Legends are born, and not made. What makes a legend? Is it popularity? Is it great accumulated success? Some may say both. Whatever happened to all of the great wrestling legends that we have grown up watching on television? Names like Bret Hart, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, The Road Warriors, Terry Funk. I could go on and on, but there are so many! Well wrestling fans Acclaim has the answer for you! With their recently released title Legends of Wrestling, fans of wrestling old and new will be able to remember the stars that made wrestling into what it is today. Sure these gladiators may not grace that mat on television anymore, but fans will be able to recreate classic match-ups and feuds.

The power of the Playstation 2 console is demonstrated in this game with the character models. Players will notice that the wrestlers in the game look stunning. They are rounded rather than squared at the shoulders and limbs, and one can tell that considerable time has been spent in creating great character design. The background audience that surrounds the ring also looks great as there is depth, the fans do not seem to be pasted into the game like other wrestling titles. You can see that these developers are becoming more comfortable with the programming side of the PS2. Graphically, the game looks much better than its competition, Smackdown. although the character animation looks more on the cartoonish side. This however will not upset fans who are longing to play against or with wrestling legends of the past. The sound quality in this game is not the best it could have been. There is not much commentary at all in the matches and the sound effects for blows to the mat are sub par for the genre.
Although the sound quality would not win any awards here, they are subtle enough to get by to the real point of the game, enjoying the legends of the past.

Acclaim has introduced a new style of gameplay to this genre with its ISP system. (Intermediate Start Position) This is where the key to success relies on button combinations in order to execute moves. Also one is able to take advantage of any situation, attack, reversal for example. There are timed meters as well that depend on whether a hold will take effect or if a reversal is in order. The ISP takes place when both wrestlers lock up and depending on which button is pressed, a move or set up hold takes place. it is up to the player to know their character's moves to guarantee victory. However with this unique system there is on drawback, the overall gameplay is slow! This is not what next generation gamers and wrestling fans may be able to accept. Yes we have been spoiled with fast action, we no longer want to wait. "Give me my move now!" was common comment when we were playing this game. For this particular drawback I did see an explanation for this, Legends of Wrestling does play like a classic wrestling match. Trust me, try comparing an old mid to late televised wrestling match to today's high octane wrestling matches. The action was a lot slower, moves were more exaggerated, and this games does hold true to that style. I commend Acclaim for this, but it could also deter some fans who may find that today is perceived as boring, because it is just too slow.

To comment on the complete experience of Legends of Wrestling, I must say that the game itself is not legendary. Hardcore wrestling fans of yesteryear may purchase this game and become full of nostalgia when you see Bret Hart's sharpshooter or Hulk Hogan's infamous leg drop, or Jimmy Snuka's off the top rope smash! If you want to go back in time, then this game is worth the purchase. Otherwise, in today's world of fast over the top action, it may appear to be a dinosaur.