When it comes to wrestling games, few can compete with the WWE. While this could be primed to change in the near future with the debut of AEW's first game, the last two years have been dominated by WWE's releases, along with the occasional Fire Pro Wrestling.
Whether aiming for an arcade-style experience or something closer to a sim, the best WWE games are addictive and usually blend accessibility with depth. Although there have been many great wrestling games over the decades, the WWE brand is not an unshakeable stamp of gaming quality, a fact reinforced by 2019's WWE 2K20 and 2020's WWE 2K Battlegrounds. Which WWE games hold up the best?
Updated February 28, 2022 by Mark Sammut: WWE 2K22 is almost here, and it has been an unusually long wait for fans of the franchise. Following the extremely disappointing WWE 2K20 and the repetitive WWE 2K Battlegrounds, 2K Sports really needs to hit the upcoming game out of the park; to the company's credit, WWE 2K20's pre-release marketing has done a solid job of building up hype for the release. Although there have been plenty of stinkers, there are also many WWE games that are timeless. A few more of those titles have been added to this article.
12 WWE 2K19
Hard as it is to believe due to the disastrous WWE 2K20 but the brand was on a pretty decent run prior to that release. WWE 2K18 and 2K19 are both among the strongest entries in Yuke's later-day era, with the latter serving as a decent swan song for the studio's time with the license.
WWE 2K19 does not have too much that makes it stand out from what came before, but it offers a ton of content, solid visuals, and sim-style gameplay that should allow fans to put together some epic back-and-forth contests. It also has AJ Styles on the cover, something that would have seemed impossible just a few years earlier.
11 WWF WrestleFest
A really old-school pick, WWF WrestleFest was the delight of arcades in the early '90s. Gloriously over-the-top in a way that captures the spirit of WWE's Hulkamania era, WrestleFest blends its colorful visuals with a simplistic gameplay style that does not throw out the rule book; for its era, this is a relatively grounded experience.
WWF WrestleFest might not hold too much value for those who do not have any attachment to the game or this period in WWE history, but it is a fun arcade classic that has aged better than most of the early 3D console wrestling titles.
10 WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007
The WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series lasted all the way from 2005 to 2010, and this franchise saw the company's games become multi-platform. Featuring Triple H on the cover, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 had a wide release, launching on consoles such as the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Java, and Nintendo DS.
This series found a way to minimize the amount of space covered by the HUD (heads-up display). This game focuses more on technical wrestling expertise rather than the fast-paced movements of most of the PlayStation 2's previous games.
9 WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
As the predecessor to WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is bloodcurdling action. It is one of the best wrestling games of all time because of its emphasis on finishing moves and less on technical skill.
For casual gamers, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth's controls are nowhere near as challenging as some of the more recent WWE games. Released as an exclusive for the PlayStation 2, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is a notable influence in the wrestling genre and tends to be overshadowed by its successor.
8 WWE Day Of Reckoning 2
The Nintendo GameCube had a solid selection of WWE games, starting with 2002's WWE WrestleMania 18 and concluding with the underrated Day of Reckoning 2. These games built upon each other, culminating in a highly enjoyable game that took full advantage of the GameCube's power.
Compared to Here Comes the Pain, Day of Reckoning 2's combat is slightly slower and less arcadey. While not as immediately satisfying as the PS2 title's gameplay, Day of Reckoning 2 still plays incredibly well, particularly in single-man matches. The story mode is also enjoyable ludicrous, although it is hampered by the fact that players can only use their created character.
7 WWE ’12
As the first entry in this series of games, WWE '12 focused more on capturing the pacing of WWE matches and less on unrealistic clashes. Reviews for this game were generally favorable, especially since the WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw games had started to grow stale by this point in time.
WWE '12 contains a sizable roster including Divas and Legends. Being able to play as your favorite characters from past WWE decades is an essential part of WWE games. Even by today's criteria, WWE '12 still holds up. Developer Yuke's put together another classic that fans won't soon forget.
6 WWE 2K14
As the first wrestling game to have '2K' in its title, WWE 2K14 was published by 2K Games and 2K Sports but was developed by Yuke's. THQ went bankrupt, which is how Take-Two Interactive was able to obtain the wrestling game license. To this day, wrestling games are published by 2K Sports.
Gameplay-wise, WWE 2K14 is not all that different from WWE '13, but the game does shine through when it comes to the sheer amount of content packaged within it. The Creation Suite was a fantastic addition, while the gameplay should satisfy fans of both arcade and sim titles.
5 WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2011
As the last SmackDown vs. Raw game to be released, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 improved on the series with more enjoyable gameplay. With that said, it did have bugs that hindered gameplay, but overall, it is an enjoyable wrestling game.
Graphics are still excellent compared to today's releases, so there is little stopping people from picking up WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 today. The grapples are a bit sluggish compared to other wrestling games, but it is more realistic than past WWE titles. Including backstage brawls and speeches from Vince McMahon, there is more than enough content to keep players entertained.
4 WWF WrestleMania 2000
If a WWE fan is not playing WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64, then surely they are playing WWF Wrestlemania 2000. Debuting in what is widely known as the Attitude Era, WWF WrestleMania 2000 was released at a time when the WWF had its biggest popularity surge.
Wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Mick Foley made the game intriguing. Performing grapples and strikes to raise the wrestler's special is executed perfectly in WWF WrestleMania 2000.
3 WWE All Stars
WWE All Stars takes a spin on already popular wrestling games by adding slow-motion effects, trails, and wrestlers whose proportions are exaggerated. The result is addictingly fun, chaotic matches. The game is comparable to NFL Blitz because of its style changes to a sport.
WWE All Stars is a game that can be played for hours on end. Finishing moves like Rey Mysterio's 619 look spectacular in WWE All Stars. This game still holds up and is better than most recent wrestling titles.
2 WWF No Mercy
A story mode made this game more exceptional than previous wrestling games. WWF No Mercy released after WWF WrestleMania 2000, and it improved that game's already fantastic mechanics, which is one reason why it has the edge.
The Nintendo 64's controller is a perfect match for this game as Flicking the thumbstick to perform a special is easy and intuitive. Except for one release, WWF No Mercy is rightfully hailed as the best WWE game of all time, one that holds up ridiculously well compared to every fighter from this era.
1 WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain
Honestly, it is a toss-up between WWF No Mercy and WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, two fantastic wrestling games that offer widely different experiences. The PS2 title is chaotic, frantically-paced, and boasts one of the best rosters in any wrestling game ever. Seriously, its regular roster includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, and The Undertaker, along with the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Eddie Guerrero.
Here Comes the Pain is just as fun in 2022 as it was in 2003, and its pick-up-and-play combat makes it the perfect introductory game for non-wrestling fans.