30 small things we love about Super Mario Bros.
Added: 11.09.2015 19:00 | 104 views | 0 comments
Super Mario Bros., both the original game and the many it spawned, has an almost intoxicating level of detail hidden inside its weird fiefdoms full of mushrooms, dinosaurs, turtles, and monarchs. Thirty years ago, that first game on the NES (or Famicom if you prefer) seemed mind-boggling in its intricacy. Hidden coin boxes! Warp pipes! Even the clouds in the sky were grinning at the player.
To toast gaming's most famous mustachioed icon as he enters his fourth decade, we've compiled a look at our very favorite small things from the series, those little details that have always been its signature.
Kuribo is the Japanese name for the Goomba, hence why you find the little fanged mushroom riding that green bootie around in Super Mario Bros. 3. Forget the game's logic, though. Why the hell is there a sudden, out of nowhere, invincible green boot to ride around in a single level of the game? Why not! That sort of gleeful weirdness is the Mario way embodied in sudden fungal footwear.
You may not know Hawkmouth by name. Hawkmouth is the terrifying bird face you have to jump in to escape stages in Super Mario Bros. 2. Name another game where you have to exit through a giant bird mouth.
There is no ending lazier than the “it was all a dream!” ending, yet Super Mario Bros. 2 makes it awesome. First, it justifies some profound weirdness like Mario and company traveling through interdimensional doors that pop out of potion flasks. Second, it makes sense that these are the dreams you have when your days are spent fighting Bowser.
The Wii U's marquee Mario game feels like an infinite gift bag of fun, strange ideas. The Double Cherry power-ups are among the best. Touch the cherries and suddenly you split in two. Touch more cherries, and split into four. Suddenly you can have eight Princess Peaches in cat suits running around causing chaos. Pure chaotic delight.
When you finally unlock the secret levels inside Super Mario World's Star Road, it feels like the game is about to get super, duper hard. And it does! The levels waiting in there are the toughest in the game. Their ridiculous ‘90s slang names - Gnarly, Tubular, etc. - just make them so damn approachable and sweet.
Yoshi is a dinosaur that uses his/her reproductive cycle as projectile weaponry, and yet that's not the awesomest thing about Yoshi breeding. All Yoshi are born wearing Timberlands. Seriously. Sweet boots are a part of their natural anatomy. That is too awesome.
There were different colored Yoshis hidden away in Super Mario World, and each had different innate powers when holding a Koopa shell. Red Yoshi, as you might expect, could spit fireballs and Yellow Yoshi could ground pound, but Blue Yoshi was the best of all, because he could fly. He lifted Mario high above the saws, enemies, pits and spikes, tiny wings a-fluttering and making those adorable flap noises. Blue Yoshi was a rare companion, and hard to hang on to for long, but he will always be my favorite dinosaur pal.
There's an elegant simplicity to the original Super Mario Bros. level names - World 1-1 tells you everything you need to know. But nothing can compare to the nomenclature majesty of the Cheese Bridge Area in Super Mario World. It's not just a bridge, it's a bridge area, though its connection to cheese is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the saws you have to avoid are used in some sort of fondue preparation? Tough to say. Others may praise Cookie Mountain or Soda Lake or even Green Switch Palace, but search deep within your soul and you'll see that the glory of CBA lives on forever. Forever.
Every Super Mario Bros. game has at least one little "thing" that makes you rethink what's possible in the world. In Super Mario Bros. 3, the ability to shift behind the scenery was a huge surprise, and let you sprint virtually carefree through the level.
Boos were deeply upsetting when they first showed up in Super Mario Bros 3. Why are you following me, you little freak!? Somehow they became a lot more personable when they started their own franchise of haunted houses. Full of invisible traps, secret exits, and feelings of dread in both basements and attics, the ghost house fixtures in Mario games since 1990 always provide a welcome change of pace from other stages.
The sun, when personified, seems indefatigably happy. It's always smiling or offering you two scoops of raisins. Sometimes the sun is a brutal nightmare, okay? When the sun shows up in Super Mario Bros 3, it's a nasty, cantankerous jerk that insist on swooping down to try and incinerate you. Thank you for portraying the sun as a vindictive curmudgeon, SMB3.
Super Mario Sunshine asks a pertinent question: when a regular part of your life is eating mushrooms to get gigantic, what do you do to relax? Apparently you go to an island populated exclusively by what appears to be gelatinous Jimmy Buffet fans with palm trees growing out of their heads. While the game's squirrely camera can make it a chore to navigate, Delfino Island is a fascinating place full of dangerous water parks and treasure-rich islands. Plus: .
Nintendo Power used to run the same dumb tip for every RPG under the sun: talk to everybody. It's good advice for RPG neophytes of course, but it seems like a moot point since all there is to do in most RPGs is talk to people before the action starts. Usually it's a chore. Not in Super Mario RPG. Every last town you go to is full of wonderfully personable goofballs. Jerk Yoshi obsessed with cookies and footracing! Violent bakers living in Marrymore, wedding destination to fungi everywhere! A seaside town of surly, noble shark pirates! Mole mining towns full of loving families and explosives! And everyone's just so pumped to see Mario jump. What a fun place.
