ROM Hack of WWF WrestleMania 2000 by G.M. Spectre (@GMSpectre1 on Twitter/X), released May 21, 2024
AKI Corp. engine mods have been a major part of the N64 modding scene for as long as the potential has existed to do so. After all, it was the creation/editing suite that AKI introduced in WCW/nWo Revenge that made for something of the original modding scene since its release. Online guides on how to create custom CAWs of all kinds — making new wrestlers who had just debuted or ones that worked for another company, updating existing wrestlers as their characters changed on TV, or making any and every character that comes to mind from custom creations to celebrities and film characters. But the limit on the original hardware was always what was available on the cartridge and how well you could match it to your vision. More recently, modders have opened the floodgates on what they could do with the still-beloved game engine from the N64 era, replacing any and every texture, face scan, and other image file to create full new experiences out of their vision to play WWF No Mercy in the Hulkamania era, with AEW, or to give WCW their long-deserved sequel to WCW/nWo Revenge.
These new revamp hacks like WCW Feel the Bang or Forever Indy are nothing short of stunning. Jaw-dropping recreations of entire eras and rosters utilizing the unrivaled gameplay engine from AKI Corp. Unfortunately, because the primary use for these mods has been on emulators rather than original hardware, modders prefer to operate unencumbered by graphical or memory limits from the original N64, and these mods end up too large to put on your Everdrive and actually play on your actual N64 system — it simply couldn’t load the file to begin with — and as a result, you could argue that they’re not technically N64 games so much as PC games that run in a program akin to how the N64 works. Modder G.M. Spectre, however, has been opting to work back inside those original limits, with one of his recent projects, WrestleMania X 64, making the rounds this past year and catching my attention mostly once I realized that this was, in fact, something I could play on my Everdrive instead of subjecting either of my own aging computers to the burden of even an old, well-established emulation program.
Opting for WrestleMania 2000 over the more popular No Mercy, as well as the neon-toned schlock of the much-derided New Generation era from around 1992-1996, this isn’t necessarily a project made for mass appeal. But it is made with passion and follow-through, and with good reason for its choices. Most closely resembling the snapshot of the company from WWF Raw for 16-bit era consoles, WrestleMania X features most of the same roster that appeared on the show of the same name, though it reaches a bit further back and even further forward into the New Gen than that. This is particularly noticeable in arena logos, as well as the presence of certain roster members such as Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, and the Godwinns. Regardless of your opinions of these folks one way or the other, the roster is, of course, the meat of the project, and certainly impressive. While most wrestling fans may not be all that familiar with the doldrums of the 1995 fed, for example, Spectre’s inclusion and attention to detail for acts that many may only know in passing, such as The Heavenly Bodies, Men on a Mission, Savio Vega, and Hakushi, should be much appreciated by those who know the product, whether it be from childhood memories, WWE Network marathons, or repeated viewings of a particular OSW arc.
There really is an all-around killer dedication to presentation here that makes WrestleMania X absolutely worth playing, even if you’re only somewhat interested in the era represented. Not only are the wrestlers themselves done beautifully, even with some impressive new face scans, but their costume selections provide some fantastic representation, and their entrances, animations, and music are all done perfectly. The satisfaction of a gyrating taunt from Gigolo Jimmy Del Rey or a celebratory arm raise from Owen Hart doing it all on his own will pop any fan, while MIDI renditions of Bret Hart or Randy Savage’s themes make this feel like a borderline professional release. It’s that accuracy that makes this clearly the work of someone doing so much more than just making all their CAWs and patching them in.
Finally, the choice to go for WrestleMania 2000 as the basis for this mod actually makes a lot of sense given the attention devoted to the Road to WrestleMania mode and the implementation of unlockable characters. Writing new storylines a la No Mercy probably isn’t the most achievable thing — perhaps the only thing short of an official release quality — using the calendar to highlight the mid-’90s calendar of the Federation makes a lot of sense, and the fact that reaching certain milestones with certain characters actually unlocks even more content is extremely cool and satisfying. Definitely a feeling of icing on the cake when you can see everything on offer and realize that there’s even more.
