Wrestling With Video Games

There is hardly a more pure competitive gaming genre than the fighting game. Two players in one on one combat (sometimes two on two), battle to determine who is the best competitor. Wrestling is arguably the best form of sports entertainment. Well, to some. Wrestling games have been around since the original Nintendo and over the years, I've played most of them. As a wrestling fan (sometimes fanatic) I'm an even bigger fan of wrestling video games. I've played every wrestling game I can get my hands on, to the big retail releases, all the way to the obscure fan made Internet games. For the last two years I have played a wrestling game at least 360 of the 365 days of the year. I wish I could say that was an exaggeration. I have become so absorbed in the Universe mode in the WWE games (starting with 11 and moving to 2K14) that I have lost days to those games. Well with all my time playing wrestling games I thought it was about time I talk about my time with them. Why I play them, what I like about all of them, and what I'm looking for in a good wrestling game.

First I should talk about my favorites. I'll start with the current generation of wrestling games. While WWE'2K14 is easily the most polished and well made wrestling game in recent years, packed with loads of nostalgic hooks and some if the best match mechanics, WWE'13 is easily my favorite wrestling game. It's not that far behind 2K14 in terms of quality, and the roster is by far the best as it represents the best nostalgic era of the WWE, the Attitude era.

While the modern day roster has some obvious gaps, this game is loaded with so many great wrestlers that a lot of the B tier characters that are neglected aren't missed. The only one up that 2K14 has on WWE'13 is the rivalry system which really steps up the universe mode. Looking back to the inception of the PS3 and XBox 360, Smackdown vs Raw 2007 was the first split gen wrestling title (though only on 360 and PS2) and was a phenomenal game. The general manager mode is one of my favorite additions to any wrestling game and the roster was amazing. The gameplay was fast, the hits felt hard, and had an addicting Road to Wrestlemania mode that I played multiple times. Now if we step back a generation to the Playstation 2, Smackdown here comes the pain is easily my favorite game of that era.

Like most of these games for me, it all comes down to the roster and replay ability which Here Comes the Pain has both of. The career mode is a lot of fun with different ways to play to keep it fresh every time you jump in.

Now a lot of people hold the old Aki games close to their hearts and I'm no different. I've probably played Wrestlemania 2000 and WCW/NWO Revenge more than any other wrestling game and these are still two of my favorites. No Mercy is also a game worth hours of time. The Nintendo 64 was one of the best eras for wrestling games and will always be where some of my fondest memories remain.

While I spent days of my life with the Aki games, my earliest and fondest memories of really losing myself to wrestling games was WWF Warzone.  While I had encountered wrestling games before with the Super Nintendo WWF games, I wasn't an addict until Warzone. While nothing about this game would be considered good by any of today's standards, its multiplayer was enough to bring me and my best friend Danny to the same couch everyday after school just to pick our favorite wrestlers (or create our own favorites) and beat each other senseless.  When we weren't playing Warzone we were wrestling on his trampoline with our friends. It was the time of the attitude era and wrestling was our everything.

While eventually Smackdown would come out and be the best wrestling game on the PlayStation, there was less success with the WCW games. When I was watching wrestling as a kid I was watching WCW. I loved Sting and the angle with the NWO so when I was looking at wrestling games, naturally I wanted to play a WCW game. Unfortunately when it comes to PlayStation (which was what I was playing at the time) there were only a handful of bad to mediocre WCW games. I played a lot of WCW Nitro and Thunder even though they were both pretty terrible. However my friends and I found solace in WCW vs The World. A game for PlayStation the combine the big main members of the WCW roster and some Japanese wrestlers. I remember late nights with this game as Danny's older brother consistently stomped me into the ground with this game. I remember WCW vs The World fondly but I recently revisited the game.

Incredibly stiff and bare bones compared to wrestling games today, WCW vs The World is a game that relies on its nostalgia and doesn't hold up well over time but is probably the best WCW game on the PlayStation but really the Aki games are where it's at. I choose to ignore WCW Mayhem and Backstage Assault and you should too.

So now we live in the modern age and have our first next gen wrestling game out with WWE 2k15. The WWE games are the only noteworthy wrestling games being released anymore ( I enjoyed TNA Impact but I doubt we will see another outside of mobile) and if you are looking for something different you have to look to the past or to obscure Internet games which is where I found two shining gems. Two wrestling mobile games that have hooked me like any other mobile game has before. The first is called Wrestling Manager by a company called Serious Parody. This is a game similar to the general manager mode in the Smackdown vs Raw series where you are buying and trading wrestlers and trying to put together the best shows you can. Each show gets a rating and review and you can look at each match on your card to see what matches were better than others. The entire game is played trough menus and the wrestlers are represented by what look like playing cards. All of the characters are parodies of real wrestlersbut there are a lot of original made up wrestelrs as well. You can bid on or buy new wrestlers, match types, and arenas and you try to put together the best shows you can.

