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WWF Smackdown!
Score: 85%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: THQ
Developer: THQ
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 – 2 (2 – 4 Multitap)
Genre: Fighting

Graphics & Sound:
Attention all WWF fans! Finally a wrestling game for PlayStation that doesn't suck! The graphics and sound are both there in WWF Smackdown! You can completely tell which wrestler is who, whether they are in the ring or out. Granted, the audience is as flat as a piece of cardboard, but the wrestlers themselves have actual body types and styles. The only time the crowd is even used is when you go get a weapon out of the stands.

All the wrestler’s theme songs are there, and THQ came up with a different entrance that is better than watching their five-minute long walk downs (i.e. Attitude's crappy version). One downfall I have to say is that there is no commentary by "Good Ole" J.R., Jerry "The King" Lawler, or even that schmuck, Shane McMahon.


Gameplay:
I have to give props to THQ for the different styles of matches in Smackdown! Besides your regular one-on-one, tag team, or handicap match, new modes have been made such as the Special Referee match, where you are the ref and you can count out your enemy with the fastest 1-2-3 possible. Another is the Hardcore match, where it doesn't have to stay inside the ring at all. You could end up in the parking lot for all you know. Finally, they have made what Mankind and the Rock made famous: the I-Quit match. Beat your opponent to death until he gives up by saying "I Quit" into the microphone. These are just a few, but there are plenty of other ones so you have some variety. You can also create your own wrestler to add to the 36 others already on the game.

Are you tired of the computer always getting the run-downs so it can gang up on you when you're all alone? Well, finally there is a game that evens the score. Yep, that's right. If you are ever double-teamed, you may have a friend behind the curtain coming down the ramp at any second, there to help you out. Plus, THQ has added a more soap-opera feel, which is what the WWF really is. However, the soap opera really never takes off. Something will happen backstage, but nothing is ever followed up in the storyline. Another little complaint is that the season can drag on immensely. With very little action going on outside of the ring, a regular match can get a little boring.


Difficulty:
There are three different levels of difficulty, so you won't be bored Laying the Smack Down on one level for too long. Plus, some wrestlers are tougher to beat than others, depending on whom you wrestle with. For example, you might have a little bit more trouble with Stone Cold Steve Austin if you are Paul Bearer than if you are the Undertaker.

Game Mechanics:
If you're like me, you hated Warzone and Attitude for one simple reason: Too many buttons to press for a simple body-slam. Smackdown! is your savior because THQ made the controller configuration just the same as Nintendo 64's WCW Revenge and WWF Wrestlemania 2000. One button grapples, another hits, and it's just that easy. No more five-button configurations for the special move, either. Just press one simple button when your energy level is right, and you'll be watching the most accurate portrayals of the WWF's finest finishing moves.

If you're dying to play a semi-descent wrestling game for PlayStation, WWF Smackdown! is the best there is. It’s definitely got room for improvement, and hopefully we'll see some next year.


-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications
AKA Alex Redmann

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