5 of  the best WWE video games 

Wrestling and video-games go hand in hand. Both feature larger than life characters and unreal action, and both have scores of avid fans who spend hours compulsively watching and playing them.

The WWE has a long history with video games spanning back three decades. Naturally, not all of these games are as good as some of the others, and for every WWF No Mercy, fans have had to put up with a WWE Crush Hour.

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With more and more footage of 2k's WWE 2K19 being released as the game's release date gets closer, let's take a look back at the five best WWE based video games in history.

#5: WWE All Stars

WWE All Stars featured exaggerated versions of WWE superstars past and present

At its core, wrestling is nothing more than a circus attraction. A collection of super-human like characters hitting each other with over the top moves in the name of entertainment. It's big, it's silly, and it's a whole load of fun.

Few video games have managed to tap into that the way WWE All Stars did. The game featured super-size versions of wrestlers who hit ridiculous, gravity-defying and impactful moves on one another. What more could you ask for?

The game's roster was also a who's who of wrestling history, allowing fans to play out various fantasy matches with each other. The whole thing plays out like a modern arcade game.

It's big, it's silly, and it's a whole load of fun, which is exactly what wrestling should be.

#4: WWE SmackDown Vs Raw 2007

THQ made the decision to rebrand their SmackDown series to SmackDown Vs Raw in 2006, and while there were some mixed results from this era in the WWE gaming history, WWE SmackDown Vs Raw 2007 still remains incredibly playable.

Not only did the game featured an impressive roster, it was the first game to introduce the stamina system, and it also featured perhaps the best version of the WWE GM mode, which was first introduced in 2006, and would be changed to WWE 24/7 in 2008.

The GM mode was a roaring success, allowing fans the chance to fantasy book their own rosters and right the wrongs made by WWE creative, or so we thought, anyway.

#3: WWE 2K14

WWE 2K14 brought wrestling games into a new era

When 2K took over the WWE video game franchise, fans weren't sure what to expect.

THQ had been delivering excellent WWE games for well over a decade, and while there had been a few minor blips along the way, fans knew exactly what to expect from each installment.

Thankfully, those nerves were calmed when WWE 2K14, the first game published by 2K was released. The game is still considered by many to be the best in the 2K series, boasting one of the most impressive rosters seen on a WWE video game, with awesome graphics and slick gameplay.

The range of modes was excellent, and the '30 years of WrestleMania mode' is still one of the best modes we've ever been given on a WWE video game.

#2: WWE SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain

SmackDown: Here comes the pain is one of the must wrestling games of all time

WWE SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain is absolutely nuts. At the peak of the PS2's powers, SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain came along and brought wrestling video games into the next gen.

While wrestling games these days tend to be much more focused on giving fans a realistic experience, SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain threw the rule book out of the window and featured some absolutely insane spots and match types.

Fifteen years after its release, SmackDown: Here Comes the Pain is still one of the most fun wrestling games available.

#1: WWF No Mercy (2000)

WWF No Mercy is still the gold standard of wrestling games

Still considered by many to be the gold-standard of wrestling video-games, WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64 is still one of the best wrestling games of all time nearly 20 years after its release.

The game was released when wrestling at the peak of its popularity, and the roster and the gameplay are the stuff of wrestling video game legend.

While the game-play may not be as advanced as any of the modern-era video games, and the graphics obviously aren't in the same league, the game is expertly put together and more than any other wrestling game, it understands what makes wrestling so fun.

2K are doing an excellent job with their current take on the WWE series, but there is still plenty that they could learn from this absolute gem.