You can choose the winners or just let the matches play out, only represented by watching bars rise and fall. After the show you get a raiting and profit, or loss. Honestly all the game amounts to is buying the better wrestlers and bigger arenas and putting together as many matches as you can until you build up enough money. You do have different tiers of challenges that add a lot of playability to the game and keep you coming back. It's fun and addicting. You want to keep completing your challenges but beware because as soon as you finish the challenges the game has little to offer.

Now the one game I HAVE to mention, and also half the reason I wanted to write this, Is Wrestling Revolution for phones and PC. This game is essentially the most pure and earnest wrestling game. Now the art style is kind of like flash meets construction paper and colored with MS paint. It controls very weird but once you get the hang of it, it's easily the best playing phone game that has buttons on the screen that I've ever played. If that's an issue for you then you can download a PC version which works better. It's not exactly the gameplay that makes this game so much fun though. Yes when you figure it out it is fun to play, however the lifestyle aspect is the draw here. So you start out in wrestling school and you can be contracted by different wrestling promotions that are all parodies of existing wrestling promotions. The wrestlers are also parody. Cm Punk equals Mc Puke and Colt Cabana is Kute Kavana. That sort of thing. So when you finish an event  you get a recap of the week between all of the promotions. You see who leaves, who wins titles, who resigns a contract, and even who died of an overdose. That's right wrestlers will die and then you have to wrestle charity events.

Not real enough for you? You can also injure/get injured during a match, which is signified by a scream and your character having trouble manuvering after. Sometimes however after someone get's injured you might find out afterwards that they went to the hospital and died from their injury. It's easily the most earnest wrestling game and doesn't shy away from the darker aspects. This game even has ten man matches that are pure mayhem and it's incredibly fun in just how much of a mess it can be. It's easily one of my favorite wrestling games currently out and I would love to see this game make it to a Vita or 3DS or something. It's worth checking out and you can tell it's a wrestling game made by a wrestling fan for wrestling fans. There's also a new 3D version out but I haven't had the chance to play much of that yet.

There are so many more wrestling games out there but these are some of the ones I feel deserve some attention or are worth remincising about. While I may have fallen off of actual wrestling for a long time I never stopped loving the games and I will continue to play all of the ones that come out. So what are you favorite wrestling games? Do you know any that a lot of others may not have heard of? Feel free to share it.

No Risk No Reward

So since I've gotten back into wrestling its always felt different and it's been hard to put my finger on why. I checked out around 2000 just before WCW went under. As mainly a WCW fan I lost interest after the company was absorbed into the WWF and formed the WWE. Well skip to 2011 and I turn on wrestling to seriously watch it for the first time in eleven years and I was sucked back in. I love wrestling all over again but it just feels like a completely different beast now. Like a lot of people, I have pined for the days of the Attitude Era but it wasn't until recently that I found out what I missed from modern wrestling. There's no sense of risk or danger anymore. Take out the fact that wrestling is way more PG now than it was before with the exception of indies. I also give TNA a lot of credit for still going bloody and edgy when they need to. That Storm vs Roode match last year was one of the bloodiest I had ever seen. TNA keeps me coming back for these reasons. Aside from the great roster it feels like TNA's struggle is leading to entertainment. You just want to tune in and see if it succeeds or fails. With WWE you always know what you're going to get.

Back in the 90's wrestling was at its highest peak and we had two giant companies that were direct rivals. We saw WWF and WCW superstars appearing on each other's shows, throwing away titles, calling out their respective leaders, it was like the Wild West and felt like war. Well like most wars there was an eventual winner and loser and the WWE was born. This the Attitude Era ended and we entered the era of Ruthless Aggression. This is probably where a lot of people checked out (myself included) but going back and looking at it in retrospective this was a pretty great era in WWE. We saw the rise of unconventional champions and the entrance of nobodies that are now today's superstars. I remember saying to myself "who's this Cm Punk guy? He's no Stone Cold or Rock!" Now I really believe he's the best in the world. Who would have thought a smaller guy like Rey Mysterio could ever be a world champion? These are moves of innovation that we really don't see anymore.

