Check out incredible behind-the-scenes footage of The Undertaker's over-animated bumping style, which he never performed on TV before, while doing motion capture for WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game in 1994.
The YouTube channel associated with the "Insert Coin" documentary has released new footage of Undertaker performing motion-capture work to be digitized into the 1995 video game. The documentary is all about Midway games and the creation of games like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat.
There's an hour's worth of footage, and Undertaker is frequently leaving his feet, taking bump tests on a crash pad. He's also executing multiple Ric Flair-style front flop bumps. At one point, he also performs an inside-out bump, which looks like he's doing a standing moonsault to the invisible man.
The Undertaker also mimed suplexes, flying knee drops, and other moves that were not in his repertoire in the video game. He does, however, also perform the snapmare, leg drop, and diving fist drop, all of which end up in the game.
There's no sound on this video, but it's clear that Undertaker is having fun, regularly smiling and laughing throughout the process, and even playfully flipping people off, as Razor Ramon also did in his motion capture video.
Paul Bearer is not present in the video or the video game. Mr. Fuji was present for Yokozuna's motion capture and even participated.
One of the highlights of the arcade game is the hyperbolic endings. The wrestlers would receive via text boxes after the final gauntlet was completed. In The Undertaker's case, it's relatively tame and sees him absorbing the very souls of his opponents before going off to rest in peace in Death Valley.
Below, you can read his full ending:
After the dust settled and the smoke cleared, The Undertaker stood alone in the spotlight, silent. He approached his last victim slowly, knelt down on one knee and stared deeply into his eyes. It was a stare so intense, it seemed to go past the man's eyes, past the flesh itself... Straight to the soul. Taker lowered his head and covered the man's heart with his hand. The lights mysteriously went black, and all that could be seen through the darkness was a mist-like shape rising up from the beaten man and dissipating into The Undertaker.
Without any hesitation or remorse, he did this systematically to each of his foes that evening as if in some hypnotic trance. It's a shame, too, because he actually liked some of those guys. It's not surprising, though, as no one ever could understand the ways of The Undertaker, except maybe Paul Bearer. After all is done, The Undertaker disappeared into the Blackness and headed off to Death Valley, where he may rest in peace.
The Undertaker had a hidden, fatality-like maneuver that could also be performed in the game.
He was the only character in this game with a special finishing move like that, which Midway's Mortal Kombat inspired.
"WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game" was released for Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega Saturn, PC, and the Sony PlayStation.
The game was succeeded by "WWF In Your House" in 1996. Undertaker, together with Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, was among the few roster members included in both games. WWE previously released footage of several stars performing motion capture for that video game. Learn more here.
