Product Review of "Raw Deal" (card game) +Q&A
By Kevin Gregg on June 15, 2000
Product Review of "Raw Deal" (card game) + Q&A!
The following is taken from the current issue of "Game Trade Magazine" (volume 1, issue 4) where they have an article about the new WWF card
game, "Raw Deal," which is due in stores the first week of August. Also, if you're interested, there is a cover story and a "How To" section in
the current issue of Inquest (with Stone Cold Steve Austin on the cover).
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WWF's Raw Deal Review
by: Terry Mahoney
Raw Deal is such a fun, action-packed game that I can't help but connect with the characters during play. When I describe the game to the uninitiated, I find myself physically reenacting the final moves of my latest victory. The card play is quick and interactive, and, much like pro wrestling, you can build up a crescendo of momentum, only to have it reversed with a mighty wallop back into your face. The card play builds not only the physical maneuvers into the game, but just the right amount of posturing and strutting. This product puts me into the spirit of a license more than any other card game I've played.
Each play deck is sixty cards, plus the card to represent the wrestler you're playing -- Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Triple H, The Undertaker, Kane, or Mankind. Each wrestler has different special abilities and cards available only to him. As you would guess, the signature moves like Stone Cold Stunner and Smackdown Hotel really do play pivotal roles, and really do add to the atmosphere of the game. It's great fun to lay down an Austin Elbow Smash or a Samoan Drop, and Elbow to the Face and No Chance in Hell are impossible to play calmly in response. The action shots on the cards are inspiring as well.
Game play is easy to grasp, there are only three different types of cards, each color-coded: actions (blue), maneuvers (gold), and reversals (red). It is a turn-based game with the current player playing maneuvers and actions, and the other player relying on their reversals in response. The more damage you inflict on your opponent, the more gutsy the next move you can play. Damage is inflicted by overturning cards from your opponent's deck (his Arsenal).
This is an innovative game is infectious and fun, and even an avowed Olympic-wrestling fan like yours truly can be converted to watching WWF by it. In other words, buy this game, or I'm gonna come down to your house and break a chair over your head!
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More information about the game can be found at the producer at www.comicimages.com.
Have a nice day!
Barron Vangor Toth
co-creator of Raw Deal along with Mike Foley (still no relation)
NOTE FROM KEVIN GREGG
Before we get into the Q&A, I want to touch on one thing. It seems that a lot of people have decided to mark me as a person who thinks they are too good for others. That is not true at all. What these people fail to realize is that they can't just randomly message me on AIM and expect me to know who they are. They have to introduce themselves, or the messages that they get from me are going to seem confused as to who they are. I get this a lot from readers, and Internet reporters alike.
Why can an Internet reporter message someone, and then expect them to recognize their screen name as if they are a God? I don't read many newsboards but PowerWrestling, so I am not familiar with every reporter or reader out there. So before you jump to the conclusion that Kevin Gregg thinks he's better than everyone, think to yourself that you should introduce yourself to me before going off and chatting. It is very hard for me to talk to someone if I don't know who they are. Now that I got that off my chest, onto the Q&A!
Ask Kevin: askkevin@powerwrestling.com
Disclaimer: I am not Vince McMahon, Jim Ross or anyone inside the World Wrestling Federation. I am just a fan of the World Wrestling Federation, and I am out here to do my best to answer your questions. I don't call myself a know it all. These questions can be answered by many out there. The Ask Kevin Segments are a way for me to interact with my readers. I am answering these questions to the best of my ability. Make sure you send the questions to askkevin@powerwrestling.com, or they will be ignored.
* Question: "Chyna was on Byte This a while ago and someone called in an asked if she and HHH were still dating and she answered no. One of the reports I read of that said that this could mean that they had gotten married. What ever happened with that? If they aren't together anymore, did his Stephanie marriage angle have anything to do with it? I remember that there were reports that Chyna was getting jealous over how "friendly" those two were and that they decided to go in character to the opening of WWF NY. Thanks!"
* Answer: I am not sure if the Stephanie and Triple H angle hurt the relationship between Triple H and Chyna. I am not sure if they are married or not, either. Many say that they are. The thing on Byte This! was asking Chyna if she was married or engaged to Triple H. Chyna only said that they are not engaged, but she didn't touch upon being married to him. I am not sure what the story is with them, and I'm also not sure why so many people care if they are married, going out and what not. It is their personal lives. Why most the fans worry about what a wrestler is doing in their personal life? I've said this so many times. I just don't get it.
* Question: "So it looks like the Internet rumors are true for once. There is going to be a 6 man tag as the main event at KOTR. Does this seem lame to anyone else( like it should be the headliner at a smackdown- which at one point it probably was), or am I the only one? What do you think about headlining a PPV with a tag match? Do you think there is a likelihood the WWF will change the bout to a championship match (like a four way) in the upcoming two weeks? I feel scammed for paying so much for tickets."
* Answer: I am not sure how I feel about it. I would rather see a Fatal Four Way Elimination match for the WWF title, but perhaps the Undertaker and Kane aren't fully ready to go in there at full force, hence the Six Man Tag. They can have The Rock go in there and do a lot of the work, and Kane and the Undertaker can get in every so often. If I were you, I wouldn't feel scammed for paying a lot for the tickets, because a WWF PPV isn't only about the main event. There are other matches on the card, especially the King of the Ring Tournament. I'm expecting the event to be a good one, even though the headline match could be better.
