| WWF WrestleFest | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer featuring the game's cast | |
| Developer | Technōs Japan |
| Publishers | |
| Directors | Yoshihisa Kishimoto Shinichi Saito |
| Producer | Kunio Taki |
| Platform | Arcade |
| Release | |
| Genres | Sports,professional wrestling |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
| Arcade system | CPU: 68000,Z80 Sound chips: YM2151,MSM6295 |
WWF WrestleFest[a][1] is aprofessional wrestling video game developed and released byTechnōs Japan forarcades in 1991, featuring stars of theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF). The game was distributed by Technōs inJapan andNorth America, and byTecmo in Japan,[1]Europe andAustralasia. It is the sequel to Technōs' previous WWF game,WWF Superstars.[3] Compared toSuperstars,WrestleFest adds a variety of different wrestlers to the roster as well as enhanced graphics and sound. There are more voice samples, including commentary and pre-match introductions by WWF ring announcerMike McGuirk. The voicedcut scenes featuringGene Okerlund fromSuperstars returned as well.[citation needed]
In February 2012, THQ released aremake of the game foriOS featuring both current and former wrestlers, retitledWWE WrestleFest.[4]
Just like its predecessor,WrestleFest simulatesprofessional wrestling matches. The game adds support for up to four simultaneous players and the ability to insert more credits into the machine to buyenergy. Two modes of play are available. In the newRoyal Rumble mode, the player picks one superstar and takes him through a Royal Rumble match. InSaturday Night's Main Event mode, the player must pick two wrestlers to form atag team and take them through a series of matches, including a title match with theLegion of Doom. In this mode, players can perform numerousdouble team moves.[5] Additionally, after a team member has been on the apron for a certain length of time, they will "power up", temporarily giving them the ability to win all grapples and inflict more damage than usual.[citation needed]
The game features ten selectable wrestlers.Hulk Hogan,The Ultimate Warrior,Ted DiBiase andBig Boss Man return fromWWF Superstars.Jake "The Snake" Roberts,Earthquake,Mr. Perfect,Sgt. Slaughter,Demolition Smash, andDemolition Crush, are available as new superstars, withThe Legion of Doom (Hawk andAnimal) making an appearance as a non-selectableboss tag team champions. Each wrestler has their own signature maneuvers.[5][6]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |   [7] |
| Computer and Video Games | Positive[3] |
| GameZone |  [8] |
| Sinclair User | 88%[9] |
| Zero | [2] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Sinclair User | Best Beat'Em Up Game[10] |
In North America,RePlay reportedWWF WrestleFest to be the second most-popular arcade game of the month in October 1991.[11] It went on to be the highest-grossing arcadeconversion kit of 1992 in the United States, according to the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA).[12] In Japan,Game Machine listedWWF WrestleFest on their December 1, 1991 issue as being the third most-popular arcade at the time.[13]
Zero gave the game a 3 out of 5. While critical to the graphics being cartoony, they praised its gameplay.[2]Sinclair User rated the game with an 88% score, citing the game's variety of characters and highreplay value.[9]Computer and Video Games also gave the game a positive review, describing the gameplay as enjoyable.[3]
Sinclair User magazine awarded it "Best Beat'Em Up Game" in 1991, along withKonami'sVendetta.[10]
 |
| WWE WrestleFest | |
|---|---|
| Developer | THQ |
| Publisher | WWE |
| Platform | iOS |
| Release |
|
| Genres | Sports,professional wrestling |
THQ released aremake of the game foriOS under the titleWWE WrestleFest in February 2012.[4] The remake introduced a roster composed of more contemporary WWE stars such asThe Undertaker,John Cena,Randy Orton andRey Mysterio, along with former performers includingThe Rock,Stone Cold Steve Austin,Jake Roberts andRandy Savage. In addition to the return of the Saturday Night's Main Event and Royal Rumble game modes, the remake also featured standard one-on-one, tag team, steel cage and gauntlet match types, along with online multiplayer. The game also included "Road to WrestleMania" mode, where the players could go through a series of matches to try to win various WWE titles.[14] A series ofdownloadable content packs were released for the game, featuring additional wrestlers and arenas.[15][16] Versions for thePlayStation 3,Xbox 360 andAndroid were also announced, but never released.[14]
The 2021 titleRetroMania Wrestling was heavily inspired byWrestleFest and was also promoted as a successor to the original arcade game.[17][18]