WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2006 Review

Back in day when the WWE was the WWF, the Ultimate Warrior stood shoulder to shoulder with Hulk â??Suburban Commandoâ? Hogan, and Vince McMahon was a lowly commentator, wrestling videogames were â?“ quite honestly â?“ not very good. Letters would be sent to games magazines begging for some help in getting Andre the Giant (RIP) back into the squared circle after heâ??d been thrown over the ropes, and every time the answer was the sameâ?¦you couldnâ??t.

Over a decade later, and whilst the political landscape in US wrestling has changed itâ??s good to see the videogame adaptations have massively changed too. Games such as No Mercy and Here Comes The Pain! showed were two examples where the genre had developed over the years even though there was some criticism of last yearâ??s Smackdown vs. Raw title from some quarters. The partnership between Yukes, THQ and WWE has been a recipe for success throughout the years however, so itâ??s perhaps unsurprising to find theyâ??ve come good on the promises of improvements with a number of new features.

The single-player Season mode benefits from a vast improvement to the production values, with the two plotlines accurately capturing that WWE look and style. Admittedly the two-year season can begin to wear a little thin even for the wrestling fanatics with itâ??s sophistication rarely dives further then multiple choices to select the next opponent, but this is WWE after all. A variety of challenges such as â??Perform 10 Reversalsâ? or â??3 Finishing Movesâ? provides a test to the aficionado and those wanting to unlock the gameâ??s many extras. Equally fans will be at home with the multitude of Create modes, providing the means to create virtually everything you could think of from custom wrestlers to their own entrances and moves.

Developing a strong level of depth in a wrestling game has always at the crux of staving off samey gameplay, and that is a charge that certainly canâ??t be thrown at WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2006; this is a title that has more gametypes than most other videogames and wonâ??t fail to satisfy the demands of the fans. Thereâ??s a shedload of variety to the game through its multiple modes and configurations, thereâ??s more types of matches then Iâ??ll even begin to admit knowledge of whilst the often-requested Buried Alive makes the cut alongside the titillating Fulfil Your Fantasy matches pitting semi-clad divas against one another with a satin ring and even a bed in the ring â?“ nothing more needs to be said really.

The good news for wrestling fans is that SvR 2006 is a much more comprehensive offering then before, with extra layers of depth and strategy imposed upon the gameplay through the introduction of â??staminaâ? and â??momentumâ? systems. Stamina is a largely successful attempt to change the arcade nature of wrestling games to date, reducing the opportunity to repetitively string attacks together in an unrealistic and unsatisfying feeling; however the pathetic generic groan that every wrestler makes when his stamina takes a dive is only laughable and holding onto Select to replenish stamina could be reworked.

Momentum tied to the crowdsâ?? reaction is another technique to encourage variety and discourage the same-old-move-syndrome; inextricably linked to the gameâ??s most impressive feats and finishing moves, using the same move again and again will see the crowdsâ?? opinion quickly diminish and along with it the opponents rising chance of success. The relationship between both these systems leads to a wrestling game that replaces the arcade, button bashing nature of old with subtle layers of tactics and strategy â?“ strange for a wrestling game! The shoulder button reversal system has been expanded upon to allow players to string subsequent strikes into full blown counter-attacks, which provides the means to turn the tables on virtually any situation and expand into a crucial component. Opponent AI has also been improved in the game and whilst they have a penchant for submission moves, itâ??s a welcome improvement over previous instalments and at least increases the challenge laid down to gamers.

Naturally the real entertainment lies with the multiplayer modes which are where SvR 2006 comes into its own. Different configurations and PPVs provide a vast range of game types and the chance to win and defend belts saved to a memory card is a neat touch. With the weak attempt at online multiplayer in last yearâ??s version SvR 2006 makes a much improved offering, with player stats replacing the completely random system of before and finally support for up to four players. It may not be something that will wow Xbox Live gamers, but its certainly something of a rarity for those who online with their PlayStation2

Taking the criticism thrown at it last year, Yukes has come up trumps with this yearâ??s iteration rectifying the situation with a barrage of new wrestlers, features, and gameplay elements that wrapped together forms one of the most complete wrestling titles yet. Itâ??s still far from perfect however with the controls feeling a little unresponsive in places and the stamina bar a little too sensitive, but theyâ??re things that can be tweaked ready for next year. If youâ??re a fan of wrestling, especially one that found last yearâ??s effort a little disappointing then itâ??s definitely worth getting hold of this one.