The Best Wrestling Video Game Series You Probably Haven't Played

Highlights

• Professional wrestling video games have always been a big part of fans' wrestling fandom, with many popular games not being under the WWE banner.
• The Def Jam series, despite not representing any professional wrestling organization, was critically acclaimed and beloved by players.
• Def Jam Vendetta and its sequel, Fight For NY, featured real-life hip-hop artists and had a unique street-fight vibe, with fast-paced arcade-style gameplay and various match types.

Professional wrestling video games have been a hot market for the longest time. With video games like WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain game exclusively on PS2 or the recent AEW Fight Forever, professional wrestling-themed video games have always been a big part of people's wrestling fandom. With that said, even though WWE is the largest professional wrestling company in the world, it's worth mentioning that many of the most popular professional wrestling video games are not under the WWE banner. For instance, the Def Jam series was among the most beloved professional wrestling games for fifth-generation consoles that didn't represent any professional wrestling organization.

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Def Jam Was An Unusual Yet Beloved Professional Wrestling Video Game Series

Regarding the most critically-acclaim professional wrestling video games, there are too many games to list that department. Some of the most exciting professional wrestling video games that many fondly grew up playing weren't even under any professional wrestling organization banner, and yet still receive critical acclaim from fans and critics alike.

An example of one of the most critically-acclaim professional wrestling video game series that wasn't represented by any professional wrestling organization is the Def Jam series, as three video games from the series were released during the 2000s.

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EA Releases Def Jam Vendetta In 2003

Following the release of EA's WCW Backstage Assault, which received an overwhelmingly-negative reception, EA was planning on releasing another game under the WCW banner for the PlayStation 2 console. However, because WCW got bought out by WWE in 2001, a sequel to EA's WCW video game became null and void, as WCW Backstage Assault was the final game released under the WCW banner.

EA's first attempt to release a professional wrestling video game may have been a disaster. But thanks to teaming with AKI Corporation as among its developers, the same company that developed games like WWE No Mercy and WCW/nWo Revenge, EA released Def Jam Vendetta in 2003 for fifth-generation consoles, the first professional wrestling game since WCW Backstage Assault.

The premise of Def Jam Vendetta and the Def Jam series, as a whole, was it was a fighting game with a hip-hop twist. Def Jam Vendetta featured many real-life hip-hop artists among its roster of many wacky made-up characters. The game features the likes of legendary rap artists such as DMX, Redman, Method Man, Ludacris, and many more.

Furthermore, one of the most appealing aspects of Def Jam Vendetta is its arcade-style gameplay. Similar to the WWE No Mercy, Def Jam Vendetta's gameplay is fast-paced without having to deal with running out of stamina or anything else. Players can also perform some of the most ridiculous moves that one would probably not see when watching professional wrestling on TV.

Even though the in-ring action starts in a squared-circle ring like any other professional wrestling game, Def Jam Vendetta has a street-fight vibe where there are no count-outs or disqualifications, as players can fight anytime outside the ring.

Like other professional wrestling video games, Def Jam Vendetta features a variety of match types, from Triple-Threat and Fatal Four-Way matches to gimmicks like Last Man Standing and Survival modes. Def Jam Vendetta features a story mode where the player has a choice between four made-up characters to make it to the top of Def Jam, as the story mode is where the player can unlock most of the characters in the game.

Def Jam Fight For NY: The Sequel To Vendetta

Because of the success of Def Jam Vendetta, EA released the highly-popular Def Jam Fight For NY in 2004, the sequel to Def Jam Vendetta. Released on sixth-generation consoles, Def Jam Fight For NY featured more real-life hip-hop artists than the last game, which included introducing the likes of Snoop Dogg and Busta Rhymes.

The game also featured an updated version of its gameplay and more game modes while featuring arenas with a more street-fight feel, moving past the typical professional wrestling ring like in the prior game. Furthermore, new game modes also included the Create-A-Fighter mode, as the player has to create a fighter for its story mode.

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The End Of The Def Jam Series Came In 2007

Much like Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight For NY received positive reviews and is still well-beloved by players after all these years. A few years later, EA released Def Jam ICON in 2007 for the seventh-generation consoles, the final Def Jam game of the fighting series. Even though Def Jam ICON was the last video game of the series and further moved past the professional wrestling genre compared to Def Jam Vendetta, especially not having AKI Corporation as its developer, the legacy of the Def Jam series will always get remembered as something unique.