Pro wrestling lends itself quite nicely to the digital world, and naturally wrestling games have becoming a very popular genre.
Whether its titles featuring button-mashing smackdowns or the ability to meticulously recreate their favourite real-life wrestling heroes, gamers have been treated to a wide variety of games over the years.
DAZN takes a look at some of the best wrestling video games to be released.
WCW/nWo Revenge (1998)
Considered by some to be the best wrestling video game ever released, WCW/nWo Revenge came out at the height of the Monday Night Wars and took advantage of WCW's impressive roster at the time.
The game play mechanics were unlike anything seen at the time, allowing new players to learn moves quickly while also rewarding skilled gamers with intricate combinations. The four-player mode on the Nintendo 64 made the game popular for group play, and there was enough substance to keep players coming back for more.
"Revenge" laid the groundwork for the following year's "WWF WrestleMania 2000," also released by THQ on the N64.
Def Jam: Fight for NY (2004)
We're strecthing this a bit as it's only loosely a wrestling game, but what's not to like about "Def Jam: Fight for NY?"
Hip hop heads and wrestling fans alike will be drawn to the use of real-life rap stars and licensed Def Jam music as they battle it out in a number of immersive environments around New York City (inluding a wrestling gym). The over-the-top action sometimes plays more like a fighting game than a wrestling simulator, but a submission hold is one of the only two ways to win a fight (the other is a knock out).
And hey, who's going to say no to pitting Ludacris against Xzibit or Ice-T?
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (1995)
Midway created the "make a real life sport into a cartoonish battle" style of arcade game in the 1990s with the likes of NBA Jam and NFL Blitz, and "WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game" definitely fit the mould.
Featuring a surprisingly small roster for an arcade release (only eight SuperStars of the era are in the game), the lack of wrestlers doesn't hurt the game's quality as pure button-mashing fun. Using Doink's considerable array of clown-based weapons is well worth a quarter.
WWE 2K23 (2023)
The latest offering from WWE is the best one in years.
2K23 hits that perfect combination of story mode, jaw-dropping graphics, fluid game play and replayability that makes modern wrestling games fun, and the huge roster of current and former WWE stars allows for a seemingly unlimited amount of different match combinations.
Also, the online Royal Rumble mode, which allows up to eight players in a single match, is the perfect catalyst for trash-talking your friends from the comfort of your own couch.
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (2005)
As the only non-licensed title on this list, this game has to be good, right? Yes!
"Fire Pro Wrestling Returns" is less a button-masher and more of a strategic simulator, focusing more on timing and anticipation than other wrestling games. While the wrestlers aren't licensed from the big companies, there are some very familiar faces that show up.