WWF Raw

Download WWF Raw and dive into the high-octane world of professional wrestling! Create your own superstar, master powerful moves, and dominate the competition. Are you ready to make history? Play now!
a game by Sculptured Software, THQ, and RealTime Associates
Genre: Sports
Platforms: XBox, Sega GenesisGenesis, SNESSNES, GameGear, GameBoy
Editor Rating: 8/10, based on 13 reviews
User Rating: 7.5/10 - 13 votes
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See also: Sport Games, WWE Games, WWF Games

Time to go off the top rope with another fast-action slam fest with all of your favorite World Wrestling Federation characters.

The game has 24-Megs of raw wrestling power. This time around there are hidden special moves each of the characters has in his/her arsenal.

FEATURING YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLERS FROM WWF

You've read it correctly, this is the first wrestling game of its kind featuring a female grappler named Luna Vachon.

She wacks a pretty good wallop.

But don't think that she is an unworthy adversary. Luna can come off the top rope with the best of them.

The other wrestlers featured in this game are: The 1-2-3-Kid, Bam Bam Bigelow, Owen Hart and his other brother Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, Diesel, Dolnk, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Lex Luger, and Yokozuna. They come complete with their own signature moves and high-flying wrestling maneuvers.

The Piledriver, Atomic Drop, the Suplex Slam, Flying Elbow Smash, the Super Drop Kick, and all-new pins and submission holds are in this one.

If you are so inclined, you can put the boots to the referee and knock him senseless.

In this latest version you can do cannon balls off of the turnbuckles, perform the super fast clothesline, and even field-goal kick your opponent out of the ring.

It's also the first four-player wrestling game that can see you and up to four others take to the ring using the Super Multitap on the Super Nintendo system. So, invite your friends over and get some rope action as you join in the brawl.

TAKE TO THE RING WITH FOUR OF YOUR WRESTLING PALS

If stepping into the ring is what you like to do best, then WWF RAW has what it takes to toss you off of your couch and into the ring.

Another cool feature of this game is activated when you step out of the ring. You can pick up items around the ring to smack your unsuspecting opponents with when the referee is not looking, or is unconscious or incapacitated.

New character animations, backgrounds, and a configured ring with the WWF RAW logo add to the enjoyment of this fast-action wrestling cart. Everyone will want to go out and grab this cart.

The Iceman and I went off the top rope and he pummeled me.

He played as the gruesome Undertaker and I chose to play as Yokozuna. He put me on ice and six feet under.

He used a variety of tactics in his decisive victory including smashing the referee in the head with a chair.

A totally cheesy move on his part, but at least he got the win.

It's good to know that the high-flying wrestlers can climb on any one of the four top ropes then drop onto unsuspecting opponents.

I may have lost against the Iceman, but I got some damaging moves in. It is not that hard at all to time the super drop kick so that they land on the chin of your opponent.

We played this game for hours and didn't get tired of it. The animations are well done and the game is fun to play. It's definitely a winner!

WARNING: WATCH OUT FOR FLYING CHAIRS OR BUCKETS

If you are a wrestling aficionado, then jump into the WWF RAW ring and test your metal against the greatest athletes the WWF has to offer. You'll be jumping off of the top rope in no time!

Download WWF Raw

XBox

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

SNES

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Pentium II (or equivalent) 266MHz (500MHz recommended), RAM: 64MB (128MB recommended), DirectX v8.0a or later must be installed
GameGear

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Gameboy

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

It's rawer than Slam masters. It's rawer than WCW Superbrawl. It's WWF Raw, the newest wrestlefest for the SNES, and you'd better get ready to rumble with this terrific game.

Mat Mayhem

Are you ready to experience the most realistic video game mat action ever? By adding six of wrestling's newest stars and a bunch of new moves WWF Raw improves over last year's popular Royal Rumble. Powered by 24 megs, Raw offers six game-play options, including tag-team matches, the Survivor Series, and a Royal Rumble. You can even enjoy a six-against-one brawl! Check each wrestler's attributes and choose from 12 of the world's best brawlers, each with a wrestling repertoire that includes a patented finisher.

ProTips:

  • During a one-on-one match, another grappler may appear at ringside to help out your opponent.
  • To perform a special move, you must first drain almost all of your opponent's energy.
  • Punch the ref repeatedly to knock him out, and then proceed with an all-out brawl.

