WWE Legends of Wrestlemania -- A Wealth of Modes.

Legends of Wrestlemania features an extensive character creation system known as CAW, or create a wrestler. From that base you're able to take your created wrestler through all of the standards you'd expect in such a title. You have exhibition mode where you can wrestle a one-off match of any variety from those you've unlocked. They include Single Match, Tag Team Match, Triple Threat Match, Ladder Match, Handicap Match, Iron Man, Steel Cage, Hell in the Cell, Submission Match, and Royal Rumble. That's most of the major match types. The only notable missing types are Battle Royal, Strap Match, and Dog Collar Match. Technical limitations essentially make the missing types impossible. All of the match varieties can be played offline or online. The game also offers what's called Legend Killer mode wherein you take your created wrestler through the ranks of the WWE. You'll earn experience points that are used to strengthen the attributes of your created wrestler. This is essentially your career mode. The game offers a rather interesting new mode in the Wrestlemania Tour mode. In this mode you're tasked with revisiting some of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history in order to relive, rewrite, and redefine the experiences. In the relive section you're trying to recreate the match exactly as it happened and you'll earn points toward a gold medal for pulling off all the moves and sequences as they originally happened. For example you'll play as Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III attempting body slam Andre the Giant. In the original Wrestlemania Greg "The Hammer" Valentine escaped losing his title to the Junkyard Dog by getting himself disqualified. In the rewrite section you're tasked with rewriting history and making sure that the Junkyard Dog leaves the ring as the Intercontinental Champion. In the redefine section you'll get to revisit famous matches that have had their original conditions altered. What would have happened at the original Wrestlemania between Big John Studd and Andre the Giant had the match been a Hell in the Cell match? Legends of Wrestlemania really has done a great job in offering up the total WWE experience. They really have covered all of their available bases. I am aware that the appeal of these modes relies heavily on your awareness of wrestling history. The game attempts to help out new fans by including a few minutes of video on each match in the Wrestlemania Tour mode section. The videos give you the full picture of the matches. They show all the key events during the specific matches and really add a sense of history and place to the events you're set to relive, rewrite, and redefine. I'm quite impressed with the presentation. Of course none of that matters if the gameplay isn't very good. So how does Legend of Wrestlemania play? Next time...