WWF Warzone is a very strategic wrestling game, using a 'paper-rock-scissors' method of move priority found in most modern fighting games. Each character has his own unique combination of moves chosen from a common pool, along with a several signature moves and his (or her) own trademark finishing move. The commands to execute these moves are 1, 2, or 3 taps of the directional pad followed by a button, a la Virtua Fighter and Tekken (no Street Fighter fireballs here), or combinations of 2 buttons pressed simultaneously. Each wrestler has his own set of commands, so two wrestlers who have the same move might not necessarily perform that move the same way or at the same priority. Warzone uses three attack buttons (Punch, Kick, & Tieup) and a Block button, plus 4 movement-related buttons (Dodge Left, Dodge Right, Run, and Climb). Each basic combination of single attack button, 1 direction + button, and 2 directions + button is ranked from 1 to 9.
As stated in the back of the manual, whenever 2 wrestlers are in a Tieup, whoever performs the lowest ranked move will win, with two exceptions:
Tips
- As you punch and slam your opponent, your wrestler's name will change color from white through 3 shades of blue. Each shade represents a 'Tieup Advantage': Light Blue - 1 to 3, Blue - 4 to 6, Dark Blue - 7+. When executing a move from the Tieup, you subtract your current advantage number from the rank number of your move (basically allowing you to perform higher damage moves and still win the Tieup, as long as you're in control of the match).
- (From the manual) To avoid the problem of cheesy players always trying the low damage moves: 6 & 9 beat 1; 5 & 8 beat 2; and 4 & 7 beat 3.
- (In English) Grappling moves using any directional pad taps plus the Tieup button always beat a basic Kick move, D-Pad + Punch moves beat a basic Tieup move, and D-Pad + Kick moves beat a basic Punch move.
As of yet, I'm not exactly sure how the computer judges moves that use 3 directions. All finishing moves use 3 taps, and some of the 'hidden' moves and turnbuckle moves (those not shown in the in-game lists) also use 3. I think the order just extends to add 10 - 3D+K, 11 - 3D+P, and 12 - 3D+TU and uses the same rules as above. If anyone can confirm or deny this, please e-mail me. As for moves performed from a standing position, I believe the computer uses a combination of the above list and the relative speed of the move. For example, if the Opponent is executing a move such as the Samoan Drop where he has to move towards you and grab, you can usually interrupt it with a quick move like a Japanese Arm Drag or Drop Toe Hold. However, this doesn't always work with all wrestlers, so perhaps it depends on the button commands each one uses to perform those moves.