The list so far: The Definitive 50 N64 Games

I’m not generally inclined to include licensed sports or “sports” games on the Definitive 50. They just don’t tend to hold much importance after next year’s release.

I have to admit though, that wrestling games were absolutely some of the defining titles of the N64. Including WWF No Mercy.

The popularity of what was then known as the WWF was at its peak in the late 90s and early 2000s thanks to superstars like The Rock and Steve Austin. The N64’s lifespan matched perfectly with that of the Attitude Era.

Wrestling games are really about the customization – and No Mercy provides players with the ultimate sandbox for creating their own scenarios. This game puts all of the insanity of the WWF’s characters, stories, and presentation under the control of gamers to relive, re-cast, and re-write to suit their own imaginations.

On top of that – and most importantly – you’re able to make your own wrestlers, whether they be based on fictional characters, your enemies, your friends, or yourself. The game boasts a massive set of customizable appearance options, and even selectable moves and other characteristics for your sweaty avatar.

Wrestling games are plenty of fun – even when you’re not playing them! Building up a roster of your friends in No Mercy and letting the game AI decide who the best athlete is is plenty entertaining on its own. Of course, you can also take your creations up against the real pros, or various long-forgotten clowns, and teach them a personal lesson.

No Mercy sucks players in with ever more unlock-able customizations. All it takes to get them at the Smackdown Mall is money earned playing career mode. It’s worth it too, as this remarkably deep mode allows you to not just play, but live, through a series of matches and watch the branching storyline unfold. Even losing opens up more possibilities.

It probably goes without saying, but No Mercy includes a mighty roster of some of the most popular wrestlers, both male and female, of its time. There are innumerable match options, from the simple 1 on 1 to tag teams, triple threat matches, ladder matches, and every other kind of absurdity you remember from WWF events.

No Mercy was developed by Japan’s AKI Corporation, who also made most of the system’s other wrestling games, or at least the good ones, both WWF and WCW. They’ve since been renamed syn Sophia, Inc. and they now make the Style Savvy games.

Let me know what you think of professional wrestling and the Definitive 50 in the comments section below. Don’t forget to rate and subscribe.

Check back next week for entry #33 on the Definitive 50 N64 games.