One of the most impressive feats in World Wrestling Entertainment to date is The Undertaker’s winning streak at the yearly Wrestlemania events. Each year, a new opponent steps up attempting to break “the streak” – including everyone from Edge to Triple H to, most recently, C.M. Punk – and each time, opponents have come away defeated, leaving the Dead Man’s run continuously going at 21-0.
No word yet who’ll step up to challenge his run next year, but in WWE 2K14, you can actually interact with it in two ways. The first is letting you play as the Undertaker, continuing your successful streak against a number of competitors, including “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton. The other gives you the chance to “beat” the run, though you’ll be going up against one of the tougher wrestlers in the game as a result.
We’ve got a few tips from both sides of this Streak Mode, so make sure you take it into account. You know, before you rest…in…peace.
How do I defend the Undertaker’s streak in WWE 2K14?
The first thing you’ll want to do is choose the Undertaker, either in his current form or his classic “retro” style. There’s very little difference between the two, as they both use distinctive moves, like the “old-school” rope walk, the choke slam, and his finisher, the Tombstone.
From there, you’ll select your opponent. The goal, obviously, is to win with the Undertaker by any means necessary. You can pin an opponent after wearing them down, or use a signature finisher to take them out. Along with the Tombstone and choke slam, Undertaker can also use the Hell’s Gate, a submission move, to make them tap out.
While defending the streak may look easy, keep in mind that a number of challengers stand a chance of breaking it, depending on their toughness. For instance, Randy Orton, despite being smaller than Undertaker, has versatile strength, so you’ll need to watch out for his sneaky maneuvers in order to effectively put him down. (Fun fact: during one of their real match-ups, Orton even tried to Tombstone Undertaker before he reversed the hold and finished him off. That shows his power.)
How do I defeat the Undertaker’s streak in WWE 2K14?
This is probably one of the toughest matches you’ll play in WWE 2K14. That’s because the programmers want you to have a challenge when facing the Undertaker.
It’s simple to get started. Choose any given superstar on the roster – this includes Legends like The Ultimate Warrior and Goldberg – and then select the Undertaker, regular or retro, as your opponent. From there, you’ll be in for the challenge of your life as you face him.
Some words of wisdom when it comes to his offense – he’s relentless. The Undertaker will break out of a good amount of your moves almost with ease, and when he launches into one of his attacks, you’ll need utmost timing in order to escape with your strength intact. That’s not to say you’re automatically done for if he executes a Tombstone on you, but you’ll have to really fight in order to achieve the victory.
Just try to avoid his power moves, keep chipping away, and, if you can, use a weapon or two to your advantage. Eventually, he’ll wear down, and who knows, you just might pin him and end the streak.
How does the scoring system work in the Streak Mode in WWE 2K14?
Whether you’re defending or defying the streak, you earn a score at the end of the match, depending on certain provisions that happen throughout. Match length, showmanship, competitiveness, excitement, drama, offensive diversity, finisher reversals and other small factors add in to a general score. These will add together and post to online leaderboards, where you can compare your performance with other players.
When it comes to these categories, you’ll want a wrestler that can get a lot done in a match. Obviously the Undertaker knows how to put on a show, but on the flip side, you’ll want a wrestler that’s willing to go the distance. Triple H immediately comes to mind, as he had two show-stopping matches with the Undertaker in recent years that are considered the best ever performed in Wrestlemania history. For that matter, C.M. Punk is also a top-notch choice, considering how well his match went with Undertaker earlier this year.
What is Slobberknocker Mode in WWE 2K14?
Slobberknocker Mode opens up once you beat the Streak mode, one way or another. Think of it as a variation on a gauntlet match, where you face a number of opponents in one shot, one immediately after the other. It’s similar to what Daniel Bryan did on Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago, when he faced each collective member of the Shield in singles competition. It’s worth a try, especially if you manage to keep up your energy following the course of each match.
Why is it called Slobberknocker mode?
Before he retired from the WWE, announcer Jim “J.R.” Ross called a number of great matches for the company over the past few years. He’s come up with a variety of terms to describe intensity in matches, but if a match is real good, he’s been known to deem it a “slobberknocker.” You can relax, you can’t actually see any slobber from the wrestlers…though you can turn blood on if you prefer things to get a little extreme.
What’s more fun – defending or defeating the streak in WWE 2K14?
To be honest, they’re both great. Undertaker is a well-balanced character overall – whether you play the more current version or the “retro” style – and playing out his moves, especially the rope walk, is a blast.
Meanwhile, challenging the streak really opens up a new challenge level for players of the game, especially if you’re using someone like Daniel Bryan or Goldberg, who never matched up with him in real life. At least, not yet. It’s cool to do a “what if” scenario, just to see how things play out.
Try them both out if you can.
WWE 2K14 is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
