While at the New York Comic Con last weekend, I spotted WWE Legends of Wrestlemania at the THQ booth, and knew if I didn't play it then, I'd be kicking myself the whole ride home. The only problem is this game is just like meeting one of the old time greats: sometimes they just don't live up to your expectations.

WWE LoW has the graphics of Smackdown, but instead of using the more complex control scheme die-hards are used to, the game has a more simplistic approach to action in the ring. Rather than give each character a robust array of moves they would use in a match, LoW concentrates each move set down to a handful of grapples and attacks specific to that wrestler. It's a nice way to attract new players who may have been turned off by Smackdown's numerous button combinations. Even though character models are as nice looking as they are in THQ's flagship WWE title, wrestlers are a bit more charicaturized. That's not to say that there are oversized heads, hands, and feet, but the models do seem a bit larger as a whole, giving off a more carefree and fun vibe than those found in its big brother.

The demo I got to play through featured an exhibition match recreating the main-event from Wrestlemania III: Hogan vs Andre the Giant. Since I am in fact a real American, I chose to take on the moniker Terry Bollea made famous in an effort to win the title. THQ does a great job taking players back in time with their presentation. The crowd, arena, and entrances all fit with the era of the Wrestlemania I was fighting at. In tyipical WWE fan fashion, those with ringside seats donned shirts touting Bruts the Barber, and signs for Roddy Piper. Needless to say, the mood was set. Though, once the in-ring action started, the excitement in my eyes began to wane.

When in the ring, fans of Smackdown will notice the standard Health, Momentum, Stamina, and Special meters. They've been tweaked just a bit for this game, but remain basically the same. The simplistic controls give off an arcadey feel, and it works in the confines of this particular game. Having only to worry about holding one button down, versus multiple buttons allows gamers to focus on the action on screen, and not whether or not they entered the right button combo. Strangely, THQ also decided to add in quick-time events in order pull off reversals. This is where the game loses me completely. As soon as a headlock, or any type of grapple is applied, big button prompts flash on screen in order for you to break out. Having to only do this a few times during a match would be fine, but these QTEs happen almost more frequently than actual moves, and it detracts from the overall experience. Another thing to keep in mind was that I was only playing one-on-one against a computer opponent. What happens to these QTEs when there are four people in the ring? Or online?

My time with WWE Legends of Wrestlemania may have made me a bit less excited to get my hands on the full game, but I'm still looking forward to it. I'm not even the world's biggest wrestling fan, but I can appreciate playing a game like this with friends. Who doesn't want to see what would happen if Andre the Giant fought The Rock? I just hope my issues with the game will be addressed by the time the game releases.

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