TNA upstarts kick-off on 'bore' vs Smackdown games

Posted by Chris Smith on Tue 17 Jun 2008

US Grapple war hits your console, as TNA iMPACT! stars pull no punches over rival WWE games

For those who thought the muscle-bound monsters of WWE were the only wrestling organisation in town, think again.

The new kids on the block are TNA Wrestling, providing hotter action, better matches and innovative athleticism, all in a six-sided ring.

They hope their superior in-ring product will translate into the video game market this September as Midway's TNA iMPACT! hits the shelves.

And the TNA stars, on their first UK tour, threw down the gauntlet to the somewhat stale Raw vs Smackdown series from THQ.

"The last WWE games I really played were back when it was WWF; when it was good," says TNA main-eventer AJ Styles, who donned a body suit for the motion capture of over 200 moves.

"When you throw your punches in this game, you don't experience any delay as you do in their games. Here, as soon as you press the buttons, it's happening on screen. It's a much more realistic experience."

TNA World Champion Samoa Joe added: "I've always felt so detached from the Raw vs Smackdown games and I'm not just saying that because they're the competition. It never felt real to me."

"It's the little things that make such a difference, because of the motion capture, everything is more crisp and more authentic."

T3.com stepped into the squared circle for a wee grapple and the words ring true. This is, perhaps, going to be the best wrestling game yet.

The Ultimate X mode, like nothing seen before in wrestling games, features characters navigating their way across a rope raised high above the ring, to claim a giant X is a particular highlight.

Your move, WWE. And that's the bottom line 'cos T3 says so.