WCW Mayhem (video game)

This article is about the video game. For the music release, see WCW Mayhem: The Music.
WCW Mayhem
PAL PlayStation cover art featuring Goldberg
Developer(s)
  • Kodiak Interactive
  • 2n Productions (GBC)
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Platform(s)
ReleaseNintendo 64, PlayStation
  • NA: September 23, 1999[1]
  • EU: September 24, 1999
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

WCW Mayhem is a professional wrestling video game published by Electronic Arts (EA), based on the American promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[4] The first WCW game produced by EA, it was released for Nintendo 64 and PlayStation in 1999 and for the Game Boy Color the following year.

The game featured several firsts for a wrestling title. For instance, Mayhem was the first game to feature all twelve WCW pay-per-view venues as well as all three major WCW television shows (Nitro, Thunder, and Saturday Night). Mayhem was also the first wrestling game released in the United States to include backstage areas, a feature which would be expanded upon in its sequel, WCW Backstage Assault. It was also one of the first wrestling games to integrate audio commentary provided by Bobby Heenan and Tony Schiavone; although, only Schiavone was included in the N64 version despite some of his lines being addressed directly to Heenan.

Mayhem also featured a Pay-Per-View mode which was unique from other wrestling games, in that the player could enter a code to unlock real-life pay-per-view match lineups; these codes would be given on Monday Nitro broadcasts the week before a pay-per-view. However, this only lasted for three months (ending with the pay-per-view of the same name), as the games' roster was outdated soon after its release, with several of the featured wrestlers leaving the company. The game was partially sponsored by Surge soft drinks at the time of game release.

  1. ^ "WCW Mayhem Released". GameSpot. September 23, 1999. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Handheld Mayhem". Game Boy Station. May 4, 2000. Archived from the original on June 5, 2002. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Release Dates". May 22, 2000. Archived from the original on May 30, 2000. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Electronic Arts Reveals Details On WCW Mayhem Video Game and Announces Development of a Game Boy Color Version". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. August 23, 1999. Archived from the original on November 26, 1999. Retrieved June 17, 2019 – via Yahoo.com.