The WWE has become comfortable. We've seen John Cena and Randy Orton over and over, we've seen John Cena win the championship over and over, and we've seen a number of young, talented, and well deserving stars pushed aside over and over. We all know The WWE is in the John Cena business. He's been the number one guy for years. And I won't deny he's earned that spot back when there were other superstars to compete with but now Cena is the only superstar. The WWE has done a poor job of building up other performers to be just as big a star as Cena, so when a lot of the wrestlers we know and loved started to retire, we now have a much narrower playing field that has only recently started to widen but the ones in charge still love to throw objects into the cogs of a well oiled machine. Ziggler, Bryan, Cesaro, Sandow, are all examples of of wrestlers that have had short burst pushes that were shut down. Instead the WWE would rather concentrate on a "sure thing" rather than push what they have. There are some lights in the darkness, looking at the Shield and Wyatt family, but there are so many stars the WWE could trust as top guys if they only took more risks!

With out the need to compete with other wrestling companies (TNA is an alternative, not a competitor) the WWE has become lazy and comfortable at the expense of their talent. Why take a risk and put over a young talented wrestler when you can keep bringing in retired wrestlers or John Cena every chance you get? This is not what wrestling fans want, is to see the same matchups over and over. The WWE is a billion dollar company and they aren't going anywhere, and they know that. The only incentive for them to take any risk is to please the fans, which they haven't been in the business of lately. Guys like Daniel Bryan and Cm Punk have clawed their way to the top through shear talent and charisma and the WWE has failed to recognize the smart moves throughout the way. Hopefully in the future the WWE will see through their recent blunders and take some bigger risks to keep the wrestling business interesting. In the meantime TNA is putting on the biggest events they've ever done before in New York City and taking an exciting risk so I know where I'll be keeping my attention. So what do you think? Is there enough risk in today's wrestling or is everyone just too complacent? As always feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Elimination Chamber and Why the WWE Hates You

Elimination Chamber was doomed to catch heat after the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble was a cluster of short sided ideas and just multiple backhands from corporate to the fans. Batista is back and catching heat for being a face and that is entirely the WWE's fault. They should have turned Batista heel the day after the Royal Rumble but then Wrestlemania would be a heel vs heel main event which is never good. With that being said, Elimination Chamber was their chance to rectify their mistake. Of course they didn't. In fact they made it worse. Orton is still champion and Batista is still going to the main event at Wrestlemania. I don't know what Vince McMahon is thinking, maybe that we will come around and see things his way, but Wrestlemania is going to have a main event that is booed from beginning to end. Probably sprinkled with some "Yes" and "Cm Punk" chants. When that happens will the WWE finally take notice? It's hard to bounce back afterwards. Especially because its most likely a lock that Batista will win. Are we expected to cheer for Boo-Tista's victory? Enough said.

That being said, Elimination Chamber was actually a decent PPV that was hindered by the fan reactions. Going in they knew what matches they wanted to see and were surprised by very little. The opening match was a big surprise as Big E (the artist formerly known as Langston) successfully defended his Intercontinental title against Jack Swagger. This match was a solid opener and actually had some impressive spots. I was mostly bummed that we had an Intercontinental title match at all because I'm ready to unify that belt with the US title already. With the unification of the WWE and World Heavyweight titles I don't know what the US and Intercontinental title are supposed  to mean anymore. This should have been their time to unify them but it was a lost opportunity. 

Speaking of lost opportunity, the Usos had a decent match against the New Age Outlaws, who are only exciting during their entrance, but the match just had an extremely dull ending with a roll-up pin for another NAO victory. The Usos have been a great tag team and have a lot going for them and I was hoping to see them take the titles instead of a bunch of old timers who's day is long past. The Usos will have their time I'm sure, it just should have been this PPV. Titus O'Niel and Darren Young was a match the fans clearly didn't care about, but these two are another example of underrated talent. Breaking up the Prime Time Players was a terrible idea, one because the WWE is lacking on good tag teams, and two because I don't feel that these two are ready to identify as their own wrestler yet. These two are very talented together and no one seems to see it. Hopefully as singles wrestlers they will be able to make themselves stand out.

And now the match that should probably be the real main event at Wrestlemania, the Wyatt Family dominated The Shield in a match that started slow and then exploded into a show stealer. We are clearly seeing the split of The Shield coming up, and there is a lot of push behind Roman Reigns as the stand out member of the group. I'll be sad to see them split because the Shield never lived up to the hounds of justice gimmick that they debuted as, but they are a dominate force for sure. The popularity of The Wyatt family and The Shield is so strong that the stare down before the match got "This is awesome" chants. Let it be known that this match alone is worth watching the PPV for.

So was there any doubt that Orton wouldn't win the chamber match? Was there any doubt that there would be interference? I'll admit I knew the Wyatt interference was coming to set up Cena vs Bray at Wrestlemania but Kane getting involved was a little too much, but even with the interference this match was awesome! Last year's chamber match was a complete dud, mostly because it was just a number one contenders match, but this year we had solid contestants who gave it their all and each had great moments. It's kind of sad that Christian is kind of taking a back seat now days but I was happy to see him get an elimination and he had some of my favorite moments in the match. Overall this was a match worth watching and a solid PPV that I would watch again, which is more than I can say for more recent Elimination Chamber shows.

