BANK STATEMENT #17 - WRATH: The Wrestler WCW/nWo Revenge Forgot
Hi everyone!
Welcome to my first Bank Statement of 2022!
And I’ve decided to make a statement on where my monthly article is headed as we head further into 2022:
I’m going to be more obscure than ever before.
I truly believe I thrive when it’s just offbeat stuff as it comes to wrestling. My mind just runs to rare and forgotten gimmicks that the WWF and WCW had. Even rare merchandise and figures run right up my alley.
Wrestling video games, however, take the cake.
Up until 2002, I owned EVERY US based mainstream wrestling game ever created for the Nintendo 64. From all 4 WWF games, to ECW Hardcore Revolution, to all 4 WCW installments, I still own them to this very day.
My geeky nature was never more evident than when I played my games.
However, the one that I played growing up more than any other was WCW/nWo Revenge. In my opinion, it’s the greatest wrestling game of all time.
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WCW/nWo Revenge was released in the United States on October 26, 1998 as the sequel to WCW vs nWo: World Tour, the first WCW game on the N64. Developed by AKI Corporation and published by THQ, the game set all types of records financially for the Nintendo 64 and THQ/AKI. More importantly, the game was incredibly innovative.
Like World Tour, there were tournaments to fight in, a diverse roster, and an overall fun gameplay atmosphere.
In the sequel Revenge, the game evolved immensely. There was improved gameplay, including more grapple functions, high flying manuevers, and even, for wrestlers that specialized with kicks and punches, a striking combination meter. The individual championships in WCW were showcased (the World, United States, Television, World Tag Team, and Cruiserweight) in a gauntlet tournament fashion. There were even more match types, including handicap and a revamped battle royal format, which added to even more fun gameplay.
The roster was loaded, upping the playable characters to 61, 18 more than World Tour. Of course, by playing the championship mode, you could unlock 6 of the 61 characters (Roddy Piper, Curt Hennig, Kanyon, Meng and the Barbarian, and Kidman), which added incentive to completing the purpose of the game.
Officially, 61 playable characters are in WCW/nWo Revenge. OFFICIALLY.
However, there are unofficially 62.
How can that be? How is it 62?
Simple. A Gameshark, a code, and a dream. (I made the dream part up.)
Who is the character missing?
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Wrath, also known as Adam Bomb in the WWF in the mid-1990s, and as one-half of Kronik with Brian Adams in the early 2000s, was signed to WCW in 1996. He was a part of the infamous “Blood Runs Cold” storyline alongside Mortis and James Vandenberg against Glacier and Ernest “the Cat” Miller.
To video game fans, Wrath was previously in WCW vs nWo World Tour on the N64 in 1997. He was already in the universe.
So why was he not “officially” in Revenge in 1998?
My original thought was that in early 1998, Wrath was out due to injury and, because the “Blood Runs Cold” story ended and he was off television, he was pulled from the game.However, in the research for this story, I came across a Facebook post from the Wrestle Nation:
Bryan Clark is hidden in the game code for two different games. His Adam Bomb character was removed from WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game because he wasn’t finished in time. His Wrath character was removed from WCW/nWo Revenge for the same reason.
Very interesting stuff. Especially since this happened to Wrath...TWICE.
Regardless, although Wrath returned to WCW television in September 1998, it was too late to include him in the game officially. However, thanks to the magic of coding, Wrath still existed in the ether of Revenge..
The Nintendo 64 GameShark had a code to “hack” Wrath in:.
8107F07C FFFF
Once utilized, Wrath would appear under the third section of the WCW wrestlers at the bottom. His face and hair are distinguished, however, everything else is unique from there. For starters, Wrath is in Sting’s nWo Wolfpac gear. He has no other alternative outfits.
As it comes to his gameplay, nothing is unusual, except for some minute things. When Wrath goes to “hang ‘em up to dry” and drapes his opponent’s head on the top rope, he continuously walks with his opponent, causing a glitch. Thankfully, once you press the R button on the controller, he’ll drop the opponent where he starts.
More intriguing, two holds he does are soundless, as in a complete soundbite removed from the game itself. One would be shoulders in the turnbuckle, the other is his Special. Once Wrath does his “Death Penalty” spinning uranage slam, the sound goes completely away. No impact on the canvas or fans are heard.
AND IT ONLY HAPPENS WITH HIM. Wild.
Small glitches aside, once Wrath is placed in the game via the GameShark, he is an unofficial official part of Revenge.
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When I learned this trick in the 90s, I was stoked. I frequently played as Wrath in Revenge in the late 1990s. In fact, he was my Television Champion many times over. Sadly, one day, when my game malfunctioned and reset the data, Wrath was lost.
It was 2006.
Dejected, I tried to reboot my GameShark, but it didn’t work. I’ve never been able to reclaim Wrath in my WCW/nWo Revenge video game.
However, seeing online how many people play with Wrath in their emulator or Nintendo 64 gives me joy. A unique glitch allowing you to play as an unfinished character that was never officially removed is incredible to me. I’ve always wondered if there were other wrestling games that had a similar situation with a performer written in code for a game, but have never heard of it..
Until that day is discovered, Wrath is the only character in modern wrestling video game history that was an unlockable character without meaning to be an unlockable character. And that is a dubious distinction to have, especially as a part of the greatness of the legendary WCW/nWo Revenge.
BANK ON IT.
Bankie Bruce
