Overview and Gameplay
Six late-1980s WWF stars step into a one-on-one NES wrestling ring: Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Randy Savage, The Honky Tonk Man, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Ted DiBiase. WWF WrestleMania offers standard matches and tournament play built around pins, energy meters, and character-specific move tables.
In a standard match, the player chooses a wrestler and opponent. In tournament mode, the goal is to defeat the rest of the roster and win the WWF Championship Belt. Matches use strikes, running attacks, bodyslams, turnbuckle moves, pins, and temporary rage boosts that make a wrestler hit harder.
Controls And Mechanics
- The Control Pad moves the wrestler around the ring and combines with attacks for running and positioning.
- Button A and Button B perform wrestler-specific strikes and special actions depending on range and situation.
- Some stronger moves use both attack buttons together during grappling or back attacks.
- Start begins play, pauses, resumes, or watches computer matches.
- Select chooses setup options and can skip computer matches.
- Two-player play supports direct one-on-one competition, not co-op.
Version Notes
This is the original NES WWF WrestleMania, separate from later NES entries such as WWF WrestleMania Challenge and WWF WrestleMania: Steel Cage Challenge.
Release And Credits
- NES release year: 1989
- Developer: Rare Limited
- Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
- License: World Wrestling Federation
