Sound:  
Legends of Wrestling II does include a nice soundtrack, with some enjoyable songs to listen to during your matches. Odds are, though, that you won’t be paying attention to the music, as the intensity of the game itself is going to be your main focus. We have yet to see – or hear, for that matter – any audio commentary during the matches. It would have been interesting to hear Mean Gene Okerland and Bobby “The Brain” Heanan giving some insightful critique during the matches. Another downer is that the wrestlers’ theme music is missing. Understandably so, seeing as though WWE owns all the rights and this is not a licensed WWE game. So this is not a major problem.

Gameplay:  
The gameplay in Legends of Wrestling II is the main course on this full plate. Your basic matches are there, and so is the return of the Create-A-Legend mode, which Acclaim has never let us down with. Here is a breakdown of your match choices:

Exhibition
- V.S. – Take on a computer-or-person-controlled opponent to get the 1-2-3.
- 3-Way Dance – You and two other wrestlers duke it out to get the win.
- 4-Way Dance – It’s a real slobberknocker when four wrestlers go at it to earn their victory
- Battle Royal – The point of this popular mode is to throw your opponent over the top rope. The last one standing wins.
- Cage Match – Climb over the top of the cage – or use the door – to win this match
- Ladder Match – Your prize is hanging from the ceiling. Use the ladder to obtain that prize – as well as rearrange your opponent’s face.
Tag Team - You and a teammate form an alliance to win the match.
Legends of Wrestling II features many different options for the tag team match. You can have 2-to-4 man teams, or you can just take on 3 other 2-man tag teams.

Career - Select a wrestler and take him across the United States (and other countries) to earn each region’s title.

Tournament - Like any tournament mode, select a wrestler and engage in single-elimination rounds to win the tournament.

Create-A-Legend - In typical Acclaim fashion, there is an extremely deep create-a-wrestler option. This feature goes above and beyond any wrestler creation feature seen in any wrestling game on the market. Certain names are pre-recorded, and if you have a common enough name, the announcer will say it when you’re on your way to the ring. Not only can you create fake wrestlers, but Acclaim sneakily added in a little feature that makes creating actual wrestlers all that more fun. Now, as we all know, Acclaim does not own the rights to the WWE license, but that didn’t stop them from getting around this. You can create a current wrestler, and Acclaim pre-recorded certain first and last names to make each created wrestler as realistic as possible. So you can create someone like Triple H, and it would be as if he was included in the game.

Now, the gameplay itself is very user-friendly. Moves are easy to perform and reverse. The difficulty is widely varied, with the easiest level being easy, and the hardest being almost impossible to come away with the win. Once you start winning matches, you get coins. These coins are used in the wrestling shop to purchase new wrestlers, arenas, outfits, and other features.

There are enough modes of play to keep the replay value really high, and each mode is enjoyable in it’s own right.

Control:
The control in Legends of Wrestling II is not perfect, but is still enjoyable. Here is the breakdown:

A – Strike
B – Block/Reverse
Y – Attack
X – Grapple
Z – Pick up weapon
R – Run

Once you grapple someone, press another button to begin a different move (i.e., head between legs, belly-to-belly, etc). Then press a third button to complete this move. This move can then be extended to include a pin or a submission move. These moves can also be reversed by pressing the B button at just the right time.

The controls are rather responsive. The collision detection could have used some tweaking, however, but you will usually have no problems putting your opponent flat on his back. Perhaps the most difficult task to accomplish is breaking up a pin or submission. I have lost many a 3-way dance due to unresponsive controls. I also have experienced a few instances where the computer-controlled opponent grapples me from the apron, and the game freezes – so stay away from the apron when he’s on the outside! The control scheme is well thought-out, manageable, and easy to master.

Multiplayer:
The multiplayer mode in Legends of Wrestling II is fun, despite there not being many modes to choose from in the first place. Cage, Ladder, Tag Team – all are even more fun when playing with or against a friend. The only major issue is that if you are playing with a friend in a tag-team match, your partner does not have all that much control over his character. He may step in the ring to break up a pin or submission for a few seconds, but is then forced back outside the ring. Unfortunately, there is no option to turn this off. I would have preferred having total control over the character, however. Despite these few flaws, the multiplayer mode is enjoyable and adds greatly to the replay value.

OVERALL:
Legends of Wrestling II is a great game, for fans of classic wrestling and newcomers alike. All the favorites are here – Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase, and even “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. Even some of the up-and-coming legends, such as Scott Steiner and Eddie Guerrero make an appearance. Crisp graphics, great sound and music, solid controls and an enjoyable multiplayer mode make Legends of Wrestling II a must-have on any wrestling fan’s wanted list.

 

The Lowdown on  Legends of Wrestling 2 Aesthetics: Very Good Control: Awesome Gameplay: Awesome Multiplayer: Very Good Sound: Very Good Innovation: 4/6 Lasting Appeal: 5/6 Overall: Very Good! "A Must-Buy"