Take a trip back in time and relive the revolution that was the ‘Attitude Era’ in WWE ’13.

The latest installment of the popular video game franchise by THQ builds on last year’s release with enough features that will leave members of the WWE Universe chanting, ‘Yes!’ repeatedly in their living rooms.

WWE ‘13’s biggest selling point for me was the Attitude Era mode, which reverted to a time when I, along with so many others, really became wrestling fans. CM Punk is the perfect poster boy behind the marketing of the game, as the WWE champ exemplifies many of the traits that made the period so successful.

Rather than playing as a current superstar, nostalgic fans will enjoy taking on the roles of some of the biggest names of the 1990s, including Degeneration X and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The video packages add nice background to the matches and are really well done. The Monday Night War ratings timeline is also fun to keep track as you go.

Those who watched back then will have a slight edge in satisfying the historical bonus objectives in the storyline. There are certain aspects of the mode that aren’t entirely accurate such as not having Rick Rude as the insurance policy, but that’s just me being nitpicky.

This year THQ decided to include archival sound bites, which creates some variety in the sometimes generic commentary (no offense to Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross). Even though the quality isn’t the best, it didn’t bother me that much, as it gives it that vintage feel.

Whether it’s in the Attitude Era mode, WWE Universe mode or exhibition, I’m always amazed at the developer’s attention to detail. It doesn’t hurt that many of the people who work on the game are big WWE fans. Although, I wish they would’ve left the Sin Cara lighting out. Fans clamoring for Paul Heyman to return to the WWE writing team can appreciate the fact the “Creative Rabbi” had a hand in crafting the stories.

Some criticism can come with certain camera angles and delay in animation during matches, which can be frustrating. These issues are nothing we haven’t seen before. The new control system that debuted WWE ’12 when THQ revamped the series remains in this installment. At least this time I was ready for the more challenging pinfall system.

Among the neat things about these games for fans is the opportunity to let your imaginations run wild by creating everything from a superstar to a full-on arena. I was also excited at the chance to book my own King of the Ring, a concept I hope returns full time to WWE one day.

THQ again brings a stacked roster with more superstars and divas through downloadable content. For me, the most wanted are Ryback, Brian Pillman and Gangrel, if only to hear the Brood music one more time.

WWE ’13 is another surefire hit for THQ with enough to keep the WWE Universe satisfied until next year.

• WWE ’13 is available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Along with the regular version of the game, THQ also released an Austin 3:16 collector’s edition with loads of extras, as well as Mike Tyson as a playable character.

Visit http://wwe.thq.com.

• The release of the highly anticipated WWE ’13 includes the return of the Attitude Era. Here is the WWE ’13 launch trailer: http://basket.thq-press.com/PVZTHQ7229865f761673933460276585.zip.

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