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TNA iMPACT!

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5.7 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 44 critic reviews
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Based on 7 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Midway

Developer: Midway Studios - Los Angeles

Genre(s): Wrestling

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: September 9, 2008

Summary

TNA iMPACT! is geared towards a quick paced, high-impact style of play, with less emphasis on submission moves. It also features straightforward, intuitive controls, with "accurate" and "detailed" character models. Actual scans of the wrestlers were used for the game in place of hand-painted textures to include small details, such as skin textures. Wrestling maneuvers are captured from actual TNA wrestlers in extensive motion capture sessions. Finishers are accessed by building up an "Impact! meter" displayed on the screen, the same place a color-coded damage indicator shows the condition of characters. The game also features mini-games for escaping pin attempts and submission holds. TNA's exclusive Ultimate X and King of the Mountain are playable match types alongside the more standard singles, tag team and Fatal Four-Way matches. The game is playable online, and supports tournaments. Eight different venues—including TNA's main home, the Florida Impact! Zone, and arenas in Japan and England—are be available to house matches, with the Impact! Zone having an increased ringside area for play and hotspots for player interaction. The game also features top wrestling talent such as Abyss, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Jeff Jarrett, Booker T, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Sting and more to deliver all of the excitement and action of the television show. [Midway]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

WonderwallWeb

TNA iMPACT is a fun wrestling game which fans of wrestling will love, however I don’t think it will win over many newcomers to the sport.

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XboxAddict

Overall, Midway has put out a solid wrestling product that should compete with its rival very well.

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Gameplanet

Midway’s first foray into the ring proves that they have what it takes to mix it with the big boys of wrestling simulations, but they do fall just short of a 3-count.

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Team Xbox

I’ve played many a game that was jam-packed with features but had a terrible core engine that ruined the entire product. TNA IMPACT! is just the reverse, really. This freshman effort is a little light on overall content and features, but it makes up for a lot of this with a solid engine; upon which Midway can build better follow-up TNA titles.

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GameFocus

Although it shows signs of greatness and as much as I hate to say it, TNA iMPACT isn’t quite ready for primetime yet but I do have hope for the future, starting next year.

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VideoGamer

In terms of gameplay Midway is off to a solid start, putting together a control system that's both easy to grasp and hard to master. With more variety in the roster, an improved move set and more game modes future TNA games could take the wrestling belt, but for now it'll have to make do with being a very worthy challenger.

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MS Xbox World

If you're a fan of wrestling games, then TNA iMPACT! is worth renting out some wrestling boots for, alternatively keep your eyes peeled for hopefully a much more feature packed sequel... or rather the soon to be released, SmackDown vs. Raw 2009.

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PTGamers

TNA Impact is a nice first attempt that deserves to be exploited with some reservations.

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GameSpot

The character models are excellent while the animation is fluid and lively, but the physics of fighting definitely lack polish and can create some frustrating situations. Yet despite these technical shortcomings, it's still great fun to clothesline, drop kick, and power bomb your friends in and out of the ring.

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Official Xbox Magazine

Impact nails the feel of wrestling, but adding a new coat of paint to an old-school style won’t be enough to entice those seeking something fresh. Fans of the genre or “sport,” however, have an accessible and fun wrasslin’ game worth sticking in their collection.

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DarkStation

NA iMPACT! is a very successful first outing for Midway, its not perfect, and it may not be able to compete with WWE on its first outing, but for its first outing it does so many things right that if your a fan of wrestling games I would still recommend this game even with its short comings.

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Eurogamer

Where TNA loses marks is in its rather featureless presentation. Multiplayer is decent, but the no-frills framework doesn't leave you with much to do. The story mode is fun, but no replacement for a genuine career mode, while the available options can't help but pale alongside SmackDown's over-stocked buffet.

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X360 Magazine UK

A commendable first effort from Midway and one that should be the starting point of a seriously good franchise as the years go on. The war has truly begun again!

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Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Promising to crush the opposition, Impact! concentrates on the gameplay, overlooking everything else. This way, it has strong points in the gameplay and graphics, but then there are the flaws in the AI, the limited set of moves, the lack of content and a very limited Story Mode. But the future of the series can be bright. [Oct 2008]

Armchair Empire

Despite getting slammed harder than a flying elbow smash to the cranium with some aggravating control issues and a somewhat short single-player experience, wrestling gamers, especially TNA fans, will be able to tolerate TNA iMPACT!

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ZTGameDomain

Sure, diehard wrestling fans will enjoy the fluid gameplay and the chance to play as some of their favorite TNA stars, however more casual fans will become quickly dissatisfied with the lack of variety.

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IGN

TNA iMPACT! had a lot of potential, but it didn't follow through on most of it. Beyond the limited/repetitive moves, lackluster CAW, and scaled back online, my main problem is that iMPACT! doesn't feel like real wrestling.

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Extreme Gamer

Unfortunely mirroring real life, TNA iMPACT! still needs a lot of work to compete with its direction competition, the WWE.

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GameZone

TNA iMPACT! has a great license and great characters, it just doesn't use either of them correctly.

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Console Monster

The games difficulty curve is fair and while moves are easy to perform it can take a few attempts to win the first match.

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Game Informer

TNA Impact reminds me of a bratty little kid. You know the type, always running around making bold claims, kicking people in the shins, and talking about how big and strong he’s going to be when he grows up. Since he’s just a kid, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt — someday he might accomplish impressive things. However, right now he’s still just a punk.

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Planet Xbox 360

It made some strides, but it’s ultimately a shallow game.

