WWF Backlash

WWF Backlash is a 3D professional wrestling game developed by AKI Corporation and published by THQ. It is based on the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), and is named after their annual Backlash pay-per-view. Released in 2001 for the Nintendo Gamecube as an exclusive title.

Released as a direct sequel to WWF No Mercy, WWF Backlash was heavily based upon the engine of its predecessor, with various improvements. Originally considered as a launch title for the Gamecube, various delays pushed the game's release back to late 2001.

Gameplay
The game's engine was heavily based on its predecessor, WWF No Mercy, offering a slower-paced, more nuanced alternative to the PlayStation-exclusive WWF SmackDown! series's faster-paced arcade-style gameplay. The Gamecube's improved hardware allows for features that weren't possible in the previous Nintendo 64 titles, such as sharper, more lifelike character models, CD-quality entrance themes and full-motion video Titantrons.

The game uses a conventional control scheme common in most wrestling games: attacks, grapples and picking up weapons are relegated to the face buttons, while reversals and pins are mapped on the shoulder buttons, movement is done with the left stick, the d-pad performs taunts, while the C-stick is used for switching focus. The game incorporates both weak and strong grapples, which are determined by whether the player instantly pressed the grapple button for a tieup or held and released it for a certain amount of time.

Each player has an "Attitude" meter, which increases as the player successfully attacks their opponent and decreases as they receive significant damage. The more Attitude a player has, the higher the chance they have to score a pinfall. When filled up to the maximum, the player can then taunt by tapping any direction on the d-pad to activate Special mode and gain the ability to perform their finishing moves.

Improvements from the previous games include the addition of rope hung grapples and an in-ring referee. Full arena entrances also make a return from WWF WrestleMania 2000, but now consist of entirely canned motions like in the SmackDown! series in order to accommodate entrances with unique props, such as the Undertaker's motorcycle.

Exhibition
In Exhibition mode, players can create a match of their choice against the CPU or other players. Available match types are as follows:


 * Single Match
 * Triple Threat
 * Fatal 4-Way
 * Guest Referee
 * Cage Match
 * Ladder Match
 * Tables Match
 * TLC Match
 * Ironman Match
 * Hell in a Cell

Alternatively, some match types can be played by adjusting various options within the Rules setting screen upon starting a match:


 * Hardcore/Falls Count Anywhere
 * First Blood
 * Submission Only
 * Last Man Standing
 * Lumberjack Match

Champion Road
The game features Champion Road, which allows players to select either a WWF or created superstar and traverse through a series of matches to win their desired championship belt. Winning matches in Champion Road also allows the player to earn WWF Cash for use to buy unlockables in the SmackDown! Mall.

Compared to the Championship mode in No Mercy, the Champion Road mode in Backlash is scaled-back, featuring only a handful of matches and a much more linear progression compared to No Mercy. Beating the Champion Road would unlock the ability to defend said championship belt in Exhibition modes.

The paths available in Champion Road include:


 * WWF Championship
 * WWF Intercontinental Championship
 * WWF European Championship
 * WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
 * WWF Hardcore Championship
 * WWF World Tag Team Championship

Royal Rumble
A WWF staple since 1988, the Royal Rumble mode allows players to play through the eponymous Royal Rumble. Up to 30 superstars can enter the Rumble, each of them taking turns entering the ring as soon as another superstar is eliminated. The match ends as soon as only one superstar is left standing.

The player can choose to either play through a Royal Rumble with completely randomized entries or hand-pick each entry individually. An option to play a Team Battle Royal is also available, in which the entries are split up between a maximum of four individual teams.

King of the Ring
Another longtime WWF staple, the King of the Ring mode allows players to fight through a tournament along with other superstars to determine who is deserving of the title "King of the Ring". Up to 16 superstars can enter the tournament (32 for tag team tournaments).

Slobber Knocker
Previously known as "Survival" in No Mercy, the Slobber Knocker mode allows players to take a superstar and fight through an endless gauntlet of other superstars until the player is defeated. Their score is then tallied at the end.

Occasionally, there is a random chance that a hidden superstar would enter the gauntlet after a certain period of time. Defeating the superstar here would unlock them without the need to buy them in the SmackDown! Mall.

Winning matches in Slobber Knocker modes also allow the player to earn WWF Cash for use to buy items in the SmackDown! Mall.