So now we can see the path to Wrestlemania 30 and it's a pretty dark road. I don't care how many Hulk Hogan or Undertakers' you have there will be no way to counteract the reaction of the fans. They know what they want (and Hogan's time in TNA shows that it's not him anymore) and while the rest of the Wrestlemania card might turn out amazing, that main event is going to have people turning off the show or booing the entire time. One thing that seems strange to me is that no one is even talking about the post Wrestlemania plans, almost as if it's all coming down to this one show. Daniel Bryan will probably win the title before the year is over, that's almost a given, but the fans want it at Wrestlemania and the WWE has shown how stubborn they really are to their own plans. There's one other thing that no one is thinking about, Batista is probably going to win the title. How are people going to react to that? Honestly I'd rather see Orton win to go on and face another opponent opponent that's not John Cena or Batista. If it's not Daniel Bryan it's time to give out a push to someone else like Cesaro who has more than proved himself in the last few months.

So what do you think of Elimination Chamber and going into Wrestlemania 30? Sound off in the comments and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

The Problem If Cm Punk Returns

So RAW came to Chicago, and there was some buzz (there always is) that Punk was supposed to come back. Well RAW ended, Punk didn't come back, and guess what he probably won't for more than a year. Fact is fact, Wrestlemania was Punk's goal, his desire. He has said many times that headlining Wrestlemania was the last thing he needed to achieve, and this year was just the last straw. For three years running we have had part time wrestlers stepping into the picture and taking the Wrestlemania main event spot. Guys who had their day and decided to come back for a short stint. Granted Batista is signed for two years but it's the same story. He just walked in and got the main event spot. It robs the younger, more deserving, talent their chance to shine and I can't fault anyone for being fed up with it. Punk held the championship for over a year and didn't even headline a lot of the PPVs in favor of part time wrestlers returning. He more than most had a reason to be fed up, and he left. 

So it's been a big mixed bag of feelings regarding the Punk situation. Part of me (as a Chicago area resident) throws my fist in the air and screams YES! Wrong wrestler I know. I love that Punk did what no one else really does. He saw his position in the company, evaluated his future, and said see ya. He knew the WWE just didn't care enough about him the way they should, they haven't been listening to their fans, and Punk saw no reason to stick around. I say good for him for standing up for himself. Now another part of me feels betrayed. I'm a fan. Punk is a very talented wrestler and it goes beyond home town love. He walked out on the company that belittled him but he also walked out on his fans. Yeah it's really unfortunate that I can't see my favorite wrestler every week. Should I be mad that he walked out? Sure. Should I be happy that he stood up for himself? Sure. Its a double edged sword no matter how you look at it. Now a lot of people don't want Punk back, most people do, among those that do is Vince McMahon who is smart enough to see the financial pull that Punk brings in. He was the number two seller of merchandise and the number one heel. Obviously Vince doesn't want to let that go. Well with RAW in Chicago it was the perfect time for Punk and Vince to have a meeting and work things out. Well it sounds like there was some kind of offer and Punk turned it down. My guess is for Punk it was Wrestlemania main event or bust. 

So chances are we won't see Punk until at least next year, maybe around Royal Rumble time. If I could sidetrack for a  second, my dream scenario is that the number 30 entrant to the Rumble wins and starts celebrating but the bell never rings. Suddenly another timer kicks on and Punk is a 31st entry. Then these two fresh wrestlers have a full match where Punk wins, winning his first Rumble and moving onto Wrestlemania. That would be an amazing Rumble wether you love or hate Punk, and dare I say best for business. Now we have some issues. Punk coming back is what we all want but it's not that easy. The guy turned his back and walked out while under contract. Some people backstage sympathize with him but there are plenty who were happy to see him go. It was no secret that Punk honestly felt he was the best and had a chip on his shoulder, it's the nature of the business he's a part of to show confidence. So let's say he does come back and gets the Wrestlemania main event. Most likely scenario it becomes a three way match that he loses. Fair enough. He forces his way into the main event through his antics, we can't expect him to win. The WWE has their clearly strict and laid out plan and that never included having Punk in the main event. They want Orton vs Batista and are in now way showing any desire to change it, though I'm unsure why. It really feels like they don't watch their own programming. I picture Vince McMahon leaning back in a chair in a dark room locking his fingers saying outloud "You'll all see at Mania." But I think he's going to be very surprised when his heel vs heel match is booed and torn apart. What a great way to end your biggest show of the year.

