What RetroMania Wrestling is
RetroMania Wrestling is a throwback arcade wrestling game built around 2D sprites and fast-paced, pick-up-and-play matches. It draws on classics of the past while featuring the National Wrestling Alliance and House of Hardcore, with 17 licensed playable wrestlers and 20 arenas to fight in. The pixel art runs to over 1,000 frames of animation, and each ring entrance comes with nameplates and entrance music. The crowd reacts to what happens in the ring with chants, and Ian Riccaboni and Colt Cabana provide commentary. The strategic layer sits on top of controls that are easy to pick up, so a group can start brawling without a long learning session.
How your group plays it together
Local multiplayer runs from 2 to 8 players, so a couch full of friends works fine. Match types cover 1-on-1, Tag Team for up to 8, Best of Three Falls, Cage Matches with different cage styles, and Battle Royals. Remote Play Together is available, which lets people join in over a distance rather than sharing one room. Beyond multiplayer, there are three game modes: Story, 10 Pounds of Gold, and Retro Rumble.
Before you start
The roster and arenas are fixed at 17 wrestlers and 20 arenas, with more wrestlers noted as coming later, so expectations should sit with what is there now. The game leans on arcade wrestling rather than a deep simulation, though it does carry a simulation tag alongside its beat 'em up and fighting roots, so matches reward timing and positioning more than long input strings. Singleplayer is supported alongside the local and online co-op options, which means one person can work through the modes alone when the group is not around.