WWE 2K20: 8 reasons we still love the WWE 2K games

As both video game dorks and pro wrestling nerds, the staff here at Sportskeeda can usually be relied upon to pick up the latest WWE 2K game upon release.

In fact, a good number of us apparently have more money than sense and will pre-order the fancy pants deluxe release, just for the unlockable bonus wrestlers, extra doo-dads, and the privilege of playing the game a few days early, despite the fact that it's probably riddled with more bugs than a condemned building.

However, we don't just buy it every year out of loyalty, or because there's nothing else out there - I mean, there kind of isn't, but that's not the point.

After all, you can bet your sweet bippy we'll all probably be scooping up an All Elite Wrestling game once they inevitably release one (Hey, AEW - maybe find out what those AKI guys who do the Def Jam games are doing these days! *Looks up what those guys are doing.* Oh. Never mind.)

We also keep going back because there's a lot about these games we love. Despite the fact that developer Yuke's is on a pretty tight yearly development cycle (and could really use an extra year to work on the product), it's clearly made by people who love the product and love making games.

They aren't half-assin' anything - they're just doing the best they can with what they have. And we're sure WWE 2K20 will be no exception.

So, we're taking a look at ten things that Yuke's has done with the WWE series (starting with 2000's WWF Smackdown! on the original PlayStation and onward) that we've really enjoyed. Also, these are in no particular order. Enjoy!

#8 The Entrances

Demon Finn Balor's entrance from WWE 2K19

First and foremost, WWE events are just that - events. They're a show, and a spectacle, and a major part of that spectacle - some would say the biggest part - are the wrestler entrances. Theme songs that let you know who is about to walk that aisle as soon as you hear the first couple of chords.

Flashing lights, pyrotechnics (well, not as much anymore), and other special effects erupting as custom videos play on the stadium scoreboard-sized screen above the entrance ramp. Even "real" sports leagues like the NBA have taken a cue from it for years.

Yukes' and the WWE 2K team have been nailing these entrances for years now, and they're one of the most fun parts of playing the games. Look at how they've recreated the "Demon King" entrance of former Universal Champion Finn Balor over the years.

While, from year to year, the character models of some of the less... prominent Superstars seemed to lack the attention the bigger names get (John Cena's virtual self always looks polished, for example), the game always manages to put a lot of effort into everybody's entrance. And, when you combine that with the Create-An-Entrance Mode that's become a staple in the series, there's plenty of fun to have just right there.

#7 Embracing the silliness

Professional wrestling is inherently a big, dumb, goofy spectacle. That's not to say it can't be used to tell serious, epic, and even dark stories sometimes.

But, at its core, it's two (or more) people in their underpants, pretending to fight. And, I love it because of that. And based on some of the sillier aspects of the WWE 2K games in the past, so do Yuke's.

Take, for example, the latest game in the series - WWE 2K19. Head over to the settings and you'll find something called Big Head Mode. Check it out:

You'll have a little bit of work to do in order to unlock it (or just purchase the "Accelerator" add-on which unlocks everything from the get go, in case you're a lazy dork, like I am), but once you do, it's a lot of fun. Here's some other wacky stuff to try just in 2K19 alone:

Usually, the silliness could be found in the game's "Showcase" modes, which would tell a story based around a specific wrestler - and usually involved something ridiculous. From Edge and Christian directly referencing the actual player - you know... you - to your character in 2K19's MyPlayer story fighting zombies, the series has never shied away from including some of the wackier stuff in their games. And we love them for it.

#6 The creation suites are still top notch

You could make this guy... if you really wanted to

Even gamers who don't like pro wrestling (I know, I couldn't believe they exist, either) will readily admit - the create-a-wrestler modes in WWF/WWE games, since they first became a thing, have been nearly across-the-board excellent.

From making a wrestler who doesn't work for WWE to making you and your roommates to making Batman, these games have always included the tools necessary to make this happen.

And it's not just create-a-wrestler mode, either. The current WWE 2K games have options that range from creating a whole TV show to and arena to things like custom signs being held up by the crowd. If you have the free time, you can make just about anything in these games.

Of course, if you're like me and not really all that good at creating virtual stuff, you can always just download creations from other people. You'd be shocked at how many Spongebob Squarepants characters there are to download in these games.

There are changes we'd make here and there - being able to transfer creations from one installment to another (I'm getting really tired of trying to make CM Punk every year) would be a nice touch. But, these are just little things that won't require really any overhaul of the entire system.

#5 Playing as the legends

One of the things WWE loves to do is celebrate the long history of both them and pro wrestling as a whole.

Granted, a lot of that is revisionist history, but when you're the last company standing after decades of intense competition, well, "to the victory goes the spoils", as they say. This also carries over to the WWE 2K series, as well.

Since at least the PS3/Xbox 360 era, the WWE games have always tried to include a number of classic wrestlers in their games' rosters. That's even the case moreso these days - for as the roster count increases, so does the number of wrestling legends that are playable.

And we're not just talking about guys that recently retired, like Edge, or guys from the Attitude Era, like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I'm talking guys like The Fabulous Freebirds and Macho Man Randy Savage. 1980s icons like Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat or "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

They even celebrate the history of iconic wrestlers that have undergone significant cosmetic and character changes over the years - allowing players to control both the original "Surfer" Sting (though I never exactly remember him doing any actual surfing) and "Crow" Sting, just as an example.

