WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2008 (Nintendo DS)

...It is just like the WWE broadcasts.

Whilst your character is in its locker room it can select the objects and allies it wishes to use in the next up and coming match.

Another dimension to this game is that each wrestler has its own story that unfolds as the season progresses. Whilst a great idea, it is flawed in that there is no audio for this. Voice over would be ideal but it is not there. The dialogue is displayed ...
.../>
****Graphics****

Considering the processing capabilities of the DS the graphics are, in my opinion, exceptional. This is a 3D game with an awful lot of detail and the DS copes very well with it. Whilst the crowd is blocky and ?featureless? the actual wrestlers themselves are brilliant.
Their animations are life like and very close to the actual wrestlers. There is more than a passing resemblance with even the body ... more

Over the years I have played many wrestling games on many different types of computer and games console. From the original WWF arcade game on the Amiga whereby you were the Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Randy Mamola or the British Bulldog and had to wiggle the joystick as hard as possible from side to side to get out of the holds (I?d hate to think how many joysticks were broken playing this game) to ECW on the original Playstation to Smackdown on the PS2.

I have always found wrestling games to be a bit hit or miss. Some were good but others were awful. In order to pull off any decent moves, and more importantly the signature moves, usually required the buttons and directional pad to be pressed in a specific order, and it usually involved 6 or 7 different buttons.

A friend introduced me to this game and I must admit that I was sceptical at first. Due to the limited number of buttons on the DS I thought that the moves would require a lot of button tapping and that the combinations to pull off signature moves would be an almost impossible task.

After borrowing the game I was pleasantly surprised??.

****Characters****

All 21 characters are available from the start of the game. There are no requirements to unlock them. The characters come form both the RAW and Smackdown brands with a few golden oldies from the ECW brand.

Whilst 21 is a small sample of the huge cast of current wrestlers, I think that this is acceptable, especially since a lot of the big names are there including favourites like The Undertaker, John Cena, Edge, Jeff Hardy and the Nature Boy Ric Flair.

****Modes****

From the main menu there are two options available:

i) Exhibition

The exhibition mode is a single play bout. You get to choose both your character and your computer controlled opponent for a quick one on one battle for one fall.
This mode also lets you have a one on one against a friend, although it should be noted that you both need a copy of the game for this to work.

The different match types in exhibition mode include standard, hardcore, last man standing, submission, iron man and three stages of hell. It is also possible to choose from the 18 different arenas from the Smackdown and RAW signature sets to many pay per view venues.

ii) Season

Season mode is where this game comes in to its own. In essence you pick what wrestler you want to control and then work your way through the ranks, defeating all the other wrestlers on your way up.

During the season you have the opportunity to visit locker rooms looking for objects that you can use to your advantage, obtain training room tokens and talk to other wrestlers. During this aspect of the game there will be feuds, alliances and behind the scenes brawls and attacks. It is just like the WWE broadcasts.

Whilst your character is in its locker room it can select the objects and allies it wishes to use in the next up and coming match.

Another dimension to this game is that each wrestler has its own story that unfolds as the season progresses. Whilst a great idea, it is flawed in that there is no audio for this. Voice over would be ideal but it is not there. The dialogue is displayed in text boxes that appear next to each wrestler's face.

****Graphics****

Considering the processing capabilities of the DS the graphics are, in my opinion, exceptional. This is a 3D game with an awful lot of detail and the DS copes very well with it. Whilst the crowd is blocky and ?featureless? the actual wrestlers themselves are brilliant.
Their animations are life like and very close to the actual wrestlers. There is more than a passing resemblance with even the body types accurately shown. In addition, the costumes are almost the same as those worn by the actual wrestlers.

Al in all the producers have done a fantastic job.

****Sound****

The audio is very good and compliments the game perfectly. Music is limited to the familiar signature tunes. Whilst the bouts are going on there are only sound effects which are very good and the thuds, slaps, thuds and other fighting noises are very life like.

