I'm usually quite optimistic about games but for me this barely qualifies as a pinball machine.

The layout is basically two ramps and the ring. There's not much of anything there. The most notable innovation with this machine is the Spike system. Bouncing the ball around on the slingshots is fun but Twilight Zone had a similar toy (Battle the Power) and that even as a side feature felt much more accomplished.

At least this version of the game has the little arm that's punching the ball off the ramp. That is a kind of cool feature although I don't want to know after how many games that will break.

The artwork is decent but nothing that's really noteworthy.

All in all this is one of my least favorite games. Maybe fans of WWF/WWE will have fun with it, but to somebody that doesn't love the theme this is a disappointing game.

Totally underrated pinball
I have a lot of pin but this is one of my favourites

Underated pinball. Much more better than WWF DE.

Fantastic machine, this LE model leaves several machines behind, a piece of extreme luxury for collectors! beautiful fun and exciting! the LCD over the ring is beautiful, I recommend everyone to know this underrated machine.

Game plays well and actually isn’t that bad, but the theme is just terrible.

So close...yet so far. From the stereo entrance themes...to the full color LCD mini TitanTron...to a truly unique controllable upper playfield...to the coolest orbit shot in pinball...to the gold armor, gold trim, gold speaker panel & Hulk Hogan autographed gold plaque...WWE LE has the foundations of a legendary pinball machine.

But unfinished game code, some lazy art direction in places & the potential for freakn cool modes that were never realised leave this game as 'very good' but not 'great' - which it could & should be.

WrestleMania has a cool mini playfield but I think it gets ruined on the LE because of the spinning disc. I also don't like the games rules because it becomes tag team all day long and I also don't like the artwork.

Guys, I don't own this game and usually would NOT review a game before actually spending considerable amount of playing it. However, reading some of the bad reviews on this made me want to give my two cents.

I was going to pick this game up soon after the release because my son was really into wrestling at the time. Because of the bad reviews, I never did... to make a long story short, I just played this game over a friends the other night. I will say it was my favorite machine out of his 20 he had, including Ghostbusters, Aerosmith, GoT and KISS (among other great titles). This game is different in a good way ... I like John T designs (with the exception of GB - that flipper gap sucks). Yeah, that upper play field is used a bit too much in the game, but the shots are fun and not just your typical orbit/ramp shot.

I am looking to finally find one of these at a reasonable price to pick up.

Don't listen to those bad rating, go play an LE and judge for yourself.

It's quite a unique beast and I enjoyed playing it. Not something I'd have in my small collection but I'm grateful it exists and will look forward to playing it more and understanding the rules.

I definitely agree with the fun factor on this machine. Its very neat how the characters have ability differences. This allows a strategy to affect the way gameplay is approached. The music varies greatly between characters, each with their own theme song. I noticed that Hulk Hogan's is the same song from Data East's Royal Rumble. I have long ball times on this game, very different from any other games out there. The DMD has some great effects. I do not care for the symmetry from left to right though. It is unsettling that Stern has not completed the code to work 100% for the final mode yet. I have been told that they never may do this.

I love this pinball, if you love wrestling you most buy this pinball.

Its really simulats real wrestling matches.

BUY!

I'm not sure why the low ratings. I bought the pro version because it actually requires some skill to bounce off the ropes for the pin. The LE version has a spinning disc = all luck.
This game is very straightforward. Not a deep rule set, but a fun break from some of the deeper ruled games. I think WWE is a much better title than some games ranked way ahead of it. For example, Dialed in, Roadshow and Twister!? It is hands down a better title than these 3. Dialed in gets a low rating from me mainly because of the theme and sounds.

I've seen this game get slammed (pun intended) by people who complain about the upper playfield, how much space it takes, how it dominates gameplay, etc. It's one of the cooler "extra playfields" you'll find. Like the ACDC LE Hell playfield is just the ball going round and round. Here you're actually trying to accomplish something and the spinning disc of the LE makes it quite difficult. I dig it. When I'm not up there I'm using the wham arm, trying to activate special moves, trying to start matches, etc. I like that all the wrestlers have not just their own music but their own bonuses and multipliers.

