Review
Love it or hate it, professional wrestling has a huge following, especially among the younger set. And knowing exactly how to capitalize on a license, Acclaim once again is here to make sure all WWF fanatics can relive their favorite wrestler's matches. WWF Raw is the third game in the series, beginning with 1992's Super WrestleMania and followed by 1993's WWF Royal Rumble. This game closely follows Royal Rumble in look, feel and control, so if you disliked that title, it goes without saying you won't be fond of this one. So what's different? Actually not very much, other than the featured wrestlers. While the game may not have drastically changed from last year's version, that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't some noteworthy additions.
For the first time in a Genesis wrestling game, you can play with four people at once (providing you have an adaptor). This is a step in the right direction as there's nothing like having three of your friends in the ring all ganging up on each other. In addition, each wrestler also has more special moves, referred to as "mega-moves," which better reflects the individual strengths of your selected player. The only problem is that they aren't listed in the manual, so you have to figure them out for yourself (most involve tapping the control pad in a direction while releasing the B button during a grapple). New game modes "Raw Endurance Match," where you face six opponents one after another, and "Bedlam," where you fight two wrestlers at once, help add to the challenge and extend the replayability of the title, although there still isn't a battery to keep track of user records.
Like previous games in the series, the basic moves include a punch and kick, which turn into kneedrops or elbowdrops when your opponent is on the mat. Aerial moves like hip-tosses, dropkicks and clotheslines can be performed while your opponent is running toward you. Moreover, you can use flying elbowdrops, climb turnbuckles, leave the ring at any time (even grab a chair), and perform illegal moves such as eye gouges and chokes. If the referee is bothering you, go ahead and knock him out with a well timed punch or kick!
Unfortunately, the grappling system has remained unchanged from Royal Rumble. After locking grips with an opponent, a meter will appear showing who is winning the test of strength. Then it's a battle to repeatedly tap buttons to execute various moves while your opponent is tapping to counter them. This gets rather tedious. And remember how Royal Rumble's computer was ridiculously hard to out-grapple on the higher difficulty levels, but relatively easy to defeat using basic moves? WWF Raw has much faster gameplay making it a lot harder to win against the computer on any difficulty level. Expect to become frustrated with the computer's cheap tactics of outperforming your moves--like it's using a turbo controller! If you do decide to get WWF Raw, make sure it's for the multiplayer mode first.
Graphics 
The wrestlers look very much like their real-life counterparts, with detailed outfits and recognizable hair styles. While the game's appearance is similar to WWF Royal Rumble, the characters move very fast and fluid.
Sound 
Each wrestler's theme music is well done and the opening tune makes you want to start slamming. The sound effects are exactly the same as 1993's game, so you'll hear a lot of "oohs" and "aahs."
Enjoyment 
The speed is almost too fast! An adjustable speed and a better grappling system are needed to improve the game's score in this area. Playing with three other friends in the ring is very fun, however.
Replay Value
The computer is tough to beat because it performs moves very quickly, so players may become easily frustrated with the one player game. On the other hand, the multiplayer aspect is fun and there is a good selection of play modes to keep you busy.
Documentation
Despite not having all of the mega-moves listed, the instructions do a very good job explaining all of the features.
