''WWF No Mercy'' is a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
released in 2000 by
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initi ...
for the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
. It is based on the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWF, now WWE) and is named after the company's
annual event of the same name. Developed by
Asmik Ace Entertainment
, formerly is a Japanese film production and distribution company. In the past, the company has distributed video games. It was formed in 1997 through a merger between the Asmik Corporation and Ace Entertainment, both of Japan. The name Asmik ...
and
AKI Corporation
, formerly AKI Corporation and The Man Breeze, is an independent video game development studio located in Kichijōji, Tokyo, Japan, founded on June 19, 1995. The company is best known for its popular wrestling games in the late 1990s and early-m ...
, ''No Mercy'' is the last in a series of Nintendo 64 wrestling games from the companies that started with ''
WCW vs. nWo: World Tour''.
''No Mercy'' features various improvements over its predecessor, 1999's ''
WWF WrestleMania 2000'', such as improved graphics, a "Championship" mode that allows players to participate in various branching
storylines, and a more in-depth
character creation
Character creation (also character generation or character design) is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a ...
mode. The improvements made to the game, combined with the series' vaunted gameplay and controls garnered praise from critics upon release. Nevertheless, the game was slighty faulted for its blocky graphics, slowdown and the difficulty level of computer-controlled opponents. Overall, the game was critically well received and would become one of the
best-selling titles for the Nintendo 64, as well as the third best-selling wrestling game for the N64 console.
In the years since its release, ''No Mercy'' has been regarded as one of the best wrestling video games ever made, as well as one of the standout titles for the Nintendo 64. The game has maintained a strong, loyal fanbase throughout the years and various unofficial
modifications for the game have been developed, altering/updating the game's graphics and sounds and introducing different playable wrestlers to the game's roster.
Gameplay
''No Mercy'' features the same game mechanics as its predecessors. Players can strike or grapple with their opponent; combining a button press with a direction yields different strikes and grappling maneuvers.
The momentum system from the previous games has also been retained, where players build up their "Attitude" meter by attacking their opponent. Having a large amount of momentum increases the player's chances of a successful
pinfall
In wrestling, a pin is achieved by holding an opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count. Pinfall is the term used in professional wrestling which is a way to win the match for that person or team.
Background
A pinfall is a victory condi ...
or
submission
Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
, and filling up the meter completely allows the player to execute their character's finishing maneuver.
Additional characters and arenas, as well as moves and costumes to be used in the game's create-a-wrestler mode can be unlocked in the new "Smackdown Mall". Players earn in-game currency through gameplay that they can spend to unlock these in-game items. One way players can earn currency is through the game's new single player Championship Mode, which tasks players with winning one of the WWF's various
championship titles
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
.
There are seven selectable story paths to play through, one for each of the available championships. Each storyline features branching paths that are reached depending on players' decisions made during the story or whether they win or lose certain matches. In-game currency can also be earned by playing the game's
survival mode
Survival mode, or horde mode, is a game mode in a video game in which the player must continue playing for as long as possible without dying in an uninterrupted session while the game presents them with increasingly difficult waves of challenges. ...
, in which players attempt to defeat as many opponents as possible without being defeated themselves. Players can compete in various
match types in Exhibition modes, including the newly added
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
. As in the previous Nintendo 64 titles, up to four players can compete in the same match. The game also features new arenas to wrestle in, as well as introducing backstage areas in which players can brawl using various weapons and objects in the environment. This would be the first and subsequently only game in the AKI series wbich allowed players to fight backstage.
In addition to the game's over sixty playable characters, players can also create their own characters using the game's create-a-wrestler mode.
''No Mercy'' features much more extensive
character creation
Character creation (also character generation or character design) is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a ...
options than its predecessors with more moves, more customizable body attributes and the ability to create female wrestlers. Ring attire, entrances, moves, allies and rivals, and other wrestler attributes can also be customized. Up to 18 original wrestlers can be saved. Much like its predecessors, in addition to creating their own wrestlers, players can also freely edit the in-game roster as well.
Development
The game was first announced in early 2000. A playable demo version was exhibited at that year's
E3 event, showcasing various playable wrestlers and the arena for the WWF's ''
SmackDown!'' show. A companion title for the handheld
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
was also announced, which would allow players to utilize the
Transfer Pak
The Transfer Pak is a removable accessory for the Nintendo 64 controller that fits into its expansion port. When connected, it allows for the transfer of data between supported Nintendo 64 (N64) games and Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. B ...
to import points earned in the portable game to spend on rewards in the Nintendo 64 version's SmackDown Mall, as well as featuring a special storyline path that players could play through in Championship Mode. However, the companion handheld game was cancelled and the Transfer Pak features were subsequently dropped from the Nintendo 64 version. Soon after release, an issue with the initial line of game cartridges was reported in which players' save data could and would inexplicably be erased at any time. Initially, THQ recommended that players reset their cartridge to factory defaults to fix the issue. When players still reported issues, the company eventually instituted a recall program where those affected by the glitch would be able to exchange their copy of the game for a fixed one.
Reception
Critics lauded the title's gameplay and simple controls. ''GameSpot'' praised the wide variety of moves, including each characters' finishing moves, as well the ease with which the maneuvers could be executed. Reviewer Frank Provo wrote that "(e)xecuting these and other moves is as simple as tapping A to grapple and then performing a short directional pad and button combination".
Similarly, a reviewer for ''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' opined about "(l)earning the controls is as simple as a
rake to the eyes"
and ''IGN'' called the controls "easy to use".
Greg Orlando of ''
NextGen'' called it "a 3D wrasslefest that eschews mercy as much as it embraces excellence."
