Silicon Fusion >> Reviews >> WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth

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Review:

1st December 2002:
WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
Finally, wrestling has come back to Playstation 2. Can you smell what the Rock is cooking?
Posted by John Wasabi - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

Wrestling is not just for in-bred rednecks, beer guzzling biker dudes or kids with an IQ in single digits. In fact Wrestling or sports entertainment as it is alternatively known is a multi-million dollar industry not just in North America mind you, it truly is global and attracts a healthy audience of all demographics on a sell out basis. I see Wrestling as Marmite, you either love it or hate it but that's the sport in general, the videogame itself is a different story. If you don't like Wrestling but willing to overlook this fact, what you will find is that WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is a solid fighting game.

Gameplay wise, nothing significant has changed from the SmackDown! series for the Playstation 2. The 'X' button executes strikes such as punches, chops and kicks while the 'O' button executes grappling manoeuvres such as head locks, body slams and power bombs. Although some will argue the wrestlers' move sets are limited compared to their N64 outing, one cannot deny that SmackDown! is by far more frantic and action packed than any other wrestling game that has come before.

The storyline follows the rivalry between Vince McMahon and Ric Flair who are both 50% owners of the WWE. The story mode allows you to choose a number of superstars from the likes of the Rock, Stone Cold, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Brock Lesnar and many more. In story mode, you also get to guide your wrestler in first-person mode as you walk around the arena, to parking lots and other recognisable locations from Raw and SmackDown! programs. At this stage you can wander round to check the secrets left to unlock, talk to other wrestlers for support or just downright insult them forging alliances and deadly enemies in the process. To date, it's by far the best story mode on the SmackDown! series but if I had one qualm about it, it would be that it could do with better dialogue as at times you cant help but feel as if it was not written by native English speakers.

One of the best aspects is to create the ultimate wrestler, which you can then enter into the ranks of story mode. The create-a-wrestler function is spot on and easy to use and like fine wine, just gets better with age. Every detail from cosmetic to animation is there for you to create or tweak, you can pretty much do everything you want and the only limitation seems to be the imagination.

In terms of available game modes, you have the usual seen from previous SmackDown! series as well as new ones such as elimination tag, captain fall tornado six-man tag and slobber knocker possible everywhere in the game. It is great to see Yukes and THQ finally implement a 6-player option. As long as you have two multitaps and five other friends, you really wont remember the last time you had so much fun. Arenas from pay-per-views are also spot on and greatly detailed, from the big swinging hooks of Backlash to the amazing pyrotechnics of Wrestlemania, you cannot help but feel the developers spent their fair share of time into research and it really does show. Another noticeable improvement is the interaction of objects; want to throw someone through glass? Want to chuck them in dumpsters? Or do you just want to swanton bomb off the Titantron as you plummet 20 feet? You can everything I just mentioned which really adds to the gameplay and design as you feel the need to explore new areas.

The graphics have been improved with each SmackDown! series but one cannot help but feel the visual improvement is only minor with each new series. Texture detail and modelling on some of the characters are not up to scratch while collision clipping seems to have gotten worse as arms and legs of characters magically overlap objects or other characters. To be fair though, it is not the end of the World and as the action mounts up, these minor glitches are quickly overlooked. One significant improvement that you will notice almost immediately is the facial expressions on wrestlers, put on a submission move and you'll see what I mean as the unfortunate wrestler screams in agony, pain on others never felt so good.

Commentary has never been pulled off properly in any of the SmackDown! series and this sequel falls into that same hole. There is less commentary with only a few one liners from Jerry 'the King' Lawler and Jim Ross and while you might get a few authentic sentences from the wrestlers themselves (especially the popular ones like The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan) the ring announcements as you enter are spot on and capture the atmosphere perfectly.

Love it or loathe it, Wrestling is here to stay and with the license still firmly in THQ's hand, one can rest at ease for the future of WWE SmackDown! games. Their latest offering is hugely entertaining, worthwhile and wont disappoint.

John Wasabi

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Review Summary:

Jabroni, you will have to be a sucka to miss out on THQ's latest SmackDown! offering. Even if you dont like Wrestling, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth is a solid and highly entertaining fighting game.

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WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
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