Like any fighting game, WCW/nWo Thunderis much more fun in two-player mode, competing against a friend. Although the advanced library of moves includes power slams, back-breakers, pile drivers, and even fighting outside the ring, it's often difficult to manage your wrestler's moves. Average players may prefer to find a wrestling game that is easier to handle, but WCW/nWo Thunder is worth the effort if you want to play with the WCW and nWo teams. --Sal Barcia

Pros:

• Features WCW and nWo wrestling stars
• Wide variety of match selections
• Advanced library of moves

• Non-wrestling fans may not appreciate the game
• Difficult to manage your wrestler's moves

WCW Thunder had a lot to offer fans when it was released. For starters, you had some 60 superstars to choose from, including the biggest names around such as Goldberg and Hogan; all kinds of other hidden wrestlers also lay buried inside the game, waiting for you to win with certain characters (or use the handy dandy cheat codes) to unlock them-everything from made-up goofy characters to the wrestlers who got beat up for a living every week to announcers to members of the Nitro Girls (including the luscious Kimberly). While certain basic moves worked for all wrestlers, each individual wrestler, including the hidden ones, had their own signature moves. Thus, you could have Goldberg take his opponent out with the Spear followed by the Jack Hammer, or have Lex Luger turn a man into a little baby while hoisted up in the Torture Rack. Each wrestler came with his own theme music and personal allegiance, but you had the option of changing a guy's alliance. This could become important in terms of one of my favorite features of the game, the ability to have an ally come to the ring to help you avoid a loss or just to help you beat the heck out of your opponent.

The game offers a number of game types for one or two players. You can fight an exhibition match or go for the TV Title, US Heavyweight Title or walk that aisle in pursuit of the World Heavyweight belt. If you get tired of one-on-one action, you can choose tag-team play or battle it out with 29 other wrestlers in a Battle Royal. You can even get down to brass tacks and battle it out in a cage match. The only bad thing about a cage match is the fact that it does not allow you access to any weapons. In normal game play, there are a number of weapons outside the ring (you control how many) that you can pick up and use to beat the fool out of everybody that gets in your way; you can even just keep wailing on your opponent after he hits the ground.