WWF Superstars is a Wrestling Game made by Technos Japan and released in 1989 for arcades.
You can choose from two of six wrestlers to make a tag team. Your choices are:
- Hulk Hogan
- Randy Savage (Macho Man)
- Honky Tonk Man
- Ultimate Warrior
- Big Bossman
- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
One or two players can play. The second player can control the second member of your tag team or can play an opposing tag team.
The object of the game is to win three matches and then fight the "Megabucks" team, Ted DiBiase and André the Giant, in the title match in New York City. After winning that and getting treated to a cut scene with Miss Elizabeth, you fight three more matches and another title match this time from Tokyo. Winning that match will end the game.
Your wrestlers can grapple the opponents; if they win the grapple, they can throw the opponent, toss them into the ropes or put them in a headlock. You could also physically strike your opponents, use running moves, ground attacks, counter attacks and jump attacks from the turnbuckles. It was possible to jump out of the ring and your teammate would join you. Your moves outside the ring were limited but you could use a table and chair as a weapon, but you couldn't take these back into the ring.
A sequel to the game, WWF WrestleFest, was released in 1991. Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, and Ted DiBiase (now playable) return, alongside:
- Jake Roberts
- John Tenta (Earthquake)
- Curt Hennig (Mr. Perfect)
- Sgt. Slaughter
- Demolition (Smash and Crush)
The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) feature as a boss tag team, similar to the first game's "Megabucks" team.
This video game provides examples of the following tropes:
- Artistic License – Sports: In the Royal Rumble mode in WrestleFest, you can eliminate opponents via pinfall or submission as well as throwing them out of the ring. In an actual Royal Rumble, only throwing them out of the ring counts as an elimination.
- Big Applesauce: The first half of the game up to the first title takes place in New York City.
- Bribing Your Way to Victory: Your energy meter could be replenished by inserting a coin.
- The Cameo: Look for Technos' own Billy Lee at either edge of the audience.
- Defeat Means Playable: Subverted; it was possible to play as Dibiase and Andre but only through a trick on the emulator MAME. If you won a match with them, the game registers this as a loss however.
- Easily-Distracted Referee: Averted. You could not interact with the ref in any way.
- Ms. Fanservice: Miss Elizabeth, showing off plenty of cleavage both in-game and on the cabinet art.
- New Work, Recycled Graphics: Due to a rushed schedule, this game used elements of various other Technos fighting games but especially the game engine from Double Dragon II.
- No Plot? No Problem!: It's basically a wrestling game where you try to get your wrestlers to win the title. That's all there is to it.
- No-Sell: Some moves would NOT work on Andre the Giant such as brawling, running kicks, etc.
- Not Quite Starring: The page quote was supposed to be actual dialogue recorded from DiBiase, Andre and Okerlund* ; this wasn't done for unknown reasons and a Technos America staff performed the dialogue.
- Ring Out: If you remained outside the ring for longer than a count of 20, you lost. WrestleFest also included a Royal Rumble mode, in which anyone thrown out of the ring is eliminated.
- Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe: Or at least the second half of the game.
- Video Game Remake: WWF WrestleFest was adapted for iOS devices in 2012 under the name WWE WrestleFest, featuring an updated list of wrestlers.
- Wrestling Game: Ya think?
