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WWF War Zone
Box art featuring (and signed by) Stone Cold Steve Austin
Developer(s)	Acclaim Studios Salt Lake City
Publisher(s)	Acclaim Entertainment
Platform(s)	Game Boy Nintendo 64 PlayStation
Release	Game Boy Nintendo 64 PlayStation
Genre(s)	Sports (professional wrestling)
Mode(s)	Single player multiplayer

WWF War Zone is a professional wrestling video game featuring wrestlers from the World Wrestling Federation, developed by Acclaim Studios Salt Lake and released by Acclaim Entertainment in 1998 for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. It was the first 3D WWF title to be released, the first new WWF title since 1996's WWF In Your House, and is also the first WWF title released during the company's famed "Attitude" era. The game was followed by a sequel, WWF Attitude before the game engine was used in Acclaim's ECW video game titles.

Early in development, the game was called WWF '98 and featured a different ring and arena.

Features

War Zone has many features which were unique to North American professional titles at that time. In addition to being the first 3D WWF title, the N64 version also featured high resolution 640x480 character models. The game's graphics were motion captured to reflect the unique way in which each wrestler executed his moves.

The game's momentum system is somewhat unique to the game. A character builds momentum by varying the moves he executes as well as by taunting the opponent. Repeating moves will have the crowd boo the character and give momentum to the opponent. The crowd will chant for the wrestler with maximum momentum, multiplying the damage the wrestler can do for the duration of the chant.

The game's create-a-player mode was quite popular at the time of the game's release, as it was quite extensive for a 3D game.

Each match starts with the wrestlers in the ring as the game's commentators, Vince McMahon and Jim Ross, comment on each of them (in the WWF Challenge mode, the wrestlers have brief entrances at the top of the ramp as the McMahon and Ross comment). Each wrestler has voice samples that play during each match, usually after the successful execution of a move or taunt. There are also sampled crowd chants, some of which are unique to each wrestler.

The PlayStation version also features full motion video with video clips of WWF events, as well as 3D interludes of the apocalyptic "War Zone" set once seen in the introduction of WWF's War Zone program. The game begins with a video intro of the player entering the "War Zone" and the main menu is an elevator with buttons that the player selects to access the various game modes.

Hidden Features

The game had a number of hidden features that could be made available to players. For example, there is a hidden cheat menu that can be accessed at the main menu. Players who activate the correct code will be taken into the boiler room, which shows all unlocked features and allows them toggle secret options.

Every character has 2 costumes, which means that 2 players may use the same character in the same match. These alternate costumes can be accessed by holding the left shoulder button whilst selecting the character in question.

Steve Austin and Goldust both have 4 costumes, meaning that 4 players can use them in a single match. However, they must be unlocked before they can be used.

Cactus Jack and Dude Love both appear as separate characters in the game. They become playable once the player has beaten challenge mode with Mankind on the medium or hard difficulty settings. Their movesets are identical, except both characters have unique taunts, and have a unique finisher (Double Arm DDT).

Each character has at least 2 hidden moves. One of these moves is a finishing move. These can only be performed when the opponent's health meter is red, and both players are standing in the correct position. The player must enter the correct button combination, which is not listed in the game. Some characters have multiple finishers, which can be done in different positions. For example, Steve Austin can perform the Stone Cold Stunner from a tie-up or the ready position. Mankind can perform the Mandible Claw from the ready, tie-up and Standing at the Head of a Downed Opponent positions. Each character has one other high-damage move which may be performed at any time. Again, the correct combination and position for these moves do not feature in the move lists.

Every character has a taunt that can be performed. Every character will point their hand at an opponent and shake their head. When this happens, a quote from the represented wrestler is heard. If the player successfully executes a taunt followed by a grapple move without interruption, then the damage caused by the move is increased. Each player (apart from Steve Austin) has a second, unique motion which can be performed. Triple H and Shawn Michaels can not perform the hand-point taunt, but instead perform the 'X-crotch chop'. If Michaels is close to the ring ropes when he performs his secondary taunt, he will lie on the top rope and perform the taunt. Activating the 'Beans' mode option will cause the characters to either fart or belch instead of playing a quote.

Sue, the ring girl that appears at the end of title matches, can be unlocked as a playable character if the game is beaten on the medium or hard difficulty setting with either Bret Hart or Owen Hart. Beating the game again with Sue unlocks her alternate costume. Sue has the same moveset as Bret Hart. Sue appears on the 'Custom' menu with the user created characters.

