WWF Royal Rumble


 * For the arcade and Dreamcast game see WWF Royal Rumble (2000).

WWF Royal Rumble is a wrestling game for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Each version features twelve wrestlers, some of which are exclusive to that version.

1-on-1
The basic wrestling match. One or two players can compete.

Tag Team
A standard 2-on-2 tag team match. 2 players can compete against each other or team up against the computer. You can also wrestle as two separate teams in the Tag Title tournament.

Triple Tag Team
A 3-on-3 tag team match. A 2-player match in this mode is Vs. only. Only one of your partners will be on the ring apron at a time; to select which one is current, press A+C (or the Mode button on a six-button controller).

Royal Rumble
You must fight the other 11 superstars in an over-the-top-rope elimination match. Six wrestlers will be in the ring at a time, and when a wrestler is eliminated, a new one will enter the ring until all 12 are accounted for. Opponents can be thrown out by winning the Tie-up with the 'A' button near the ropes or by using a Hiptoss against a running opponent near the ropes.

Match Options

 * One Fall - Referee, 10-count outside ring, Choke/Rake/Chair are illegal
 * Brawl - No Referee, no count-out, all moves are legal
 * Tournament -
 * 1-on-1: The selected wrestler runs the gauntlet of the other 11 for the World Heavyweight Title.
 * 2-on-2: The team must face each other team (selected at random) twice to win the Tag Team Title. If two-player mode is picked, each team must only be faced once.

The 1P version of each basic mode and 1P or 2P Rumbles also have a difficulty selection, from 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest). The most noticeable effect of the higher difficulty is the speed with which the computer can attack from the Tie-up.

Common Moves
Note: for 6-button controllers, use for  +,  for  + , and  for  +.
 * Run -
 * Punch -
 * Kick -
 * Tie-up - +
 * Pick up opponent on mat - +  (near head)
 * Dropkick - (while running)
 * Elbow Drop - (below opponent on mat)
 * Elbow Drop - // (while on turnbuckle)
 * Body Splash - (above opponent on mat)
 * Stomp - (below opponent on mat)
 * Knee Drop - (above opponent on mat)
 * Running Elbow Drop - (while running, opponent on mat)
 * Pin opponent -  +  (opponent on mat, near midsection)
 * Cancel pin - +
 * Clothesline - +  (vs. running opponent)
 * Hip toss - (vs. running opponent)
 * Choke Hold (illegal) - +  (near)
 * Rake to the Eyes (illegal) - +  (at a distance)
 * Pick up steel chair (illegal) - +  (outside the ring)
 * Use steel chair (illegal) - //
 * Tag partner -
 * Climb into/out of ring - while holding  towards ropes

Tie-up Moves
Pressing +  (or ) will cause the wrestlers to grapple with each other in a standard collar-and-elbow tie-up position. An oval-shaped meter will then appear above the wrestlers. The half to the left represents Player 1 and the half to the right is Player 2. Rapidly pressing any button or buttons will fill up the meter towards that player's side. When the meter reaches a certain point, the following moves will be executed with the buttons indicated. Note that the computer is nearly unbeatable from the grapple, even as low as difficulty 3.


 * Irish Whip to ropes -
 * Hiptoss out of ring - (near the ropes)
 * Atomic Drop - +
 * Backbreaker - +
 * Bodyslam -
 * Headbutt -
 * Break Tie-up - (this only works if your opponent initiated the Tie-up)
 * Vertical Suplex - +

Wrestlers and Signature Finishing Moves
The opponent's life meter must be in the red to perform the following moves.

Both versions

 * Bret "The Hitman" Hart - Sharpshooter: +  (near feet of opponent on mat)
 * Crush - Cranium Crush: +  (behind stunned opponent)
 * "Macho Man" Randy Savage - "Macho Madness" Elbow Drop: +  (while on turnbuckle, opponent on mat)
 * "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon - The Razor's Edge: +  (win Tie-up)
 * "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels - Teardrop Suplex: +  (behind stunned opponent)
 * "The Narcissist" Lex Luger - Running Forearm Smash: +  (win Tie-up with opponent's back to the ropes)
 * The Undertaker - Tombstone Piledriver: +  (win Tie-up)

SNES only

 * Mr. Perfect
 * Ric Flair
 * Tatanka
 * Ted DiBiase
 * Yokozuna

Genesis only

 * Hulk Hogan - The Big Legdrop: +  (near head of opponent on mat)
 * Irwin R. Schyster (IRS) - The Write-Off (Running Lariat Clothesline): +  (win Tie-up with opponent's back to the ropes)
 * "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan - 3-Point Clothesline: +  (from a distance vs. stunned opponent)
 * Papa Shango - Reverse Shoulderbreaker: +  (win Tie-up)
 * Rick "The Model" Martel - Boston Crab:  +  (near feet of opponent on mat)

Strategy Tips
To perform illegal moves in a regular match, punch or run into the Referee several times to knock him out. Also, illegal moves are legal as long as you are on the floor.

The simplest method for victory in this game is to forget about the Tie-up. At difficulty 4 and above, it's almost impossible to beat the computer in a Tie-up, even with a turbo controller. Stick with this pattern: 3 punches, which will knock the opponent down, then immediately take 1 step back and execute a running elbow drop and several stomps/knee drops. Then, repeat the process until you can do your finishing move. It even works on Level 10 (although this is rather tricky in the Rumble).

In the Rumble, a two player team can clean up. Position one player at each end of the ring. As soon as a new computer opponent enters, have one player Tie-up and whip them to the other side, where #2 hiptosses them right back out. If you can catch the first 3 or 4 early, the ring won't be nearly as crowded.

Countouts are another way to beat the computer. Throw the opponent out of the ring and slap him around. When you knock him down, quickly enter and exit the ring to reset your count. Get him stunned when his count reaches 8 or 9, then climb back in the ring.

Ending 1
Beating the last match in a 1-on-1 tournament makes Mean Gene get into the ring carrying the title belt. You are then shown a simulated cover of the WWF magazine with your wrestler on the front and the headline "New World's Champion".

Ending 2
The ending for the tag-team championship tournament is the same for the world title. This time, both members are on the cover and it says "New World Champions," as well as either "Exclusive results inside" or "More WWF action inside".

Ending 3
After the last opponent is thrown out of the Royal Rumble, you will see a screen showing a wrestler's name, the time he entered the match, who he was eliminated by (and @ what time) and who he eliminated (& times). Press Left or Right to scroll thru each wrestler. The winner will also have the words "Rumble Champion" under their name.