The excellent controls match those of the Genesis version. However, the extra SNES button enables you to perform moves such as suplexes, rag dolls, and mat splashes more quickly and with greater precision.

Enter the Squared Circle

Superb graphics and sounds make the ring action come alive! The detailed portraits and clear sprites are better than those on the Genesis and intensify an already-exciting event. Realistic grunts and slams also give you that up- dose-and-personal feel.

Whether you're hitting your opponent with a chair or using The Undertaker's Tombstone piledriver on some poor chump, you'll agree that if you're into wrestling, you're gonna have to get Raw.

Released in 1994, WWF RAW would be the last of the four LJN grapple style wrestling games. It started with Super WrestleMania, went to Royal Rumble, went to Rage in the Cage, and ended here. I have to start by saying that this is the best of this style of wrestling game. One thing that the folks at LJN did very well was improve each game (well not Rage in the Cage) as they went along.

The New Generation

I remember seeing a preview for WWF RAW in a Sega magazine here in the UK called Mean Machine. I was so excited as it looked to me like the roster would be as big as Rage in the Cage. Sadly, this was not the case and the game still had 12 wrestlers like Royal Rumble before it. However, they did have some hot new characters here such as Diesel, Owen Hart, 123 Kid, and Doink the Clown. So, the roster was pretty stacked, it also had Luna Vachon which was the first time a female was playable in a WWF game.

I just wish that LNJ had increased the roster to 14! The reason I say this is because the Sega Game Gear version of the game had Macho Man Randy Savage and Evil Crush! I would have loved to have had those two on the 16-bit versions. Also, every other game in this series featured different wrestlers on Nintendo and Sega, with this one they both had the same.

Darker, But Better and Louder

I do feel that Royal Rumble had a brighter color pallet, but this game trumps that in terms of the visuals. The wrestlers all look similar, but the arena and the intro and the little segment before matches all have a much more authentic WWF feel to them this time around. Each wrestler has their own theme music and both consoles sound great.

Let’s Get RAW!

The gameplay of WWF RAW is largely unchanged from Royal Rumble. You have to grapple, where you hit the button as fast as you can to do a move. What I loved about this game was that different wrestlers had different moves! In the previous games, apart from their finishing move, every wrestler did the same moves. Here Undertaker would do a big boot, but Bret Hart would do a clothesline. Razor Ramon would do a fallaway slam, Shawn Michaels would do a face slam, and so on. It added in a new way to pin, you could submit your opponent, you could jump off the bottom turnbuckles, and more! It was staggering just how much more content they packed into this game.

WWF RAW also gave each wrestler their special move, but they went a step further than this. Each wrestler also had a Mayhem Move which was an over the top move that was very amusing. It is worth noting that this was also the first four-player WWF game! Once again the game is designed for a 6-button controller so if you are playing on a 3-button controller it can be annoying.

More Game Modes, More Mayhem!!

This game is stacked with game modes. You have your WWF Championship mode where you pick your wrestler and try to beat the whole roster, you also have a tag team championship mode. These are great, but the ending is horrible, it is just plain white text. You also have Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Bedlam, and much, much more.

I spent hours and hours with WWF RAW when I was a kid. I will say the fact that the SNES has a native 6-button controller makes that the better version in my opinion. However, if you have a 6-button Sega controller, there is no difference. The way wrestlers had different moves, the Mayhem Moves, and the higher level of polish make this the best 16-bit WWF game.

8.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • It features many of the stars of the New Generation
  • Tons of game modes
  • Wrestlers have different move sets
  • Wrestlers have different attributes
  • It was the first four-player WWF game

Cons:

  • It is not as much fun if you use a 3-button controller
  • I do wish the roster was a tad larger

The WWF may be the one surviving pro wrestling organization, but competition for top wrestling video game honors remains as hot and sweaty as a boiler-room match. Acclaim's excellent Legends of Wrestling temporarily stole the spotlight from WWF SmackDown!: Just Bring It, but THQ is preparing to answer with yet another WWF title, Raw Is War for Xbox.

Because it's a brand-new game for a brand-new system, Raw is a bit short on extras. If Just Bring It is a fully loaded Cadillac, Raw is more like a stripped-down Honda Civic. It has no Season or Story modes, and there aren't many match types. More exotic gimmick matches, such as Ladder, Table and Hell in a Cell, are nowhere to be found. The game's 45-character roster is a bit bizarre, too, populated with such scrubs as K-Kwik and Haku instead of recent WWF invaders DDP, Ric Flair and Billy Kidman.