Super Mario Bros. 3 has several different suits that give Mario special abilities: the Tanooki suit lets him fly or turn into a statue, the Hammer Brothers suit lets him hurl carpentry tools like a pro, and the frog suit lets him swim like a particularly graceful amphibian. There are only a few water levels in SMB3, however, and if you're conservative with your items, you'll end up with several frog suits in your inventory, so you should really, really slip one on when you're on dry land. It won't last very long because...well, you're a frog so you can only make tiny little hops, so you're gonna get hit pretty quickly, but you'll look ridiculous until you do. I mean, sure, it also has the benefit of making you big and giving you an extra hit, but the real value is in just how stupid you look hopping around on all fours.
It's always fun to exploit glitches in games, but this particular bug in the first Super Mario Bros. game sends you to a bizarro world with no end, whose only way out is death. Perhaps it's a hidden philosophical message from its designers, perhaps it's just a weird oversight in the game's programming. Either way, it's one of those things you hear that sounds totally fake until you actually pull it off.
In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario is still wearing his trademark blue overalls, red hat and white gloves, but unless you pay attention, you may miss that he's also wearing a short-sleeve version of his red shirt. It's a look that says, "I want to keep cool in the hot Delfino weather, but I still want people to know that it's a-me. Mario."
If you didn't read the manual for Super Mario Bros. 3, you were never explicitly told that Mario would go for a grand buttslide if you made him crouch at the top of a hill - which just makes discovering it all the more memorable. Suddenly Mario goes from a fragile creature who wilts at the touch of a turtle shell to luging death projectile, knocking aside Buzzy Beetles like so many bowling pins. For once in your platforming life, gravity is your friend.
A little Easter egg that appeared in Super Mario 64, this feature let you pinch Mario's face and move it around using the small hand cursor that appeared on screen. At first it's cute, but by holding down the right button, you can freeze Mario's twisted features in place to create truly horrifying abominations.
The second you load up World 3-6 of Super Mario 3D World, you know this one's a little different. A familiar tune is playing in the background and a racetrack stretches out to the right. Hit the first dash panel and the realization sets in - the entire stage is a gleeful, sidescrolling homage to Mario Kart. The only problem is that it's over too quickly - you'll want to start again as soon as you hit the Goal Pole.
When death inserts a sudden stop in Mario's happy march, it does so with a peculiar, jolting sound - it almost sounds like an auto-tuned UGH of a man being jabbed in the gut - and a cute little ditty. It's catchy, it's cheerful, and it's the nicest, most encouraging way to say YOU DIED.
It shouldn't be hard to conjure up the Super Mario Bros. 3 cover art in your mind, not when it's so simply exuberant. It's just a popping yellow background and a raccoon-tailed Mario, arms outstretched and flying somewhere new. There's no better look for a fondly remembered game.
Yeah, yeah, Yoshi is the king of cute, the one everyone loves, but have you SEEN Plessie? He's a little plesiosaur wearing a red scarf and shining with the texture of a balloon animal. By the time you reach the end of his aquatic slalom in Super Mario 3D World, you're friends for life. Yoshi who?
The plot of Super Mario games is a cliche among cliches, and for the first few hours, Super Mario RPG doesn't deviate from that stale trope. But after you rescue Peach, the game keeps going, as there's still a much larger threat to face, and she sneaks out of her castle to tag along on your adventure. Then you meet up with Bowser, who is so upset that this alien force has shoved him out of his castle, that he sucks up his pride and joins you as well. The series's iconic villain and damsel, kicking butt alongside our favorite plumber. It's the best.
Lakitu has long loomed over Mario's head, chucking spiny eggs at him from the safety of a fluffy cloud, but starting in Super Mario World, Mario could get a bit of revenge and cloud-jack that sucker. Hit Lakitu with a projectile and you can swipe his cloud, using it to float over obstacles or up to hidden areas. It eventually goes poof (you're presumably a bit heavier than the bespectacled Koopa), but it's a great ride while it lasts.
The overworld map for Super Mario Bros. 3 was helpful for navigating the Mushroom Kingdom, but I always appreciated the simple dance animations for the hills. Why were these hills dancing? Why did they have eyes? Who cares, just bob along!
Seriously, these are the original cheat codes. Who's got time to go through each and every level? Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers is gonna be on soon! So hop in a warp pipe and jump ahead a few worlds. No one's gonna judge.
Super Mario Galaxy adds some spiffy new suits to Mario's supply, including the oddball Boo Mushroom and Spring Mushroom. But being able to morph into an Italian bee - complete with an adorable little stinger - after snagging one of those furry, striped Bee Mushrooms provides the most interesting tweak to the dynamics of Mario's usual movement. The power to briefly hover or wall-crawl up chunks of honeycomb is a refreshing change of pace from the weighty leaps and long-jumps that feel most familiar.