Pay-Per-View
The Pay-Per-View mode allows players to create their own dream match card. Players are given the option to name their very own pay-per-view event, venue and place, assign an arena to go along with it, and book a series of matches. After booking the matches, they can then either play through their created match card or simulate the results automatically.

Superstar Options
The game includes an extensive Create-a-Wrestler Mode which not only allows the players to create their own custom-made wrestlers, but also includes options for editing an existing WWF superstar's appearance, profile and moveset, among other things.

Create-a-Wrestler
Compared to No Mercy's Create-a-Wrestler mode, Backlash's Create-a-Wrestler mode features major improvements from its predecessor, such as a more freeform RGB color picker, a wider mask selection, the ability to pick inner and outer wear separately, and the addition of body accessories. The player is also now allowed to edit existing superstars' movesets, which wasn't possible in No Mercy.

The game also includes a wide variety of wrestling moves, including moves used by both WWF alumni and other wrestlers working outside WWF, allowing players to create wrestlers from outside promotions such as WCW and ECW, among others. The game includes 20 CAW slots available at the player's disposal, with each slot including four outfits.

Create-a-Stable
Along with Create-a-Wrestler, the game also introduces a Create-a-Stable mode, which allows players to form stables between superstars, with a maximum limit of four members per any given stable, and assign pair entrances and themes for tag team modes.

SmackDown! Mall
The SmackDown! Mall allows players to buy superstars, stages, costumes, moves, arenas and weapons using WWF Cash, the primary in-game currency. WWF Cash is typically given as a reward for winning matches in both the Champion Road and Slobber Knocker modes.

Roster
Rosters accurate as of August 31, 2001

^ denotes unlockable superstars


 * Al Snow
 * Albert
 * Big Show
 * Billy Gunn
 * Bradshaw
 * Bubba Ray Dudley
 * Chris Benoit
 * Chris Jericho
 * Christian
 * Crash Holly
 * Dean Malenko
 * D-Von Dudley
 * Eddie Guerrero
 * Edge
 * Faarooq
 * Fred Durst^
 * Funaki
 * Haku
 * Hardcore Holly
 * Ivory
 * Jeff Hardy
 * Justin Credible
 * K-Kwik
 * Kane
 * Kurt Angle
 * Lita
 * Matt Hardy
 * Mick Foley^
 * Molly Holly
 * Perry Saturn
 * Raven
 * Rhyno
 * Rikishi
 * Shane McMahon^
 * Spike Dudley
 * Stephanie McMahon^
 * Steve Blackman
 * Steven Richards
 * Stone Cold Steve Austin
 * Tajiri
 * TAKA Michinoku
 * Tazz
 * Test
 * The Rock
 * The Undertaker
 * Triple H
 * Trish Stratus
 * Vince McMahon^
 * William Regal
 * X-Pac

Arenas
^ denotes unlockable arenas


 * Raw is War
 * SmackDown!
 * Royal Rumble 2001
 * WrestleMania X-Seven
 * King of the Ring 2001
 * SummerSlam 2000
 * Survivor Series 2000
 * SmackDown! (Fist Arena)^

Backstage Areas

 * Entrance
 * Hallway
 * Locker Room
 * Boiler Room
 * Bar Room
 * Parking Lot
 * Media Room

Trivia

 * This was AKI Corporation's final WWF game. Shortly after the game's release, AKI would later sign with Electronic Arts to develop the Def Jam series of fighting games, whose engine was repurposed from of this game's.
 * In a deal to allow the use of Limp Bizkit's song "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" as Undertaker's entrance theme, the band's frontman Fred Durst was featured as an unlockable superstar. At a price of 500,000 WWF Cash, he is the most expensive unlockable wrestler in the entire game.
 * Whereas the US release contains the WWF "scratch" logo used from 1997 to 2002, the box art for the European release, which was released much later in 2002, depicts the new WWE logo. All of the versions still contain the WWF logo in the game itself, however.
 * This game is one of only two WWF games to feature Disturbed's song "Glass Shatters" as Stone Cold Steve Austin's entrance theme, the other being WWF SmackDown!: Just Bring It, where it was featured as an alternate selectable theme for Austin.
 * Hacking the game reveals various unused superstars. Out of all of them, only Jerry Lynn is playable in a match, loading The Rock's model as a placeholder and without an entrance of his own, while others will crash the game due to their lack of models.