This game is the most underrated wrestling video game ever. It was released in the Spring of 1997 on Sony Playstation by THQ. This was THQ's FIRST wrestling game on the newer generation systems. Before this game came out, only three professional wrestling video games had been released on Sony Playstation. Acclaim's WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game, and Acclaim's WWF In Your House (Both of which more or so resembled Mortal Kombat fighting style than they did a wrestling game). There was another game released that was based on a bunch of fictitious wrestlers entitled, "Power Move Pro Wrestling." Now that was a wrestling game with real grappling, the ability to do top rope grapple moves, go outside the ring, etc. Well, THQ one upped that with the release of WCW .vs. The World. This game took the same approach as Power Move Pro Wrestling by actually making it an actual wrestling game with tons of moves, grapples, top rope moves, outside the floor fighting, etc, that hadn't been seen in a video game in the US. It certainly helped that it featured many WCW Superstars at a time when WCW's business was beginning to boom. The WCW/nWo stars included in the game include: Hollywood Hogan, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting w/Crow Look, Sting with Old School Look, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Lord Steven Regal, Masahiro Chono, Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Ultimo Dragon, Jeff Jarrett, and The Giant. It also includes many fictitious international wrestling stars that appear to have some similarities to real life professional wrestlers. This game also featured the ability to compete in various types of tournaments, even a round robin tournament like Starrcade 1989. This was the first game that gave the ability to create your own belts and defend them against other people. It was even possible to do a double title match with two memory cards.
This game also was the first THQ game that had the now classic grapple system that has been implemented with some variations over the years in many THQ games over the year, including WCW vs The nWo World Tour (n64), WCW/nWo Revenge (n64), WWF WrestleMania 2000 (n64), WWF No Mercy (n64), and the current Smackdown series of wrestling games for the WWE on PS2. Most probably think that the current video game wrestling system comes from WWF No Mercy, but in reality, they come from this long lost jewel of wrestling video games. For the features mentioned above, and many more reasons, I will restate that this is the most underrated wrestling game of all time. The biggest question to come from this was, "Why would THQ never release a direct sequel on the PSX with the same engine?" The sequels were immediately then moved to Nintendo 64 wrestling games for years, and PSX owners had to inject the pain that came from WCW Nitro and WCW Thunder, which were both not even in the same league in terms of game play as WCW vs The World.
Give this game its hard earned respect.
This game also was the first THQ game that had the now classic grapple system that has been implemented with some variations over the years in many THQ games over the year, including WCW vs The nWo World Tour (n64), WCW/nWo Revenge (n64), WWF WrestleMania 2000 (n64), WWF No Mercy (n64), and the current Smackdown series of wrestling games for the WWE on PS2. Most probably think that the current video game wrestling system comes from WWF No Mercy, but in reality, they come from this long lost jewel of wrestling video games. For the features mentioned above, and many more reasons, I will restate that this is the most underrated wrestling game of all time. The biggest question to come from this was, "Why would THQ never release a direct sequel on the PSX with the same engine?" The sequels were immediately then moved to Nintendo 64 wrestling games for years, and PSX owners had to inject the pain that came from WCW Nitro and WCW Thunder, which were both not even in the same league in terms of game play as WCW vs The World.
Give this game its hard earned respect.
