WWF Raw

WWF Raw is a professional wrestling video game based on the television show of the same name produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), released for the SNES, 32X, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Game Boy in late 1994 and early 1995 by Acclaim Entertainment. It is the sequel to the WWF Royal Rumble game that was released in 1993, and is the final part of LJN‘s 16-bit WWF trilogy. Players can play either One-on-One, Tag Team, Bedlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, or a Raw Endurance Match. Unlike its predecessor, WWF RAW is multitap compatible.^[2]

WWF RAW introduces differences between the characters in that they not only have their own signature moves, but differing move sets altogether (including new over-the-top “mega moves”). The game adds many moves not seen in the previous games, such as a DDT, a fallaway slam, and various types of suplexes. Additionally, wrestlers differ in attributes of speed, strength, stamina, and weight.

WWF Raw itself is arcade-like and involves a “tug-of-war” system in which, when the wrestlers lock-up, a meter appears above them and players must repeatedly press buttons to pull the energy away from the opponent’s side to theirs. With more energy, they can perform moves with greater impact. Once an opponent’s energy is low enough, a player can perform a wrestler’s unique signature move.

Gameplay – WWF Raw

Match types – WWF Raw

Luna Vachon takes on Yokozuna in an Intergender match (Super NES version).

General rules:

In a Brawl mode the only way to win is by deflating the opponents’ energy bars to zero, and there are no referees or any counts.

When the One Fall option is enabled, characters cannot perform chokes and eye gouges. But if the referee gets knocked down, these attacks will be enabled until he recovers. However, the match can not end until the referee is able to count pin attempts or ring outs. If the referee is knocked down too many times, he will walk out of the ring. The match will then continue under Brawl rules.

Applying certain holds to opponents which have no stamina will result in them giving up. This will not work in the Royal Rumble match.

Finishing & Mega Moves – WWF Raw

Every wrestler has a unique move based on their real-life finishing move. They all need to be performed in specific positions when the targeted opponent is low on stamina. They all use exactly the same button combination, and most characters taunt if the move was successful. Shawn Michaels’ finishing move is the “Catapult Suplex”, a version of his then finishing move the “Teardrop Suplex”.

Both Bret Hart and Owen Hart use the “Sharpshooter”, which is a hold. If the Sharpshooter causes the opponent’s health to deplete fully, then they will submit. The correct move positions are noted in the game’s instruction manual.

All versions of the game apart from the handheld versions also have Mega Moves. These are greatly exaggerated moves which cause the most damage. In most cases, they will knock an opponent out of the ring. If this happens in a Royal Rumble, then the opponent is eliminated.

The player can execute these moves using a character specific button combination. Most of them are easy to avoid due to their long set-up animations. For example, both, Lex Luger and The Undertaker swing their arms in a circular motion before punching the opponent. As they are winding up their arms, the opponent has time to walk away from the target area. Other moves cannot be countered, like Diesel’s literal throw towards the ceiling.

Reception – WWF Raw

On release, Famitsu magazine scored the Mega Drive version of the game a 19 out of 40.^[3] Quick-Draw McGraw of GamePro gave it a positive review, praising the selection of fighters, variety of moves, lack of slowdown, the sound effects, and the many skill settings.

He did, however, criticize the fact that all the wrestlers are rendered at the same height, even ones who have drastic height differences in real life.^[4]

Next Generation gave the SNES version of the game three stars out of five and wrote that “there are still many aspects of pro wrestling that none of the WWF games have yet to cover, so why not go after those?”^[5]

Quick-Draw McGraw of GamePro was even more laudatory towards the SNES version, remarking that the controls are more precise and the graphics more detailed than those of the Genesis/Mega Drive version.^[6]