WWE: Crush Hour
Score: 60% ESRB: Teen Publisher: THQ Developer: Jakks Pacific Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: I've noticed that in recent years, THQ has been willing to try new things with its WWF (now WWE) license. About two years ago, they tried to bring WWE Superstars into the world of 2D brawlers with 10 minutes of gameplay called WWF Betrayal. Obviously, the lukewarm reception the game received (it was universally panned), shied the company away from trying something outside the ring. As it seems that sufficient time has passed, THQ is once again willing to experiment - this time bringing the superstars into the world of vehicular combat. Imagine combining the sites and sounds of your typical WWE match with Twisted Metal. WWE: Crush Hour is a decent looking title, although it doesn't really stand with the system's best. Each of the arenas, which are modeled after different WWE shows like Raw, Smackdown, The Royal Rumble, and The King of the Ring, look decent but don't particularly jump out as being good. The same goes for the wrestler models and vehicles, which are bland, and in some cases overused. Special effects-wise, the game looks more cartoony than anything else, and just doesn't feel right. The audio component is about the same, and features Entrance Themes from all of the WWE Superstars, which is a nice touch. However, the commentary is terrible, bordering on 'Why did you even bother?' The sound reminds me of the old Joe Montana Sports Talk Football where words were just strung together and lacked any fluidity.
Gameplay: WWE: Crush Hour takes place in a universe in which the XFL didn't fail, and Vince McMahon owns the entire TV industry. Without those pesky FCC rules, Vince now has full reign to put whatever he wants on the airwaves. Thus the debut of his newest show, WWE: Crush Hour - a show that pits 30 of your favorite WWE superstars, like The Rock, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, The Hardy Boyz, and Stacey Keibler, in no holds barred, vehicular combat. Let's face it - WWE: Crush Hour wants to be Twisted Metal, but doesn't even come close to achieving that lofty goal. In fact, the game doesn't even match up to lesser vehicular combat titles like Star Wars: Demolition. The game modes are set up to mirror WWE match types, such as Lumberjack and The Royal Rumble. There's even a Steel Cage match that requires you to escape with a contract. The point of these modes is to give gamers a variety of different ways to play, but that simply doesn't happen. Most, if not all, matches boil down to being pure death matches - capturing a championship belt is just something you get around to later.
Difficulty: To be honest, WWE: Crush Hour is only fun when playing with friends - but even then, the enjoyment is limited. The Career Mode is very easy to complete and is really only worth completing in order to unlock new superstars.
Game Mechanics: If WWE: Crush Hour is hard to look at, it's even harder to play. The steering is way off, and it's impossible to keep track of what's going on in the arena. Targeting is a chore, and actually killing them is even worse. Your weapons include the standard rockets and grenades found in other games, as well as 'foreign object' power-ups that allow your character to gain abilities like health regeneration. As you damage opponents, a power meter will fill up that allows you to attack with your superstar's finishing move. However, the difficult controls and bad targeting system make actually hitting someone with your ability next to impossible. Perhaps the only enticing aspect of WWE: Crush Hour is its 20 dollar price tag. However, once you combine all of the game's problems, it's likely a price that only a fan could love.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Top Gun: Combat Zones Yu-Gi-Oh: Falsebound Kingdom