Koopa Troopas aren't common enemies in Super Mario 64 like they are in other Mario games, but when you see one of those green-shelled goons you know you're in for a treat. Touch a stunned Koopa Troopa's shell in any other Mario game and you'll kick it across the screen, but in Mario 64 the plumber hops on that thing and rides it like a skateboard. Shells turn the typical level into a skatepark letting you ride on top of water, over lava, and over obstacles like you're a mustachioed Tony Hawk.
Few games do kitschy, possibly disastrous gimmicks better than Super Mario Galaxy and its signature silly apparatus, . Yes, spinning the Wiimote around to make it work is goofy, but the way it's implemented brings joy to my heart, from the satisfying POP as you blast off to the feeling of pride when you hit the next star at just the right moment. Heck, I even like the way it sounds through the Wiimote's janky speaker - not even technology can keep a good star down.
There is something fundamentally satisfying about pressing a button to make a character jump, then watching him descend again on top of an enemy, bumping it off the screen, defeated. The very word 'Nintendo', for me, is this action, possibly from my first ever experience of a NES pad as a mini-me struggled to make sense of this foreign name. The phonetic 'Nin' of 'Nintendo' has always brought this action to my mind, and that's a great connotation to have. It's pure video gaming.
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Bret Hart and Jake #39;The Snake#39; Roberts join WWE-2K16. Full roster inside
Added: 10.09.2015 16:40 | 232 views | 0 comments
UPDATE for September 10: With two Royal Rumble’s worth of wrestlers revealed over the last fortnight, WWE 2K16’s grappler count stands at 109 – with freshly unveiled debutants including Haku, Kama Mustafa, and the Vaudevillains. We’ve updated the gallery to include every wrestler and diva announced so far.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: While Yuke's' official WWE series has garnered mixed reviews in recent years, one area it’s always strong in is attention to detail outside of the ring, specifically arenas, wrestler entrances, and t-shirts worn by members of the crowd. In fact that latter apparel-based matter has become a flawless, ambient tie-up with each game's roster over the years. Simply, if a WWE superstar or diva is in the game, so too is their official merchandise, and vice versa. As a result, 2K’s recent of Finn Balor and Seth Rollins’ entrances inadvertently blows a good deal more future reveals, unveiling - at least to eagle-eyed fans - another 22 roster members in WWE 2K16 who haven’t yet been ‘officially’ announced.
With more than 120 wrestlers featured in the upcoming edition, there’s been a clamour for stars both old and new to join current-era combatants like John Cena and Randy Orton. And on this evidence, 2K and Yuke’s have delivered. Stalwarts The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and The Rock are joined by the returning Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart, while NXT standouts Baron Corbin, Enzo Amore and Charlotte are among this year’s debutants. For all 22 in-game characters unveiled in this way, and an updated list of every guy and gal revealed so far, read on…
Last year the WCW legend made his WWE game debut as a pre-order incentive, ahead of his first ever in-ring appearance for the company against Triple H at WrestleMania 31. He lost that particular match, but there’s better news on the virtual front, with this unmistakable tee confirming his spot in WWE 2K16.
Eater of worlds, new face of fear, and king of the rambling nonsensical promo, Bo Dallas’s real-life big bro has spent the year racking up victories against Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Roman Reigns before realigning with ‘family’ member Luke Harper. His return to the series after debuting last year, then, is hardly a surprise – but it’s still pleasing to have it confirmed.
Grease is the word? Meh. Try ‘woo’. That blue shirt we’ve zoomed in on here is unmistakably the ‘If you’re gonna do it, do it with Flair’ number , and former NXT Women’s champ, throughout this year. Joining her on the 2K16 roster are fellow WWE Hall Of Famer offspring: Jimmy and Jey Uso, sons of stinkface-rocking Too Cool dance buddy Rikishi.
NXT champion for much of 2015, the artist formerly known as Kevin Steen burst onto the WWE scene proper at Elimination Chamber with a five-star match against John Cena, from which he emerged victorious. Subsequent losses to WWE’s answer to Superman have dampened his heat since, but you’ll at least be able to enact revenge with Mr Pop-up Powerbomb in 2K16.
Still finding his feet in NXT, former NFL lineman Tom Pestock recently turned heel after an unsuccessful babyface run in which even former ECW favourite Rhyno failed to make him interesting. Still, there’s raw potential here – and if Corbin does make it to Raw over the next 12 months, you’ll be able to promote him similarly in-game.
Seriously injured in a match with Samoa Joe earlier this year, it’s strongly rumoured that Kidd may never wrestle again – which would be a huge shame after he and Cesaro’s innovative tag team run earlier in 2015. You’ll at least be able to reunite the pair within 2K16 – or place either in technical masterclasses against the man consider some to be the greatest ever, Shawn ‘HBK’ Michaels.