Those shortcomings aside, developer Anchor (of Ultimate Fighting Championship fame) has created a robust, realistic (if that word can be used with a straight face in reference to pro wrestling) game. Collision detection is the most advanced we've seen in this genre, allowing you to break up moves in progress or take out two or three guys with a single haymaker. For the first time ever, players have the opportunity to assault opponents on their way to the ring. You can even add insult to injury by robbing their accessories, including sunglasses or bandannas, and donning them yourself!

Graphically, the game looks even better than the sharp-looking SmackDowni. The grapplers have changing facial expressions, and the dramatic camera angles and picture-in-picture instant replays effectively mimic a WWF broadcast. There's even a lingering haze in the air (perhaps from all the pyro) for added realism.

Although hardcore wrestling fans may be disappointed by its lack of extras, WWF Raw looks like it could be a contender.

  • Manufacturer: Acclaim
  • Machine: Genesis

Question: How do you do each wrestler's Megamove on the Sega Genesis? You printed the moves for SNES.

Answer: Yeah, OK. Fair enough. Thanks to one anonymous poster at Thomas Russel Middle School using Rene [email protected] for printing a partial list (a couple of which didn't work) to alt.sega.genesis. The rest I came up with on my own. At this point, Shawn Michaels and Doink are still unknown, but I'm digging. The Genesis versions of the Megamoves are very similar to those on SNES, but instead of holding R or L, you have to hold A and B, hit the directional pad, then release one of the buttons. Happy brawling.

  • Manufacturer: LJN
  • Machine: SNES and Genesis

There's nothing new here - it's just another wrestling cart. There are some MegaMoves (wow) that might help you, but the only thing that's gonna be raw is your thumb.

  • Manufacturer: Acclaim
  • Machine: Gear and Game Boy

These two versions of the latest WWF brawler are a lot like vampires - they exist only to suck more money out of unwary gamers. The tiny screen doesn't do much justice to the big boys of the nation's favorite wrestling league. Count this game out!

  • Manufacturer: Acclaim

Okay, WWF Raw for SNES and Genesis were mild disappointments - nothing particularly wrong with them, they just weren't much of advancement over previous 16-bit WWF titles. However, they were enjoyable on their own level. The Game Gear, and especially Game Boy, versions, are little more than excuses to suck more cash out of the license from unwary gamers.

All right, I know that handheld screens are tiny, but given the fact that you're going to be squinting anyway, you'd have thought the designers would have taken pity on us hapless gamers, sacrificed the view of some of the ring, and made the characters as large as possible. Nope, didn't happen. The Game Gear version isn't too bad. It's not great, but at least it's in color, and it includes ten WWF stars, as opposed to the Game Boy's meager eight.

Hardcore WWF fans might want to take note that there's a slightly different mix of characters in each version: they share seven characters, but the Game Gear adds Crush, Bam Bam Bigelow, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. The only character that's unique to the Game Boy version is Doink, which seems oddly appropriate.

If you've got to have a handheld WWF Rawi avoid the Game Boy version and pick up Game Gear. However, if you've got a choice, stay the hell away from both. A clothesline from the Undertaker hurts less.

  • Machine: SNES, Genesis.
  • Manufacturer: by Sculptured Software. publisher LJN, Acclaim.

Despite stiff competition from the rival WCW and allegations of rampant steroid use, the WWF's success continues. So it was only a matter of time before another World Wrestling Federation title hit the shelf. Unfortunately WWFRaw - available for both SNES and Genesis - has the same look and feel of past 16-bit WWF titles Royal Rumble and Rage in the Cage.

A few new wrestlers, a Raw Endurance mode, and a series of secret MegaMoves make their debut in WWF Raw, but none of these factors does a significant job of improving on the past. The MegaMoves, a collection of special 'finishing' moves that go far beyond realism, attempt to capitalize on the popularity of codes as seen in other Acclaim hits NBA Jam and the Mortal Kombats. None of these moves are printed in the manual and their unrealistic nature (for example Doink, a clown wrestler, balls up his foe and boots him out of the ring) makes one wonder why they would even be included in a game that's part of the most realistic wrestling series on the market.

Those who have played the previous WWF games know that it takes intense button-tapping to overpower opponents, and you're almost as exhausted following a match as if you'd been in the ring yourself. But the controls respond well for those who have the reflexes. Each wrestler's repertoire includes many of the same basic suplexes and slams which are used to wear opponents down before applying individual signature moves.

