WWE Wrestlemania X8 is another in the long line of wrestling games based on the popular entertainment series. This time around, Yuke's (Smackdown 3) has promised a mix between Smackdown and No Mercy (still popular from the N64 days). Unfortunately, this game has very little in common with No Mercy and is mostly an improved Smackdown. With tons of match options, the player can choose to wrestle in exhibition, wrestle in a series of matches for a Championship Belt or even create their own wrestler. There are a lot of wrestlers and belts to unlock.

Graphics: Wrestlemania X8, for the most part, looks good. The arenas are well done, even with the 2D cardboard cut-out fans, and the wrestler intros are well done. Animations for the most part are pretty good. There are some jerky and stiff animations here and there. The wrestlers look close to their real-life representations. Oddly enough, though, some of the facial models look nothing like the actual wrestlers.

Audio: Weak. Seriously weak. While the game does have some of the character's intro music, some of the tracks are wrong or old. It almost seems like Yuke's either couldn't get the rights to the correct tracks or was just too lazy. Even worse is that all of the music sounds like it was recorded inside a tin can. And, then there's the music during matches, which sounds like it should be featured on The Price is Right. Sound effects are adequate but forgettable.

Controls: The controls seem fairly easy to pick up, but once you realize that certain moves require hitting multiple buttons at the same time, you may be cursing the GameCube controller. Or Yuke's. There is a reversal system in the game, but it requires such precise timing that it may feel worthless to all except dedicated players. Basic fighting is fairly easy to do and you don't even need to be an expert at the controls to win.

Create-A-Wrestler Mode: Yawn. Yeah, you can create a wrestler, but don't expect a huge array of choices. While not the worst CAW mode to date, it's still fairly shallow and will leave those who want to customize to the nth degree desiring more.

WWE Wrestlemania X8 is not a bad game. In fact, it's a decent wrestler that has some weak areas, namely the audio and CAW mode. The "career" mode has no story elements to it, but considering how poorly that worked for Smackdown 3, I think this is a good thing. The controls can be learned and there is some fun in multiplayer matches. Single player matches can be fun, except when getting into multi-opponent matches, where the computer decides that you're always the odd-man out. You'll be screaming for blood when it's you versus three opponents. WWE Wrestlemania X8 is enough to hold wrestling fans over, but it won't go down as the best wrestler ever.

- - Vane