Wrestlemania: the granddaddy of them all. The star-spangled stage for the American Dream, upon which Hulkamania ran wild against gigantic odds to retain gold in the Silverdome, and Steve Austin raised a stone cold toast to every long suffering worker by giving them the ultimate, vicarious moment of revenge against their boss. After years spent honing their recreations of the rosters, rivalries and ring work of the modern WWE in their SmackDown series, developers Yukes have now decided to immortalise the showcase of the immortals by taking a selection of the most famous matches from the first fifteen Wrestlemanias and standing them next to each other - eye to eye, toe to toe, icon to icon - but in a way that allows you to play with history in more than one sense.

To revive the pageantry and high theatre of these bouts for today's audience, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania introduces each one by rebuilding the drama around it, using modern editing to create a package of old film clips from the original telecasts that lead up to the juncture where tensions have reached boiling point and history is about to be made. However, that history isn't as inevitable as it once was, because, to avoid being little more than the best highlights reel in sports entertainment, LoW has pinned its gameplay hopes on a three count of Rs - relive, rewrite and redefine.

The first of these is pretty self-explanatory, challenging you to recreate the events of a match as accurately as possible, whilst rewrite requires you to alter the outcome of the contest and redefine steps furthest away from reality by allowing you to throw in some new stipulations and create a very different spectacle. To assist you, the game will usually provide a list of requirements for each match that will range from minor demands, such as performing certain moves, to more important ones such as manufacturing key incidents, to the almost vital correct finish for the mode you've chosen, with your score only pumping itself up to the set level for success if you achieve a sufficient number of these.

Despite the new directions that these different modes allow you to take your grappling in, LoW's intention clearly appears to be leading you down memory lane in a full (rather than a half) nelson, with Yukes seemingly going back into the past not only for their source material but for their control scheme as well. While the current edition of their SmackDown vs. Raw series might have the most comprehensive move sets ever seen in a wrestling title, the intricacies of these may be off-putting to those not overly versed in wrestling, gaming or both. To avoid leaving anyone feeling out of their depth, LoW has positioned itself at the opposite end of the scale, employing a much simplified, arcade control system. Using only four buttons, one each for standard attacks, grabs and grapples, defensive blocks and reversals, and special attacks, the game attempts to build convincing and exciting fights that are easily accessible without seriously compromising the uniqueness of each fighter's trademark techniques. In fact, the only major concession that LoW makes to complexity is the inclusion of a three tiered levelling system during matches, where successfully completing moves sees you rewarded with more powerful ones and finishing manoeuvres only becoming available once you have reached the top layer.

There are set to be around forty of the WWE's greatest ever names stacking LoW's roster, each one brought back to life as an exaggerated version of their prime condition; shoulders will be broader, pecs tighter and pythons more impressive than they were the first time around. Despite a mix of the old and new guards (the full roster is set out at the end of this preview), it's not a completely comprehensive collection and strong cases can be made for some of those, such as Tito Santana, Kane and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, who didn't make the list. Probably the most notable absence though, allegedly due to his frosty relationship with Vince McMahon, is Macho Man Randy Savage, whose omission is bound to enrage many hardcore fans.

One thing that LoW isn't missing however is some of the most famous managers who ever worked a Wrestlemania crowd. Possibly even more so than the wrestlers, these are the guys who really embody the pantomime of the events; the presence of Mr. Fuji, Jimmy Hart, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Paul Bearer to jump up on the ring apron, grab opponents' feet, pull down ropes and using their trademark props to generally meddle with the in-ring action is a very welcome one. And if this list of real life luminaries isn't long enough then LoW also affords you the opportunity to make use of the excellent create-a-wrestler tools that Yukes has perfected in the Smackdown games, to build one of your own, who you can then enter into the Legend Killer mode, a series of survival matches where you take on ten other fighters one after the other.

With the promise that owners of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 will be able to import their entire rosters and the option for online challenge matches, WWE Legends of Wrestlemania certainly isn't shaping up to be light on content. However, for it to be the heavyweight that THQ and Yukes are hoping for, the game will need to nail the presentation and provide a believable and entertaining flow to matches. If Yukes achieve this then it may be worthy of mention in the same breath as the game that many currently regard as the all-time greatest arcade wrestling game, Technos Wrestlefest.

Legends of Wrestlemania is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PS3 in the U.K. on 20th and the U.S. on 24th March 2009. The game's full, pre-release announced roster is as follows:

Andre the Giant
Animal
Arn Anderson
Bam Bam Bigelow
Big Bossman
Big John Studd
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Bret "The Hitman" Hart
British Bulldog
Brutus Beefcake
Dusty Rhodes
Greg Valentine
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Hawk
Honky Tonk Man
Hulk Hogan
Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Iron Sheik
Jake the Snake
Jimmy Hart
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
Jimmy Snuka
Junkyard Dog
Kamala
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
Michael Hayes
Mr. Fuji
Mr. Perfect
Nikolai Volkoff
Paul Bearer
Ravishing Rick Rude
Ric Flair
Rowdy Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
The Rock
The Ultimate Warrior
Undertaker
Yokozuna

Previewed by James Hamblin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).