So would Punk being entered into that match fix it? Absolutely. The fans have shown that they want Cm Punk. We hear the chants. Naturally Daniel Bryan is the real go to for the crowd right now but Punk in the main event would solve so many problems for the PPV, but I'm guessing a lot of people in the back may have a problem with that. There are a lot of younger guys that deserve a main event shot just as much as Punk does. If he was handed the main event because of his temper tantrum it would probably cause a lot of bitterness among the talent. 

The real issue with the Punk situation is the crowd. Of course I want Punk back, and of course I love the chants for support, but the WWE didn't make him leave. He made his choice and did it on his own. Now you could argue that their decisions made him to leave, but honestly it really falls on Punk. Punk wants to be the number one guy but do we really believe that he would want to do the talk shows, and live events the way someone like Cena does? I highly doubt it. Now I love the support and fandom for Punk, but the chants are pretty disrespectful. As much as I love Punk, I love wrestling as a whole more. Now there are plenty of good matches and great wrestlers are performing to Cm Punk chants and not getting the recognition they deserve. Now I fully support Cm Punk chants when the authority is present, but when the Wyatt's and Shield are putting on one hell of a match, why would you want to rob their recognition? I don't get it. 

So do I want Punk back? Absolutely, but I think he should wait until next year. Things need time to cool down. Let his contract expire and come back next January with a contract garunteed for Wrestlemania. The only answer for this year is to put Daniel Bryan in the main event, otherwise Wrestlemania is going to get ripped apart. So what are your thoughts on Punk not coming back in Chicago and the prospect of his future? Sound off in the comments and as always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

The Newest and Improved TNA

TNA is in a state of change. Again. For more times than we have been able to count, TNA has been in a state of change. I've never quite been sure what they have been trying to change into, like what is their ultimate goal, but TNA has always had the potential to just be a great alternative wrestling show. I have always felt that 2011 was the best year for TNA. Their roster was the best at the time, their wrestling was incredible (and to be fair still can be), and they had a decent story going on with Sting versus Immortal. Even 2012 wasn't bad with Jeff Hardy, Austin Aries, and Bobby Roode really holding things down. 2013 was a complete disaster! I've never seen a company take such a huge dip in quality and lose a good chunk of their roster. It seems like anyone who had a good idea was fired and we were left with not even the B team, but the F team making all of the decisions. They ruined AJ Styles but managed to turn Bully Ray into one of the greatest singles stars in their company but totally ruined what could have been an amazing stable in the Aces & Eights. If at all possible, we just need to forget 2013 as quickly as possible!

Well now 2014 didn't have the best start with AJ Styles gone and Sting's contract up, but in the last month TNA has been quickly picking up. So lets get the negative out of the way. TNA is losing money and we all know it. Their Pay Per View model, in my opinion, is a complete mess. I can't imagine they are gaining any money with their taped specialty Pay Per View episodes that don't tie into the story lines at all, even though it gives us interesting show options. So I watched the #OldSchool PPV and that was a show with some great matches, but the production was terrible! TNA really needs to invest in a production manager because a better looking show could go a long way, and this is one of their biggest flaws right now. When they had the Impact Zone everything had a nice look to it. I look back at those episodes and like what I see, but episodes recently just look like the were barfed out by a sick camera. Fix the look of your show!

So contracts are going to expire. It's bound to happen. Sting, AJ, and Kurt Angle are probably the three biggest names in the company and two are gone, and with Angle's contract ending this year the chances are they aren't going to be able to afford to renew. So Angle will be gone later this year but TNA doesn't need to rely on these talents to survive. Their recent strategy of signing younger and cheaper talent is actually working out pretty well. The roster is full of young wrestlers that are amazing like Zema Ion, and Kenny King (who has been absent for a while and hopefully not let go) but Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards were great gets for  the company. Ring of Honor is a company full of eager talent and if TNA winds up with any of them on their own roster it can only be a good thing. My only fear is that we may lose Christopher Daniels and Kazarian when their contracts are up. Hopefully TNA can bring in more money before then. Tommy Dreamer is also back in the company to an unknown extent which seems to mostly be in the back stage but having Dreamer involved in any way is always a good thing. The cross promotion with his House of Hardcore was genius and TNA is actually doing really good promotional crossover work this year and that can only be good for business. If promotions could work together more often then the wrestling business could become something special.

Now let me just say that I believe in MVP. This Dixieland story angle was killing TNA and fast. I was happy to see Magnus improve as much as he has and become a world champion, but Dixie being an onscreen villain was a horrible idea. That is until MVP and The Wolves stepped in. The Wolves are amazing wrestlers and MVP was always under appreciated in WWE and having these three work together has been a highly entertaining angle and they couldn't have chosen a better time to introduce it. With TNA over in Manchester, where TNA is loved pretty highly, they are getting great tapings with high energy crowds that love wrestling and it makes their show look that much better. I wouldn't mind if they taped over in the UK for an entire year just to make their show look that much better by performing for crowds that love them. Bored US crowds can do a lot to ruin a show and that's why they need to find the perfect Impact Zone and just stick there for a while to save some money and make their show look good.

