WWE 2K20 has released and oh boy, it has not had a good time. From the numerous glitches to the ho-hum gameplay and laughable graphics 2K better come out swinging next time to win over fans again. But there was a time when wrestling games were some of the finest looking games on their systems which pushed the systems' capabilities to the limit.
Obviously 2K20 (at times) looks better than most of the games on the list, but for the time that these games were released, the graphics were leagues better than what we expect a 2019 current-gen console game to look like. In other ways, it sometimes shows that going for a different art style can win over gamers instead of going for a hyper-realistic look at all times. With that in mind, let's get on with the list.
10 WWE 2K19
Let's kick off the list with WWE 2K's previous outing. For years, fans were waiting for 2K and Yukes to get it together and produce a great wrestling game for fans upset about the departure of THQ from the franchise. WWE 2K19 was finally that.
Not only did the game modes get more fleshed out, but the graphics looked pretty damn stunning. While in motion it can become a glitchy mess at times, the still images, the entrances and Showcase mode looked great compared to this year's outing. Just um, don't play the Career Mode for the graphics.
9 WWE All-Stars
Who saw this game coming at the time eh? Released in 2011, WWE All-Stars tried it's damnest to be as far removed from the Smackdown Vs. Raw games as possible. While those games went for a realistic and simulation style, WWE All-Stars went as over the top and cartoony as possible.
Now understandably this might not be everyone's cup of tea, you cannot deny that the graphics here at least have unique visual flair and make it stand out. And would you rather look at these behemoths slugging it out or Becky Lynch's horrific visage in 2K20?
8 Fire Pro Wrestling World
Cel-shaded 2D sprites in 2018 aren't going to please everybody. But like WWE All-Stars, the Fire Pro Wrestling series has always been known for its distinct art style which makes it pop out on the wrestling game scene.
Its latest outing on the PS4 and PC especially looks great with the NJPW roster included in the game like Chris Jericho, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata and so many more. For the smoothest looking graphics, you can't do much better than this title.
7 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2007
2006 was a much much different time for WWE. Not only did the roster split actually mean something, but their wrestling games put out by THQ were the talk of the town. Enter Smackdown Vs Raw 2007.
As the first game in the series to be released on the Xbox 360, the game looked incredible with smooth animations, glistening bodies and next-generation technology powering it all. If only current WWE games could harness the power of their systems as well as this game.
6 WWE WrestleMania 21
Let's make it clear: WWE WrestleMania 21 for the Xbox is a terrible wrestling game. The online play didn't function at all at launch, the gameplay was as bare-bones as it gets and it gives the 2K series a run for its money on bugginess.
However where it counts on this list, this game brought the goods. At the time, this was the only thing Xbox wrestling games had over its PS2 and Gamecube brethren. The character models pop with life and detail and the entrances are eerily accurate to the real thing. You were a mess WWE WrestleMania 21, but you were a hot mess.
5 TNA Impact
Despite its longtime status as the number 2 promotion in the United States, TNA Wrestling only had one video game release on consoles which was 2008's TNA Impact!.
While the game got a mixed reception at release, a sure bright spot of the game was the graphics. Character models of Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and other TNA icons not only looked great in static shots but also kept the looks with its fast-paced and acrobatic gameplay. You won't see TNA being better than WWE often, but here's one case.
4 WWF War Zone
This may be one of the more controversial entries on the list but more so than any other entry, you have to put yourself in the time frame of WWF War Zone's release in 1998.
Prior to this game, WWE gamers were used to titles 16-bit sprites from games like WWF Royal Rumble and WWF Raw. But this game made up for it with realistic faces and smooth models. Its animations don't hold a candle to the N64 exclusive WCW games, but just looking at screenshots makes you think War Zone was the better product.
3 WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game
So we may be stretching the term "wrestling game" here as it's more of a fighting game, but how can you deny how pretty this coin-op brawler was at the time?
While the console ports of this game had to tone the presentation, the original version of WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game was perfect for the time. Just as the real WWE was filled with over the top goofy characters, this game had The Undertaker shooting ghosts out of his hands, Doink The Clown using a joy buzzer and so much more.
Not only that, but the sprites of the wrestlers in the game looked incredible for 1995 and with so much happening on the screen at once, it's amazing how well this game held up.
2 WWE Day Of Reckoning 2
WWE Day Of Reckoning 2 needs more respect than it gets. Released for the Gamecube in 2005, this wrestling game had one of the best submission systems ever, a fun story mode and most importantly for this list, great graphics.
The GameCube was far from a technological powerhouse, but this game pushed it to the limit. All the models have great detail, the faces look exactly how they should and every impact has heft and weight to it. Too bad this was the Gamecube's final WWE release as who knows what a third game would have looked like from this series.
1 WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain
How could we not conclude this list without mentioning what many consider to be the greatest WWE game ever released? WWE Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain was made right at the top of the SmackDown brand's peak under Paul Heyman and the game lives up to the brand's legacy.
Not only is it great fun to play, but the graphics were extraordinary at the time. Everything is buttery smooth in the animation department, every wrestler moves exactly how you imagine they would in a real match and so much more. Definitely pick this up on eBay instead of WWE 2K20 for the love of God.