Six play modes cover it all from an every-man-for-himself Royal Rumble to the new Raw Endurance matches that pit two teams of wrestlers against each other in one-on-one match-ups, much like Mortal Kombat 2's survival mode. After this much action, your thumb's bound to be 'raw.'

A Second Opinion

WWF Raw is probably one of the best wrestling games I've seen for the 16-bit platform, and while I personally don't go in for this type of button-smashing fest, the presentation is well done. Acclaim couldn't have picked a better vehicle for a no-holds-barred, hit-'em-on-the-head-with-a-chair Royal Rumble of a beat-'em up. I agree with Doug for the most part, although I would have rated this title just a tad higher. This game is addictive thumb candy that kids and hard core wrestling fans alike will eat up. - Vince

  • Manufacturer: Jaleco of Japan
  • Machine: Super Famicom
  • Theme: Sports
  • Release: April/May '94

Jaleco's come up with a unique way of capturing the excitement of wrestling matches. The game screen is split into three parts during a match. The center strip, which shows the two wrestlers squaring off from a distance, is used for the actual game play. The top and bottom strips show close-ups of the wrestlers. When one player manages to connect with a power move, like a back drop, the close-up expands to two strips to catch all the action. Any of the 16 wrestlers can be selected for spectacular bouts. As each wrestler has different moves, there can be a lot of experimentation. It can be four-player, too!

Acclaim brings you all the realism of the World Wrestling Federation with 16-Bit graphics and sounds. Features popular wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Mr. Perfect, and many others.

Ready for live-action wrestling at its rawest? WWF Raw ventures into the squared circle with all your favorite grapplers and moves!

ProTip: Positioning is important when performing special moves. Learn where to start each move before playing.

King of the Ring

Raw features twelve of wrestling's biggest superstars, all with the special signature moves and attributes that made them famous. Imagine unleashing Yokozuna's Banzai Drop on your opponent during a twelve-man Royal Rumble. With six match options (including tag-team and one-on-one matchups), you can choose different paths to glory.

Controlling these maniacs is a blast. With more than 20 moves at your disposal, you guide your grappler with speed and precision. Some of the moves are wild -- wait until you bring down a chair on your opponent! What's more, virtually no slowdown stalls the action.

Championship Features

Colorful graphics and clear sound are key factors to winning the title, and Raw has 'em. However, every wrestler appears to have the same height and proportions, which can be a little confusing when the 5'5" Luna Vachon somehow stands as tall as the 7'0" Diesel. Each competitor does have their own theme music, though, and distinctive moans and groans punctuate the action in the ring.

With tons of options and the WWF's most popular wrestlers, you can't go wrong. And with ten skill settings, gamers of all abilities can hit the mat. So do you have what it takes to be the king of the ring? WWF Raw is a fun way to find out.

Well let's face it, there's really only one game in town anymore as far as wrestling is concerned, and you're reading the review of its latest installment -- RAW. Now, the first thing I want you to understand, is that fans of wrestling are going to walk away quite pleased with the finished product as the wrestlers look like their television counterparts right down to their tattoos and specialty moves. However, only a true wrestling fan will get the full enjoyment from an Undertaker choke slam or the Rock's 'Rock-Bottom'?. And as an occasional viewer of said wrestling program, I thought the game was the finest wrestling game ever. But?

The game did have its faults, the first being less-then-smooth controls. Often, while in the heat of battle, I would simply miss my opponent, even if he was lying on the ground in front of me. The other notable annoyance was the various colored meters that littered the screen: one for you, one for your opponent, one at the bottom of the screen for both of you; it was just too much, considering how good the game looks -- why cover it up with all those meters? Lastly, I found it too difficult to figure out how to use all the numerous 'special'? moves each wrestler has - there wasn't a good balance here, as some were easy to pull off, while others were extremely difficult (I still have no idea on how to kick out of a pin).

In the interest of being fair though, the options the game has are awesome; everything that occurs on the show can be done in the game, like attacking an opponent early as he walks to the ring, or staging a backstage assault and don't even get me started on using chairs as weapons. And, sweetest of all, you can have four people play at the same time in a tag-team match.

So all in all, RAW is a game strictly for fans of the show and of wrestling games, but if you're one of them, this is a must have.

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

SNES/Super Nintendo/Super Famicom Screenshots

GameGear Screenshots

GameBoy Screenshots