WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

"The icon. The showstoppa. The main event. The hype."

The WWF is probably one of the biggest video game licenses out there today, with the obvious exception of the Final Fantasy series. THQ's first venture into WWF games for the PSX was excellent. SmackDown sold really well, and was great competition for the N64's WWF Wrestlemania 2000. Well, a year has passed, and now we have SmackDown 2: Know Your Role. We also know its competition: WWF No Mercy. This review will compare SmackDown 2 to Smackdown 1 and WWF No Mercy.

Graphics
The graphics are better than ever! SmackDown brought you realistic 3D models of the wrestlers, along with almost dead-on facial features. SD2 has improved on that. The models look about the same, but the faces have been improved slightly. The moves look as realistic as their real-life counterparts. The TitanTron entrances are still excellent. Graphics: 10/10

Sound
Finally, the in-game music is not annoying! The in-game music will get on your nerves after a while, but it is still infinitely better than SmackDown. All of the entrance music is there as well. They have been updated as well. You also have tag team music. X-pac and Road Dogg come out to DX music. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn come out to the New Age Outlaws' music. Another improvement is the sound effects. The smacks and the thuds are loud and clear, and they add realism to the game. Sound: 10/10

Controls
The controls are basically the same as SmackDown 1. They are fast, smooth, and responsive. Once again, THQ hit the controls dead on. Controls: 10/10

Game Modes
Wow. This game has more modes than WWF Attitude. And they are more fun, as well. You have table matches, ladder matches, TLC matches, cage matches, hell in the cell, just to name a few. These modes, especially the hell in the cell mode, will add tons of replay to this game. Plus, it's fun to beat up a friend in the hell in the cell match. Game Modes: 10/10

Moves
There are a lot more moves in Smackdown 2 than in Smackdown 1, but they are still pretty bad. The lack of variety is what really holds the game back. Each wrestler seems to do the exact same 8 moves, with the exception of one or two moves and the finisher. Disappointing. Especially since No Mercy has such a wide arsenal of moves to do on your opponents. Moves: 6/10

Replay
This is a very easy game to play. Once you beat the game and unlock all of the hidden stuff, you really won't want to play again unless you have some friends over. You'll play again for the multiplayer, but not for anything else. Replay: 6/10

PS2 Enhancements
The only downside this game has is its long loading time. Playing SD2 on your PlayStation 2 cuts down the loading time almost in half. Also, the graphics are smoother in the PS2, but they are still kind of choppy.

Challenge: Easy

Well, here's the real deal. This game is better than SmackDown 1, but only because of the extra game modes. If you own a PSX, buy this game. If you also have an N64, I suggest you buy both SD2 and No Mercy. If you only have money for one, I suggest going with No Mercy.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/21/00, Updated 04/24/01