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Cheat Code Central

TNA iMPACT! isn't a bad game, but it does need a lot of work to reach the top in a gaming genre dominated by WWE for far too long.

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GameSpy

You'll have the most fun playing TNA iMPACT! against friends, since they're most likely to work a match that'll flow creatively while providing a decent challenge. The AI makes a poor tag-team partner, and it's always more fun to pull off a finisher when there are friends around to witness the act.

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Giant Bomb

It's a solid first step. With some iteration, more content, and more vocal contributions from more members of the TNA roster, a sequel could be just as viable of an alternative to the SmackDown! series as TNA's brand of wrestling is to WWE's.

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Gamervision

Light on content, strategy, and presentation, this mediocre title fails to innovate in any real way, and instead strips away a lot of what has worked in the past.

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Totally360

Overall this is a series that has a lot of potential that wasn’t realized in this particular title.

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Meristation

Trying to follow the leadership of WWE, the TNA is finally brought to a videogame under the hand of Midway. They offer a slightly different choice, with a faster and agile control system, but at the end the game is not as solid as expected. A poor progression system gives a slow and discouraging career mode. Moreover, even with the character editor of the game, all the fighters are just copies with the same move list. Maybe fans of TNA or wrestling in generarl can get more of it.

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Xbox360Achievements

Bland and uninspired, the achievement list will make for easy gamerscore points, but it won't be very inspiring in the process.

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D+PAD Magazine

With the solid wrestling system at heart, TNA had potential to be one of the better wrestling titles out there, but there just isn't enough content offered to recommend a purchase.

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AceGamez

The longevity is abysmal and the content is woefully limited, while the controls and overall gameplay are fine for a weekend rental.

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Game Revolution

It does not have the breadth, the depth, or the legacy of its SmackDown competitor, but just like its counterpart on television, TNA iMPACT! doesn’t need all of that to stay alive. All it needs to do is get in, rough things up a bit, and get out. Bam!

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

If wrestling games want to regain some relevance, they're going to have to be way more imaginative than this.

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1UP

That failure to compete isn't just in the options, either -- even the grapple system failed to hook me. It's a shame, too, because the developers boasted that they based their controls off of the Nintendo 64 wrestling classic "WWF No Mercy." Nice try, guys!

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Gaming Age

So if you're looking for something new, TNA Impact might be able to fulfill that need, but don't expect it to reinvent the wheel in it's current state.

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PALGN

As a first attempt, TNA Impact! is a fun yet incredibly shallow showing for the little-wrestling-company-that-could. While the foundations are there for a potentially awesome sequel, this debut could definitely have used a bit more time in training.

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GameDaily

At its best during four player matches, where everyone runs around the ring, bounces off the ropes and delivers bone-rattling special moves. Outside of its enjoyable multiplayer, however, the game isn't much fun.

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GamePro

If you own any wrestling game from the last five years, I can almost guarantee it'll have more match types, story lines, and custom moves than this one.

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GamerNode

For big TNA fans the game will meet the necessary requirements, but for those who seek a total wrestling experience (great storyline, detailed create-a-wrestler mode, etc.), unfortunately those standards won't be met.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

One good mode can't stop this getting pinned. [Nov 2008, p.96]

Gamestyle

TNA Impact has some good ideas, but there just aren’t enough of them to warrant a purchase.

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Game Over Online

I hope that Midway really delivers a top-shelf game next time around, because their first effort is mediocre.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

No more than a tech demo for the next game - "Smackdown 2009" preview code is twice the game this is. [Dec 2008, p.90]

GameShark

Remember when Blitz and NBA Jam ruled supreme, and we all got our first taste of the notorious Midway Comeback AI? I’m sad to say that a close relative of that AI seems to be present here.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.7 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Suleiman M. gave it an8:
First things first, play it with someone else. Fast paced, action packed, heart pumping, power bombing fun, what can I say? It's Total Non Stop Action.

robert m. gave it an8:
A pretty solid brawler worth checking out. Should be a good series in years to come.

Robert F. gave it a9:
this captures the feel of wrestling, the controls are simple and the matches are fast paced and really fun to play with friends, so pick this up especially if ur a fan of TNA and wrestling. Outbeats smackdown vs raw anyday.

Bob B. gave it an8:
Good, but lack of features and match types (WHERES SIX SIDES OF STEEL?) makes it sad. CAW is too limited, but game play is great. Basically, it has what SVR needs and vise versa!

Angelito Y. gave it a6:
For several years there has only been 1 dominant brand of sports entertainment and with that only one franchise of wrestling video games. But, with TNA on the rise they have spawned the first competition in both sports entertainment and in the wrestling video game market. The problem here is their first attempt at the video game world is a bit lack luster to say the least. While graphically the wrestlers look great. Each wrestler has a distinct look and this game really shows that off with little details like skin texture and so forth. In my opinion there is a laundry list of problems with the game. For starters one thing fans will notice is the entrances of the wrestlers as it sort of reminds you of the early incarnations of the WWF Smackdown series, where the wrestler is introduced, walks on stage and is shown walking the ramp and cut....horrible for this generation of video gaming. Another factor for me was the lack of moves allocated to each wrestler as you tend to do the same moves over and over and over again, which brings you to the horrible CAW mode. Even WWF Warzone had a better CAW. For what it's worth the game is still fun to play , just don't expect it to be "The Next Big Thing" in wrestling video games as the game feels to arcade like and way too fast paced. Sting and the rest of the stars from yester-years shouldn't be running around like they were x-division stars.

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TNA iMPACT!

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