A second ring-girl called Pamela is available in the game. Various unofficial PlayStation and Nintendo magazines and websites insist that she can be unlocked by beating challenge mode with Sue, but this is not true. She can only be unlocked using a cheat code device. Her moveset is identical Triple H's. She appears on the 'Custom' menu with the user created characters.

A character based on Turok the Dinosaur Hunter can be accessed using a cheat code device. He can be found in the 'Custom' menu which all the user created characters. His moveset is identical to Rocky Maivia's.

The Trainer character which appears in training mode can be unlocked as a playable character simply by entering training mode. His moveset is identical to British Bulldog's. He appears on the 'Custom' menu with the user created characters.

Each user created character can only have a maximum of 25 attribute points. However, the maximum can be extended by winning matches in exhibition and challenge mode with the created character on varying difficulty settings. The total maximum is 40. Beating challenge mode with a character who has been improved to 40 attribute points unlocks Rattlesnake, a character based on Steve Austin which maximum attribute points. He will then be added to the 'Custom' menu with all the player created characters.

A player created character can be given the full move-set of any in-game character, except those which need to be unlocked. There are 5 bonus movesets based on WCW World Champions. For example, Colossus is 'The Giant'.

Gameplay

The game's grapple system was unique at the time of the game's release. It featured punch, kick and initial grapple buttons. Grapple moves are done by performing an initial grapple and inputting a sequence of control pad presses ended by a button press. A variety of grapples moves can be done depending on the current position of the opponent.

The single player game is highlighted by the "WWF Challenge" mode - in which the player selects a character and challenges for WWF titles. The player begins on the bottom of a pyramid of television monitors with wrestler's portraits on them and works up the pyramid by winning matches against wrestlers ranked immediately above in the hierarchy (the initial rankings of these wrestlers are random). Sometimes previously defeated wrestlers will challenge the player to a "Grudge match." This is signified in the PlayStation version by a video clip of the wrestler in the War Zone issuing a challenge. These matches will usually be weapons or cage matches. If the player loses, he falls back down in ranking. As the player progresses towards the top of the pyramid, the player challenges for the Intercontinental Championship and then the WWF Championship.

At certain points in the game in the PlayStation version, the player sees clips of a groupie that either expresses interest or disinterest in the player according to whether certain matches are won or lost. After earning a spot directly under the wrestler at the top, the wrestler challenges the top wrestler for the WWF Championship. By winning the game with certain characters, the player can unlock certain special features and alternate costumes.

There are nine modes of play in total, several of which allow configurations for up to four human players. Base modes include one-on-one, tag team, cage match, weapons match, tornado tag team, war (elimination free for all), and two exclusive modes in the Nintendo 64 version; Royal Rumble and gauntlet. War Zone also includes a training mode in which the player can freely practice the moves of their chosen wrestler against a trainer in a facility resembling a gym.

Differences between versions

PlayStation vs. Nintendo 64

The two versions have various trade-offs in game features. The N64 version features higher resolution character models, but no CD quality music or full motion video like its PlayStation counterpart does. Instead, the N64 version features midi-style theme songs and text grudge match challenges as opposed to the video challenges found in the PlayStation version. However, the N64 version has two exclusive modes; Royal Rumble and Gauntlet. Also, gamers have noticed that the N64 version sports a ring canvas with a yellowish hue. The N64 version had one more additional unlockable cheat option which turned player shadows into full colour reflections.

Game Boy port

A Game Boy port of War Zone was also made, and due to hardware limitations, it is a bit more limited than its PlayStation and Nintendo 64 counterparts. Modes of play include singles, tag team, cage match, and WWF Challenge (progress is kept via a password feature). There is also an option to use two out of three fall rules. There is no create-a-wrestler mode. Also, in this version, all wrestlers share the same moveset except for their finishing moves. Finally, the Game Boy version of War Zone does not feature Bret Hart, The Headbangers, or any of the secret characters.

References

1. http://media.ign64.ign.com/media/001/001980/imgs_7.html

• "WWF-War Zone on Acclaim.net". Retrieved December 12, 1998. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
• "WWF War Zone - Game info - Gamefaqs". Retrieved December 6, 2005.
• "MobyGame - WWF War Zone". Retrieved December 6, 2005.
• "IGN: WWF Warzone Review". Retrieved December 6, 2005.

• 1998 video games
• Acclaim Entertainment games
• Game Boy games
• Nintendo 64 games
• PlayStation games
• WWE video games
• Cancelled Sega Saturn games