I also think this machine gets hit (pun again) because people don't like the theme. I'm not into wrestling now but was when I was younger and the LE version gives you fans of 80s wrestling what you want. The only other thing I'd ask for is the old WWF logo but I know they can't do that because of copyright laws and whatnot. If you like old school wrestling you'll like this game.

Last, I asked for a list of wrestlers and one of my fellow pinsiders was happy to oblige (shout out to Phbooms). It's a mix of old and new guys. You can play as Triple H, Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Daniel Bryan, Rock, and Stone Cold. Opponents are Iron Sheik, Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair, Sheamus, Brock Lesnar, Big Show, Roman Reigns, Kane, Edge, Rowdy Piper, Ray Mysterio, Dean Amerose, Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins, Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, Andre the Giant.

Wrestlemania is my dream theme , I waited a while till I was able to get one, I played the pro heaps an really enjoyed it but for me being a huge legends of wrestling fan I had to go Le. The legends art package is fantastic on the backglass an cabinet 10/10 but that's because the wwe art designers put it together, the playfield art is extremely poor stern just cut photos out a magazine an placed them on the playfield, it doesn't look good at all who ever designed the playfield obviously didn't have any passion for wrestling because it could have been so much better, but I do love the legion of doom on the slingshot plastics .there is a plastic ladder for skill shot an a money in the bank briefcase that look so cheap an nasty it's not funny , this is meant to be a limited edition for crying out loud Mezel mods make a ladder mod so you can upgrade the way the ladder looks but you shouldn't have to pay extra for stuff that should be there, stern didn't even put a protector over the Hulk Hogan signature,lucky Mezel made a mod for that because it can actually rub off just by touching it, stern really should have put more effort in , they took the super cheap option an it's not fair to those who paid good money for it, I know it sounds like a negative review but it's not , I just pointing out a few things that should have been done right because this is the collectors edition, but this game is a lot a fun an gets a heap of play at our house because it's really easy to understand at all levels, an my mates are not that much into pinball an find the intense rules not fun an don't enjoy playing the very deep rule set games where wrestlemania doesn't have that,it basically start your matches by dropping the wwe targets an try an pin your opponents,rinse an repeat an play for belts, your kick out kick out targets are important to hit to get another shot at money in the bank, I think the designer JT did a really good job at implementing the theme that if your not a die hard wrestling fan you might not want to own it because it really feels like your fighting against the pin to get your pin falls, JT is never scared to try new/risky concepts to his designs an this one is no different with the slammers in the ring, I much prefer the spinning disk in the Le than the pro which does not have one, it really makes the game fight back. The way this game stands its to heavy weighted on tag team multiball, you can really make massive scores while in it, which needs to be changed because in competitive play players go tag team all day which doesn't make the game fun, because there is no other strategy to go for, because it's the only way to get those sort of points, there's also a bug in tag team multiball it says on the screen you have a certain score,example 200mil an only awards 160mil really hope stern can iron out those 2 flaws in tag team multiball. The game needs more code with out a doubt to make it better , it really doesn't feel finished. After saying all that , I really like the game an think it's a ton of fun, would recommend getting a fair few miles on it before making your decision to buy because there's a lot of games out there all at the same price as wrestlemania which probably has more going on for the pinball player, this game is unique an like no other which some have problem with it an I get it, but like the above rating said compared to ghostbusters it is more fun, an I agree with that comment, so that says something about wrestlemania !!!!

This is the most surprising pin purchase I ever made. I'm not a wrestling fan, but this table is just FLAT OUT FUN.

Lots of low ratings for WWE Wrestlemania are skewed on the low side. 1) NO ONE knew this title was coming. Rumors were Aerosmith or Ghostbusters. When this was launched people were pissed. Immediately they were turned off. Whatever. 2) Early code was not there. 3) The theme isn't for all

There are many things to do and many satisfying shots. It's also not easy (LE has the spinning disc in the ring, making pinning the opponent tough). Sound, Speech and Music are top notch. The theme is pretty much perfectly executed all around.

- Pick your wrestler (each with different music and additional traits like extra bonus, 2x pin values etc).
- Correctly There's a ladder skill shot
- Try to pin and advance to the next match
- You need to set up not just winning the first belt (US Champion) but then properly progress to Tag Team and qualify for Royal Rumble.

There's referee and tag team multiple to help you, and the clever use of the wham bar. The left saucer shot by the left flipper is really satisfying and not easy.

