WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

"Better than the first, but still has a lot of flaws"

Introduction:

The year 2000 has been an interesting year in general, and for wrestling. The WWF has pretty much stayed on top, with WCW having constant booking problems, and with ECW struggling to stay afloat. That pretty much holds true for the wrestling video game industry, too. THQ has brought out two WWF games for the Playstation this year - Smackdown and Smackdown 2. They have reigned supreme over the over PSX wrestling games, but they are still full of flaws much like in real life. Let's take a look at how they compare.

In real life, the WWF rehashes old storylines for today's use. In Smackdown 2, the WWF rehashes old feuds over and over again.

In real life, the WWF rarely ever has Triple H or Chyna do the J-O-B. In Smackdown 2, Triple H and Chyna still rarely ever lose.

There are a couple comparisons right there. I would list more, but I don't want to waste any more space than I already have. Anyway, as you can tell, this game models the real WWF pretty good. Whether or not that is a great thing is up to you.

Oh well. Enough rambling, more review, eh?

Graphics (8.4/10)

The graphics are once again, pretty good, but still could definitely be improved. In fact, in some ways, this sequel seems to have taken a step down in graphics. Well, for one, there is a lot more clipping here than there should be. This is especially noticeable during those oh so loveable cutscenes in the season mode, which I will address later. Also, some of the new backgrounds seem a little...bland to me. I mean, they are just kind of flat with not much detail. But if you can ignore those two little details, the graphics are actually better.

The wrestlers and other characters themselves look great and even more true to their real life form than in the first game. Chris Jericho actually looks like himself this time, along with numerous others. All of the new characters look great, even Michael Cole has a lot of detail. When you are making a character in the create a superstar mode, all of the accessories are nicely detailed and some of them are very colorful. Overall, the characters are nice and big and are chock full of detail.

As for the rings and ring areas, they also look great. The crowd has been improved because now they actually hold readable signs. It is still a flat crowd, but I didn't really expect much else from the Playstation. The rings themselves are also very nice. There are quite a few different rings with different logos, and the logos look they were drawn right in the ring. It really is a nice job.

Overall, the graphics have been improved from the prequel, with a few exceptions, of course.

Sound (7.6/10)

Once again, the sound is a very disappointing category just like in the first Smackdown. There is still no commentary from Jim Ross and Jerry ''The King'' Lawler. Hell, I would have even settled for a Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler combo if need be, but nope, THQ didn't want that. I really hope they finally decide to implement commentary in Smackdown 3, which will more than likely be on the Playstation 2.

Besides the lack of commentary, there are not that many bad things about the sound. To me, though, the lack of commentary itself is enough to take the score down a few notches. If you can get past that, the rest of the sound ranges from pretty good to decent. If you are into rock type music, you will like the new music set in the game. I really think it is better than the original Smackdown because it is nowhere near as annoying as the first. I especially like the background music during the season mode when it is simulating the matches. I don't know why, but I just do.

Smackdown 2's sound effects are still pretty run of the mill, but are not bad at all. There is a nice amount of detail put into the effects. For example, when you are fighting on top of the cell in a Hell in the Cell match, you will hear the familiar ''CLINK'' sound while walking across it or dropping your opponent on it. Also, if you are in a hardcore match, when you drop your kendo stick or whatever weapon you are using, it will make a noise as it hits the ground. It is little details like that that help make the game more enjoyable. Well, to me, anyway.

Overall, the sound isn't too bad, but it is still disappointing.

Gameplay (8.5/10)

In an attempt to give you, the reader, a better understanding of the gameplay, I will break up this section into several different ''mini'' sections. I only do this for special reviews, so it is kind of an exclusive thing.

Misc. Game Modes

In my opinion, what really makes Smackdown 2 stand out is all of its game modes. I mean, there is so much stuff to do. There are several new modes plus lots of old favorites.

The Hell in the Cell match is probably the first thing that sticks out. It is the first game to finally feature the cell, and THQ did a damn good job with it. So good, that it is one of the best modes in the game, if not the best. If you are new to the WWF, then you probably don't know what in the world I am talking about. Well, the cell is basically a cage around the ring, but with a roof on top. Almost all of the hell in a cell matches have been awesome, but as always there is a dud or two (Bossman v. Undertaker). In the game, you can wrestle outside of the cell, in the cell, and even on top of the cell. You can do a move through the top of the cell into the ring or throw them off the top if you want. If you have seen it in real life, you can probably do it here. Oh yeah, there is two announce tables at ringside for almost every match, so you can place them on there and give them a Swanton Bomb off the top if that's your cup of tea.

The second most popular mode is probably the rendition of a TLC match. TLC stands for tables, ladders, and chairs and it is a load of fun to play. What happens is that there are two tables outside the ring, one ladder, and one chair. You can either play the match in two different ways - for a title or just for first pinfall. If you choose to wrestle for a title, then you have to climb the ladder and retrieve the belt to win. If you choose first pinfall, then all you have to do is pin your opponent to win. Both are a blast to play, but I prefer wrestling for the title.

