From: THQ Average Rating: Binding: Video Game ESRB Age Rating: Teen Label: THQ Model: 46115 Platform: PlayStation2 Release Date: November 13, 2007
Features:
The heart of the Smackdown! Series is the Season-Story mode with the addition of authentic Superstar VO and commentary.
For the first time ever in a WWE game, fans can compete online in head-to-head action.
New storylines with bigger double-crosses and over-the-top surprises.
Create a Championship Belt and then set up your own PPV to defend it. Be careful - lose a match and lose your Championship, as it will transfer to the other player's memory card!
New WWE Legends, including one of the all-time greats, Andre the Giant!
Product Description: From the most successful wrestling game series of all time comes the next phenom in sports entertainment, WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw. Two worlds will collide as the most elite Superstars square off on the Playstation 2. WWE programming comes to life with authentic Superstar Voice Over and commentary throughout the season mode An abundance of new gameplay mechanics give full control over all aspects of the game including new chop battles, submission reversals, match tactics and upgraded Royal Rumble controls. The Divas are hotter than ever with an enhanced Bra and Panties Match, and to polish off the robust roster, from the halls of immortality, come a handful of the most celebrated legens ever to lace up their boots. The influential Smackdown! Series has evolved into one single definitive experience that is WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw. Smackdown! vs. Raw will have all new gameplay mechanics including a chop battle, pre-match stare down, new grappling position, test of strength and submission reversal system. Make HBK tap out in the Sharp shoot, vanquish HHH in a cage match, defeat six legends with the legend-killer Randy Orton - these are just a few of the 60 challenges that await! Opportunity to choose if you want to fight dirty or win over the crowd, adding more strategy and personality to each match Outstanding graphics upgrade Improved Royal Rumble mechanics ESRB Rated T for Teen
Layin the smackdown I always liked all the smackdown games so it goes without saying that I loved this one too. Some of the charaters are not in it like Maria Kanellis and Lita but the game is still good.
as bad as WWE has become lately crappy roster, slow loading times, dumb angles in the story mode, terrible move controls, its almost impossible to do a reversal cause the opportunity flashes for half a second and in video game time it just doesn't work, it takes a tremendous effort to take the belt off the hook in the ladder match which makes it very frustrating, its hard to make tags, commentary gets old quickly...i could go on....they should make a game where the WWE world is free roaming and you choose your allies, enemies, your angles, etc...and then the computer puts their input based on your choices...I hate being forced to fight people when I don't want to and I HATED that Rowdy Piper came back and turned on me as a tag team partner - what purpose does that hold in 2008 - if I am Triple H why is Piper beating my a** and making me look like a loser??? maybe Kamala can come back too and feud with triple h in the next version, that would be just as smart...
Not A Very Good Wrestling Game I must say at first this seemed like it would be a very good game, seeing as they added so much to it since any of the prior smackdown games that have been released. This game was my first time trying out the SvR series, and from what i heard it was pretty much the same game only with a few changes. Going into game play i thought everything would work as it did before only with some "minor" adjustments parts of the matches and a little of the control scheme. Man i was wrong!! The beginning tutorials of the game should say it all, you have to figure out each fighting style with its own individual and annoying learning curve that really isn't worth the time (or the fun) you have to put into playing this. Though it takes a strategic spin on things, the flow of the game suffers. Though once you have getting the hang of things, it'll start getting fun. If there is one thing that thq brought to the table was a very slick, cohesive, and polished environment. The graphics and move choices are awesome. There is also a really good variety of modes on here as well, such as 24/7, Tournament, Legend (which lets you fight in some of wrestling's greatest matches) and other creative little things that they've long put into overhaul (since any of the smackdown titles that is); which is all very cool, but here are a few issues i had. When playing in 24/7 mode with a created player, you have to do a lot to maintain how your player does, such as training mode. Which involves playing a two minute match to see if you can pull off the moves needed to earn just 1 stat point (which i might add is hard to do on any difficulty mode of the game) which is very frustrating when your new to the controls or even when playing on easy. Trust me you will be losing quite a bit. The worst thing about it is most moves are based off the square button and the analog sticks. Which means things can and will become very confusing if you are accustomed to the old system of play. The other thing is the commentary and the cut scenes, these all would have been very good if they didn't constantly use the same ones over and over again(Not the mention the acting is weak). Frankly ive enjoyed enough of the previous titles to know that the commentary this game has isn't [...]. Now comes the superstars, in my opinion the current stars that WWE have on the roster right now are very boring and at best are okay (WHERE THE HELL IS BOOGIE MAN!). It is nothing like some of the rosters of the past, and don't even get me started on some of the stories. Playing with Booker T should tell you what i mean. Even though some of greatest wrestlers of the past such as Rick Rude, Andre The Giant, Stone Cold, Bret Hart, and Roddy Piper are included in this title. What you have to do to unlock some of these players are mind numbing. Would you spend well over 40 hrs playing a wrestling game to do it?, you decide. Then comes the matches that involve more than one opponent. This is what really pissed me off. Instead of having a button you can press to switch over to the person you want to fight, you have to walk over to your opponent in order to have it switch over automatically, but when others are attacking you it makes it almost impossible not to get hit or injured to the point where it takes you forever to recover. Costing you the match or any shred of patience you have for this game. This game honestly makes SD:Know your Role seem like a four star game. The only reason why im giving this two stars is because of the create and multi player modes, which in my mind were just about the only fun redeeming qualities this game had; or if you like hearing the same bland mediocre nu metal band played over and over again while playing, it's all up to you. I for one am glad i decided to rent this one before i thought to buy it. If you really want to play a fun and easy to digest wrestling game, id recommend sticking with the older titles. It'll save you time, money, and any unnecessary frustration.