So word is that there has been a lot of bonding between the TNA roster on their UK tour due to Samoa Joe giving a pretty heartfelt speech. Good! This is a roster that is extremely talented but for a long time it has felt like everyone has their own agenda. Now that they are on the same page it has really shown through on the show and everyone has kicked it into high gear. I can only hope that they can keep this momentum going. Samoa Joe is now one of the top tier veterans of the company next to guys like Christopher Daniels and word is that Joe and MVP are kind of leading a charge in the locker room and it certainly seems to be working. The last couple episodes of Impact have been legitimately great and if TNA can keep their act on track then they could get back to the success that they once had.

So what do you think about TNA's current status? I really don't care to hear the "TNA is terrible" angle because it's not the WWE. TNA is an alternative not a replacement. Either you love all wrestling or you love WWE. We all know that. As always you can find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

HCW: Hardcore Championship Wrestling Episode 3.

The first Season of a new machinima series I am working on called HCW Hardcore Championship Wrestling. This series is meant to be played off as a small off shoot of the WWE. Here all originally created wrestlers, and some parody based wrestlers, will compete in completely undetermined matches controlled by the computer. I will set up the universe mode and let the matches and rivalries set themselves. I will use the story creator to create cutscenes and build the stories but I will craft the stories out of how the computer reacts to each other.

HCW will also have a user interactive component. Basically just by watching the show you can affect the future. As you may notice in this episode that the arena is fairly small looking. Well as the show gains views I will create bigger and better arenas to reflect the increased interest. The show will grow like a real company with rosters expanding and changing as well as the arena. Since HCW is also billed as a smaller part of the overall WWE family, as the show grows I will also include run ins from WWE superstars. So just watch the show and tell your friends to watch the show and let's bring in some changes!

This machinima is created using WWE' 13 and uses WWE imagery but is in no way licensed or affiliated with the WWE as a company. Hardcore Championship Wrestling is completely fictitious and inspired by true wrestling fandom.

HCW: Hardcore Championship Wrestling Episode 2.

The first Season of a new machinima series I am working on called HCW Hardcore Championship Wrestling. This series is meant to be played off as a small off shoot of the WWE. Here all originally created wrestlers, and some parody based wrestlers, will compete in completely undetermined matches controlled by the computer. I will set up the universe mode and let the matches and rivalries set themselves. I will use the story creator to create cutscenes and build the stories but I will craft the stories out of how the computer reacts to each other.

HCW will also have a user interactive component. Basically just by watching the show you can affect the future. As you may notice in this episode that the arena is fairly small looking. Well as the show gains views I will create bigger and better arenas to reflect the increased interest. The show will grow like a real company with rosters expanding and changing as well as the arena. Since HCW is also billed as a smaller part of the overall WWE family, as the show grows I will also include run ins from WWE superstars. So just watch the show and tell your friends to watch the show and let's bring in some changes!

This machinima is created using WWE' 13 and uses WWE imagery but is in no way licensed or affiliated with the WWE as a company. Hardcore Championship Wrestling is completely fictitious and inspired by true wrestling fandom.

Other Bests of 2013

These are just some other topics of not that I don't have a whole lot to say about so these are simply just numbered lists. So without further adue here are my other bests of 2013.

Best Pay Per View

5. Extreme Rules

4. ROH 11th Anniversary 

3. Royal Rumble

2. Slammiversary

1. Summerslam

Best Tag Teams

5. Bad Influence

4. Team Hell No

3. Aces & Eights

2. The Shield

1. Rhodes Brotherhood

Best Moment

Ziggler cashes in Money in the Bank

Best Come Back

Chris Jericho at Royal Rumble

Best Fued

Daniel Bryan vs The Authority

Best Promo

Rock and Cm Punk spit game.

So there's just some extra lists to wrap up my thoughts on 2013. As always comment below and let me know what your thoughts are or what your tops of the year are. You can find me on Twitter @advent_crash. Tweet me up if you have some thoughts.

Top 10 Superstars of 2013

10. Goldust

It's 2014 and we are legitimately talking about Goldust as one of the best wrestlers of the year. What is going on?! Its true! Goldust has been putting in the best work of his life since coming back and teaming with his brother Cody, who also belongs on this list, but it was worth recognizing Goldust. He's been involved in some of the most high profile and best tag matches of the year and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. I never thought I'd see a crowd of Goldust shirts past the 90's but I'm glad I do now.

