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TNA Impact! (video game)

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This article is about the console game. For the video games released on PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS, see TNA Impact!: Cross The Line (video game).
TNA Impact!
NTSC Cover art featuring (clockwise from middle) Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Booker T, AJ Styles and Sting
Developer(s)Midway Studios Los Angeles
Point of View (Wii/PS2)
Publisher(s)Midway Games
Director(s)Sal DiVita
Designer(s)Mark Turmell
Programmer(s)Brock Feldman
Artist(s)Paul Interrante
Composer(s)Dale Oliver
EngineUnreal Engine 3 (PS3/Xbox 360)
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
  • NA: September 9, 2008
  • PAL: September 12, 2008
Wii
  • NA: September 16, 2008
  • PAL: October 3, 2008
Genre(s)Sports[1]
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

TNA Impact! (stylized as TNA iMPACT!) is a professional wrestling video game based on the professional wrestling promotion, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now known as Impact Wrestling).[2] The console versions of the game were developed by Midway Studios Los Angeles and published by Midway Games. Although the game sold 1.5 million units,[3] financial issues at Midway Games prevented the planned development and release of a sequel. The game was ported to Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable handset consoles in August 2010 under the title TNA Impact!: Cross The Line, published by SouthPeak Games, who had acquired the TNA license and assets following the collapse of Midway.

Gameplay

Jeff Jarrett drops an elbow on Sting in a pre-release screen shot.

TNA Impact! is geared towards a quick-paced, high-impact style of play, with less emphasis on submission maneuvers. It supports up to four players at once on a console, with online support—which includes tournaments—currently standing at one-on-one.[4][5][6] Online play is, however, limited to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions.[7] Scans of the actual wrestlers were used for the game in place of hand-painted textures to include small details, such as skin texture and specific scars.[8] Finishers are accessed by building up the "Impact!" meter displayed on the screen. In the same area a color-coded damage indicator shows the condition of characters. The game also features mini-games for escaping pin attempts and submission holds.[7]

TNA's signature match, Ultimate X, is a playable match type, alongside the more standard Singles, Tag team and Fatal Four Way matches.[4][6][9][10] Submission and Falls Count Anywhere matches are also included.[10] Eight different venues—including TNA's main home; Florida's Impact! Zone, and arenas set in Japan, Mexico, England, Las Vegas, and locations designed to evoke the independent circuit feel—are available to house matches, with the Impact! Zone having an increased ringside area for play and hot spots for player interaction.[6][7][8] Liverpool Olympia is also a playable arena in the game.[11]

Midway introduced downloadable content which enabled players to expand the game, making TNA Impact! the first professional wrestling video game in history to offer this service. The first downloadable content was in the form of new wrestlers that players could add to the game, these being Curry Man and Petey Williams. These were bought for 100 Microsoft points from the Xbox Live Marketplace and as an extra gift the player could download Mike Tenay free of charge.[12] This feature was only available for Xbox 360 and started on November 6, 2008, but the content was initially glitched and made Curry Man come out as Christopher Daniels in his entrance and Petey Williams comes out as A.J. Styles and have the model of Senshi in the ring. These glitches were later fixed.

The story mode's main character is a wrestler named Suicide. During every iMPACT! episode after the August 2008 version of iMPACT!, the words "whoissuicide.com" flashed on the screen for less than a second. On the website, it shows that Suicide is being taken from the game to real life television.[13] At the Final Resolution pay-per-view in December 2008, Suicide first appeared on TNA programming.[14] At Destination X 2009, Suicide competed in his debut match in TNA, which was an Ultimate X match, and became the new X Division Champion.

Development

After periods of negotiation with Electronic Arts[citation needed] and Rockstar Games,[15] TNA signed a multi-year agreement with Midway Games in November 2005.[16] Midway announced their intentions to release Impact!, the first game in TNA's history, for each of the seventh generation consoles, which were released in 2008.

Several TNA wrestlers were involved in the game's production. The self described "hardcore gamers" Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles both took part in meetings with Midway staff to brainstorm gameplay ideas, and Joe, Styles, Christopher Daniels, Senshi, Sonjay Dutt, and Jeff Jarrett were all a part of the motion capture sessions.[4][17] During the October 2006 tapings of the weekly TNA Impact! program, members of the TNA roster were "scanned" for the game and audio samples of the Impact! Zone crowd were recorded.[18] The Liverpool Olympia in Liverpool, England was used for reference photos, used to inspire the unlockable 'London' venue in the game.[citation needed]

Other features

Classic TNA highlight matches were featured in the video game as TNA Extras with two matches being filmed as Midway games exclusive matches being a Knockouts Gauntlet Match and a Six Way X Division Match.