Currently used in a part-time role due to husband Tyson Kidd’s aforementioned neck knack, many experts still consider the daughter of Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart to be WWE’s best in-ring female performer. Fancy seeing her embark upon a second, much-deserved Divas Championship reign? In 2K16, that power is yours.
Cody Rhodes has appeared in multiple previous WWE titles, but his alter-ego Stardust was omitted from last year’s iteration after his character switch occurred after roster finalisation. No such problem this time around. We expect brother and on-off rival Goldust – currently out injured, but still contracted to WWE – to be revealed imminently, too.
Underwhelming fan reaction at the turn of the year turned the man being groomed as John Cena Mk II into the 2015 reincarnation of Lex Luger. Which is a shame, as even an overexposed Reigns is 100 times more bearable in main events than 73 year-old Kane or 73 stone Big Show. Like him or not, he’ll be one of 2K16’s most powerful competitors.
Altogether now: ‘der-dum, dum, dum dum dum, der-dum, dum, dum dum dum…’ The beast is back in 2K16, as he had to be: no WWE performer has been as dominant over the last two years as the former UFC champ. We still await confirmation of ‘associate’ Paul Heyman’s return as a manager, but – like Lesnar’s opponents after a Brock beating – it’s a no-brainer.
Again, no surprises here. The man who was once Nicky in the Spirit Squad is now something of a WWE veteran (although we wish he’d revert to being a heel), while ‘Taker has appeared in every single one of the series’ games since it launched on PS1, as WWF Smackdown, in 2000.
Treading water since his brilliant team run with ‘stunt double’ Damien Mizdow ended, 2K16 will afford you the opportunity to turn back time and reunite that pairing – before having the star-making (in Mizdow’s case) break-up never afforded the twosome in the actual WWE. (Their eventual storyline feud was a lazily written afterthought.)
On the shelf since May with a busted shoulder, the indie darling formerly known as El Generico is unlikely to return to a WWE ring until the spring of next year. His inclusion in 2K16, then, is wonderful news for anyone looking to resuscitate the outstanding feud between Zayn and best frienemy Kevin Owens.
When GamesRadar attended NXT live in San Jose ahead of this year’s WrestleMania, no single act was cheered as fervently as the New Jersey based tag team with the contemporary New Age Outlaws schtick. Among diehard fans, there’s no doubt their 2K debut will be welcomed with equal rapture.
Sure, the shirt design is slightly different from those you can buy new, but there’s still no mistaking that this bit of apparel belongs to Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s finest son. How can we be certain? 1. The pink. 2. The skull. 3. The words ‘BRET’ and ‘HART’ emblazoned across it.
For a few months in 2014 the former Leo Kruger looked set to carve himself out a tidy niche as WWE’s comedic curtain-raiser, until a feud with ‘The Bunny’ – yes, as in a bloke in a furry costume – wrecked his credibility. Now in his mid-‘30s, the odds on this being his last 2K appearance seem troublingly short.
22 years after the Alpine-sized Frenchman’s passing, Andre remains one of the most famous names in wrestling. At 7ft tall and 520lbs, he’s the biggest superstar in this year’s game, and the inclusion of Haku enables the reformation of one of WWE’s all-time strangest couplings – one which held the tag titles for four months in early 1990.
Another year, another repackaging for the only Preston North End fan ever to grace wrestling’s big leagues. This time around he’s King Barrett, although you’re unlikely to see him onscreen again in the immediate future – he’s currently back in the UK filming the new WWE Studios movie Eliminators.
It’s now more than a year since Big Dave’s last match, a barnstorming six-man melee between Evolution and The Shield at Payback 2014. He’s since earned rave reviews as Drax in Guardians Of The Galaxy, and will play the main villain in next Bond flick Spectre – making 2K16 the only way to see him in a WWE ring anytime soon.
Nikki Bella – AKA Mr John Cena – was never expected to miss out on 2K16 after holding the Divas Championship since November of last year, and twin Brie’s been an equally prominent performer on Raw and Smackdown. Still, accomplice Alicia Fox’s return after missing out last year is a mite unexpected, although very much welcome.
Alas, the ‘please retire’ chants which accompany every slow Show snooze-a-thon aren’t likely to find their way into 2K16 – derogatory fan chants are an area where WWE isn’t seeking believability. And to be fair, his power-packed move set makes him way more fun to play as in-game than he is to watch in real life.
Irwin R Schyster’s baby boy has been treading water for the last few months, reduced to comedy jobber status and obliterated by Brock Lesnar and The Rock, to name two. A link-up with real-life older sibling Bray Wyatt would instantly revitalise him, but WWE clearly isn’t interested in such a natural tandem. No matter: put them together in the game instead.
Now firmly entrenched as a member of the WWE commentary team, T nonetheless remains active on the company’s virtual roster despite not having had a match since WrestleMania 28 – more than three years ago. This will be his 26th video game appearance dating back to PS1’s WCW Nitro in 1997.