9. Big Show

I've never been a big fan of the giant sized wrestlers. They don't move well and hardly have matches that you would call great, but Big Show has really stepped up in my eyes this year. I was really hoping to see Big Show's bully story lead up to a match with Triple H but instead we got a lame duck Randy Orton feud but everything leading up to that was pretty great. A lot of people had trouble with the crying Big Show but him taking Stephanie McMahon's abuse just made his rebellion that much sweeter. Just a shame it fizzled out so quickly.

8. ACH

If you don't like ACH then I'm not sure I like you as a person! This guy debuted in March for Ring of Honor and has been killing it ever since! Every match he's in turns explosive pretty quickly and it just seems so effortless to him. They partnered him up with Tadarius Thomas and they have become one of the best high flying tag teams in the business and every match that he's involved in is garunteed to have the craziest flips you've ever seen. Seriously, check this guy out!

7. Chris Sabin

Unlike Derrick Rose, Chris Sabin came back from two torn ACLs' better than ever! Now I really miss Alex Shelley in TNA and the Motor City Machine Guns but Sabin has been putting in some amazing singles matches and even won the world title! TNA is doing one thing right and that's proving that the little guy can hang with the big dogs and it helps when you have someone as talented as Sabin in the spotlight.

6. Bully Ray

Bully Ray has been as successful as any tag team wrestler can hope to be. He's an incredible talent and has proven is worth time and time again, and 2013 was his year for singles competition. Bully Ray was the leader of a powerful and interesting (but horribly misused) faction called Aces & Eights. He won and successfully defended his first world title multiple times while putting in some of the best matches in his career. In my opinion this was a long over due push for a legendary talent.

5. Austin Aries

Austin Aries is easily one of my favorite wrestlers. He's got a good look, the right attitude, and some flashy moves. The guy knows how to work a crowd and can use his talents to be an perfect heel or a face. Even if a match isn't the best Aries is able to save it and hold up his end of the deal. He may he stuck in X Division limbo right now but the man is world champion material and already had a great championship run and even an amazing tag run with Bobby Roode. I only expect more great things from Aries. 

4. Brock Lesnar

Its hard not to include Lesnar on this list since he made it into multiple of my top ten matches, but more importantly he was in the best match if the year with Cm Punk. This man is a giant and still manages to put on a convincing fight against a wrestler half his size. I know Brock is kind of one note but he hit that note well in 2013.

3. The Shield

Oh The Shield I believe in you! The Shield is one of the best things to happen to the WWE in years and while they lost sight of their Hounds of Justice attitude they were still a formidable force to be reckoned with. Now all of these guys individually deserve a spot on this list but The Shield really stands together as a cohesive unit and it's better to recognize them as such. I will be very interested to see what's in store for all three of these superstars!

2. Cm Punk

Cm Punk could have easily been number one again. He had the top two best matches of the year, but didn't have the strongest year overall. He came into the year as the most dominant champion and put on the best show of his life and even took on his best friend Paul Heyman. Punk is always an expert in the ring and and a genius on the microphone and he fell oh so short of the number one spot but he still stole the show time and time again.

1. Daniel Bryan

Yes! Yes! Yes! Daniel Bryan has completely captured the WWE Universe and holds them in the palm of his hand! No one has been more over since Stone Cold. I have been left speechless by the crowds reaction to Bryan. He says one simple word and an entire stadium explodes! The WWE has something special here and hopefully they don't squander it and let it slip away from them. Daniel Bryan has overcome so much in the last year and performed in a number of mind blowing matches. Daniel Bryan is worthy of the number one spot and could easily hold this momentum!

So what do you think of the superstar of the year list? Sound off in the comments and you can always find me on Twitter @advent_crash.

Honorable Mentions: Jay Brisco, Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy, Magnus, Bray Wyatt, Jimmy and Jey Uso,

Top 10 Matches of 2013

2013 was a pretty interesting year all around for wrestling. A lot of ups, a whole lotta downs, but that doesn't mean there weren't some amazing matches this year. I started thinking about what my favorite matches were and decided to compile a list of my top ten matches of 2013. Now this list, like most, will be incomplete because I didn't see everything. This list is based off only the matches I watched and is strictly opinion.

10. The American Wolves vs Adreneline Rush

So this match I saw live at the Ring of Honor TV tapings after their 11th Anniversary IPPV. It was the first match of the day and it was incredible! This could have been a PPV match easily but it was just a normal tag match on TV. The styles of The Wolves and Rush are both fast and high flying and led to an explosive high flying match. I'm not sure exactly what day it was on I just know it aired in March so just try and look up the March ROH shows after their Anniversary show.