Another great new addition is the table match. Finally, you can act as the Dudleyz and powerbomb everyone in sight through a table. In this match, your goal is to put your opponent through a table. You can do that in either three ways - a powerbomb, piledriver, or an aerial move. It kind of sucks that you can only do three things, but it is still a great idea that just can be improved further upon in later versions.

Ladder matches are also new to the Smackdown series. In this one, it is basically like a TLC title match except there are no tables or chairs scattered around ringside. It is still a fun match, but the TLC kind of takes away some of the fun since you can do more.

The fourth big addition to the game is a casket match. This mode isn't as much fun as you would think it would be, but it is still not THAT bad. The goal is to put your opponent in a casket and shut the lid. It is not a bad idea in concept, but the game doesn't really make it much fun because the computer closes the lid for you. I am sure the Undertaker would like that to happen..

As for the rest of the modes, there are some new and some old. Other new ones that aren't as big as the above mentioned are iron man matches, double referee matches, and slobberknocker matches. Iron man is just like in real life when you have to get the most pinfalls in a given amount of time. Double referee speaks for itself because it is basically just a match with two referees. Finally, slobberknocker matches are just gauntlet matches with a Jim Ross cliche thrown in as the title.

Now, I want to address a few more modes that were in the previous but have either been improved or turned worse.

First, the royal rumble mode in Smackdown 2 is crap. In the first game, it was fun despite the fact that you could only enter as number one. In SMD2, you enter as a random number which is much better than before, but there is one fatal flaw that holds it down. That flaw is the pathetic load times. After you eliminate someone, it takes approximately ten seconds for the game to load that character into the ring. I am not talking about the countdown, either. It really disrupts the flow of the game when a ''Now Loading...'' sign comes up. Ugh.

Second, the anywhere fall matches have been improved. You now have more places to fight and more weapons to use. Also, you don't have to whip your opponent into an arrow anymore to enter a new area. Now, you and your opponent can just stand by the arrow and a blue arrow will appear. Walk towards the end of the blue arrow and you will be moved to that area. It is much better, especially since you can fight in such places as WWF New York and a parking lot.

Finally, the hardcore matches still are the same. It is basically an anywhere fall match, but with more weapons it seems like. It still has one big flaw, though. Let's say that you are Triple H facing Michael Cole. Good ol' Hunter could hit Cole with a 2x4 about fifty times and he still wouldn't go down. That gets really annoying fast and needs to definitely be improved.

I almost forgot to mention the ''create a..'' modes. You can now create stables, taunts, PPV's and superstars. Each mode is very neat, except for the taunt mode which is just downright confusing. I'll get into the other modes a little later on.

Season Mode

The season mode is the meat and potatoes of the game. It has been improved from the first game, with the exception of the stupid repetitive cutscenes. Each month in the mode now has five shows, including one pay-per-view. As you go through a card, the computer will simulate whatever matches you don't want to watch. That is a good idea, but it takes a little too long. It would also help if the matches weren't always meaningless. To get a better idea of what I mean, read the section right down below.

Those darn cutscenes

One of the most unique aspects of the Smackdown series is that it features cutscenes during the season mode. They may be unique, but it doesn't mean they are very good. Actually, at first, the cutscenes are very enjoyable. Especially the beginning of the season mode. I won't get into specifics, but let's just say that it plays out what happened in real life during that time period. However, once you get past the first year, there really is no noteworthy cutscenes. The best only come when you unlock a new character. That's it. The rest are pretty dull and not interesting. Here's an example:

''Chris Benoit is here, tonight!''

They almost ALWAYS have a cutscene saying that at the beginning of every show. It is not always Chris Benoit, I am just using him as an example. There really is no need for this cutscene at all because I doubt that anyone could care less when a wrestler arrives to the arena. This is the third most annoying cutscene.

The second most annoying cutscene:

''I was told I have a special match here tonight. Well, I am here. Who is my opponent?''

I really really really dislike that cutscene. Most of the time when that particular one appears, the match is not special at all. It is usually a regular singles match, maybe with some added stipulation. It is a waste of disc space, if you ask me, because it does not lead up to anything.

And finally, the number one most annoying cutscene:

''Chris Benoit is satisfied with the victory.''

Not only is this just plain annoying, but it is very stupid. Uh, I hope Benoit is satisfied with his victory because Lord knows if he isn't then the world will end right now. Once again, this is a pointless cutscene that builds up to absolutely nothing. Bad bad bad.

Oh yeah, hardly any of the cutscenes build up to anything. Almost all of the feuds last for one card, that's it. Don't expect any build up for a classic Benoit versus Jericho iron man match, or any other match that may happen to appear on one of the PPV's. They may have a backstage altercation of some sort, but it will end right there. There is no continuation to anything. Kind of like a Vince Russo show. Anyway, the cutscenes are rather disappointing. They are interesting at first, but the novelty will soon wear off after you see the same thing over and over again.

