WWF No Mercy

Written by Ryan Townsend  on May 17, 2001

Review: Get ready to play with half-naked men, grappling each other, for the last time on N64

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The undoubted Kings of Wrestling Gaming, Asmik/AKI, put out their last, and quite possibly their greatest, entry on the N64 in WWF No Mercy.

We all know the score, AKI's engine has powered the mega hits WCW vs. nWo: World Tour, WCW/nWo Revenge and the reigning champion, WWF Wrestlemania 2000. All three are undoubtedly some of the best wrestling games on the system and with each release, AKI and THQ have raised the bar. Can both companies finish strong in WWF No Mercy?

Looking at NM's visuals, it is the same tried and true graphics that fans of the series have grown to love. The wrestlers are pixelated and breakup in the joints is noticeable, especially when 4 players are on the screen, however, these graphics do shine and are much more realistic than you might think. The crowd has been updated. No longer is it a blurry mess of faces, arms and signs, NM boasts distinguishable individuals in the crowd, some holding signs, others cheering. The arenas have also been made to look bigger by adding a second and even third level of seating in the audience. Where else would the " Millions......'and Millions!' " of the Rock's fans sit?

The rings themselves look like they should, and now feature ring steps in the corners that can be used for both entering/exiting the ring, and clobbering your foe. One of the new aspects to the engine, backstage fighting, looks wonderful. From the parking lot and its parked cars to the Bar room and its neon signs, the backstage enviroments look as good as can be.

What was the weak link in WM2K? Most would say the horrible audio and it's "Tinny" sound. Unfortuneatly, not much has been done to change that in NM. The entrance themes no longer sound like they were recorded in a can, however, the crowd is stull just a moaning montage, and the in game music is the same, if not of less quality, than that of WM2K. What's most annoying though is the repetitive tracks you'll hear while in the menus of the game.

As with any wrestling game, your best bet is to mute it and listen to a CD.

Most important of all, Gameplay. This is the one aspect of the engine that has made it's games shine. The simple "pick up and play" control scheme. A will grapple, B will strike. Holding down different in different directions while pressing a button will allow you to do different moves, as will the amount of time you hold down the A or B button. If you've been a fan of the series all allong, or you still remember how to play WM2K, your not gonna have a hard time adapting to this one.

The Bread and Butter of any game, the Features. No Mercy boasts so many modes of play that its quite the task to list them all. Players can wrestle in the standard exhibition and tag-team matches, as well as cage matches, 3 way matches, handicap matches, and the all new ladder match. Mix different modes and you can even play a Triple Threat Ladder match if you'd like. Then no matter what the match, you can decide whether or not the belt is on the line.

Players will absolutely love the smaller enhancements as well. The (Possibly Spanish) Announce table sits ringside, begging for someone to be powerbombed or piledrived through it. Better weapons, such as the Fire Extinguisher and Championship Belt, are available as well.

You can't forget the amazingly in depth Create a Wrestler either. Build a wrestler from scratch, assign some moves, even choose who his ally and enemies are, and send him/her off to battle.

And of course, the crown jewel to the game, the Career Mode. Very much unlike WM2K's non stop matches where you obtain every belt, players now choose a specific belt they are going for and begin a "season". Along your season you'll have a number of run-ins with other wrestlers just looking to take you out, plus you'll have some weird angles that will be played out. All of the "Soap Opera-ness" of the WWF is perfectly recreated in No Mercy.

So what's the Replay? Well, players will never bore of the deep Create a Wrestler, and the Smackdown Mall, where you unlock characters, moves, and other accessories, will have players coming back for a long time. Add to that, each belt has a number of ways the storyline could branch out depending on how you do, and that each path must be taken before the belt is considered won 100%. That challenge alone should keep ya busy. Even if by some remote chance, none of that appeals to you, then try and go for an amazing Jeff Hardy Swanton Bomb from the ring off the ladder through an opponent on the table outside the ring, it is quite the breathtaking sight.