It's a great way to help younger fans stay educated about the history of the business, and let's old farts like me relive their childhood, too.

#4 The historical retrospective Showcase modes

Speaking of history and legends, one thing the WWE 2K games have been doing lately that I highly approve of involves their "Showcase" modes.

Essentially "story modes", these allow players recreate famous moments in WWE's (or former companies now owned by WWE) past. They usually involve specially recorded commentary, as opposed to the original commentary at the time, which is sometimes unusable for one reason or another.

WWE 2K13 (which, interestingly enough, was the game that coincided with 2K purchasing the rights to the series shortly after the game's release) had a feature that revolved around the period in wrestling during the mid to late 1990s known as the Attitude Era.

Other years had modes that focused on a specific event (such as "Thirty Years of WrestleMania") or specific wrestlers (like Stone Cold Steve Austin or WWE 2K19's Daniel Bryan showcase).

It's uncertain if WWE 2K20 will feature a showcase at all this year, as they haven't announced a single iota about the game yet. But, if they do, let's hope it's as enjoyable as the past years.

#3 The glitches

Looks like Cena might be out of action for a while

I know this sounds like damning with faint praise, but after all these years, it's actually a pretty charming part of the game. To be fair, it's a part that (mostly) gets fixed over time with each release and we're pretty sure it's not a part of the game 2K or Yuke's wants anyone to focus on, but... come on...

We're not saying these glitches are left in intentionally, but they certainly are fun to watch for in the early days of a title's release. We'll usually forgive a glitch or two in the beginning because we know they will, eventually, be ironed out. Rarely are they game breaking or, you know... horrifying...

While the games are on the regular release schedule they are right now, bugs and glitches are just going to be a thing. That's just the new normal these days, for just about every game. But, as long as they're eventually ironed out and they're still entertaining to find, we'll let them slide - and even enjoy them from time to time.

#2 We're still WWE fans

It's no secret right now that the WWE product isn't exactly... great right now. Viewership of their weekly programs (Raw and SmackDown!) are down, performers are unhappy with what they're given to work with, and the increased competition from new companies like All Elite Wrestling is giving the company a run for their money they haven't dealt with in two decades.

Only the most hardcore fans seem to be sticking by Vince McMahon and his behemoth of a company.

But, you know what? That's still a lot of people. And that's still us. I've, personally, been a fan since I was 12 years old - and that was the early 1990s, when what they were giving us was pretty crummy.

But, like fans of a crummy football team, we stick with them and, sometimes, we're rewarded with something special. Like when we stuck with them through the beginning of the Monday Night Wars and were given the Attitude Era and Stone Cold Steve Austin's feud with McMahon. Or, the WrestleMania XXX and XXXV title victories of Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston, respectively.

Of course, they're worth sticking around for just for NXT alone.

And, if you're a fan of the old days (like me), well, WWE is the company who has the majority of that footage in their vaults - and they make it pretty readily available for a pretty decent price.

Whenever you think something on TV nowadays is dumb, it's refreshing to go back to the late 80s-early 90s and see a time when wrestlers were also garbage men and hockey players (not at the same time, though - that would be way too awesome)

Mostly, though - we just love pro wrestling. To steal a quote from a famous wrestling fan and disgraced filmmaker who shall remain nameless: "A lot of wrestling suck. But when it's good, it's [f'ing] great." And we know with their talent on hand and their experience, WWE can be f'ing great again.

And, if not, we can always use the WWE 2K games to make them as f'ng great as we want.

#1 The games are still lots of fun

Yes, there are plenty of things we'd like to see from the WWE 2K games added or changed. There are elements from previous games we wish they'd bring back. There are elements that are frustrating that seem to be left in year after year that never seem to be fixed.

Sorry, I forgot where I was going with this. Just kidding.

At it's core, though, the games still control really well and are still lots of fun to play. And, the team and 2K and Yuke's do actually listen to fan feedback.

When it was noted that placing the ladder under the briefcase in ladder matches got too complicated, they changed the mechanics of it the next year and it works really well now. When triple threat and other multi-wrestler matches became a little too difficult for anybody to win, they added some new elements to balance them out.

As mentioned, their release schedule has got to make it difficult to make major changes to the game, but they can still make incremental adjustments to improve the game year after year. That doesn't go unnoticed by us.The game still controls well, isn't terribly difficult to figure out how to play and, once you do, becomes second nature after just a few minutes.

The expanding roster each year is also a great touch. Including more legends and NXT Superstars make the games more exciting - I remember the first times being able to play as Finn Balor or Shinsuke Nakamura (two of my favorites) when they were first in the Yellow Brand, thinking I was going to have to wait for so long until they got "called up". Being able to wrestle as all the different versions of Sting that I remembered from my childhood. And being able to create an idealized wrestling version of yourself to take them on in the ring? That beats all right there.

The most important thing is this: it's a WWE game, and that means lots of people are going to buy it year after year, regardless of quality. We're fortunate (and appreciative) that 2K and Yuke's still put a lot of effort into these every year, and make them as great as they can with the time they have. Of course, they're not perfect, but they're still a lot of fun to play and as long as they are, we'll keep playing them.

Bring on WWE 2K20, guys. We're ready.

Edited by Alan John