The game's improvements over ''WrestleMania 2000'' were also well received, with publications such as ''GamePro'' and ''
GameRevolution
''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots ...
'' calling ''No Mercy'' a "revamp" and "upgrade" over its predecessor.
Frank Provo of ''GameSpot'' and Al Paterson of ''
X-Play
''Xplay'' (previously ''GameSpot TV'' and ''Extended Play'') is a TV program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, airs on '' G4'' in the United States and had aired on ''G4 Canada'' in Canada (and briefly on Y ...
'' cited the Smackdown Mall and additional character creation options as highlights.
''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
'' also praised the game's improvements, commenting that while ''WrestleMania 2000'' was not much of an improvement over ''
WCW/nWo Revenge'' before it, ''No Mercy'' "looks and plays like a proper follow-up".
The game's Championship Mode was hailed as an improvement over the previous game. Writing for ''IGN'', Blake Norton praised the branching paths of the Championship Mode, writing that it would have players "coming back for weeks and weeks, to try each belt, try each twist, try each new plot development, then do it again with different wrestlers".
Despite this, the mode was criticized for its writing, with a reviewer in ''GameRevolution'' commenting it was "not even close to being as good as WWF writing" and ''EGM'' mentioning that "story lines could be deeper".
Reviewers also highlighted the game's technical shortcomings. ''IGN'', ''GameSpot'' and ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' pointed out that the game would noticeably slow down with four wrestlers on screen.
Publications such as ''GamePro'' also pointed out that while the graphics had improved since the last game, they were still blocky.
''GameRevolution''s reviewer wrote that "its superiority over ''Wrestlemania 2000'' is marginalized due to technical limitations".
The game's
AI was also criticized, with both ''IGN'' and ''Game Informer'' mentioning the propensity of computer-controlled opponents to start reversing every maneuver.
Jennifer Villereal of ''
Nintendo Power
''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
'' commented that the game takes "little skill to play".
Despite these faults, the game received "generally favorable reviews" according to video game
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
[ In 2009, '']Official Nintendo Magazine
''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo.
Originally published by EMAP as ''N ...
'' placed the game 70th on a list of greatest Nintendo games, praising the "deep and tactical gameplay".
The game was also a commercial success, selling over 1 million units, making it the third best-selling wrestling game for the N64.
It was a finalist for the "Console Fighting Game of the Year" and "Overall Console Game of the Year" awards at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is a non-profit organization of video game industry professionals. It organizes the annual Design Innovate Communicate Entertain summit, better known as D.I.C.E., which includes the presentation ...
' Fourth Interactive Achievement Awards, both of which went to '' Dead or Alive 2'' and '' SSX''.
Legacy
''No Mercy'' was the last wrestling game to be developed by Asmik Ace and AKI for the Nintendo 64. EA's ''Def Jam Vendetta
''Def Jam Vendetta'' is a 2003 professional wrestling video game that combines hip hop with pro wrestling. It was released for the PlayStation 2 & GameCube by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label in North America & Europe, and the E ...
'' and '' Def Jam: Fight for NY'', both developed by AKI, have been considered spiritual successors by fans. ''No Mercy'' has been cited as one of the best wrestling games ever made and the standard by which newer wrestling games are compared. Rus Mclaughlin of ''IGN'' wrote that the title helped AKI "seal their hold on the new benchmark of wrestling games". In 2016, Jeremy Peeples of ''Hardcore Gamer'' opined that the variety of wrestling maneuvers in the game still held up and in some cases surpassed more modern wrestling titles such as ''WWE 2K16
''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K17''. ...
''. Mark Bozon, also writing for ''IGN'', commented, "the No Mercy era brought the first truly deep wrestling experience to many gamers" and that "there's truly no better American wrestling game in history, as ''No Mercy'' is still regarded as the most balanced and true-to-life fighter in the business".
Despite its age and the release of newer wrestling titles, ''No Mercy'' retains a strong cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
of players who favor it over more recent wrestling games. Various fan modifications of the game have been made, introducing new arenas, new wrestlers and/or other wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling that has little relationship to the rules of the amateur olympic form. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails manag ...
s to the game.
In 2020, ''WWF No Mercys director, Hideyuki Iwashita (credited in ''No Mercy'' as "Geta") signed on as a consultant for a wrestling game developed by Yuke's
Yuke's Co. Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. It was established on 26 February 1993 by Yukinori Taniguchi. The company is best known for developing the ''WWE 2K, WWE'' video game series, based on the professional wrestling ...
based on All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
, called ''AEW Fight Forever
''AEW Fight Forever'' is an upcoming professional wrestling sports video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ Nordic. The game will be the debut title on home consoles and personal computers from American professional wrestling promoti ...
''. It is set be released sometime in 2023 by THQ Nordic
THQ Nordic GmbH (formerly Nordic Games GmbH) is an Austrian video game publisher based in Vienna. Formed in 2011, it is a publishing subsidiary of Embracer Group. Originally named Nordic Games, as was the parent company, both companies were re ...
, with the game taking heavy inspiration from ''No Mercy''.
See also
*''Virtual Pro Wrestling
is a professional wrestling video game series developed by AKI Corporation and published by Asmik Ace exclusively in Japan. The series started in 1996 with the release of the first ''Virtual Pro Wrestling'' for the PlayStation. It was localized i ...
''
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wwf No Mercy
2000 video games
Asmik Ace Entertainment games
Syn Sophia games
WWE video games
Nintendo 64 games
Nintendo 64-only games
Cancelled Game Boy Color games
THQ games
Video game sequels
Video games developed in Japan
WWE No Mercy
Professional wrestling games
Multiplayer and single-player video games