Shockingly, it’s 13 years since Davey Boy Smith – and yes, that is his real middle name – marched off to the great squared circle in the sky. Yet he remains one of the most famous Brit grapplers ever, and his inclusion here enables fans to relive perhaps the greatest Intercontinental Title bout of all time: his titanic tilt with brother-in-law Bret Hart at Summerslam 1992.
Naomi’s former Funkadactyls partner has been lost in the mix during the summer’s ‘Divas Revolution’, with NXT call-ups such as Charlotte and Sasha Banks rendering her something of an irrelevance. Yet her involvement here is welcome, if only as cannon fodder for those more talented dames.
Y2K chooses to wrestle on a part-time basis these days, splitting his schedule between WWE house shows and rock projects with his band, Fozzy. But a riveting curtain-raiser against Brit newcomer Neville, in a Tokyo Dome show broadcast on the WWE Network, showed he’s lost none of the ability that made him the first ever unified world champion.
The son of Curt ‘Mr Perfect’ Hennig earned himself a surge of fan support earlier this year with his ‘Axelmania’ tribute to Hulk Hogan – only to disappear entirely after a racism row saw all Hulkster references consigned to history by WWE. He’ll likely have a better 2016 in videogame arenas than real life ones.
Like Axel, Sandow’s push was immediately curtailed by the Hulk Hogan race row – he’d been teaming with ‘Axelmania’ as Randy Savage parody Macho Mandow. It’s back to generic theme tune and appearance, then, for one of WWE’s most under-utilised talents (and best mic performers) as 2K16 cartwheels into view.
Ack, that likeness. DDP had, by some margin, the worst-modelled hair in all of WWE 2K15, so let’s hope co-developer Yuke’s have put time into fixing that. If so, a legend vs legend-killer feud with Randy Orton surely beckons – Page’s Diamond Cutter finisher is almost identical to the Viper’s deadly RKO.
A second injury-plagued year on the spin has led some to speculate that wrestling’s most beloved babyface may have contested his final match, although he denies such claims. While the wait for a real-life comeback goes on, at least his videogame inclusion provides the opportunity for more title wins and five-star bouts with old indie circuit nemesis Cesaro.
The one-time Shield member – and Mr Renee Young – won the biggest belt of all at Elimination Chamber, only for the decision to be reversed due to referee shenanigans. He’s had barely a sniff of gold since, but be assured that many fans’ first move after grabbing the new game will be to follow through on the title switch WWE refused to let stand.
Strangely, 2K hasn’t yet confirmed the inclusion of Gunn’s New Age Outlaws tag partner, Road Dogg Jesse James. That seems likely to happen in the coming weeks; for now, crotch chop yourself silly over the news that these two members of DX have their tickets on this year’s grapple train booked, printed and in the first class post.
The kings of the ladder match are both now sadly retired, although have been known to make the odd appearance on Raw. Christian still elicits chants for ‘one more match’, but the Rated-R Superstar is definitely done for good after a number of serious neck injuries. Thankfully, you can un-retire him in the virtual ring instead.
Without lowering the tone, this import from the land of Neighbours might have the best body in WWE – so it always seemed insane that WWE saddled her with a wacky outfit and dancing idiot gimmick. Now restyled – literally and figuratively – in NXT, she’s set for a kickass 12 months on both the real and virtual stage.
Miss ‘All Red Everything’ is WWE’s pet project in the developmental NXT brand, much to the annoyance of hardcore fans who (correctly) insist she can’t wrestle. Still, in a year where the most of the contemporary roster is returning from 2015, even the most bitter critic will rejoice at seeing another series debutant.
After numerous failed stints as a bad guy, the fleet-footed former Johnny Curtis finally embraced the fans this year, to an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Which lasted two weeks. Reckon you can book him better than Vinny Mac and co? Boot up WWE Universe mode and get to work.
This shillelagh-wielding Irishman experienced a series of Indian summers between 2005 and 2009, turning in hard-hitting contests with Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio and Bobby Lashley, to name three. Sadly, his videogame likeness stems from much longer ago – his WCW stint saddled with dodgy leather jacket and awful mullet. Sigh.
The reigning NXT champion was the first wrestler revealed for this year’s game, thanks largely to his elaborate ring entrance – which Yuke’s have recreated with a surgical eye for detail. It helps, of course, that the Irishman made himself available for mo-cap duties. One of 2K16’s most exciting newcomers.
How quickly times change. This time last year The Bizarre One was a fixture on WWE TV alongside brother Cody, who together formed one of the company’s freshest duos in years. But a lacklustre break-up storyline saw fans lose interest in both ahead of WrestleMania – before an April injury condemned Goldust to months on the shelf. First priority for WWE 2K16, then: the reunification of the Brothers Rhodes.
This must rank as the biggest shock inclusion of all – a high-kicking Tongan machine who hasn’t been seen in a WWE game since Raw on the original Xbox. The only shame is that his return comes a couple of years too late to team him with son Camacho, who departed WWE last year and now wrestles as Micah in rival fed TNA.