Create a Superstar Mode

This is probably the best part of the game, well to me anyway. This CAW mode is right up there next to WWF Attitude in terms of the best. Smackdown 2's is much more in depth, and is a HUGE improvement over the original version. Some of the things you can do are add tattoos, choose signs for the crowd, and go through a wide variety of moves. It is pretty much all of what Attitude had plus more. Hell, Smackdown 2 is worth a rent just for this mode alone. It is awesome.

Ring Entrances

Ring entrances have been improved once again, although they are still just a TitanTron video with the wrestlers walking to the ring. They are true to the real life versions. For example, The Undertaker comes out on a motorcycle. However, he doesn't come out to Kid Rock's awesome song ''American Bad Ass''. Instead he comes out to the Raw theme song because THQ was too cheap to pay for the rights to Kid Rock. They did a nice job with it, though, so I'll give 'em credit. As for everyone else, they pretty much mimmick what they do in real life.

The roster

This is also a big improvement over the original. There are something over 50 of the WWF's top superstars plus some that make you wonder why they are in the game (Viscera, Mark Henry). There are only a few wrestlers that have been left out that are currently in the WWF - Raven (What about Raven??), William Regal (our goodwill ambassador!), K-Kwik (shows some potential as a high flyer), Mideon (no more Naked Man), Molly Holly (she's just so gosh darn cute), and Just Joe (where's everyones favorite troublemaker been lately?). There are only a few gimmick problems, like Val Venis isn't in the RTC and Rikishi isn't a bad man yet. Everyone else is up to date, including the American Bad Ass, the Undertaker.

Load times

Uh, what were they thinking here? I understand that if there is a lot of modes and wrestlers then there will more than likely be long load times, but this is pathetic. It takes a good 10 seconds to load the options screen. If you think that's bad, then wait until you try the season mode. It takes about 10 seconds to load a friggin' cutscene. It gets very annoying, especially since you can't turn the cutscenes off. However, the loading screens aren't that bad. Each screen is of a different wrestler, like once it will be Al Snow and the next it will be Stone Cold Steve Austin. Sometimes there will be women like Trish Stratus and there is nothing wrong with the women as a load screen, but I would have preferred an interactive loading screen like in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Oh well, maybe next time?

Controls (8.6/10)

The controls are pretty much the same as the original Smackdown's, with a few exceptions. The thing I noticed most is that there is now an option to whip your opponent into yourself so you can hit him with a vicious elbow or just throw them up into the air and let 'em drop. The moves are still using the same button presses, with a directional button plus circle to do a grapple move. Attack moves are done the same way, just push a direction button plus X. All in all, it is pretty much the same as the first one so you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Replay Value (HIGH)

With all of its modes and options, there is no doubt Smackdown 2 has high replay value. Going through season mode to unlock everything will start your playing, then when you are done with that, the exhibiton and create a PPV modes will keep you playing. I doubt I will ever get sick of the TLC and Hell in the Cell matches.

Fun Factor (HIGH)

Smackdown 2 is definitely a fun game, as long as you don't mind consistent loading times. It is a bunch of fun with a friend because you would actually have someone to talk to instead of gaping at a picture of the Big Boss Man. Exhibition matches are fun with two or more players, especially TLC and Hell in the Cell matches. Those are a blast. Overall, it is a fun game even if you just play it by yourself.

Challenge (MEDIUM)

If you don't know what you are doing, then Smackdown 2 can easily be one of the hardest games you will ever play. I always play on normal mode and sometimes that can be kind of tough, depending on who you face. Season modes are challenging, just because it takes a good 10 minutes just to go through one friggin' show. I guess it is all worth it in the end, though. If you have the game, you probably know why. Anyway, the higher the level you play on, the harder the game will be. It is that simple.

Rent or Buy?

Rent first. Whether or not you are a wrestling fan, I would recommend giving this a rent before a buy. It always helps to rent a game to see if you like it, and this is no exception. If you can ignore the annoying load times and have a lot of patience in general, then you probably could buy this right away. Still, rent before buying. I can't stress that enough.

The Good:

- Lots of more options than the first Smackdown
- Very much improved Create a Wrestler mode
- More cutscenes
- Easy to pick up and play if you know a good idea of the controls
- Super fun gameplay
- Lots of new modes
- Improved graphics

The Bad:

- Load times
- The wrestlers' hair still looks pretty bad
- Load times
- Still no commentary
- Load times
- Uninteresting cutscenes
- Have I mentioned how bad the load times are?

And The Ugly:

- Will the constant loading ever end?

Overall (7.9/10)

Upon first playing Smackdown 2, I was thinking something along the lines of ''Holy crap, this game is awesome!''. As I played more and more, my thoughts leaned to ''This is pretty cool, but the load times are awful''. I definitely would have gave the game a higher score had it not been for the monotonous load times. I suppose if you have lots of patience it won't be a big problem for you, but it more than likely will get on your nerves. It's still a great game, though, and I recommend atleast a rent. I can't wait for a Playstation 2 version.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/00, Updated 12/30/00