Let’s discuss Devil May Cry 4 (Part 2).

I used to watch wrestling a lot more than I do nowadays.  Smackdown aired on basic cable, so I could flip it on and watch some body slams and muscular men getting uncomfortably close together (as if they wanted to kiss each other); I remember there was one fight between Rey Mysterio and Batista that was more or less amazing.  But when it hopped channels, I didn’t have the will to chase after it -- and I never really watched RAW in the first place, so I was out.  And the last wrestling game I played was Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 (I think), which was pretty fun IMO…but my brother decided to trade it in just ‘cause.  Either that, or he hated spending most matches unconscious and flat on his face.

I don’t know a lot about wrestling, but I know some stuff.  I know who John Cena is, and not just because of his sudden memetic uprising.  And it’s my understanding that, as of the last Wrestlemania (at the very least) he’s the WWE’s face.  He’s its hero.  He’s someone they’ve been pushing as a good guy, even if that’s with the grace of a cinder block to the gut.  But even if he and the WWE are way over the top, I have a hard time ignoring the motto of “Loyalty, Hustle, Respect” -- especially in the face of Devil May Cry 4.  Because the more I think about it, the more I realize that’s part of what makes the game great.  What do I mean?  Well --

Oh, right.  I played WWE All-Stars, too.  Man, what a sick game.

WrestleMania XXX is secretly brilliant.

Well, you could argue that professional wrestling in its entirety is brilliant -- which I’ll do before post’s end, probably -- but I thought I could use a snappier title.  Anyway, Ryan and Rory, if you’re reading this, I hope you enjoy; this post is for you.  Also?  Digeridoos covered in cranberry sauce.  Think about it.  I sure didn’t.

Now, for anyone else reading this, let me be the first to make a confession: I hold pro wrestling in pretty high esteem.  Though technically, I guess I’m closer to being a poser than an actual fan; my fondest memories of the sport come from memories of playing wrestling games, dishing out power bombs, reversing enemy grapples, and breaking the legs of whoever my brother would try to win with (poor virtual Rey Mysterio…).  Beyond that, I’ve always thought that the grapplers in fighting games were the coolest, even if they weren’t exactly the most practical.  Hearing Haggar shout “PILE DRIVER!” made every beating in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 worth it.  Well, almost.

For lack of a better term, for years I’ve seen wrestling as something romantic.  Something that, by nature, is designed to get the blood pumping and the crowd roaring.  Thinking back, I used to tune in to SmackDown consistently before it fell off the basic cable/easily-accessed channels -- a real loss, but one I eventually got over.

But having seen WrestleMania XXX, I’m starting to think that letting the WWE get away from me was a big mistake.  Maybe one that I need to fix.

Warning: spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the event yet, so readers beware.  Though on that note, how nuts is it that I have to use spoilers for something like wrestling?

Side note: am I the only one who’s compelled to call it WrestleMania Xrd thanks to the presence of three Xs and the latest Guilty Gear?  Well, probably.  But I’ll use any excuse to work an Ishiwatari song into the mix.