wrestlers and a CAW, no Mickie James story for you (except in 2010).

* ''King Of Colosseum', a sort of 3D successor to the ''Fire Pro Wrestling'' series, even though ''Fire Pro Wrestling'' continued to run strong.

** After losing the ECW license, Creator/{{Acclaim}} went a different direction and put together an AllStarCast of wrestlers from across the ages to make the ''LegendsOfWrestling'' series. It has aged nicely, the second installment in particular, thanks to some innovative gameplay, some gorgeous arena designs and its massive cast.
* Between 1997 and 2000, AKI developed and THQ published a series of highly-regarded licensed WWF and WCW titles for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64. In order, they were ''WCW vs. [=nWo=] World Tour'', ''[=WCW/nWo=] Revenge'', ''WWF [=WrestleMania=] 2000'', and ''WWFNoMercy''. Each game improved on the mechanics and features of the last, and ''No Mercy'' still boasts one of the most complex story modes, with branching storylines depending on whether matches are won or lost; it's widely considered the greatest professional wrestling game ever. ''Revenge'' still has its loyal fanbase as one of the last ways to relive WCW's glory days.

* Between 1997 and 2000, AKI developed and THQ published a series of highly-regarded licensed WWF and WCW titles for the Nintendo64. In order, they were ''WCW vs. [=nWo=] World Tour'', ''[=WCW/nWo=] Revenge'', ''WWF [=WrestleMania=] 2000'', and ''WWFNoMercy''. Each game improved on the mechanics and features of the last, and ''No Mercy'' still boasts one of the most complex story modes, with branching storylines depending on whether matches are won or lost; it's widely considered the greatest professional wrestling game ever. ''Revenge'' still has its loyal fanbase as one of the last ways to relive WCW's glory days.

* ''WWF Wrestlefest'' is probably the epitome of the old-school arcade wrestling game.

* ''VideoGame/WWFSuperstars'', a 1989 arcade game from Technos Japan.

* ''VideoGame/WWEAllStars'' is a 2011 game for the PS3, {{Xbox 360}}, and {{Wii}}. It features current wrestlers fighting alongside legends such as Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/RandySavage, and Wrestling/AndreTheGiant. Its style is more over-the-top compared to other recent wrestling games.

* The mostly-Japan-only ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' series is one of the major innovators of the genre, having [[TropeMaker introduced such staples]] as the Create-A-Wrestler mode (in ''Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium'', for the Super Famicom) and the Story mode (in ''Fire Pro Wrestling G'' for UsefulNotes/PlayStation 1). It still boasts the most extensive CAW mode in the industry, which is saying a lot, given that its 2D, sprite-based style makes animating the various selectable costumes far more difficult than simply swapping out textures. Each game also boasts hundreds upon hundreds of wrestlers, most of them {{Captain Ersatz}}es for real-life wrestlers. To date, only three games under the ''Fire Pro'' line have made it to the United States: ''Fire Pro Wrestling Advance'' and its sequel (both for the Game Boy Advance), and the currently-last game in the series, ''Fire Pro Wrestling Returns'' for the [=PlayStation=] 2. Fire Pro's GaidenGame, ''Blazing Tornado'', also had a limited American arcade release, but no home release (unlike in Japan, where it was ported to the Sega Saturn).

* The Creator/DataEast ArcadeGame ''Mutant Fighter'' features a cast consisting mostly of mythical monsters grappling with each other in no-holds-barred matches. It hardly pretends to any sort of realistic simulation, but even with the absence of pins and ropes, it's more obviously influenced by ProfessionalWrestling than anything else.

* The mostly-Japan-only ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' series is one of the major innovators of the genre, having [[TropeMaker introduced such staples]] as the Create-A-Wrestler mode (in ''Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium'', for the Super Famicom) and the Story mode (in ''Fire Pro Wrestling G'' for PlayStation 1). It still boasts the most extensive CAW mode in the industry, which is saying a lot, given that its 2D, sprite-based style makes animating the various selectable costumes far more difficult than simply swapping out textures. Each game also boasts hundreds upon hundreds of wrestlers, most of them {{Captain Ersatz}}es for real-life wrestlers. To date, only three games under the ''Fire Pro'' line have made it to the United States: ''Fire Pro Wrestling Advance'' and its sequel (both for the Game Boy Advance), and the currently-last game in the series, ''Fire Pro Wrestling Returns'' for the [=PlayStation=] 2. Fire Pro's GaidenGame, ''Blazing Tornado'', also had a limited American arcade release, but no home release (unlike in Japan, where it was ported to the Sega Saturn).