Reception

TNA Impact! received "mixed or average" reviews, while the Wii version received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[19][20][21][22]

The game was praised for its realistic graphics and simple control scheme but criticized for its limited and repetitive movesets, poor entrances, lack of championship belts, and inconsistent AI.[38][47] GameSpot was generally positive to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,[27] and PlayStation 2 versions.[26]

As of February 2009, TNA iMPACT! had shipped approximately 1.5 million units.[citation needed]

Mobile tie-in

In 2008, Longtail Studios created the game TNA Wrestling for Verizon Wireless mobile devices to coincide with this release. The game was re-released in 2009 for iOS.

In 2011, Namco Networks released TNA Wrestling Impact! for mobile devices.

Cancelled sequel

Midway Games originally announced a sequel to the game.[48] In July 2009, Time Warner (through its subsidiary Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) purchased the majority of Midway. The TNA license was not included with the purchase.[49] Later in September, TNA president Dixie Carter said that TNA was looking for a new video game partner.[50] In November, SouthPeak Games acquired Midway Games' TNA video game license in its quarterly report.[51] The company would publish TNA Impact!: Cross the Line for Nintendo DS and PSP, releasing it in June 2010.[52] The game was essentially the same as the 2008 release, with the addition of several new characters and the removal of older ones, such as Christian Cage who departed TNA in 2008.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Noble, McKinley (September 18, 2008). "TNA Impact! (X360)". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 22, 2008.
  2. ^ "Midway Announces Diverse And High-Powered Lineup For 2007 E3 Business & Media Summit". Midway Games. July 9, 2007. Archived from the original on July 12, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "Indiantelevision.com's interview with TNA Entertainment president Dixie Carter". IndianTelevision.com. September 15, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Banks, Bill (October 12, 2007). "New Footage Of The TNA Video Game!". TNA Wrestling. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  5. ^ Lane, Scot (April 18, 2008). "TNA iMPACT! Midway Gamers' Day 2008 Interview" (Video). GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c WUVideo (April 13, 2008). "TNA iMPACT: Exclusive Features". YouTube. Google. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Ekberg, Brian (October 13, 2007). "TNA iMPACT! Hands-On [date mislabeled as "October 15, 2007"]". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on October 19, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Lane, Scot (October 14, 2007). "TNA iMPACT! Interview 2" (Video). GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Regan, Mike (March 30, 2008). "TNA Impact Detailed Hands On Impressions". Gaming Ring. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2008.
  10. ^ a b Regan, Mike (April 1, 2008). "New TNA Impact Information". Gaming Ring. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  11. ^ Jones, Neal (March 1, 2008). "Interview Recap — Traci Brooks". In Your Head Wrestling. Retrieved March 1, 2008.
  12. ^ "Midway To Release Curry Man & Petey Williams As Downloadable Characters For TNA Impact Next Week". Wrestling News World. Gray Internet Technologies, LLC. October 31, 2008. Archived from the original on November 3, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Who Is Suicide?". Who Is Suicide?. Archived from the original on August 31, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  14. ^ Johnson, Mike (December 8, 2008). "TNA UPDATES ON AL SNOW, SUICIDE, SPIN CYCLE AND MORE". PWInsider.
  15. ^ Robinson, Jon (October 25, 2005). "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Martin, Adam (November 7, 2005). "Midway Games issues press release on TNA video game, Rhino, D'Amore". WrestleView.com. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  17. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (June 7, 2006). "TNA Wrestling updates game debut". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Flannagan, Jay (October 25, 2006). "A Busy Day At The Impact! Tapings, Midway Games At the Tapings, More". WrestleView.com. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
  19. ^ a b "TNA iMPACT! for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures.
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  21. ^ a b "TNA iMPACT! for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures.
  22. ^ a b "TNA iMPACT! for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  23. ^ Whitehead, Dan (October 30, 2008). "Xbox 360 Roundup". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Reeves, Ben (November 2008). "TNA Impact! Review (PS3, X360)". Game Informer. No. 187. GameStop. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  25. ^ Tan, Nicholas (October 6, 2008). "TNA iMPACT! Review (X360)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
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  27. ^ a b c Watters, Chris (September 10, 2008). "TNA iMPACT! Review (PS3, X360)". GameSpot. Red Ventures.
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  51. ^ McWhertor, Michael (November 12, 2009). "Southpeak Grabs TNA From Midway's Bankruptcy Sale". Kotaku. G/O Media.
  52. ^ Gilbert, Ben (December 1, 2009). "SouthPeak publishing TNA Impact! on handhelds 'later this Winter'". Engadget (Joystiq). Yahoo. Archived from the original on December 5, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
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