WWF Royal Rumble is a Licensed Pinball Table from Data East, and is the second and final widebody game from the company.note Released in 1994, it was designed by Tim Seckel and Joe Kaminkow, with artwork by Paul Faris and Markus Rothkranz.
Just like the real Royal Rumble, this is a battle royal featuring competitors from WWE's roster of top wrestlers. Make key shots to collect all nine wrestlers on the card (Tatanka, Yokozuna, Doink the Clown, Bret Hart, Jim Duggan, Lex Luger, Big Boss Man, Shawn Michaels, and Brian "Crush" Adams), then start multiball and make the wrestlers' shots to collect the jackpots. As the game shakes with each blow, raise your score with various activities like a No-Holds Brawl, Search for Doink, activate Pandemonium, Raise the Undertaker, and try for the Championship Belt. If you can survive Yokozuna's Banzai, Macho Man's Macho Madness, and everyone's favorite Chair-Bashing moves, move on to the Royal Rumble and see if you've got what it takes to eliminate all nine wrestlers and become the last man standing.
Due to Data East's ignoble market reputation and the theme itself, many pinball players dismiss WWF Royal Rumble without even trying the game. Those who have played it consider it an overlooked gem, jammed with lots of action-packed features, a fully-loaded audio-video package, and all of the thrills and excitement of its Professional Wrestling source. If there are any complaints, they are that the unnecessary widebody design slows down the gameplay a tad, and that some of the shots are a little too easy. Even so, this remains one of the best pins from Data East's brief legacy.
WWF Royal Rumble lays the smackdown on the following tropes:
- All-American Face: Jim Duggan.
- Bash Brothers: The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) and The Bushwhackers.
- Battle Cry: Just about everyone has at least one.Jim Duggan: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
- Beard of Evil: Seen on Crush as part of his "dark" Heel personna.
- Big "YES!": Courtesy of Randy "Macho Man" Savage.Macho Man: OHHH YEEEEAH!
- The Cameo: Along from the nine wrestlers featured on the card, other wrestlers and managers make appearances, including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Mr. Fuji, and The Bushwhackers.
- Credits Gag: If the option is enabled, the game's Attract Mode promotes the fictional pinball game Deathball 2000
- which doubles as a Shout-Out to this◊ Weekly World News article. - Drugs Are Bad: The game was in development when Vince McMahon was indicted in federal court with a steroid controversy. As a result, the
original translite was redrawn to tone down the muscle-bound appearance of the wrestlers. - Fat Bastard: Yokozuna.
- Large Ham: EVERY. SINGLE. WRESTLER. Without exception.
- Match Sequence: A referee does a three count for a pinfall, the number changing for each time he counts, and the final number crashes on the wrestler’s face.
- Monster Clown: Doink.
- Real Men Wear Pink: On the playfield Randy Savage wears a bright pink shirt and tight pants.
- Screaming Warrior: Tatanka.Tatanka: AYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYI, YI, YI, YI, YI, YI, YI!!!
- Skill Shot: Launch the ball when Hulk Hogan is pointing at a desired bonus to get it. If you can nudge the ball into the flashing rollover lane, you'll also get a 10 million point bonus.
- Spelling Bonus: T-A-G gives various Tag Team awards, D-E-A-D raises the Undertaker, R-I-P rewards the RIP Jackpot, and M-A-C-H-O-M-A-N lights the top hole for Macho Madness.
- Take That, Audience!: If you tilt the game, Vince McMahon yells, "That's a cheap shot!"
- Timed Mission: Rolling down the left lane (behind the Undertaker's coffin) starts a 15-second timer. Shooting the ball up the lane awards a "Get Back In The Ring!" Progressive Jackpot.
- Unrelated Brothers: The Smoking Gunns, Billy and Bart.
- Video Mode: "Real Wrestling" shows two wrestlers grappling in the ring. Quickly mash the flipper buttons to take down the opponent.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Almost everyone qualifies, for obvious reasons.
- Wizard Mode: "Royal Rumble," available after starting all nine main game modes. Hit either Start Mode hole, then make all three wrestler shots to start the Rumble. Hit the pop bumpers 20 times or knock down all of the top drop targets to eliminate a wrestler. After eliminating all nine wrestlers, the three wrestler shots will be lit; making each one rewards an increasing bonus, starting from 30 million up to 90 million. The mode ends when only one ball remains in play.
- World of Badass
- World of Ham: Pinball is no stranger to hams to begin with, and here it's crossed with Professional Wrestling.