* The Midway-developed ''{{TNA}} Impact'' was received marginally well, but plans were in place to produce a sequel that likely would have been a much better game. Midway then went bankrupt and now nobody knows the future of the series.

* The Creator/DataEast ArcadeGame ''Mutant Fighter'' features a cast consisting mostly of mythical monsters going at each other in no-holds-barred matches. It hardly pretends to any sort of realistic simulation, but even with the absence of pins and ropes, it's more obviously influenced by ProfessionalWrestling than anything else.

* ''RumbleRoses'' is an [[PantyFighter all-female]] wrestling title. With such things as "embarrassment moves" that involve holding your opponent in such a way that the audience can see her goodies better. At least one match in every story mode takes place in a mud pit on a beach. Pure FanService aside, it did have quite a few genuine pro wrestling features, such as a Heel and Face version of each character, and pinfalls as well as knockouts.
* Predating the above is the ''WrestleAngels'' series, which began as a wrestling game with some HGame elements (the loser of certain matches is stripped in early games), and its combat mechanics are basically a CardBattleGame. When they realized that the main draw was the management of the teams, they morphed it into mostly a wrestler management simulator with the player basically playing Vince [=McMahon=] for an all-ladies wrestling league.

** The series is also one that zigs zags on involving a story. The first two games had small cut scenes that would determine allies and enemies, ''Just Bring It'' and ''Shut Your Mouth'' was a more WideOpenSandbox where you could hook up, make enemies, and get involved with matches with other wrestlers, even CAWS. ''Here Comes the Pain'' and the original ''[=SmackDown=] vs. Raw'' had a single brand storyline, the latter removing the ability to play as a diva or Unknown type (HCTP had you get involved with a Diva). SvR 2006 was perhaps the best thought out story of the series, with brand specific storylines and your decisions having an impact on matches and the ending (accuse JohnCena of running down Teddy Long and it turns out you were responsible, side with TripleH and an incensed Shelton Benjamin will turn on you). The next two games had stock cutscenes, where by 2009 the focus shifted to a few individual wrestlers and a CAW, no Mickie James story for you (except in 2010).

* The ''WWE Day of Reckoning'' series is interesting here, simply because the CAW mode and the Story mode are so closely intertwined; you are ''required'' to play Story mode as a CAW, not one of the wrestlers in the game. As well, ''WWE Day of Reckoning 2'''s story mode is a direct sequel to the original game, and not based on the real-life WWE's storylines. The gameplay is noticeably reminiscent of the Nintendo 64 games, which makes a little sense when you realize that the ''[=DoR=]'' games were both released on the Nintendo GameCube.

* ''[[DefJamSeries Def Jam Vendetta]]'', a wrestling game starring rap stars (by the developers of ''WWF No Mercy'', no less, and sharing the same engine). Its sequel, ''Def Jam: Fight for NY'', was a hybrid [[FightingGame fighter]]/wrestler.

Early wrestling games generally just simulated the matches, and not the general presentation of wrestling. Later games added CutScene entrances, to mimic pro wrestling's elaborate entrances, as well as commentary tracks and crowd noise (which, depending on the game, can actually affect the match, as a wrestler may receive a power boost while the crowd is chanting his name), and various GimmickMatches to change up the gameplay. However, one of the more interesting developments in the genre has been the advent of Create-A-Wrestler (CAW) modes, which allow a player to make a custom character, designing his build, attire, strengths, weaknesses, and moveset from scratch. A game with a suitably extensive CAW mode can have numerous fan sites spring up around it, each of which gives diagrams and formulas on how to create various characters, including wrestlers from other federations, characters from movies and TV shows, etc. These are often supplemented with other creative modes, such as Create-An-Entrance, Create-A-Taunt, etc. Some people take this to the next step, creating their own "Wrestling federations" by recording their caws off the TV screens in matches or backstage segments. These are known as {{CAW Leagues}}.

* ''VideoGame/SumotoriDreams''

** The same engine was used for ''{{ECW}} Hardcore Revolution'' and ''ECW Anarchy Rulz''. Like their WWF predecessors, they have aged horribly.

*** An interesting note: when THQ lost the WCW license (due to their new WWF license; WCW didn't want to share a video game company), their stock dropped $8/share. The old AKI/THQ wrestling games were THAT big.