Mike Hermann Talks RetroMania Wrestling

RetroMania Wrestling is the most anticipated release of 2021, and we’ve got an exclusive interview with its lead developer Mike Hermann.

A longtime wrestling and retro video game fan, Hermann’s dream was to create a sequel to WWF WrestleFest. His background is in accounting and finance software, managing teams on various levels of software implementations for well over a decade. The owner of Retrosoft Studios, LLC, he’s involved with game design, QA, budget management, hiring and project management, as well as the occasional edit to some pixel art.

RetroMania Wrestling is scheduled to be released on February 26, 2021.

For more information, visit www.retromaniawrestling.com.

Starrcast 2019 was really when this game appeared on a lot of radars. When was the idea for RetroMania Wrestling hatched and how fast did it become reality?

Mike Hermann: “Well, the idea began in 2010. That is when I started the project as a hobby. Fast forward to 2018 and that is when we really started working on the game full time.”

How has COVID-19 impacted the promotion of the game?

Mike Hermann: “We have definitely been affected by it even though we are already a completely remote studio. We have team members from all over the world and it impacted everyone a little differently. But we just had a general slowdown in development that we had to overcome.”

What were some of the main items that you looked at when deciding to delay the launch?

Mike Hermann: “The decision was based on the fact that I thought we needed extra time to polish the game. I do not want to rush an incomplete game out – I’d rather take the time to do it right.”

Why have you shown the developmental stages of the game through social media and YouTube?

Mike Hermann: “I just want people to be able to follow us along our journey in getting the game completed. The good, the bad and the ugly is all out there on our social media.”

From the latest episode of the Developer’s Vlog, Mike gives an update on the commentary in the game featuring @IanRiccaboni and @ColtCabana.

You’ll have the option to turn commentary on or off.

📺:: https://t.co/S3px0uvXWA (full episode) pic.twitter.com/vb1I6RBmfE
— RetroMania Wrestling (@RetrosoftStudio) December 21, 2020

IndieMania was a great idea to let fans be part of the decision-making process. Now that Warhorse has won a spot in the game, will we see another edition of IndieMania?

Mike Hermann: “We hope so! It all depends on the success of the game. But we would definitely love to do another version of the tournament.”

Matt Cardona and Brian Myers were late editions. How quickly did discussions take place after their WWE releases?

Mike Hermann: “We contacted them the day we heard the news. We thought Matt and Brian would make great additions to our roster! They were very easy to deal with.”

In the FAQ section of RetroMania Wrestling’s website, it states this game needs support to be able to get features like GM Mode. What is the magic number that needs to be hit to get that feature?

Mike Hermann: “(Laughs) I’m not really sure. It just has to be successful enough that we are not losing money. But if we do our job right and I think we are, we should have a very successful game.”

What is the magic number to guarantee that we get a new edition of RetroMania Wrestling next year?

Mike Hermann: “Well, we won’t do yearly releases. We hope to add to this game with a combination of free and paid DLC. I’m not a fan of the yearly release of the same game.”

Is this going to be the primary game released or will promotions have their own release with RetroMania Wrestling being the flagship game? For example, will there be an NWA edition of the game?

Mike Hermann: “Right now, there are no plans to do specific releases for different promotions. We would love to include multiple promotions in the same game! We think that would be very cool to have the different promotions against each other.”

How does it feel to be the last game to feature the Road Warriors while Animal was still alive?

Mike Hermann: “I feel lucky that I got to know him even just a little bit before he passed. I had a couple of great interactions with him in person and via email. He will be missed.”

What was the process in determining which arenas to include in the game?

Mike Hermann: “Basically, anything we could make look cool in the game. We definitely wanted a lot of variety for sure. There is always a possibility of adding new arenas in the future.”

There was a lot of hoopla about RetroMania Wrestling being available on iiRcade. How excited are you and the team that people will be able to have an authentic experience that can be compared to WrestleFest?

Mike Hermann: “It is awesome! We are thrilled to be partnering with iiRcade. It will be an awesome experience on the iiRcade and I can’t wait. They are just as passionate about arcades as we are about wrestling games. It’s a very good fit.”

Chris Bey is a great addition to the RetroMania Wrestling roster. Can we expect an Impact title in the game like the X-Division Championship or is this deal strictly between talent and game developer?

Mike Hermann: “As of now, we just have Chris, but we would love to expand our licensed content in the future.”

Same. We signed him first. https://t.co/01VVwlNEjS pic.twitter.com/BNUdEvCLyr
— RetroMania Wrestling (@RetrosoftStudio) December 16, 2020

NWA and AEW have a working relationship, so can we expect any AEW talent in the future?

Mike Hermann: “Not as of yet, but you never know what the future will hold.”

What talent can we expect to be featured as a DLC? Has there been any development on a women’s roster?

Mike Hermann: “Nothing to announce on this front. We’re just trying to finish the initial game for February right now. But more to come later for sure.”

With all of the people who were released as part of WWE Black Wednesday, has there been any discussion to bring more of them on board?

Mike Hermann: “We always keep an eye on that, but like I said right now we are hyper focused on releasing this game with the current roster. But we definitely would like to expand at some point.”

February 26 will be here before we know it. How are you feeling?

Mike Hermann: “Definitely nervous excitement! We can’t wait to get it in everyone’s hands, but we know we still have some work to do to finish this thing up.”