Bray Wyatt’s longstanding henchmen reunited in May, ending Rowan’s experimental run as a babyface. A fresh link-up with Wyatt was expected soon after, until a bicep tear sent Rowan to rehab and opened up a spot in Bray’s ‘family’ for newcomer Braun Strowman. The latter’s call-up came too late for him to make the 2K16 cut, however, so the ginger one will have to make do for those wishing to reconcile the cultish clan.
After the dismissal of 3MB squad-mates Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre, Slater’s days in WWE seemed numbered – but mercifully, company bosses appear to recognise that he’s one of the best enhancement talents it has. And who knows: now he’s been restored to the videogame roster, perhaps the odd victory or three isn’t out of the question.
Not even 14 glorious years in Japan were enough to fast-track Kenta Kobayashi to WWE’s main roster; just like all other new signings, he was first dispatched to developmental territory NXT and given an unfamiliar name. A persistent shoulder injury has further delayed his chances of promotion, but this videogame debut should provide a measure of comfort.
WWE’s resident Elvis impersonator was consistently hopeless as an in-ring performer – but that even didn’t prevent him carrying the Intercontinental Championship for 454 days after defeating Ricky Steamboat in June 1987, a record that still stands. That feat alone just about justifies his insertion here.
Most found the former Acolyte’s WWE Championship reign to be the perfect cure for insomnia, yet a switch to the commentary desk has transformed Layfield from humdrum villain to cult hero. Listen out for the comedic cow moo just after his music kicks in – an ingeniously subtle nod to his Texan upbringing.
Next year will mark the All-American American’s ninth in WWE, but his star has fallen a fair distance since his 2010 World Heavyweight Championship reign. Indeed, many assumed he was gone for good after deleting his Twitter account earlier in the summer, but he’s still holding on to a roster spot – and thus makes the cut for this year’s game.
Personal problems plagued the real life Aurelian Smith Jr for decades, as showcased in 1999 documentary Beyond The Mat. But moving in with fellow grappler (and yoga guru) Diamond Dallas Page sparked a change of mindset, and luck – The Snake was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2014, and makes a triumphant return to WWE games here as a result.
Back in August, we confirmed Bret Hart before anyone else thanks to some T-shirt rated super-sleuthery – and now the Hitman’s tag partner (and brother-in-law) is also invited to the pink-and-black party. It’s crushing news for Erick Rowan, who can no longer claim the fictional-but-real-to-us in-game title of ‘bestest ginger beard’.
Whisper it, but the much-maligned WWE answer to Superman has been the company’s MVP this year. His feud with Rusev far surpassed expectations, and a summer series against Kevin Owens delivered two of 2015’s standout matches. His knockers remain critical, but few deserve their placing here more than Mr Wash-Your-Mouth-Like-Colgate.
Masked, unmasked, masked, unmasked… Kane’s status in WWE these days essentially equates to being an unsubtle Scooby Doo villain. For this year’s 2K outing, he’s back to the shaven-head-and-scary-eyed look – but you can bet that there’ll be a version of his masked character available for unlocking as part of the Steve Austin showcase mode.
He’s bad, he’s bad, he’s really, really… angry when you try to summarise him using Michael Jackson lyrics. Probably. The ass-kicking, ankle-breaking former UFC champ’s last series appearance came in WWE 2K13, where we had him link-up with pretend porn star Val Venis in a tandem called ‘Shamrock Hard’. You can have that one for free, Vince.
With Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall both in WWE’s naughty books, the once-famed NWO is reduced to a one-man army in this year’s official game. You won’t have to wait long to reunite the dastardly trio, mind – more creative options than ever mean fan versions of both Hulkster and Razor will inevitably be available within days of release. Phew.
Recently retired, WWE’s first diva search winner departs the company in style with a series comeback after surprisingly missing out in 2K15. And you’ll need her if you plan to bring back the Women’s Championship in Universe mode – the title was retired in 2010, but she’s technically the reigning belt-holder.
The Narcissist’s 1993 repackaging as an American hero, complete with a flag-trumpeting tour bus called the Lex Express, remains one of WWE’s greatest mis-steps. Yet the mulleted muscle-man //did// have a successful run in WCW prior to that. Foes Ric Flair and Sting’s inclusions here provide a welcome chance to relive those halcyon days.
Tougher than a decade-old stick of Blackpool Rock, this wily British vet adheres to a strictly-offscreen brief these days as general manager of NXT. Even so, grap fans will delight in his making the roster as it sets up hard-hitting, hold-heavy dream matches with his most famous protege, Daniel Bryan – a man who wears burgundy in Regal’s honour.
After a promising Raw debut the night after WrestleMania, Kalisto and Sin Cara found their opportunities limited throughout the summer months. Even so, both have movesets which lend themselves perfectly to high-flying videogame insanity. Recommendation: Stick them up against Kidd and Cesaro and let the lunatic high spots unfold.
