With THQ's SmackDown! series going more and more in a simulation-like direction over the years, there's been room for a game like WWE All Stars. This game, coming from THQ's San Diego studio, is a faster, looser wrestling game with huge, over-exaggerated wrestlers and moves that you'll probably never see inside the actual squared circle.

The theme of the game pits current WWE superstars against the legends of the WWE's past. The demo THQ recently showed off only has John Cena and The Rock in it, but one of the menus did feature the Ultimate Warrior's music, and a THQ rep specifically mentioned The Undertaker and Rey Mysterio when talking about the game's different character classes. There are four classes, which break the characters up into groups like "acrobatic" or "brawler." The wrestlers will also have plenty of signature moves, and, like the game's wrestlers, the moves themselves are also super-exaggerated. So when Cena goes for the "five-knuckle shuffle," he jumps up into the air and rolls around before coming down fist-first. Some of these exaggerated moves drop the game into slow-motion, complete with a perfect Bionic Woman-like sound effect.

The attacks slam into the wrestlers with extreme force, and the wrestlers hit the mat hard. Some moves, like power bombs and such, will bounce the wrestlers back off of the mat and into the air, setting them up for extra juggle hits or even another grapple. Comboing the grapples like this looks pretty awesome, and gives the game some skill-based combos to work with, as well.

There's something to be said for a wrestling game that's squarely focused on beating the living crap out of the opposition. If you can forget about wrestling's twisted "logic," you might want to keep your eyes peeled for more information on WWE All Stars.

Watching the Gamespot live demo right now, and can confirm that this game looks pretty insane.  The skin welting and... red-ening look pretty impressive as well.

Picture TNA Impact the way it should have been, way more moves than the game actually had. Ok, now add the over-the-top ness. Then slap WWE on it. And thus we have All Stars.

This game looks STUPID fun! Gonna have to nab it

This game looks like the spiritual successor to Midway's Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game.  Hopefully Bam Bam Bigelow will return from the grave to appear in this.  That was my go to guy in the Midway game.

If the combat system is halfway decent and there is a decent character creation, it's sounds like something you could have a lot of fun with. 
 
Whoops, didn't realise there was thread necromancy going on here.