Wrestling Manager Attempts to Pile-drive the Competition

Serious Parody bills Wrestling Manager (iOS) as the “best wrestling game for mobile phones”.  It also makes mention that it’s the “ONLY WRESTLING MANAGEMENT GAME ON iOS”.  Whether or not that second statement is true is neither here nor their, but the one thing I did set out to find was whether or not it really was the best wrestling game for mobile phones.  Would it put the rest of the competition in a headlock?  Did Serious Parody body slam the other contenders to the title belt?  After sitting down with the game for a few hours, here’s what I was able to find out.

Gameplay

The premise of Wrestling Manager pretty much gets explained in the game’s title.  Wrestling Manager is an iOS game that allows you to play the part of the less-often explained and, until recently, less-often seen side of the professional wrestling world.  You take on the role of the owner of an upstart backyard wrestling organization with a goal to dominate the world of professional Wrestling.  You become the promoter, match planner and boss of whatever league you decide to develop.

The main interface centers around a calendar of events.  Here you’ll put together promos, matches and special events, all selected through a random pack of cards that you’re given at the beginning of the game.  In much the same way as many games on the iOS market today, more cards can be bought for a nominal price, or earned with an inordinate amount of in-game currency.  It’s this calendar section that makes up the brunt of the game and where you’ll spend most of your time developing each day’s card.

Once you’ve developed your entire card, you’ll launch into that day’s event and the game will simulate the results of each match and promo in an attempt to level up your wrestlers and the remaining cards.  Depending on the level of your success, you’ll be given feedback at the end of each match.  Admittedly, over the few hours that I played, I wasn’t able to put together much of a card that would earn me anything than some beat writer telling me that I sucked.  I’m not quite sure what the secret to success is at this point, but i hope to find out over more time with the game.

It’s all pretty standard simulator-style gameplay.  There’s a lot of reading, a lot of stats, and a ton of number processing.  You’ll need a decent amount of time to plan a really good card, which is where the automated setup portion comes into play.  At any point in time, during selection of promos, matches, etc., you might see an “A” in one of the boxes.  Clicking this will allow the simulator to set up whatever it is you’re trying to select without you needing to give it much thought.  In my experience, the game did a great job of selecting things for me, but it’s just not a fun way to play the game.  The real fun is in making your selections!

Graphics/Design

It’s obvious that Serious Parody spent a great amount of time with their design of this game.  From the naming of the wrestlers and locations to each individual screen, the visuals in this game are really pleasing to the eyes.  Screens are consistent across most of the game, and it always gives me a chuckle to see what wrestler names are going to come out of the next pack!  The high resolution on the iPhone is crystal clear, but a word of warning: this game gets a bit grainy up-scaled on an iPad.

Sound

So here’s my biggest (and really only) complaint with this game.  There’s no sound.  I reached out to Serious Parody and was informed that it was either a choice between sound or adding factions.  Their next decision is between achievements and sound and, considering the landscape of gaming today, I’m guessing sound is going to lose this match, as well.

Overall

I’ll come right out and say it: I really like this game.  I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy another sim game.  I’ve played all of the kairosoft games and was really hoping this wasn’t going to be a clone.  Thankfully, Wrestling Manager takes on a life of its own, with it almost being a deck building game, akin to Magic:TG and the latest Assassin’s Creed card game.  Games like that are a nice change of pace from the Angry Birds and Draw Somethings.  I’ve got a few issues with some of the aspects of this game, so it’s far from perfect.  It’s a bit pricey, which seems to spit in the face of the fact that they’re also charging for in-app purchases.  That whole “No Sound” thing is a HUGE bummer.  It would have been great with a few audio clips of fake wrestlers cutting promos, but it’s understandable why it’s not there.  But this game is a solid purchase and definitely shows a lot of promise.  Whether or not this game will ultimately justify it’s $10 price tag is really up to you, but if you’re looking for a great wrestling simulator (especially in the giant sea of wrestling simulators on the market…wait…) than Wrestling Manager is the game with which to go.

Guru Review Score:

Gameplay: 9/10

Graphics/Design 9/10

Sound: 0/10

Overall: 8/10