WWE WrestleMania 21
WWE WrestleMania 21, also known simply as WrestleMania 21 or WrestleMania XXI, is a professional wrestling video game released exclusively for the Xbox in North America on April 20, 2005 and in Europe on May 27, 2005. It was published by THQ and developed by Studio Gigante based on the WWE pay-per event of the same name though it does feature the WrestleMania XX event and not its namesake. It is also the successor to Raw 2.
WWE WrestleMania 21
- Date
- 2005
- Publisher
- WWE WrestleMania 21 was published by THQ.
- Genre
- professional wrestling video game
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Documentary summary
WWE WrestleMania 21, also known simply as WrestleMania 21 or WrestleMania XXI, is a professional wrestling video game released exclusively for the Xbox in North America on April 20, 2005 and in Europe on May 27, 2005. It was published by THQ and developed by Studio Gigante based on the WWE pay-per event of the same name though it does feature the WrestleMania XX event and not its namesake. It is also the successor to Raw 2.
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In this article
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The object
The game was the last WWE game released on the original Xbox. The last game to be released by Studio Gigante.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — WWE WrestleMania 21 • Developer — Studio Gigante • Publisher — THQ • Director — John Tobias • Designer — Matt Cianchetti Mike Vinikour • Released — April 20, 2005 • Genre — Sports • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer • Platforms — Xbox
Gameplay
Gameplay
WWE WrestleMania 21 includes superstars from WWE Raw 2 and new wrestlers, including: Charlie Haas, Jackie Gayda, Garrison Cade, René Duprée, Shelton Benjamin, and Eugene. The game features a new reversal system dubbed the Pro Reversal System. This feature allows for simpler functionality with reversing an opponent's move. Online multiplayer was available until the termination of Xbox Live on April 15, 2010. WWE WrestleMania 21 is now playable online again on the replacement Xbox Live servers for the Xbox called Insignia.
Development and release
Development and release
WrestleMania 21 was first announced by THQ just before E3 2004, stating that the game would be replacing the Raw video game series. Microsoft accidentally sent an older broken version of the game to the disc manufacturer, resulting in gamers being unable to connect to the Xbox Live service upon release until a downloadable patch was made available soon thereafter. Because it is now impossible to download the latest update from Xbox Live, the Platinum Hits (silver disc) version contained the latest patch. A number of game-breaking bugs were fixed, and gameplay adjustments were made.
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- United States
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WWE WrestleMania 21 is associated with United States.
Country
Reception
Despite an upgrade in visuals, and a fully voiced career-mode, the game was met with a very mixed reception due to its gameplay. Rather than being an upgrade of a pre-existing game engine, it was virtually built from the ground up, as well as containing numerous glitches that crippled the gameplay experience. In their review of the game, GameSpot mentioned that the hit detection was horrible. Other problems included a slow and unresponsive AI taking away from the difficulty, or drastically decreasing the length of a match. The Create-a-Wrestler mode lacked a variety of moves, and items for the wrestler being created. While specialty matches are included within the game, they are only playable in 1 on 1. Among other problems, VideoGamer.com mentioned that the game had sloppy controls. IGN gave the game a rating of 6 out of 10, praising the high quality visuals, but like other reviews took issue with the flaws in the gameplay.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.WWE WrestleMania 21 Ships Exclusively for Xbox. GameZone. April 20, 2005.
- 2.What's New? (New releases roundup). Eurogamer. 2005-05-27.
- 3.Ekberg, Brian. WWE WrestleMania XXI Feature Preview. GameSpot. March 3, 2005.
- 4.Goldstein, Hilary. WrestleMania 21: Pro Reversal System. IGN. January 21, 2005.
- 5.Xbox, Pure. Xbox Live 1.0 Replacement 'Insignia' Now Supports 150 Games. Pure Xbox. 2023-11-16.
- 6.Perry, Douglass C. Wrestlemania 21: First Shot. IGN. November 17, 2004.
- 7.Clayman, David. WrestleMania 21 Patch Released. IGN. April 25, 2005.
- 8.WWE WrestleMania 21 for Xbox Reviews. Metacritic.
- 9.EGM staff. WWE WrestleMania 21. Electronic Gaming Monthly. 192. 106. June 2005.
- 10.The Masked Unit. WWE WrestleMania 21. Eurogamer. June 9, 2005.
- 11.Zoss, Jeremy. WWE Wrestlemania XXI. Game Informer. 146. 132. June 2005.
- 12.Manny LaMancha. WrestleMania XXI Review for GameCube on GamePro.com. GamePro. April 21, 2005.
- 13.Navarro, Alex. WWE WrestleMania 21 Review. GameSpot. April 21, 2005.
- 14.Leeper, Justin. GameSpy: WWE WrestleMania 21. GameSpy. April 20, 2005.
- 15.Hopper, Steven. WWE Wrestlemania 21 - XB - Review. GameZone. May 8, 2005.
- 16.Clayman, David. WrestleMania 21. IGN. April 19, 2005.
- 17.WWE WrestleMania 21. Official Xbox Magazine. 76. June 2005.
- 18.Speer, Justin. WWE WrestleMania XXI Review. X-Play. May 31, 2005.
- 19.Wilcox, Mike. Fear play. The Sydney Morning Herald. July 9, 2005.
- 20.Kendall, Nigel. Wrestlemania 21. The Times. June 25, 2005.
- 21.Leeper, Justin. GameSpy: WWE WrestleMania 21 (Preview). GameSpy. January 28, 2005.
- 22.Orry, Tom. Wrestlemania XXI Review. VideoGamer.com. November 7, 2005.
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