'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#5 Rumble Roses
Rumble Roses was a wrestling video game released by Konami - the same company behind both the Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid games) - and developed by Yuke's (which are the studio behind the current WWE 2K games).
It's an original IP, with all female wrestlers, each of them fully developed (as characters, get your mind out the gutter). Thus the name Rumble Roses.
The exploitative nature of the body physics aside, they're well done, especially for the PS2. As far as the story... look, here's the summary from Wikipedia:
A mad scientist disguised as a nurse holds an international women's wrestling tournament, and brainwashes and takes DNA samples from the participants to create super soldiers.
Another interesting feature of this game - and something I'd love to see a WWE 2K game try to implement - is that each character has two versions: "face" and "heel".
The game was successful enough that it received a sequel, Rumble Roses XX, exclusively on the Xbox 360, and that was the last we heard of it.
Women's pro wrestling? Awesome. This game? Well.... I mean, it plays well, but it's kind of hard to defend it. It's not over-the-top offensive and, in some ways, it has its charm. But, it's hard to call this game and its cast of characters "empowering". Well, and to be taken seriously at the same time.
If you get a chance to play either of the titles, go for it, but don't say we didn't a warn you.
Have you played Rumble Roses? Tell us what you think in the comments.
