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Disappointment is the only word I can think to use when talking about Legends of Wrestling. On paper, Legends of Wrestling sounded like it could be the Knockout Kings of the wrestling world, but instead, it turned out to be a great example of how an awesome idea can be destroyed. Legends of Wrestling turned out to be a jobber in the wrestling videogame genre.
Game play: 5 out of 10 At first, I liked the game. It was different. I enjoyed the innovative counter-system allowing moves to be countered if someone 
presses the X button at the right time (there is a meter that shows you when you should press the X button). There was even a way to do combo moves using a similar meter and pressing the right button combinations when you are prompted. I felt this was an innovative way to play the game even though it did slow things down.
My problem was that everybody had the same button combinations for moves, so when you have mastered one wrestler's moves, you have mastered them all. That is just WACK! There was no real reason to play the other characters other than to see what moves they perform when you press the same button combinations as you pressed for the other guy. Add the fact that you can easily cheese a person to death and this game becomes an annoyance.
Another aspect of the gameplay I didn't like was the match options. You were able to choose between Singles Match, Tag-Team Match, Three-Way Match, and even have a Special Guest Referee, and that was pretty much it. There was no Battle Royal Mode, no Cage Match feature, no Lumberjack Matches, no Flag Match; nothing that made 80's wrestling so cool.
The only thing I did like was the Career Mode, which allowed you to guide a wrestle from territory to territory to capture titles and proclaim themselves the greatest champ in the U.S. The career mode is the most authentic part of the game, because it allows you to build up popularity in a territory so you can move up in the ranks. You can't just cheese!! You need to use combos, weapons, anything that will spark the fans' interest. If you perform well, you will move from ratty arenas to less ratty ones.
Graphics: 4 out of 10T he wrestlers look nothing like their real life personas. Everyone looks a little too fat and wrestlers like Dynamite Kid, Brian Pillman, Greg Valentine and Don Muraco looked too cartoony. Only Hulk Hogan and the Legion of Doom look life-like. Other than that, I just couldn't take being Ricky Steamboat, knowing that he really didn't look like that. While we are on the subject, what criteria was used to determine which wrestlers were legends? How come Ric Flair is not in the game? How come Randy Savage, Roddy Piper, Jake Roberts, and Rick Rude are not in this game? RVD and Sabu were in the game for God's sake.
Sound: 5 out of 10 As far as generic music is concerned, this game rocks, but I wanted to hear Hulk Hogan talking to me and I want to hear Ted Dibiase tell me how everyone has a price. What happened to the wrestler's ring entrance music? Again, the realism just wasn't there.
Replay value: There is none. Beat this game a few times and unlock all the secrets, play around with the characters you unlocked and move on. The Create-a-Wrestler Mode really isn't even worth it, because you can only change a few parts of the body.
End Result: Unless you are a diehard wrestling fan, there is no reason to get this game. I wanted this game just because I remember wrestling of old and never got to play as certain wrestlers, but I cannot recommend this to others. Acclaim is making a sequel, so maybe that will be worth it. Until then, Legends of Wrestling, just like the real legends will be on the shelf collecting dust, remembering about the good ol' days and how it passed them by.
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