Like it’s console counterpart, the All Stars roster is amazing and deep--very deep. WWE Superstars and Legends are divided up into characters classes with their own unique fighting style--brawler, acrobat, big man and grappler. Character models reflect more of the LJN action figures from the 80s. Many older WWE fans will appreciate the appearance of newcomers such as the late Macho Man Randy Save (not going to lie--I’m a mark for Savage), The Ultimate Warrior, and Ricky Steamboat while younger fans will recognize Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, and John Cena. Luckily for us, THQ threw in all of the DLC from the console versions for the 3DS. Alternate attires reflect different eras of WWE, in addition to superstars and legends movesets. Players of all ages will appreciate the commentary by WWE Hall of Famers Jerry “The King” Lawler and Jim Ross--which provides some of the best play-by-play in a WWE title to date.

WWE All Stars is not without its faults. Luckily, THQ fixed the god-awful loadtimes for the console version. Still, I don’t think THQ pushed it to the limit on the character model side of things--and I’d like to see a bit more refinement in that department. The 3D--well, it’s certainly increased the depth of field, but as with most third party 3DS titles, it doesn’t pop like it should. While THQ added two new match types to the game, I would still like to see some additional modes in WWE All Stars 2. Also, as of this writing, anyone who owns Super Mario 3D Land is going to have some glitches in Path of Champions--as users are reporting issues on GameFAQs. Should you buy it if you’ve played the console version--hard to say. There isn’t THAT much new stuff here, but it’s still WWE All Stars to go--and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the title despite having played the console version to death.

As a former intern for both WWE and Pro Wrestling Illustrated and playing my first WWE game on a WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (another Sal Davita production) cabinet at the Howard Johnson’s my family used to stay at, this truly has made me excited for THQ wrestling titles again. While WWE ’12 does a fine job of providing the simulation of weekly broadcasts and PPVs, All Stars provides the fantasy side of WWE. The matches we used to have with our plastic wrestling rings and figures--doing larger than life versions of favorite superstars moves and creating epic rivalries, All Stars does a great job of capturing the essence of what it truly means to be a fan of WWE. 

REVIEW SCORE: 8/ 10