Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home PlayStation 2

Based on the independently released "Best of Backyard Wrestling" video series, Backyard Wrestling the game features violent, over-the-top action designed to appeal to both hardcore wrestling fans as well as fighting enthusiasts. Players begin the game as a lowly wrestler trying to advance in the rankings to achieve the coveted title of The King of Hardcore. The career mode is more than simply defeating a rival, however, as there are specific objectives that must be completed along the way. This often involves using the environment to one's advantage.

This environment is the key element that separates Backyard Wrestling from others in the genre. Since wrestlers are no longer forced to do battle inside a confined ring, the action takes place within open, multi-tiered environments featuring a wide assortment of interactive objects. Players can freely roam around the locales to explore new ways to harm their rival. This could mean leaping off ladders, rooftops, or cars to inflict damage as well as bludgeoning them with a street sign, baseball bat, or tire iron. Wrestlers can smash through houses, throw their opponent into a tree, and interact with pedestrians.

Pedestrians serve another function in addition to distracting opponents. If players decide to take the easy way out and use the same move over and over again, the crowd will show their displeasure by booing and then throwing harmful items at the offending wrestler. Another unusual feature is the lack of a traditional damage or health meter. Players will be able to tell the extent of injuries received by a wrestler simply by his appearance, with location-specific damage modeling affecting a character's movement and actions during the bout. Superficial cuts will turn into open wounds, and blood will start flowing freely from severely injured areas. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide