WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It

"Fun Alone, yet superb with a Gameshark."

Introduction: I got SD! 3 for christmas, and have been hooked on it ever since. It is almost as good as SD! 2, yet still has some disadvantages. Read on to learn more about the PS2's first good wrestling game.

Graphics (10 out of 10): The graphics are good. The wrestlers are big and can be really tall and stuff. However, the crowd and announcers look like they're from southpark. A cool advantage is the wrestler's movies. When you are editing a wrestler's moves, you can view all of the movies and it is cool to watch them, since it's hard to see them in real-life and on the game. The cutscenes are cool, especially cutscenes with double team moves. Another neat thing is (like in real-life) the programs have introductions, that show Stone Cold giving stunners, Rocky Maivia giving Rock Bottoms, and Kurt Angle giving Angle Slams. Also, before Wrestlemania in story mode, there is this little commercial thing that shows you and the current wwf champion looking at each other. And...if that doesn't make you salivate, wait till you see Stone Cold hugging Vince and Kurt Angle in his cute little cowboy hat (actual cutscene)!

Sound (10 out of 10): The sound is good. The color commentary is a nice addition, however, after hearing it a couple times, it grows old, and you might wonder if Michael Cole is on drugs after he announces ''Jericho looks like a rock star!'' Another dumb commentary thing is that if you be tazz, Tazz (he is an announcer in the game) will say something like ''I don't like Tazz's chances tonight!'' A good thing though, is entrance music. All the wrestlers have their new music, like Stone Cold has his new music (even if it don't sound at all like his real ''alliance theme''.) Triple H has ''The Game'' by Motorhead, The Rock has his slightly changed theme, and Rikishi has ''Bad Man'' (even if it is old now, you can always change it to Rikishi 1 (Too Cool's song). The bad thing is the in-game music. It is very bad. It gets annoying and repetitive.

Control (9 out of 10): The control is simple and easy. L1 does finishers, L2 taunts, R1 tags, R2 changes views, circle grapples, triangle runs, square blocks, and x kicks and punches. The bad thing is that sometimes you can be confused upon which button taunts and which switches views.

Gameplay (10 out of 10): Excellent Gameplay. But before we get to the good, lets step through the bad. The bad is what should be the meat of the game, The Story Mode. This mode is short. All you get normally is 3 matches. Normally you go through Raw, Smackdown, and a PPV (where's heat?). You can wrestle for all the normal titles by picking the right decisions. Story Mode has 50 cards to unlock, which could take awhile, but isn't too much for a weekend. This is where you go to get extra creation points, secret wrestlers, new arenas, and so on. It, however, after the 10th or so time, gets painfully repetitive. Now....The Good Stuff (which is alot). Lets talk about exhibition mode. It is the best mode in the game. It is where you have what match you want against who you want and where. You can have your Survivals, King of the Rings, Royal Rumbles, Tables, Ladder's, and Chair's, Hell's in Cell's and Tornado Tag Matches. This mode never grows old. Never. It is an infinite supply of fun. Now...want to know how to enhance it? Walk to the store, and pick up a Gameshark 2...now, do you know what you can do with this thing? Go to a site and get some cheats...but it enhances matches. Like, you can have, say, Hell in a Cell Tables Ladders and Chairs matches! Or Hardcore 3-way Tag Team TLCs! Or...Hardcore Cage Matches! If you want to fully experience the hidden, hackable fun of SD! 3, do yourself a favor and get Gameshark 2. The next mode, Create a Superstar, is the only thing anyone at the message board cares about. What it lets you do is create a wrestler of your own (called a CAW). You could let him have blue skin and do a spinaroonie and do a kane chokeslam (ooh...fancy eh?). This mdoe also has some original parts to let you create past WWF wrestlers, such as Mankind, Shawn Michaels, and The King. You can also make alternate versions of wrestlers already in the game, like a short-hair Undertaker. Next mode is Create a Stable. In this mode, you can create a tag or 6-man tag team to come out together. Also, a benefit of having a stable is that your stable mates can interfere in matches to help you out, and being in stables helps you create storylines better. You can also re-create old stables like DX, or (with provided CAWs) make new ones, like the New World Order. Also, you can make stables with your CAWs. You can also delete lame stables the game puts in, like Gunn-Show and Two man Powertrip (Older than my ham with a go bad date of March 9...and it's march 29tH!)You can create a taunt too. This si where you can create a personalised taunt for a CAW or a new taunt for an already created superstar. And in theater mode, you can view movies, like behind the scenes of the smackdown 2 commercial and the credits.

Buy or Rent (Buy): Don't even rent it. If you are a wrestling fan, go and buy it, and don't rent it. However, if your not a wrestling fan, it still may be fun to you, but rent it first to see.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/30/02, Updated 03/30/02