9. Jeff Hardy vs Chris Sabin in Full Metal Mayhem on Impact

What can I say? This match was Sabin and Hardy doing what they do best. This was the first match of TNA's world title tournament after AJ Styles won the title (and well into TNA's decline) and was one of the company's best matches all year (one of.) Tons of hardcore and high flying action that any wrestling fan should be happy to watch. Plus it's always awesome to watch Hardy Swanton over a ladder.

8. Rhodes Brotherhood vs The Shield vs The Usos' at Hell in a Cell

Tag Team wrestling has been pretty dead for a couple years. That is until we Goldust came back to the WWE, The Shield appeared, and the Usos' got more TV time. Three of the WWE's best tag teams in one match that was full of great spots and convincing tension. Its hard to pull off a good tag team match convincingly, it's even harder to do it with three teams and somehow this match turned out to be the best on a pretty lame pay per view that should have been awesome. Luckily it's the first match so you can start Hell in a Cell and then turn it off when the match is over.

7. Daniel Bryan vs Antinio Cesaro on RAW

Daniel Bryan was head butting with the Authority to prove he deserved his title shot. Their response? Make him run a gauntlet of three of their biggest stars. The second match brought in Cesaro and what we got was some old school ass ROH wrestling. This match was phenomenal exposure for both of them, and when you put two ROH guys against each other (a company that prides itself on wrestling talent more than production values) then you will get one hell of an entertaining match on a grand stage for everyone to see. The match was long and brutal and solidified both Bryan and Cesaro as top wrestlers.

6. The Rock vs Cm Punk at Royal Rumble

The Rock's comeback for 2013 peaked pretty early and then fizzled out fast. We all knew it was leading up to Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania and CM Punk was well into his lengthy title reign. Punk had already conquered every challenge in his way and I badly wanted to see him beat The Rock because that would have been a nice bullet point on his résumé but sadly The Rock beat Punk for his title at the Rumble with a People's Elbow (meh) but it was a pretty solid feud and great match!

5. Triple H vs Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 29

Well this was a rematch from maybe one of the weakest matches I have ever seen at Summerslam. Triple H and Brock Lesnar rolled around on the ground for about fifteen minutes in the same wrist lock (so just like UFC) until Lesnar "broke"  Triple H's arm. It was then followed up by the most confusing retirement speech ever. So naturally they needed some big names to draw in Wrestlemania and we saw the rematch. Now it was a solid match with some good spots but makes the list really for being a million times better than their Summerslam match and being one of two matches that made Wrestlemania 29 worth watching.

4. Bully Ray vs Sting at Slammiversary

The Aces & Eights had such promise. It was a solid idea that was dragged out and misused but led to some great matches like this one. Two guys who have been in the business for a long time, and should be way past their prime, put in some of the best work of their careers. Slammiversary was a solid PPV and worth a DVD buy. If TNA held this momentum they would be doing fine now but sadly it may be the last great thing that happens to them. Bully Ray had made a big name for himself as a singles competitor and held his first world title as was defending it against Sting, who if lost could "never earn a world title again." The match was great, kept you on the edge of your seat, and had some great hardcore spots. The highlight was Bully Ray cutting up the ring and wrestling on the wood. This is the best TNA match in a couple years, and probably the last great match Sting will have.

3. Daniel Bryan vs John Cena at Summerslam

Daniel Bryan is one of the best workers in the WWE today, and while he's held the World Heavyweight title before (which means nothing. Sad.) this was his time to step up. A great story of the doubts Bryan had to overcome and his eventual win (and immediate loss) of the title was one of the best moments of the year. The match had one major botch from Cena but overall it was amazing and had a feeling of triumph for Daniel Bryan that the WWE will be trying to capture for a long time.

2. Cm Punk vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29

Well Cm Punk couldn't beat the streak but he did put on one of the best matches in Wrestlemania history when he took on the Undertaker. This match was so good that even the botches looked flawless and purposeful. Cm Punk isn't te biggest guy but is convincingly able to take on the big men with ease. Even though Undetaker only wrestles once a year now (and without the power of his flowing loches) this match managed to steal the entire show at Wrestlemania. Now hopefully we can just get Punk to headline the next one.

1. Cm Punk vs Brock Lesnar at Summerslam

And maybe he can headline against Brock Lesnar because these two convinced the world that they could put on the greatest match in wrestling history. These two exploded as soon as the bell rang and didn't stop until the three count. Cm Punk was up against impossible odds, and while he still lost, he showed that he can make even the biggest opponent blink. The Best vs The Beast was one of the best (but shortest) rivalries in a long time and easily the best match I have ever seen, let alone being the best of 2013.

So there you have it, my personal top ten matches of 2013. What do you think? Anyone agree or disagree? As always sound off in the comments and toucan find me on Twitter @advent_crash