WWF Backlash (non-existent unfinished Nintendo 64 professional wrestling game; 2001)

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Wwfbacklash1.jpg

Alleged screenshot of the game, which was actually the thumbnail of a WWF No Mercy mods video.

Status: Non-existent

WWF Backlash is a non-existent cancelled Nintendo 64 professional wrestling that was said to have been developed by AKI and be published by THQ prior to cancellation. It was claimed to have served as a sequel to WWF No Mercy, with a release planned for 2001.

Background

WWF No Mercy proved to be a highly successful professional wrestling game, selling 1.15 million copies in the US alone,[1] and receiving critical acclaim.[2] Thus, it was claimed that AKI and THQ worked to produce a sequel entitled WWF Backlash.[3] One of the main features planned for the game was to allow matches to occur inside Hell in a Cell, a steel cage match concept that was introduced in the WWF pay-per-view Badd Blood: In Your House on October 5th, 1997, at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri.[4]

It is claimed that a 2001 issue of GamePro provided a screenshot of WWF Backlash featuring Kurt Angle and The Undertaker battling atop the Cell. The magazine was also said to have claimed that six-man tag-team matches and usage of the N64 memory expansion so that multi-man events could occur without experiencing issues.[5]

Cancellation and Rumours of Non-existence

The game was believed to have been cancelled after being around 30% complete. The main reasons surrounding the cancellation were that THQ had intended to start working on games for the Nintendo GameCube, as well as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Additionally, the WWF had purchased WCW and ECW in 2001, resulting in a highly expanded roster that may have further compromised development.[6]

However, some speculated that the game never actually existed. One area of concern involves the alleged GamePro screenshot, which has never resurfaced, with some claiming that it was a fabrication or that it was a doctored image from WWF No Mercy. A different screenshot, featuring The Undertaker and Sting battling inside the Cell has also been claimed to be that of WWF Backlash.[7] The problem however is that The Undertaker's appearance in the screenshot originates from his return to WWE in 2004, and was he actually wrestling in the early-2000s under The American Badass gimmick.[8] Thus, the screenshot is highly unlikely to have originated from WWF Backlash due to the time differences between the game's development and The Undertaker's 2004 return. Ultimately, it was discovered that the screenshot was actually a thumbnail from a WWF No Mercy mods video.

Further, Lost Media Wiki Forum user cinnamon0999 made a post discussing WWF Backlash. In the post, they claim the game may not exist, because much of the information, including the GameCube cancellation explanation, the promotion of Hell in a Cell match, and being 30% complete, were never officially verified.[9]

Confirmation of Non-existence

In March 2020 as part of the Talk Shit! podcast, Pro Wrestling X producer Dave Wishnowski interviewed Sanders Keel, the THQ producer behind professional wrestling games including WWF No Mercy. Wishnowski asked Keel why a sequel was never developed by AKI, with Keel responding that corporate issues, including AKI not wanting to work on any Nintendo systems in favour of the PlayStation systems following WWF No Mercy, as well as THQ committing towards a relationship with Yukes.

Additionally, a Facebook comment from Keel discussing the podcast fully confirms WWF Backlash never existed, as he stated that THQ did not plan any further N64 or AKI titles following WWF No Mercy, as AKI was set to work with EA to make Def Jam Vendetta for GameCube and PlayStation 2.[10]

Gallery

Videos

WhatCulture video on WWF Backlash.

WrestleGamia video on WWF Backlash.

Top Hat Gaming Man video on WWF Backlash.

Talk Shit! podcast where Sanders Keel debunks WWF Backlash (starts 4:08).

Footage of a WWF No Mercy mod containing the fake WWF Backlash screenshot.

See Also

References