Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home Preview

What could be more fun than beating your opponents senselessly to a bloody pulp with any threatening object that might be lying around the area? Actually, that's only one of the fun aspects you'll get to enjoy while playing Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home. For anyone who doesn't know, Backyard Wrestling began with a few broadcasts of compiled footage of regular kids imitating hardcore wrestling superstars by whipping and smashing each other with light bulbs, barbed-wire-covered baseball bats, steel chairs ... and any other thing they might find laying around their backyards or basements. One of the most reassuring aspects of the game is that Eidos and Paradox have managed to capture the essence of this hilarious show and at the same time offer a rewarding gameplay. The truth is that this game will surely be a rather different ride than standard brawlers such as THQ's Smackdown or Acclaim's Legends of Wrestling series. To say the least, the game appears to hold some promising features, both for single-player and multiplayer modes. Thanks to the cooperation of the folks at Eidos Interactive, we were able to score the latest build of the game, and of course relay our impressions for your enjoyment.

Now that’s what I’d wanna see in my backyard.

She’s no damsel in distress that’s for sure.

Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home puts you into the tight knickers of a handsome and ambitious young wrestler (these descriptions probably put my sexual reputation in jeopardy - which, according to many, is no great loss). Wrestlers are a nasty bunch. They are prepared to face and endure a great deal of pain during tough and demanding matches. Coming up against various characters, which all have unique appearances, you must strive towards your ultimate goal: being crowned "The King of Hardcore." (Now that's got a nice ring to it! I wouldn't mind being The King of Hardcore... If you know what I mean) Anyhow, the game features over 30 characters (wrestlers) and stars of the BYW home video series, like Mdogg 20, The Commissioner, karnage, Josh Prohibition, Masked Horn Dog, El Drunko, and more. The group of available wrestlers was expanded with individuals from JCW (Juggalo Championship Wrestling). Those who are familiar with it, probably know that it includes names such as Insane Clown Posse, Tom Dub, Rudeboy, Sabu, Twiztid, and Mad Man Pondo. And that's not the entire roster. Backyard Wrestling also invites a few lovely female characters into the brawl; such as the rather fetching beauty, Kitana - who can be seen displaying her... err... attributes on the screenshots provided (nice, eh?). I can tell you right away that kicking people around as Kitana certainly proved to be one of the game's most appealing features. Here's a hint for you: they bounce! Next to the gifted Kitana, you'll also get to fight with 'Backyard Babes' like Tylene Buck and Sally.

Backyard wrestling puts players into single-player challenges that have a slightly different structure than those we've seen in, say, Smackdown. The whole game is presented in the form of a popular TV Talk Show, which is exclusively dedicated to the phenomenon of Backyard Wrestling and how it affects an entire society. Personally, I enjoyed this feature very much as it adds a certain unique style to the beat-'em-up gameplay. Later on you meet various characters and learn more about them as you progress. The most exciting aspect of this fighting game is that players can move their characters around the area so they can pick up a wide variety of objects and use them against their opponents. Absolutely anything you'd imagine can be employed as an actual weapon during matches; this includes barbed wire, thumbtacks, chairs, baseball bats, light bulbs, car doors, tables, trash cans, stop signs, planks of wood, and even fire!

This type of interactive surrounding was, I believe, a gameplay component effectively utilized in Paradox Development's PS2 2-player beat-'em-up, X-Men: Next Dimension. So, once again, this is a good move by the experienced development team. One thing though; whatever you do, kids please don't try any of these stunts at home. There is a very lengthy disclaimer that shows while the game is booting. It, basically, tells you that Back Yard Wrestlers are people who have spent COUNTLESS hours choreographing all of their routines, fights and flips and therefore NO ONE should EVER try to do anything they see in the game. Following the message telling you not to be stupid (Try at least - 2Lions) you are treated to a music video by The Insane Clown Posse while video clips of Real Back Yard Wrestlers put the smack down on each other.

Your wrestling career will take you through an array of different environments. The developers recently unveiled that the game comprises of seven levels altogether, which include the following: a meat locker, a truck stop, a shopping mall, a strip club (right on!), a mansion backyard, and, finally, the Today's Topic TV set. As players begin wrestling, they are offered a choice to play in several different modes. The Talk Show Mode is the main single-player challenge that allows you to select a character and go through the game in standard fashion - defeating numerous wrestling contenders, until you've unlocked more characters, levels, extras, and so on.

Hey, give me back my car-door!

Oh yeah! Wrestle me, baby!

As far as the actual wrestling is concerned there a LOT of different moves you can execute on the other guy. Similar to the Tony Hawk games you can customize your fighter from a list of moves so he is unique. Also some of the visual effects during combat are cool. Slowing down the action during an impressive maneuver or stopping the action zooming in while blurring part of the image and rotating around a-al The Matrix. Additionally, the game's engine was optimized to allow a range of lethal drops and jumps from different heights. For instance, if you jump of something low, like a table, you'll be able to pull off a powerful leg drop, where as any level higher can unlock a completely new move. This way, players won't have to memorize additional button commands.

You're gonna have to be pretty quick and skillful with performing your combos because your adversaries won't be waiting for you to make up your mind as to which object you're gonna whack them with. Unless you pick up the pace, you're the one who's liable to wind up getting smashed with a car door or a light bulb.

In order to progress through The Talk Show Mode, your character must also complete various goals that can be described as again similar to Tony Hawk. (it usually denotes completing specific tasks or combos within a limited amount of time). In between matches, you'll be able to hear the daily, and usually sarcastic, rant of the Talk Show host. Such humorous elements will certainly be a gratifying perk up to the in-game atmosphere. Next to the Talk Show Mode, players can also participate in the Exhibition Mode, as well as a few optional bonus modes that include a two-player King of the Hill mode, a two-player tag match, Punisher Mode, as well as a Survival Mode. As for the Exhibition Mode, you should know that this is a primarily a multiplayer mode, in which players can complete against CPU-controlled adversaries. If you wish, you may also try your wrestling skills in the so-called Group Battle variation (which is basically a three-on-three match).

From what we saw of the game thus far, we can safely say that gamers will be treated to some fine samples of Xbox graphics (unfortunately, we were informed that the textures will be slightly poorer on the PS2 - still, no surprises there). The most impressive aspect is the excellent animation as well as the innovative damage model system that allows characters to get cuts, gashes, and bruises, all over their beaten up bodies. It all depends on the moves or combos you happen to have used on them. To put it simply, characters will bruise differently if they've been jumped on or hit by a bicycle... There will be an impressive range of tracks to listen to besides The Insane Clown Posse. Stuff from bands like: Sum 41, Andrew WK, Rancid, C.K.Y., American Hi-Fi, Bowling For Soup, Anthrax, Biohazard, Sepultura, Chimiara, and others.

All in all, we are convinced that Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home will bring more that your restricted gameplay style of average brawlers. It's going to be a challenging experience. Your choice is to beat-'em-up or get beat up. The game is expected to launch in North America really soon (October 8th to be exact - 2Lions), so be on the look out for it. In the meantime we offer you a chance to view a lovely batch of exclusive screenies. Enjoy!