WCW Backstage Assault
Encyclopedia
WCW Backstage Assault is a professional wrestling
video game by Electronic Arts
. It was the final World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) game released before the company was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). Backstage Assault features commentary by Tony Schiavone
and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
. To date, the game has sold only 200,000 copies.
) treated them as auxiliary fighting locations. Backstage Assault took the concept further by removing the ring
entirely and having all action take place backstage.
's primary gameplay mode. It consists of winning matches against random opponents until challenged by the champion. Throughout the game, players can unlock wrestlers, arenas, and moves for use in Create-a-Superstar. The player cannot defend the championship after earning it.
reviewer Jeff Gerstmann gave the PlayStation version a rating of 5.1 and the Nintendo 64 version a 5.0 (both Mediocre) stating: "EA's Backstage Assault is a novel idea, but in the end, it doesn't have enough variation to make it worthwhile. IGN's
Cory D. Lewis gave both versions a 4.0 rating of Bad commenting "It fails to impress in nearly every way, and certainly doesn't deliver a presentation worthy of the WCW license".
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
video game by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. It was the final World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) game released before the company was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). Backstage Assault features commentary by Tony Schiavone
Tony Schiavone
Noah Anthony "Tony" Schiavone is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play broadcaster for the Gwinnett Braves of the International League...
and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bobby Heenan
Raymond Louis "Ray" Heenan , better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan , is a former American professional wrestling manager and color commentator, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation...
. To date, the game has sold only 200,000 copies.
Overview
Backstage Assault is vastly different from other games of its genre. Any wrestling game prior to it that featured backstage areas (such as the SmackDown! series or its predecessor, WCW MayhemWCW Mayhem (video game)
WCW Mayhem is a professional wrestling video game by Electronic Arts, which shares its name with a World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event. The first WCW game produced by EA, it was released for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in 1999 and for the Game Boy Color the following year.The game...
) treated them as auxiliary fighting locations. Backstage Assault took the concept further by removing the ring
Wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
entirely and having all action take place backstage.
Hardcore Challenge
Hardcore Challenge is Backstage AssaultReception
The game received mostly negative criticism bashing it for poor graphics, sluggish controls, and having a bad gimmick. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
reviewer Jeff Gerstmann gave the PlayStation version a rating of 5.1 and the Nintendo 64 version a 5.0 (both Mediocre) stating: "EA's Backstage Assault is a novel idea, but in the end, it doesn't have enough variation to make it worthwhile. IGN's
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Cory D. Lewis gave both versions a 4.0 rating of Bad commenting "It fails to impress in nearly every way, and certainly doesn't deliver a presentation worthy of the WCW license".