Having gone the entire noughties without appearing in a WWE game, Savage is now considered a series regular. This will be his third consecutive appearance – although last year, unlike in 2K14, it came without ex-wife and manager Miss Elizabeth by his side. Hopefully that’s rectified this time around.
After retracting his likeness from last year’s game because he felt the royalties were insufficient, Mick returns for 2K16 – and he’s clearly happy with the potential paycheque this time, as all three of his famous characters are in. That means Dude Love, Mankind, Cactus Jack… and sad times for long-term rival Triple H.
You can’t have a bespoke Stone Cold mode without his arch-enemy coming to the party armed with Popeye biceps and a three-sizes-too-small wife-beater. The big boss just turned 70 in real life, but in-game he looks not a day over 45 – just young enough for a few more bloody tussles with the bad-ass bald beardie.
The announcement of these ‘Team BAD’ members is good news… so long as it’s followed-up by confirmation that stablemate Sasha Banks is in too. Banks is WWE’s best female wrestler right now, and the game won’t feel complete without her to grapple rivals such as Paige and Charlotte. Cross your fingers and watch this space.
D-Lo Brown! Kama Mustafa! Faarooq! Now 2K really is spoiling us. This late-nineties’ faction helped The Rock become a bona fide grap legend, but as a collective have been absent from WWE’s virtual offerings for more than a decade. “Finally… the trio… has come back… to the pretend-o-ring!” as The Great One would, uh, never actually say.
Newcastle’s pocket rocket took his WWE videogame bow this time last year, and soon followed that up with a promotion from NXT to the main roster. Now established as the company’s premier high-flyer, his supremely acrobatic moveset should mean lots of online use – and a disheartening amount of top-rope move spamming.
The leader of Team PCB (it stands for Paige, Charlotte and Becky – original, no?) hasn’t been able to wrestle Nikki Bella’s Divas Championship away in 2015, but remains the most popular lady on the roster. Sadly, she’s not yet cut a promo based upon follow Norwich madam Delia Smith’s infamous ‘let’s beeee ‘avin you’ halftime rant at Carrow Road.
Titus O’Neil is another of the E’s most overlooked all-rounders – although over the summer he and Darren Young did finally score the tag title run they should have been granted years ago. Better together than they ever were as solo combatants, don’t make the same mistake WWE did by placing them in a flat, lazily-booked break-up storyline.
The man once known as K-Kwik has had an uneventful 2015, with his one major fued – against King Barrett – petering out after something like 41 identical matches. His likeness, however, is one of WWE 2K16’s most accurate, which should ensure he gets a decent quota of match time over the coming months.
Our recommendation for what to do as soon as you boot up WWE 2K16: jump into Universe Mode and switch the Viper back to being a heel. Orton’s best work has always been delivered to fan jeers, and his methodical, even ponderous, moveset is a much better fit for a nefarious bad guy.
Woo! With daughter Charlotte appearing in a WWE game for the first time, there was no way Yuke’s could omit this Limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing son of a gun – giving you the opportunity to add to his 16 previous World Championship reigns, should you so wish. Come on, one more for the road: Woooo!
The Ravishing one enjoyed a storied career, from unforgettable feuds with Jake Roberts and the Ultimate Warrior, to a reinvention as DX’s original manager and mouthpiece. He sadly passed away in 1999, but features here for the second year in a row: potentially facilitating an unlikely reunion with Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Stiiiiink-face! Daddy Uso’s finisher, in which he introduces his ample backside to a fallen foe’s grill, is as low brow and downright immature as wrestling gets… so naturally, we’re delighted to see him, and said cheek-to-cheek move, return to the series. We give it five matches before you’re inflicting it on John Cena.
The second coming of Skip Sheffield looked to be a spectacular one when, in 2012, a long unbeaten run propelled Ryback into a WWE Championship match with CM Punk. But the company ditched the idea of giving him the gold, and fans lost interest. Finally regaining traction as the reigning Intercontinental Champion, he’ll be one of the highest rated brawlers in 2K16.
The Cobra-brandishing Italian (who’s actually from, er, Ontario) officially retired through injury in June of 2014. Yet rumours of a comeback have persisted, and will only be strengthened by him appearing in WWE 2K16 despite not featuring on Raw or Smackdown since the turn of the year.
A major frustration with WWE 2K15 was Rollins being stuck with his old Shield attire and theme – particularly grating given that he’s been WWE World Heavyweight Champion since cashing in his Money In The Bank contract at WrestleMania 31. His new(ish) attire and theme do make 2K16, but it still grates that we’ve had to wait 12 months for them.
Vince’s son and heir shockingly exited WWE in 2013 for a new career away from wrestling. Many assumed, therefore, that he’d never be seen in a videogame again; making his confirmation for 2K16 a huge, yet very welcome, shock. But will he ally with sister Steph or kickstart a furious blood feud? That choice is yours, and yours alone.
