WWE WrestleMania XIX

 GameCube
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release Date: Sep 8, 2003
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 52
  3. Negative: 3 out of 52
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  1. TheDestroyer
    Nov 14, 2014
    5
    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. A lot of things to say here, but can't due to the 5000 character limit.

    If you're here only looking for small comments rather than a full review then here it is: WWE WrestleMania XIX is a disappointment. If you're looking for actual wrestling then you should    I am The Destroyer. I will break games, complain about the littlest detail, and tell you whether or not the game is worth buying. A lot of things to say here, but can't due to the 5000 character limit.

    If you're here only looking for small comments rather than a full review then here it is: WWE WrestleMania XIX is a disappointment. If you're looking for actual wrestling then you should move onto another WWE game.
    Now for full review....

    1. Story
    Sports games have never been a winner at telling stories, and that trend continues here. The story mode in this game is called "Revenge". In the beginning, you are fired by your boss, Vince McMahon, for absolutely no reason. Stephanie McMahon will then contact you and offer a chance at demolishing everything Vince has ever built by sabotaging props of Wrestlemania XIX. During the game you will throw WWE staff into traffic, vandalize cars, and reek the kind of havoc that would otherwise land you in prison.

    2. Voice Acting
    There isn't much voice acting to work on, but what is there feels like it was scraped together out of desperation. Stephanie McMahon sounds like a computerized speak-and-spell. There is really nothing worth listening to here.

    3. Graphics and Visuals
    The graphics are as laughable as can be, even for a game made in year 2003. But these downgraded graphics allowed the developers to focus on other things, like advanced customization, and the street fighting in this game that they call wrestling.

    4. Gameplay
    Gameplay refers to combat & matches, customization, and various areas you can explore within the game. Put it all together and it's above average!

    -Combat-
    The wrestling is solid, but is poorly implemented. Having a light and heavy grapple system opens up more opportunities for strategy and comboing, which you'll need during PvP. And the game gives you the control layout in the pause menu, which is pretty cool. You can slam or punch your opponent, or just get out a weapon and start wailing on them. You even do really cool moves at the turnbuckle or ring corner. But it feels like a lot of this game, when it was in development tried focussed on getting its ratings through PvP, because that is where the real fun is at. However, there is no multiplayer in Revenge mode, only Exhibition, and you cannot unlock anything for playing Exhibition, resulting in it being unbalanced. Revenge mode almost never takes place in a ring, so all these moves you have can never be utilized.

    -Customization-
    The customization is superb! You're given lots of variety, and can change your move-set at any time. But.... (yep, there's another "but") the character creation is something to be feared due to it's confusing menu scaling and lack of graphics. Perfectionists will wind up taking more time than needed, creating the character they want.

    5. Soundtrack
    Are you a fan of techno club music? Because that is what you'll be hearing the entire game menu. Whether or not it's a good thing is for you to decide. During gameplay, it will repeat the same 5'ish tracks throughout any match or mission.

    6. Bugs & Glitches
    All though the bugs are tiny and low priority; it still happened. After playing Revenge mode long enough, I would constantly hear a wind-blowing sound that wouldn't go away, even during loading screens. Had to fix it by resetting the game. This is the only bug that happened during my playthrough.

    7. Personal Enjoyment
    The most fun I had with this game was playing as Stacy Keibler and giving a security guard a nosebleed for shaking booty. You know it's video game formula when you can play as a diva and beat up full-grown men. That is something I like. What I don't like is that 95% of the gameplay is spent outside the wrestling ring, and that Revenge mode is only 2 to 3 hours long. It uses the WWE name, the Wrestlemania name, and it's shiny*** roster of superstars to lure players in, and has them believe that this will be a great wrestling game, as evidence shown by the in-game intro. But in reality, turns out to be a bunch of street brawls. There is little-to-no replay value for those who don't have any friends. Putting in multiplayer is fine, but there needs to be something for the solo players in order to keep them hooked to the game.

    8. Overall Verdict
    It has good ideas, but I just can't support WWE Wrestlemania XIX for gamecube as a full-fledged wrestling video game. Does it deserve to be destroyed? No, of course not. It isn't the worst wrestling game. But fans looking for the nostalgic retro feeling will notice how lacking it is. Originally rated this a 6, but am now rating it a 5 out of 10. THQ and Yukes can do better than this, and we know they can.    … Expand
  2. SonEdo
    Mar 4, 2016
    7
    A solid outing for a first wrestling on GameCube. The roster is star-studded and the story mode is pretty funny. Nothing better than throwing construction workers into a pit.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best GameCube Game of 2003
17
#17 Most Discussed GameCube Game of 2003
10
#10 Most Shared GameCube Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. GMR Magazine
    70
    Oddly, though, Yuke's employs two separate buttons for blocks when there's clearly no need to use more than one, and it offers no option to modify this scheme. [Nov 2003, p.74]
  2. GameCube Europe
    89
    One more thing and something I am sorely missing: backstage areas. There are none, and it is sad to see. Hopefully next year they will be included.
    Read full review
  3. GamingTrend
    88
    A very good multiplayer title, jam-packed with every wrestler currently seen on TV, as well as any character you can think of including yourself.
    Read full review
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