WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth

"Yuke's Just Brung it!"

Prepare to layeth the Smacketh down!
Well it's back, Yes It's baaaack.

Yup Yuke's and THQ have Just Brought it once more with this years rendition of the Smackdown series.
After last year's ''Just Bring It'' YUKES give it another shot, and seemed to have listened to their fans with the newest additions of:

- Interferance in any match
- Starting feud
- Roaming backstage
- Weapon grapples
- Stealing finishers
- An incredible 32 Create A Wrestler Slots
- Reversing and stealing finishers
- Massive 55+ roster
Are just a few of the new exciting features packed into Shut Your Mouth.

- Gameplay 9/10 - The controls were and still are easy to learn.
With a greatly improved counter system which opens windows and can turn the match around at any point.
Now you can pick how you counter and string moves together allowing a more fluid, action packed match.
In SYM the realism is slightly improved this shows in several ways:

- After working on an opponent's body part in a submission hold they hold that area in pain.
- After hitting a special your opponent stay down longer.
- The new Partner control system can be used to control your Partner or Manager to even up the odds or gain a number advantage!
- The new weapon moves look superb and allow much more fun in Hardcore matches or even in normal matches as the weapons are always there under the ring for the taking!

Season 9/10 - I thought the Draft pool would be annoying, but it's refreshing and is much better then SD1/2, RAW, WMX8 and JBI put together (Fair dues to RAW and WMX8 as they never had proper season modes anyway)
Now you can roam back stage and interfere in pretty much any match you want which will end up in a feud somewhere down the line.
If you make a created Wrestler you have to build you way up to the top and earn points which intern are needed to convince the General Manger of your Brand for a title shot.
The simple 59+ blockbuster roster allows a refreshing twist every time you play through.
A great improvement from Just Bring It's average blunder of a story mode.

Graphics 8.5/10 - The graphics are excellent and rival XBOX's RAW.
This time around you can produce your Created Wreslters which look in place, unlike the cartoony feel of SD1/2/3.
The ability to age CAWs is an interesting feature that adds realism, so you can easily make a Bill Clinton or Heihachi from Tekken CAW.
Despite the few annoying glitches it gets a 8.5!

Audio 9/10 - This year around YUKES went all out and used JR and King for the commentary.
They are absolutely amazing when introducing the Pay-Per-Views and Shows, There's nothing more impressive then hearing JR shout over the roar of the crowd, even using the name of the town they're in, in a well put together non-glitchy sounding fluid sound.

Replayability 8 /10 - The branching out choices in Season mode allow for months and months of replayability, along with Cut-scenes inter-twined within the season show feuds unveil.
It really is a game you can go back to time and time again, one time you could be a Face (Good guy) and team with the Rock or you can choose to run down in Stone Cold's title match to help his opponent and lose him the match, and his title causing you to turn in the eyes of the crowd who will boo and jeer you for your actions...
In turn starting a feud with the toughest S.O.B himself, choose to call him out or ambush him backstage, when you got your hands on him will you stare him out or attack him?!?!
And with the 60+ roster there's just so many posibilities!

Overall Score: 91% - One of the best Wrestling game on a Next-Generation Console

Buy, Rent, Ignore?
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I Personally pre-ordered it as soon as i could, Hardcore wrestling fan or casual Ruckus fan Smackdown 4 has something for every one.
Casual fight fanatics may enjoy the game, Hardcore Wrestling fans however should buy 2 copies in case the disc gets scratched!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/19/02, Updated 11/19/02