Action Arcade Wrestling
- October 15, 2019
- VICO Game Studio
Action Arcade Wrestling may look like small game, but easily is one of the most fluid and innovative wrestling titles to release across platforms in years.
Get on SteamAction Arcade Wrestling is a retro-style wrestling game with over-the-top moves and fast-paced action. Create your own wrestler and battle it out in various arenas, using a wide range of attacks and combos to defeat your opponents. With local and online multiplayer, as well as a variety of game modes, there's plenty of wrestling mayhem to enjoy.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a robust creation suite that allows players to create and share custom wrestlers and arenas, providing a lot of creative freedom.
- The gameplay is simple and fun, reminiscent of classic arcade wrestling games, making it accessible for players of all skill levels.
- The community aspect is strong, with many interesting and humorous custom characters available for download, enhancing the overall experience.
- The AI is poorly designed, often leading to repetitive and unchallenging matches where CPU wrestlers fail to engage properly.
- The game lacks depth and content, with no career mode or meaningful progression system, making it feel empty after a few matches.
- There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with character animations and controls, which detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its nostalgic, old-school feel reminiscent of classic wrestling titles, while others criticize its simplicity and lack of depth. Although the creation suite is praised for its detail, the core gameplay is often described as repetitive and lacking in variety, with some technical issues detracting from the overall experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of arcade-style wrestling games but may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or engaging gameplay experience.
“This game has pretty solid gameplay - no additional cutscenes, so I imagine the money is well spent.”
“Gameplay has a great old-school feeling, so if you used to play wrestling games back in the day on your consoles, I have little doubt that you won't like this game!”
“The creation suite is insanely detailed, and the gameplay is simple and fun!”
“The gameplay is so dull and repetitive that it couldn't hold me for more than a few minutes at a time.”
“This game in its current format absolutely stinks. There are so many issues with the gameplay that it has become unbearable for me. Some moves can cause the wrestler to be positioned midair, the AI wrestlers go nowhere near the outside of the ring, and the battle royal mode is nearly unusable. The sound cuts out way too often, and the voiceover changes make it difficult to get through matches.”
“The matches themselves are way too similar; it feels all the same, no matter what wrestler you choose. It's always the same limited gameplay.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of this arcade wrestling game are praised for their fun, cartoonish style that enhances the gameplay experience, making it accessible and enjoyable. While the customization options allow for recognizable character designs, some users note that hit detection can be inconsistent, with moves sometimes not visually connecting despite registering as hits. Overall, the graphics strike a balance between realism and fantasy, offering a refreshing alternative to more hyper-realistic wrestling games.
“Great customization, fun graphics, and excellent gameplay.”
“This game is a breath of fresh air in a world of 'super realistic ultra graphic wrestling games.'”
“The cartoon graphics just add an amazing appeal to the already great arcade controls and gameplay.”
“Moves sometimes don't connect graphically but still count as hits.”
“Just look at some of the created wrestlers in this vs Fire Pro Wrestling, and you will easily see this game makes it very simple to achieve something recognizable without a name tag.”
“While the possible looks for the wrestlers are highly variable, the graphics are not high-end and considerable effort is required to make them look good.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the option to use custom music, allowing them to personalize their gaming experience by selecting tracks for character victories. However, the absence of entrance music for characters has been noted as a downside, limiting the overall musical experience during matches.
“Last but not least, custom music adds a personal touch to the game.”
“The ability to create a folder for your own music enhances the gaming experience.”
“You can select music from your folder for each character, making victories even more rewarding.”
“There are no entrances, so there's no music to walk down to.”
“I would love to set up a gauntlet with custom music.”
“The game allows you to create a folder for your music, but it feels limited in how it integrates with the gameplay.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of constant crashes, glitches, and bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many users suggest that only those willing to overlook these issues should consider playing, as the overall experience is marred by instability and performance problems.
“If you can deal with constant crashing, many glitches, and bugs, then the game is good.”
“I don't think the game will shape up to anything, as it's too all over the place and buggy as hell.”
“Can't comment on how it plays, as the game freezes after about a minute of run time.”
- story5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a mix of experiences regarding the story aspect, with some players appreciating the depth of narratives in indie mobile games, while others express a desire for a more structured story mode or career progression to enhance replayability. Overall, there seems to be a demand for more engaging story elements in games that currently lack them.
“I really enjoy the two-button gameplay, but I do wish there was a career mode or story mode to keep me coming back to it.”
“A single-player story or some sort of worthwhile progression system.”
“Even some indie mobile games have a very in-depth storyline.”
“I really enjoy the 2-button gameplay, but I do wish there was a career mode or story mode or something to keep me coming back to it.”
“No story mode from what I've seen.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurd and hilarious gang fights, featuring over-the-top moves and creative character customization. Players find the gameplay to be fast-paced and entertaining, with moments of comedic chaos, such as setting opponents on fire or invoking pop culture references like Harry Potter. Overall, the game is described as funny and enjoyable, especially when purchased at a discount.
“It comes to a mess of ridiculously hilarious gang fights.”
“Very funny, cheap (wait for discount), and you can create your own fighters or download the ones created by other players; just remember to download the factory.”
“Fun arcade wrestling game, fast-paced with funny moves. I set fire to some dude using a fire ant and became Harry Potter by shooting a lightning bolt onto some other guy.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the exceptional replayability of the game, citing the vast array of user-generated content, including custom wrestlers, arenas, and belts, which offers endless opportunities for fresh experiences.
“There are tons, and I mean tons, of replayability with endless amounts of created content, custom wrestlers, custom arenas, and custom belts.”
“The game offers incredible replayability, allowing players to explore countless strategies and play styles.”
“With various modes and challenges, the replayability factor keeps the game fresh and exciting every time you play.”
Critic Reviews
Action Arcade Wrestling (Nintendo Switch)
Action Arcade Wrestling is a beautiful and smooth game that’s very attractively priced. Easy to pick up and play, it boasts a deep (but separate) creator’s tool with plenty of community-created wrestlers to download. What it does, it does well. But it’s missing features to make it a great game, specifically a career or federation mode. The framework is there, so hopefully, we will see that in the future.
70%Action Arcade Wrestling Review
Action Arcade Wrestling may look like small game, but easily is one of the most fluid and innovative wrestling titles to release across platforms in years.
80%Chikara: Action Arcade Wrestling Review
Though it still has a ways to go, Chikara: Action Arcade Wrestling is a worthwhile pick-up for wrestling fans. Matches are raucously entertaining, and there's enough variety to keep fans occupied for hours upon hours. The CAW feature is brilliantly implemented. Once you get the hang of it, the potential is boundless. Some issues, particularly the AI, still need to be sorted out, but the developer is really keen on delivering consistent updates and fixes.
70%
