The Game Boy Advance has not always been the best system to have a game on when releasing a primarily next-generation game. Many-a-game has fallen victim to the fact that the Game Boy Advance is inferior by comparison. I don’t even want to mention NFL Blitz 2002 that was released on the GBA. Normally, a game that is meant for a next-gen system is unplayable on the GBA. Legends of Wrestling II, while not unplayable, is a far cry from being perfect. The game is above average at best, with flaws in graphics, gameplay, and control, and unless you absolutely must own the game on the Game Boy Advance, I strongly suggest shelling out the extra 20 bucks to have it on the GameCube.
Aesthetics:
The graphics in Legends of Wrestling II are not the best we’ve seen. The ring and the crowd do look nice – the major problem is with the wrestlers themselves. They have a blurry look to them – at times it is difficult to tell who you are fighting against. But while the graphics are not great, the animations are much better. Moves such as power bombs and suplexes are animated very nicely – there is a 3-dimensional look to them – which is enjoyable to watch. The only problem is that the characters animate and move slowly. This can become a nuisance when you are struggling to win a match.
This does not make the game unplayable, however. If the graphics don’t bother you, then you should have a fun time playing the game.
Sound:
The sounds in Legends of Wrestling II are very well done. During matches, the background music is catchy, and the crowd sound effects are as perfect as can be. There is no commentary, which should come as no surprise, but what we are given is sufficient enough.
Gameplay:
The gameplay options in Legends of Wrestling II are, for the most part, basic, but are satisfactory. Here are your gameplay choices:
Exhibition
1-on-1 – Take on a computer-controlled opponent in an exhibition match
3-Way Dance – You take on two opponents in a winner-take-all fight
4-Way Dance – Only the strong survive in this one-on-one-on-one-on-one match
Tag – Pick a partner and go at it with a team of 2.
Career - Choose a wrestler and take him across different regions to win the title for each region
Tournament - Choose a wrestler (or tag team) and enter a single-elimination tournament to win it all.
Cards - View stats for all characters, including height, weight, number of wins and losses, etc.
The matches themselves are pretty basic. Fight against an opponent and hope to become victorious. The game itself moves somewhat slowly, but is still enjoyable. The learning curve, much like the GameCube version, takes a bit of practice to master, but once you get used to it, the game should be relatively easy.
Unfortunately, many of the gameplay perks that has been so synonymous with wrestling games are disappointingly nonexistent. For example, you cannot pick up any weapons, such as chairs, kendo sticks, etc. It is very difficult to figure out normally easy moves like throwing someone out of the ring. Some modes that are in pretty much all wrestling games are also missing from Legends of Wrestling II. Create-A-Wrestler, Cage match, Hardcore – none of these types of matches are available to play. However, please be advised that this is a Game Boy Advance game, and the space is limited. So this should not be shocking to any of you.
Control:
Normally, this is the section you would find the often-heard “not enough buttons on the GBA” comments. Not this time. The programmers did an excellent job of including so many moves with the interface they were given. There are so many different moves you can pull off by combining the D-pad and a button that the oh-so-important replay value is knocked up a few notches. Here are the basics:
A – Attack (use in conjunction with the d-pad for a variety of attacks)
B – Grapple (when in a grapple, press the d-pad in any direction with A or B to do a move)
R – Block, continue, or reverse an opponent’s move. Also used to pin an opponent
A + B - Finisher
Most attacks are fairly easy to pull off. The grappling, however, is a bit more difficult. Unless you are in the exact right place at the exact right time, you have little-to-no chance of pulling off a move. Once you do have an opponent in a grapple, moves are generally easy to pull off. As an added bonus, some moves can be combined with other moves to inflict some major damage. Pressing the R button at just the right time can also reverse an opponent’s move. I tell you, there is no better feeling than reversing an opponent’s reversal. It’s fun.
Unfortunately, all is not perfect. Unless you know your character’s finishing move like the back of your hand, it is extremely difficult to put your character’s signature move on your opponent. It takes some real practice to figure out your finishing move, as it is not given in the game or the instruction book. Another problem is that you cannot grapple someone from behind, which does take away the total number of available moves.
While these moves are absent, it does not entirely take away from the overall amusement of the game.
Multiplayer:
Unfortunately, with only one copy of the game, we were unable to test out the multiplayer mode, but if the rest of the game is any indication, it should be an enjoyable experience.
OVERALL:
Legends of Wrestling II is, for the most part, a good game. It was well thought-out, and given the compact space of the Game Boy Advance cartridge, fun to play. Enjoyable modes of play and a wide variety of wrestlers more than make up for average graphics and control. The only problem is that there is a better version out there - for the GameCube. Like I noted before, unless your only source of gaming is the Game Boy Advance, I strongly suggest forking over the extra 25 bucks for the GCN version of this game
The Lowdown on  Legends of Wrestling 2 (GBA)
| Aesthetics: Average |
Control: Average |
| Gameplay: Very Good |
Multiplayer: |
| Sound: Above Average |
Innovation: 3/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 4/6 |
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Overall: Above Average!
"A Quality Game"
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Legends of Wrestling 2 (GBA)