I owned Ghostbusters LE, another Trudeau designed pin. This table is 5x the fun of GB.

I was seriously considering buying this title, as my kids are big wrestling fans. I'm so glad I didn't buy it without trying it first. Awful sounds, horrifically done artwork, uninspired game play. The only redeeming quality is the ring-- it's a novel idea. Execution isn't great, but the idea itself was pretty cool.

Just too many guys with too little clothes for me for the look. Gameplay was bad for my taste. I played it about 5-6 times and have no desire to play it ever again.

Extended WWE review.
An example of how LEs can go horribly wrong.
More money for more turd.
Valuable if you are a $%#@ collector.
Additional features do not justify an addition $ two grand.
Backglass (ie Stern's new creation attempt to shyster and defecate on the original concept) image is worse than the pro model.

Unfortunately, this is a Stern bomb, and not the good kind.
More akin to "sharting" in the real world.

I do not hate WWE, but this game does not make me want to be a "professional" wrestler.
Code updates are NOT going to save this title EVER.
The design is sloppy, and shots are not well designed and have limited flow.
There is "too much up the center playfield" with the ramps.
It is a "playable" machine, but was HIGHLY rushed title in design.
Artwork is more PhotoShop garbage.
The translite is horrendous, and the LE version is just as bad.
Everytime I see that image of the backglass I think someone has a "third finger" sticking out of their forehead.
I would be embarrassed to admit if I owned this machine.
If you have not picked up on it yet, I highly dislike this game, but am still trying to be respectful.
Thank God, Stern has already released GoT, so they can begin to forget...

NOTE: Look at the patterns on the reviews regarding this title in general? Notice any? Owned it, sold it...uh huh...

"Get out of your mancave's WWE wannabes, take off your wrestling spandex, just put on your "Superman cape" instead, and go play some real pinball", there are plenty of better choices.

I don't like carnival wrestling so the theme isn't a seller to me. The lower playfield generally flows well. Dropping the ball into the ring was fun the first few times then just slowed the game down. I thought the mini TV was cool once I actually noticed it. Cool that is, for watchers. I never looked at it while playing. Artwork seemed ok if you like staring at guys in the gym.

I was surprised at how good this table is, it does have its faults; mainly the limited soundtrack and dubstep shit that plays when the wrestler themes aren't, the lack of coherence in how to progress in belts and defeating opponents, needs more callouts.
I like the ring, the ramp layout is good and the artwork is OK.
It is a loud big rumbling table that would satisfy any wrestling fan of new or old. Pinball fans might only be interested for a few games.

Needs software update to make better. Newest version much better than original, but still needs work. With WWE dropping Hulk Hogan, let's hope software updates don't drop him as well. Upper flipper on left has limited targets to shoot, not sure I like that there's a "max bonus".

Fun pin as its so different. LE gets bad reviews because of the pro version. Spinning disks adds a lot of fun to the LE and frustration at times too. Small flipper and Wham bar add to the level of fun. Good for those that love the theme and have a few other pins as WWE is best in a larger collection.

Pretty good machine, I think once more code hits it will be a killer game........I like the spinner and ring, has a good extra flipper and really like the loops up the ramps, I'm a fan and now own number 28 all the way here in Australia

Code update 1.33 has made this game a beast!!!

Dear Stern:

Will you PLEASE give your designers the RESPECT and TIME they need to complete a pinball game as it should be done. No pinball designer deserves to be regulated to "filler" titles that are rushed and show it. Wrestlemania is an interesting PF layout that (as of this moment of the initial release) needs a great deal of work.

The Pros:
The ramps and the orbits are well laid out and flow well. Especially the up and around the playfield loop through the ramps.The extra ball lane is the best side shot I have seen in a while. I think John has been taking notes from Steve on that shot. Learning how to flip with the upper slings is an interesting proposition. Is that a Motorhead song I hear on the soundtrack on this deck? I like the angle at the top of the slings above the flippers as it has an Iron Mang feel to it to make sure your nudging skills are on point. Any ball that exits from the pops is in danger, so you'd better be on point when the ball heads that way. The game sounds good and the audio calls/songs/effects are balanced. This may have to do with the new hardware platform.