Smackdown vs Raw 2008 This is my first wrestling game. The only realy issue with this game is that while you are able to create 30 Divas or Superstars after about 9 or 10 the game will not load on the PS2. I don't know if it is my PS2.(Purchased in 2001) or weather this is fairly standard no matter PS2 year purchased you have. Also would like to have created divas in their birthday suits, know what I mean Vern. But the less clothes for the divas is allright to. The game will not let Melina be controlled by a real person and lose her belt. I tried four different times and won each time but the belt never changed hands. There is no Bra and Panties match. If there is it must be locked or I could not find it. Also could not create my own Championship belt without "Paying" for it. That's just plain wrong. However I enjoy it and give it 3 thumbs up.
I just don't know about this one... This game is such a mixed bag for me. Some things are better than ever, such as the graphics, entrances, weapon moves, etc. There are also some pretty big negatives, like the fact that Yukes decided to remove TONS of moves from the game. You don't like HBK's front grapple moves? Are they too "boring"? Well, now you get to choose from only about 4 other grapples, which are equally as boring. You want to do a weapon grapple with John Cena or Undertaker? Sorry. Their fighting styles are not "hardcore", which means you cannot do weapon grapples. Want to remove the turnbuckle pads with CM Punk and strong irish-whip opponents into the exposed steel? No dice. Punk is not a "powerhouse", so he cannot strong irish whip. Even if he could, he can't remove the pad because he's not "dirty" enough. This is a bunch of crap. Why do they limit us and force us to play a certain way? Now there are only a few grapples per wrestler, whereas games like Smackdown HCTP (released over 4 years ago) allowed 16 FRONT grapples per wrestler, which led to matches with lots of depth and variety, and not much repetition at all. You could literally go an entire match without repeating the same move twice. Not anymore.
The best wrestling games have TONS of grapples for different situations, and also allow unlimited freedom in the ring - play how you want to play. If you want to play dirty, do it. If you want to try a high-flying aerial move, do it. Great wrestling games also have a huge variety of moves and taunts in create-a-wrestler, and allow you to assign any of these moves to existing wrestlers (if you don't like their pre-assigned movesets). For some reason, Yukes keeps removing more and more moves from their library every single year, and now we are left with a very limited, very boring selection of moves and taunts. I know they are trying to make things "realistic", but they are taking away all the fun and FORCING us to play with very restricted movesets, which is frustrating considering games from 5-10 years ago had much more variety. Shame on you, Yukes.
At least the graphics are really good, and the game features guys like Jeff Hardy, Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and CM Punk. Plus some of the moves (especially finishers) have been re-animated to make them less choppy, and there are tons of cool weapon moves for wrestlers with "hardcore" fighting styles, including flaming tables and con-chair-to's.
So, to sum it all up, for every positive in this game, there is a glaring negative. The roster includes some new faces, but the size is drastically reduced. The season/GM modes have been combined (cool in theory), but the concept is executed poorly and the whole thing is a mess. There are some cool new moves, but the movesets are reduced significantly. The fighting styles are unique to wrestling games and add "realism", but the wrestlers are much more limited in the ring, and are forced to play a certain way. Next year, Yukes, please remove all the gameplay restrictions, re-add all the grapples, re-add all the moves and taunts in CAW, beef up the roster, and give us a season mode that's actually fun to play. Then I will be a happy Smackdown fan again.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
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Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