****Game play****

This game utilises the touch screen and stylus relationship to the full. The whole game is played with the stylus and the directional pad and A, B, X and Y buttons are not used at all.
Menu items, location hot spots and interacting with other wrestlers takes a tap of the stylus. The mini games involve tapping, sliding and drawing circles with the stylus, and during the bouts you are required to tap one of three icons that appear and then tap, trace lines or draw circles as indicated on the screen to perform the move. Simple strikes, such as a head punch, takes one tap of the stylus, whereas the more ?flash moves? such as body slams and powerful takedowns require lots of scribbles, taps and circles.

Since the directional pad is not used you can?t move around the ring like you would in other games of this genre. To get your opponent near the ropes or move them to a turnbuckle you have to use a variety of wrestling moves such as a body slam or a take down.

The choice of moves that you can perform is limited and to some extent dictated by where you are in the ring:

i) If you are in the centre of the ring then your options may be limited to a head punch, whip kick and lock up.

ii) Once you manage to kick you opponent nearer the ropes the choice of moves may change to a high flying take down or a leap off the top rope.

iii) If you get involved in a grapple situation your choice of moves may change to the reversal, groin punch or leg pick up.

iv) If you are flat on the mat then your moves may change to a head kick, a roll up or a face punch.

v) If your opponent is on the mat then your moves may change to a head stomp, full nelson, elbow drop or crab

The actual move performed will vary from character to character.

Controlling the wrestlers is strange at first and it takes a bit of time and practice to master. You have such a short time to complete all the movements with the stylus that your opponent can jump in and attack you before you have a chance to finish the drawing sequence. This is very annoying and will lead to many defeats before you actually win a bout.

My advice is to stick with it because once you have mastered how to control the wrestler it is a fluid game and great fun to play. I find that the best way is to stick to one character and learn what moves they can do and the situations in which that move can be performed. This will assist you in reaching the objective of defeating all enemies during a season campaign.
As each wrestler makes a grand entrance to the arena, just like on TV. There are big screen displays, light shows, the signature music and the commentator dramatically shouting out the wrestlers weight, origin and name.

Once in the ring and the bell goes it is each man for himself and battle commences.

****Difficulty****

This is a difficult game. Learning the moves takes a while and you are likely to encounter several defeats before you have a win and you will need to persevere. Because of this I would not recommend this game for younger or casual players.
I think that even seasoned gamers will find this a bit of a challenge.

****Mini games****

There are three mini games your character can do to improve its performance in the ring. There is the bench press (to build strength), Skipping (to improve agility) and the punch bag (to increase the power of punches).

Remember the training tokens obtained from other wrestlers locker rooms? These are needed to play the mini games.

****Customisation****

My mate?s main criticism of this game is that you can?t ?design? your own wrestler and costume! A feature like this is of no use to me whatsoever. I have never understood those that think it is fun to design a character to look like themselves (is this not just playing computer ?dolls??) especially when they hit the age of 30, although I guess it is each to their own.

****Price and availability****

This is not a new release and availability is not a problem. I borrowed this off a friend and therefore paid nothing. I have had a look on Amazon and it can be bought brand new for £10.77 (plus £1.94 P&P) from E-head UK or used for £8.42 (plus £1.94 P&P).
There is such a small differential between the two that I would buy new, and I think that £10.77 is an excellent price for a game that is going to last a while.

****Conclusion****

Any wrestling fan that owns a DS will enjoy this game. The touch screen controls are strange and difficult to get used to at first but once mastered everything falls in to place and you will be slamming with the best of them.

The graphics are exceptional, the sound effects are realistic and the signature tunes are familiar. The wrestlers are lifelike, the costumes accurate and the entrances to the arena are just like as on TV. The individual stories, ability to interact with other wrestlers, ?borrow? objects to advance progression through the rankings, the alliances, the feuds and the behind the scenes battles all add an extra dimension to this game and make it a great gaming experience.

(Originally posted on Dooyoo under the name of Yackers1)

 

...less