* Question: "Hey, Kev. Long time reader, first time writer(lol). I have finally had enough. I like you, am a BIG WWF fan, even longer than you, but not the point. The point is if we are all "fans", and all these "fans" were just that "fans" why would they be asking RIDICULOUS questions.....too many examples to list, but one is "Are Kane & Taker really brothers?" or EVEN "where is the BIG SHOW??" IF they were the fans they claim to be, they wouldn't ask, they obviously know wrestling websites if they found your Q & A, so why don't they actually read up on anything??? Well that was pretty much just a statement, but now for a question...Do you think if WWF decides to turn Rikishi heel it would be good to see Yokozuna , or Barbarian, or Meng, OR ALL THREE come in and form a faction/tag team?? Keep up the good work Kev!"
* Answer: There are a lot of people out there who are lazy, so they use me as the reading up on things, and I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is when people think that I claim to be a know it all, because I have a Q&A section on my web site, or then someone claims that I have inside contacts in the wrestling business, which I don't. I am just a fan like anyone, and I am out here to do my best to answer the questions to the best of my ability. Now, onto your question. I don't know if it would be good to see Yokozuna come back to the WWF and align himself with Rikishi. It just depends on what his weight is. If he is still over the 500 pound mark, I don't want to see it. He was good when he first came to the WWF and was billed at 505 pounds. As time went on, he got extremely heavy, and he slowed down a lot in the ring. That really hurt him. If he were able to come back at 505 again, I'd love to see it, but I wouldn't want him to over shadow Rikishi, because he's a former WWF Champion. I think that if Rikishi Phatu were to turn heel, he would be able to make it as a heel on his own, and it would be better. Groups are sometimes used to get heel heat, but I think in today's WWF, he can do it without a group. I thank you very much for the compliment!
* Question: "Hey, I'm from Australia and would like to say what a great job you do on the play by plays for RAW and Smackdown!. On to my question now. The main event for King of the Ring is set. Vince, Shane and Triple H versus Kane, taker, and the rock. Do you think that they should throw a stipulation in there somewhere? Perhaps the person that pins the opposing dude gets the WWF title? That would make it more interesting. We only get 5 PPV's per year here in Australia and i feel that I may be disappointed if the title doesn't get away from Triple H soon. He's good, but not a 4 time champ good. What do you think?"
* Answer: Thank you for the compliment, to start off. I'm glad that I can help people get their wrestling fix, even though they can't see it on T.V. until later in the week, or not at all. I think they should throw in a stipulation in there somewhere, but I wouldn't want it to be a person who gets the pin gets the WWF belt. I think that is a horrible stipulation, but perhaps they will do that to make the match more interesting. I think that Triple H is a good Champion, but I do think that he shouldn't have had the belt four times in not even a year's time. That should happen over a long period of time, not a year. Here's something to touch on. When The Rock was the Champion after he won it at Backlash, it felt like he wasn't a convincing Champion. During his reign, I had to ask myself who the WWF Champion was at times, because he didn't seem as convincing. I'm not sure if it's the way they used him, or if it was because he took time off to shoot for a movie or what. It just seemed weird.
* Question: "Will the Hardys ever actually split, or is this just a rumor floating around? I believe that a Matt and Jeff feud would be great. Matt or Jeff would be good IC champs in my opinion. Also, will Triple H start feuding with Kurt Angle over his apparent obsession with Stephanie? Could this be Kurt's chance for the WWF Title?"
* Answer: I'm sure that one day, the Hardy Boyz will split. They are two meaningful wrestlers, and not guys like the Bushwackers, who will probably be a team forever. I think that if they both went to singles, they would both be successful, and there would be no Jim Neidhart or Marty Jannetty out of the two. I'm sure that we will see Triple H start feuding with Kurt Angle due to the fact that he and Stephanie were all over each other on RAW. You could tell that Triple H was getting angry when Shane came into the locker room and told him that they had to go do something. That will continue, but I don't know if it will be for Kurt Angle to get a shot at the WWF belt. It just depends on if Triple H is the Champion by the time that comes along. They may decide to put the belt on someone else, but it would definitely elevate him.
* Question: "Just to let you know, I really don't like your column all that much but I wouldn't bash someone for their opinions. How can you call this a Q & A if you only watch one of the three "major" leagues? A lot of the questions you get are stupid and very easily answered, and last time I checked The Rock is not black, so he can't possibly be the last black WWF World Champion."
* Answer: If you don't like my column, why do you read it? Just curious. This is the Ask Kevin Segments. They are not ask Jim Ross, they are not ask Dave Meltzer. This is a way for me to interact with my readers. I have stated that one too many times. The Rock is half black and half Samoan as read at the bottom of this post.
* Question: "I know you're a WWF man, but what do you think of the rumor that the WCW will go to a "no ring" style? I just like to hear you rant."
* Answer: I think it's extremely stupid. Wrestling has to do with a ring, and not without a ring, but it's obvious that this rumor has to do with Vince Russo. While Russo was in the WWF, many rumors were going around that Vince McMahon was going to do without a ring in the World Wrestling Federation, because he wanted to do the more soap opera style of entertainment. Now that Russo is in WCW, the rumor has traveled over to WCW, so it's obviously something with Russo's stupidity. I don't think it will happen, though. I'm sure that the wrestlers would be against it, because they are in it to wrestle in a ring, not on an arena floor.
* Question: "Why does Vince walk like he gots a rash between his legs?"
* Answer: Maybe he does? That is the Vince McMahon Swagger. When he makes his way to the ring like that, we know that he means business!
THE ROCK IS HALF BLACK, HALF SAMOAN
"Hey, dumbass, in your last "Ask Kevin", you said that the Rock is black....he's Somoan. Get your facts straight, man." - stover17@hotmail.com
Many other people have emailed me saying that The Rock is not black, but that is incorrect. The Rock's father, Rocky Johnson is black, while his mother, the daughter of Peter Maivia is Samoan. He is half black and half Samoan.
This is just a taste of today's Q&A, for the rest of the Questions and Answers, click the link below to get to PowerWrestling.com!