The fighting Irishman and 2015 Money In The Bank victor has been a series mainstay for more than half a decade, yet this will be the first 2K game to feature his updated mohican hairstyle and signficantly-better-yet-still-a-bit-rubbish entrance music. A power-laden moveset should make him more fun to play than watch.
This nefarious trio infamously faced off against Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior in a handicap match at Summerslam ’91, which has aged terribly – and it was hardly a classic in the first place. Still, with more good guys than bad appearing as 2K16 legends, it’s handy to have three pantomime villains to knock into shape.
With more than forty WWE games on his CV, Triple H sitting this one out was never feasible. But it’s still ace news to have wife Stephanie McMahon returning as a playable character, particularly with the company teasing a match against all-conquering UFC goddess Ronda Rousey at next year’s WrestleMania.
As Rusev’s main squeeze and Lana’s big rival, this former Lingerie Football League star (yes, really) is in the midst of her most noteworthy WWE storyline since being called up from NXT in 2013. Alas, developer time constraints means it’s her old, pre-Bulgarian-Brute character model that’s utilised in WWE 2K16.
No, that isn’t a typo: WWE 2K16 sees the wrestling videogame debut of one Mr A. Schwarzenegger, as the game’s main pre-order incentive. His inclusion stems from a collaboration with Triple H at this year’s WrestleMania, in which the Cerebral Assassin was accompanied to the ring by a legion of murderous cyborgs.
Yes, that is man in a feather boa. And yes, he is carrying a selfie stick. Channeling character elements of Dino Bravo, The Model Rick Martel, Shawn Michaels and The Miz, Breeze is picking up steam as one of NXT’s brightest talents – and a main roster call-up to mirror this first WWE game appearance can’t be far away.
We’re still not over Warrior’s untimely death shortly after 2014’s WrestleMania, but his inclusion in the WWE game for a third straight year at least keeps his memory alive. Sadly, Hulk Hogan’s removal means no way to relive their WrestleMania VI classic; those wishing to do that will need to backtrack to WWE 2K14.
Yes, we’ve paired them together, simply because they’re the two most athletic big men ever to set foot in the squared circle. The twosome notably aligned to face the Steiner Brothers in Japan in 1992, but Bigelow’s death in 2007 sadly prevents them from ever doing so again. In real life, anyway. Handy things, these “videogames”.
It’s been a month that Aiden English and Simon Gotch would likely describe as splendiferous. The theatrical twosome snared gold for the first time the night before Summerslam, defeating Blake Murphy for the NXT tag titles, and now their first appearances in a WWE video game have been confirmed too. Take a bow, boys.
Woo, woo, woo… he’s back. Fans were, quite rightly, incensed last year when the Hype Bro was left off the roster – no doubt because WWE has never valued him as highly as his 1.7 million Twitter followers. There’s no such mistake this time around, and you’d fancy his new partner Mojo Rawley to also make the cut in due course.
Well, duh. Like the great one was going to miss out on a WWE game for the first time in forever. Rocky’s inclusion rounds out the names revealed so far to 109, just a dozen-or-so short of the final line-up. That makes the full, current list (*deep breath*):
dam Rose, Aiden English, Alicia Fox, Andre The Giant, Bad News Barrett, Bam Bam Bigelow, Baron Corbin, Batista, Big Show/Paul Wight, Billy Gunn, Bo Dallas, Booker T, Bray Wyatt, Bret Hart, Brie Bella, British Bulldog, Brock Lesnar, Cameron, Cesaro, Charlotte, Chris Jericho, Christian, Col Mustafa, Colin Cassady, Curtis Axel, D-Lo Brown, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Darren Young, Damien Sandow, Diamond Dallas Page, Dolph Ziggler, Edge, Emma, Enzo Amore, Erick Rowan, Eva Marie, Fandango, Farrooq, Finn Balor, Fit Finlay, General Adnan, Goldust, Haku, Heath Slater, Hideo Itami, Honky Tonk Man, JBL, Jack Swagger, Jake Roberts, Jey Uso, Jim Neidhart, John Cena, Jimmy Uso, Kalisto, Kama Mustafa, Kane, Ken Shamrock, Kevin Nash, Kevin Owens, Layla, Leg Luger, Lord Steven Regal, Luke Harper, Mankind/Dude Love/Cactus Jack, The Miz, Naomi, Natalya, Neville, Nikki Bella, Paige, R-Truth, Randy Orton, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Rick Rude, Rikishi, The Rock, Roman Reigns, Ryback, Sami Zayn, Santino Marella, Seth Rollins, Sgt Slaughter, Shane McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Sheamus, Simon Gotch, Sin Cara, Stardust, Stephanie McMahon, Sting, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Summer Rae, Tamina, The Terminator, Titus O’Neil, Triple H, Tyler Breeze, Tyson Kidd, Ultimate Warrior, The Undertaker, Vader, Vince McMahon, X-Pac, Zack Ryder.
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