The concept of WCW Backstage Assault is fine: take the backstage fighting that was a bonus in other wresting games, dial the craziness up, knocking things off the wall, letting you smash your opponent into urinals, or smacking them on the head with a CRT television. It can be something silly and a lot of fun – but Backstage Assault is just a clunky mess of a game instead.

The graphics are atrocious, with distorted and badly animated fighters, and terrible looking areas. In the first area, the main focal point with the main part of the action is the back of a truck that’s merged into the side of another truck (which acts as a wall). It’s bizarre to look at. The game also uses mostly-static cameras. They move left and right slightly, but will jump to different fixed locations as you move around the room – including some places where you get an awkward overhead view.

The graphics could be overlooked if the game was fun, but it’s not. Fighting is just slow and clunky, and the various objects you interact with don’t feel very different – a picture frame and a ceramic sink feel no different to swing around, and very few have any kind of effect, such as electrical equipment that causes a short stun.

This causes two major issues for the game. For starters, it isn’t funny, which is the entire purpose of the game. You’ll hear a repetitive “comedic” pratfall music cue every time a wrestler ends up on the floor, but nothing on-screen is worthy of even a slight snorted chuckle. Secondly, it makes the levels really boring, and the arenas themselves are less varied than the backstage areas in No Mercy, which were just a bonus.

Adding to the issues are very few modes, there’s no tag team or playing with more than two people (which is where a good silly take on wrestling would excel), the create a wrestler is incredibly basic, just swapping parts of other wrestlers in this roster of mostly unknown people (with a few oldies who had left the big leagues). There’s really not a lot to this game.

Poor

Backstage Assault, then: a classic case of a decent idea ruined by weak execution. Stick to the backstage areas in No Mercy – there’s not quite as much comedic potential, but thanks to both style and skill, it’s a lot more enjoyable to play. Anyone having issues with this particular decision is quite welcome to voice their concerns outside in the car park at any time you like, pal.

Alan Maddrell, N64 Magazine #54. Review Score: 46%

Remake or remaster?

This should just be a bonus mode in other wrestling games.

Official ways to get the game.

There is no official way to play WCW Backstage Assault.