Granny Vinnie Reviews

7800 Rank: 55th Genre Rank: (Sports) 11th Awards: 8th Best Graphics, 2nd Worst Gameplay, 4th Worst Originality, 3rd Worst Value Hey! Looks Promising! Pros: Excellent Graphics Cons: No Actual 'Wrestling' Takes Place/ Terrible Computer AI Looks Can Be Deceiving...Especially in Pro Wrestling

Overview: In my second review of Atari 7800 Wrestling games, we see many similarities between Title Match Pro Wrestling and Mat Mania Challenge. Basically in this review I will compare the two, and we will see which one comes out on top. Probably, they will score a double count out draw.

Graphics: I really like the graphics of this game. The ring is much smaller than Mat Mania's but the wrestlers are bigger and more wrestler-like. Mat Mania's wrestlers looked like skinny rednecks from Deliverance, but Title Match's grapplers actually look like the freak show God intends wrestling to be. This cart's presentation reminds me of mid-80s local wrestling you would see on Saturday Morning. You have a Native American, a man from Iraq named Skin Head, a masked man, and a guy named Mad Dog. The crowd and arena even looks like your typical independent wrestling league in your typical one horse town

Sound: Instead of music we are treated to a swelling crowd noise with some weird whistle effects thrown in. It doesn't really sound like a crowd, but it's better than the lame music loop that Mat Mania has. There are decent collision noise, even though when a wrestler hits the ring ropes it sounds like he hit a trash can.

Gameplay: This is where we go wiggy with this game. I would think, naturally, that a wrestling game would have wrestling moves. While this game has the body slam and the Irish Whip, it is totally void of any other wrestling techniques! In addition to those moves, you have punch, kick, throw the guy outside, something that is supposed to be like a headlock slam, and this twirly silliness that spins the guy around and sends him into the ropes. The game calls this move the "Airplane Spin", but this is laughable because this is not an Airplane Spin. This move is something you do with a younger brother until he screams for mom or vomits. Computer AI is terrible, since wrestlers aimlessly meander around the ring in diagonal lines. The secret to this game is punching and kicking. These are the best moves in the game since all other moves you perform hurt you as much or more as the guy you are doing it to! Yes, that's right! A Body Slam or the infamous Airplane Spin hurts you as much as the opponent! TALK ABOUT WEAK! Mat Mania beats Title Match in gameplay, albeit barely. Mat Mania at least takes advantage of dual buttons (Title Match does not) therefore more moves are available. Title Match's saving grace is that you can participate in a tag match as well as one on one. I also like the energy bar…it clues you into what the heck is going on.

Originality: This game is original because it is such a bad interpretation of it's subject matter. I have never seen a game that claims to deal with something that is so unlike what it was intended to be (Except maybe Super Skateboardin'!). It looks and somewhat sounds like a Wrestling Match, but imagine if the characters and backgrounds were different. You could tell me this was a Pokemon game, a game about church women who fight each other over a handbag, or a Pac-Man remake before I would buy that this was a wrestling game. It's just plain silly!

Value: Matches are 2 out of 3 falls. The funny about the game is this: I can sometimes win two falls in about 10 seconds, but if things turn sour, a match can last all night. You cannot score a pinfall unless you have a lot more energy than your opponent. Since almost every offensive move takes energy, you can spend minutes trying to avoid your opponent to let your health restore. This is easily thwarted, though, since your opponent can just charge you and you have to hit him! This therefore reduces your energy…and the vicious cycle continues. Graphics alone do not save this game. Just like Mat Mania Challenge, only pick up this cart if you need it for your collection.

Overall: Well hey…Title Match Pro Wrestling vs. Mat Mania Challenge. This was like the Donnie Osmond/Danny Bonaduche boxing match that happened years ago. Who cares? They both suck! I like Title Match slightly better than Mat Mania Challenge because of one thing…Mat Mania ruined a great Arcade game. Title Match only hurt Absolute's reputation. And Absolute bounced back with decent carts Kung-Fu Master and Super Skateboardin'. I never heard of Mat Mania again. In closing, if you like wrestling, video games, fun, oxygen, sex, strolls in the park, or Jesus…stay far away from these two wrestling games. If you like hurting small animals, jabbing yourself in the eye with pencils, or Donnie Osmond and Danny Bonaduche…these are the games for you!!!



Other Reviews:
CV's Atari 7800 Panoramic Froo-Froo: 2.0 out of 5.0 (Bad)
The Atari Times: 4 out of 10
Atari Gaming Headquarters: 2 out of 10


Additional Info: I would like to take this time to thank Mitch Orman, owner of The Atari 7800 Page for allowing the use of his screenshots for this review.

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