LE Specific:
I REALLY like the spinning disc on the upper PF. The pro really needed it as well to keep the game moving and exciting. I had no expectations for the mini-fleeper, but it works really well. Much better than I originally expected. These two features alone put the LE over the PRO in terms of gameplay.

The Cons:
The wrestling ring is incredibly distracting from ANY game flow. As in, it stops any excitement dead in the water. Even when the ball just drops into the ring, it lingers... for a damn long time. You know what kills a pinball game more than anything else? BORING THE PLAYER!!! In it's current iteration, this games rules make little sense and the ability for the game to guide the player to the next match is... where is it? The ramps are lit with flashing colors to the top lanes and...??? Really? I know lots of people who bag on Stern for releasing games with incomplete code, but TWD was playable out of the box on day 1. This game... really isn't. The pops are in an unusual place that is only accessible from the extra ball lane or a random drop from the exit on the ring. The art pax, while better quality photoshop work than what we have seen in the past... features numerous pituitary retards that make this game a real winner in WWE mancaves or gay bars. Which, when you think about it, could be the same thing. DERP!

LE Specific:
A mini-TV screen just below the DMD... really? The definition of redundancy in pinball. ACK!

The Takeaway:
This review might just change for the better when the Baron Von Rashke goosestep frenzy and the SuperFly Snuka wizard mode are finally implemented. As it stands, Wrestlemania needs lots of new code, a timer on the ring (5-10 secs at the most, s/w adjustable...unless it is mode specific, in multibal and/ or timed) or simply a pass most times (think of the usability and the access/reward of the powerfield on TZ). My real concern is that even with new code and managing the time in the ring, this game may not be savable/viable even with the layout and the stalls in this game. There are some incredible parts of this game. But the whole of the gameplay package is sorely lacking. I love John Trudeau and his designs. Personally, I like Mustang when many don't... but this game is quite possibly the worst Stern game release since Rolling Stones and possibly even... Indiana Jones. For me, it's that bad. As in Chicago Coin kid of bad. I cannot remember the last time I played a new game and felt like walking away after a few games... on FREE PLAY.

Update:
The contrast between the slowness of the upper ring/PF and the speed/deadliness of the lower PF makes for an interesting rhythm during gameplay. The idea of earning a 3-5-10 second timer (Or whatever scheme the codemasters at Stern are brewing up) is something that has to be done to keep times lower on the upper PF. Playaing multiball on this game is a hoot as the ballls in the upper PF really mean that you have to play both levels at the same time. Software is the weakness of this game. My biggest concern is that software may not be able to save this game layout. The software is so lacking on this table that I have "Killscreened" this deck during competition. An interesting take as it makes you make the most of what you have, while you have it, but if I wanted to play a time-limited game, I would be playing Safecracker. We shall see what the future holds... C'Mon Stern, GET IT DONE RIGHT!

Update v2:
After playing the LE version of this deck, I have to say that I like the LE version much more. The software has progressed significantly and this game plays so much better than the release/early versions of the software already. Progressing through the belts to the heavyweight championship of the world is not an easy task and I have to give the design/programming team kudos for getting the balance right. WWE theme music is sufficiently exciting and yet bland at the same time. The contrast of the upper and lower PF is growing on me, however the spinning disc on the LE makes the game all the much faster and more interesting.

Not a fan of the Dev. cycle, but the final product is fun and entertaining. Select the Undertaker, every time! No that's not a gameplay tip. I just like the Undertaker. And if you have to settle, Stone Cold Steve Austin will do in a pinch.

Update V3:
The new code makes a huge difference in a positive direction. The small flipper has 4-5 shots to make from it and the clothesline forearm is fun too! Winning matches by building and then collecting the saucer on the upper PF makes playing this game on both PF's a great way to boost your scores. Will the game ever get past the "lag" of the upper PF? No, but the new code makes a big difference and that is what matters now. Is it a great game? I don't think it will be, but it definitely went from a dog to a good game (maybe better than we give it credit for) that is fun to play.

Update v.4:
This table has been relegated to the "you gotta know how to play it because it is going to come up in tournaments" file. If the game is in tip-top and tuned, it will be a worthy addition, but for the most part, this is the first "forgotten" game that Stern has released in a long time. Find that Lemmy tune and crank it up!

I like the theme, but this game is just sooo bad.