WWF WrestleFest is still fondly remembered by ’80s kids and old-school wrestling fans as one of the greatest arcade games of all time, and the classic title is finally getting an official sequel in 2020. Developed as an homage to WrestleFest, Retrosoft Studios’ RetroMania Wrestling was designed from the start to be a spiritual successor to the original WrestleFest arcade game from 1991. During production, the developers managed to secure the WrestleFest license from Technōs Japan, allowing the team to label RetroMania Wrestling as the official sequel to WrestleFest.
The rights to use WWE-owned wrestling characters did not come with the WrestleFest license, meaning you shouldn’t expect to see Mr. Perfect and the Big Boss Man competing in WWE arenas. RetroMania Wrestling will instead include a variety of independent wrestlers who’ve signed off to have their names and likenesses used in the game, many of which have competed in WWE. Fortunately, one tag team from the original WrestleFest returns for the sequel, as Hawk and Animal of The Road Warriors – known as The Legion of Doom in WWE – will be featured.
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Along with The Road Warriors, other confirmed names for the game’s roster include indie favorites Colt Cabana, Tommy Dreamer, Johnny Retro, Austin Idol, Nick Aldis, Zack Sabre Jr., and even the Blue World Order: Big Stevie Cool, Hollywood Nova, and the Blue Meanie. A few more names are also expected to be included, and the studio has been polling fans on social media to determine which indie wrestler will be added next. Additionally, Colt Cabana will also provide match commentary along with Ring of Honor’s Ian Riccaboni.
All of the wrestlers on the roster will have their own unique entrances with theme music, along with multiple entrance attires. They’ve each also been given their own rad logos, reminiscent of the ones given to wrestling’s biggest stars in the early ’90s. Multiple playable arenas will also come into play in the game, with some of its possibilities including Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore and NWA rings. One unique feature that RetroMania Wrestling will introduce is an interactive story mode, led by Johnny Retro (now competing in WWE as John Morrison).
RetroMania Wrestling looks to be a very faithful successor to WrestleFest. It utilizes the same pick and and play style gameplay the original was famous for, and the characters animations and designs are very similar as well. According to the official website, the game will also offer multiple game modes, including tag team matches and a Battle Royal mode. Cage matches are also available with the option to use a chain-link fence or the classic blue bars. RetroMania Wrestling will also feature local multiplayer for up to eight players, though the ability to play online is yet to be determined.
If the game does well, RetroMania Wrestling will also have its roster expanded after release by way of DLC. Any number of fan favorite names in the indie scene are possibilities to be introduced into the game later on. Retrosoft Studios has also acquired the license to Mat Mania, another classic arcade game developed by Technōs Japan, meaning that game’s characters could show up in Mat Mania DLC as well. In any case, as a huge fan of the original WrestleFest, I’m very excited to check this game out – even without Demolition and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
RetroMania Wrestling will release sometime in early 2020 on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can check out some gameplay footage from the game below, and you can also visit Retrosoft Studios on YouTube for more videos. There are also plenty of photos and tons of information about the game to be found at the official website.
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