WWF: In Your House

Acclaim brings 10 of the WWF's most exciting superstars in your house with the latest in their best-selling wrestling series. This year's edition features 11 unique stages, such as the Undertaker's Mausoleum Lair, plus the ability to use gadgets and to pull Super Finishing Pins.

Motion-captured graphics bring fans the realistic movements and bone-crunching holds of their favorite wrestling stars, including the Ultimate Warrior, Coldust, the British Bulldog, Shawn Michaels, Owen Hart, Bret Hart, Ahmed Johnson, the Undertaker, Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, and the man they call Vader. The ghost of Andre the Giant is a hidden fighter and the voluptuous manager, Sunny, hovers above ringside to distract you with curvy moves all her own. So far, this ring looks to be made of gold.

The sports team at Acclaim is tagging up with the WWF this fall to bring you WWF In Your House. With similar features and gameplay to their other WWF titles, In Your House is certain to satisfy fans of wrestling worldwide.

This game features digitized representations of some of the WWFs most popular characters, like Brett "the Hitman" Hart and "The Man They Call Vader." With quick action and unbelievable combos, In Your House is Mortal Kombat in a wrestling ring-without all the blood, of course. The ability for four-person tag-team matchups is sure to make for some heavy competition, as well.

With all the theatrics in WWF wrestling these days, it makes for a perfect translation to this kind of game. With vivid and detailed background graphics and animation, three modes of play and a number of colorful opponents, WWF In Your House will appeal to fans of wrestling as well as fans of digitized 2-D fighters in the vein of Mortal Kombat and Battle Monsters.

The WWF series tumbles off the top rope with WWF: In Your House, a title full of promise and potential that ultimately gets pinned in its quest for the championship.

In Your House offers a fistful of features, including 10 of the fiercest World Wrestling Federation superstars from Shawn Michaels to Vader, each with a unique background. You can wrestle a complete WWF season, or go straight for the gold of the World or Intercontinental title belt. The most mat-tastic new option is the four-player free-for-all, where players rumble in a last-man-standing-wins grudge match. Disappointingly, some features that were once promised by Acclaim, like the inclusion of that were once promised by Acclaim, like the inclusion of super-model manager Sunny and the ghost of Andre the Giant, are not in the game.

The action is fast and furious, but it usually takes only 20 seconds to defeat an opponent, with moves looking more like Mortal Kombat than the WWF. Some maneuvers appear sloppily animated and unpolished, especially when compared to the dynamically detailed holds performed in Activision's Power Move Pro Wrestling (see ProReview this issue). WWF fans will flock to this house, but most gamers will room with Power Move.

Graphics

The wrestlers look lifelike but they're too small. Moreover, their moves lack the detail and impact of Power Move Pro Wrestling.

Sound

Mr. Perfect and Vince McMahon provide color commentary that is funny at times, but far too repetitive.

Control

Moves are easy to perform. but there's little skill involved in winning matches beyond rapidly pounding the punch and kick buttons.

Fun Factor

WWF fanatics who don't mind strikingly short matches should step into this ring. Everyone else would be better off renting before buying.