Wrestling Game Title Bout: PS2 Vs. The Gimmick!
Publisher: THQ
Sat, 10 December 2005
by: The Gimmick
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After playing the hell out of the last Smackdown Vs Raw game for the PS2, I was hanging for this new release like an international drug smuggler caught at the airport. The last installment in the WWE game franchise was considered a let down, I guess in comparison to the one previous to that one. But I never had the chance to play that, so I walked straight into the last release and was pleasantly surprised. Then, when I heard that SD Vs Raw 2006 could be the best wrestling game ever, I couldn't wait. And I wasn't let down.
First of all, almost everything from the previous SD Vs Raw has been improved upon in this game, which can only be described as incredible. But I'll get into that later in a bit more detail. The list of wrestlers is huge, with all the big names in there- from Triple H, Batista, John Cena, Kurt Angle and many more. They are also right up to date, for example Rob Conway having his new "Conman" music and Sylvian with his euro trash model music, which gives it a nice touch.
The matches are vast and varied, with all the types from the last game, such as the classic TLC matches, to First Blood matches to Hell in the Cell, along with two new match styles. "Fulfill Your Fantasy" match is a replacement to the Bra & Panties match, which is basically the same thing except it's in a special ring filled with pillows. It looks a lot like a high class brothel, very snazzy. The other newbie is the "Buried Alive" match which is oh so nicely done.
 | | You don't want to feel Undertaker's chokeslam. And you really don't want to see him choke the chicken. |
One of the first things I noticed as an improvement to the gameplay was the new Stamina and Momentum bars, which make you think a lot more than before. If you perform too many high risk or power moves together, your stamina meter will deplete drastically, rendering your wrestler unable to move and susceptible to an attack. To fix that up you must hold Select till your meter has filled up sufficiently to allow you to continue fighting. Knowing when to fill the meter can be the key to victory or loss.
The momentum bar also stops you applying the same holds and moves continuously, as the crowd gets restless and calls for your head. That's a tip for real life though, never bore a drunken rabble! And if you upset the crowd, the momentum meter drops, making it harder to wage a comeback if your opponent gets on the offence. Also, in this state you won't be able to perform a finisher. And nothing feels better than putting Triple H through the cell roof with a Tombstone. Am I wrong?
Another big feature is the ability to customize your wrestlers' grapple categories. In all other versions, all wrestlers had the same categories, but not this time. All wrestlers share Submission and dirty/clean moves. But the other 3 can be chosen from 7 other categories including Speed, Technical, Brawler, Martial Artist, Power, Luchadore and Old School. This makes each wrestler as distinct as their real life counterparts and, therefore, decreases the character's similarity.
Other improvements include the new Sleeper Hold system and the Playing Possum attack- which allows you to cinch in an Inside Cradle pin while you are seemingly out of it. The more finely tuned reversal system is great, but can get impossible to hit when playing on the harder/ hardest game play levels. The 2 new character attributes, Hardcore & Stamina dictate how good you are at swinging a weapon and how quickly your stamina comes back.
The AI is different, but I'm not too sure if it's better or not. You may find it extremely hard to beat opponents in the Legend mode, but that has more to do with the reversal system than anything. Also, keep en eye on your opponent when you have beaten the hell out of him and haven't put them away, as he or she will go for a weapon and may get DQed. That's something you might want to avoid, if you are trying to complete the challenges.
Yes, the improvements keep coming, with a new Title Match system that allows you to make title matches in exhibition mode. Many a drunken night I spent using this mode on the old N64 No Mercy game and I am so pleased to see it make a return in this game.
The Online abilities are huge also, with an all new server and non server win/loss record, so you can keep track of who you've beaten and who's cheated you. You can also trade created wrestlers and view them before you download them.
 | | He's just a sexy boy |
The season mode is great, with your wrestlers competing in a year of both Raw & Smackdown and both are different. The the wrestlers are all voiced, so no subtitles anymore, (unless you want them of course, you can turn them on if are deaf or you like Godzilla movies) which makes the season seem more real. The only problem with it is that you don't have as many choices to make in either of these 2 seasons, which sucks, but I'm sure that can be tweaked in the next one.
In my humble opinion, the greatest thing to come down the pike in wrestling games since the story lines in No Mercy some years ago is the all new GM mode. Those of you familiar with Soccer Manager will dig this. How many times have you said "I can book the WWE shows better than those guys?" Well, with this mode you can do just that. You take control of a brand and draft your wrestlers then control every aspect of the brand from booking the show to managing money and contracts to keeping your stars happy. You have to make the best show week in and week out for 1 year, all the while creating feuds and watching for your wrestlers'potential injuries. And believe me, when they get injured they can be out for a while. It is really hard but, so much fun. Doing this, I no longer just look like Dusty Rhodes, I can be Dusty Rhodes and "Let me tell you somethin' baby, it's a wrestling fans dream."
All sorts of trophies, belts and wrestlers can be unlocked completing the challenges, which is standard now, but remains fun and challenging. A good tip for those who only do the challenges to unlock the stuff; all can be done easily in a 2 player mode, which was such a load off my mind and all the better for my hands. The create mode is better than last year. Particlularly cool is the create an entrance mode, which as it states allows you to create an entrance. Everything from the video and music to the fireworks and camera angles can be manipulated to make a great entrance.
The downsides to this game are very minimal and as Frasier would say, "What's better than a perfect game, a game with a few tiny flaws that we can pick at all night." The Royal Rumble is a lot harder, because the elimination bar is sapped faster than in earlier games. The Legend mode is damn near impossible to win, due to them reversing everything including finishers. You can be as good as the computer character, but only if you are a cyborg or have Jedi reflexes.
One of the locked wrestlers is Jake "The Snake" Roberts but you can only unlock him if you have the PSP version, unlock him on that and then transfer him onto the PS2. If you have no access to a PSP you won't be able to use The Snake, which is a bummer. The music on this one is nowhere near as good as the last one, but you can do as I did and turn it right down. The only down side to that is hearing Jim Ross & Michael Cole clearly.
The controls took a little time to get used to after playing the older game so much, but it didn't take too long to get the hang of them. The variety of options in Smackdown Vs. Raw '06 are huge; honestly, if you run out of things to do in this game in a short period of time, you must have ADD and should probably seek medical advice. There are so many other little things that are improved upon that I didn't go into, like escaping cages through the door and more interactive objects in the backstage brawls, that it blows all other wrestling games out of the water.
THQ & Yukes Media Creations have outdone themselves this time around. I'm gonna go on record and say that this is the best wrestling game I have ever played. Like most critics, I played the hell out of No Mercy on the N64, but this is one is even better and definitley a must have.
by: The Gimmick
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More articles by The Gimmick
Even if you aren't a wrestling fan you should take a decent look at Smackdown Vs. Raw 2006. I'm sure you'll get hooked. If you are a wrestling fan- get it and get it soon. | |
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