Filipino Elvis
07-06-2005, 02:56 PM
Having read enough glowing praise for it around the web(some claiming it's the best wrestling game of the current console generation, which I can't fairly opine on), I picked up the original Day Of Reckoning a couple of weeks ago. After the first match, when I, Matt Hardy, beat Roddy Piper in an epic 20-minute hardcore match, I knew this game was the goods. So I'm excited to see that its sequel is set to drop on August 29th. Here's a recent article about it from IGN.com. (http://cube.ign.com/articles/624/624499p1.html) I'll just offer my take on the new features and wrestlers:
The only new match type is a Last Man Standing, which shouldn't be some impossible task to win because the computer in the original would stay down for a while as the match continued and you piled on the beating(no Hulk Hogan resurrections). Though it would be neat if they could add an Elimination Chamber match(it has Hell In The Cell, just add other wrestlers regularly) or a traditional battle royal with everyone starting in the ring, but that would probably slaughter the CPU.
Apparently this version still doesn't have voice samples. I personally don't mind it because I know the space on the disc needed to hold the sound clips is being put to use on improving the detail and gameplay, but I know some people are fans of certain wrestlers and want to play them in a game mainly because of their catchphrases or promo ability. So it's probably a bummer for them when, say, Christian's remarks are represented via screenplay.
Some wishes for the updated roster:
JBL, Chris Masters, Rene Dupree, Kenzo Suzuki, Paul London and Heidenreich could be worth playing as at least once if they went all out with their intros. Heidenreich with that fist swing and the "Hei-den-reich! Hei-den-reich!" theme that always reminds me of the machine noise beat in "Allentown." Masters with the Tron video playing, cutting to him kneeling at the entranceway, and him flexing to the flourishes in his music. London bolting to the ring wearing his bearskin. Suzuki getting carried out on that throne. Dupree waving a French flag and walking Fifi(with Fifi looking different every time you play!). And JBL with the limo. Granted, those last three probably won't happen, but I'd love it if it did.
Tajiri - The Tarantula and the bouncing handspring back elbow were available as moves in the create-a-wrestler in the first one, so you could possibly create your own Tajiri then if you wanted to tinker with that monstrosity of numerous minute details(I still haven't played the original's storyline mode yet, as I'm still perfecting my likeness and my counter-culture beatnik gimmick). So the game makers saved you some effort. Hopefully you'll get to mist people.
Ric Flair - Hopefully THQ or the WWE or whomever is responsible for it cracked open the wallet and got the rights to "Thus Spake Zarathustra." Flair coming out in the first one to a vague rip-off was so wrong.
Eugene - His gimmick is kind of a create-a-wrestler in the flesh with him emulating the moves of his wrestling heroes, so having him in is either fun or excessive.
Carlito Caribbean Cool - While getting to play as him is coo...err, exciting, will his finishing move be a roll-up? Spitting apples on people?
Muhammad Hassan - Getting to hear his theme music will be pretty sweet.
William Regal and Maven are notable only because you may get to put their spiffy offensive moves(that grapevine neckbreaker and the Lung Blower, respectively) in your CAW.
Dupree means you may get to have the Frenchy Dance as a taunt for your CAW.
Hurricane - I was shocked he wasn't in the first one. Hopefully he'll get to use the VerteBreaker here since he apparently can't on TV(no worries about vertebrae getting stacked together like Pringles in a video game).
Chavo Guerrero - You'll probably get to use the Gory Bomb and hear the "OOOhhh, Chavo!" theme music. But it will make me long to be able to play as his new Kerwin White persona.
Christy Hemme - You might get to use that split one-leg drop and hear that Hives song.
Torrie Wilson, Gene Snitsky, and Orlando Jordan - Ah, I've got nothing.
So is anyone else here excited about this?
The only new match type is a Last Man Standing, which shouldn't be some impossible task to win because the computer in the original would stay down for a while as the match continued and you piled on the beating(no Hulk Hogan resurrections). Though it would be neat if they could add an Elimination Chamber match(it has Hell In The Cell, just add other wrestlers regularly) or a traditional battle royal with everyone starting in the ring, but that would probably slaughter the CPU.
Apparently this version still doesn't have voice samples. I personally don't mind it because I know the space on the disc needed to hold the sound clips is being put to use on improving the detail and gameplay, but I know some people are fans of certain wrestlers and want to play them in a game mainly because of their catchphrases or promo ability. So it's probably a bummer for them when, say, Christian's remarks are represented via screenplay.
Some wishes for the updated roster:
JBL, Chris Masters, Rene Dupree, Kenzo Suzuki, Paul London and Heidenreich could be worth playing as at least once if they went all out with their intros. Heidenreich with that fist swing and the "Hei-den-reich! Hei-den-reich!" theme that always reminds me of the machine noise beat in "Allentown." Masters with the Tron video playing, cutting to him kneeling at the entranceway, and him flexing to the flourishes in his music. London bolting to the ring wearing his bearskin. Suzuki getting carried out on that throne. Dupree waving a French flag and walking Fifi(with Fifi looking different every time you play!). And JBL with the limo. Granted, those last three probably won't happen, but I'd love it if it did.
Tajiri - The Tarantula and the bouncing handspring back elbow were available as moves in the create-a-wrestler in the first one, so you could possibly create your own Tajiri then if you wanted to tinker with that monstrosity of numerous minute details(I still haven't played the original's storyline mode yet, as I'm still perfecting my likeness and my counter-culture beatnik gimmick). So the game makers saved you some effort. Hopefully you'll get to mist people.
Ric Flair - Hopefully THQ or the WWE or whomever is responsible for it cracked open the wallet and got the rights to "Thus Spake Zarathustra." Flair coming out in the first one to a vague rip-off was so wrong.
Eugene - His gimmick is kind of a create-a-wrestler in the flesh with him emulating the moves of his wrestling heroes, so having him in is either fun or excessive.
Carlito Caribbean Cool - While getting to play as him is coo...err, exciting, will his finishing move be a roll-up? Spitting apples on people?
Muhammad Hassan - Getting to hear his theme music will be pretty sweet.
William Regal and Maven are notable only because you may get to put their spiffy offensive moves(that grapevine neckbreaker and the Lung Blower, respectively) in your CAW.
Dupree means you may get to have the Frenchy Dance as a taunt for your CAW.
Hurricane - I was shocked he wasn't in the first one. Hopefully he'll get to use the VerteBreaker here since he apparently can't on TV(no worries about vertebrae getting stacked together like Pringles in a video game).
Chavo Guerrero - You'll probably get to use the Gory Bomb and hear the "OOOhhh, Chavo!" theme music. But it will make me long to be able to play as his new Kerwin White persona.
Christy Hemme - You might get to use that split one-leg drop and hear that Hives song.
Torrie Wilson, Gene Snitsky, and Orlando Jordan - Ah, I've got nothing.
So is anyone else here excited about this?