WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw

For the series as a whole, see WWE 2K.
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw

US Box art for the game, featuring Vince McMahon.
Developer(s) Yuke's
Publisher(s) THQ (WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw)
Yuke's (Exciting Pro Wrestling 6)
Series SmackDown vs. Raw
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release date(s)
  • NA November 2, 2004
  • EU November 12, 2004
  • JP February 3, 2005
Genre(s) Professional wrestling, Fighting, Sports
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer, multiplayer online
Distribution DVD

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw (often shortened to WWE SvR or SVR 2005 and known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 6: SmackDown! vs. Raw in Japan), is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ and developed by Yuke's. It is part of the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw (later renamed to simply WWE) series (the first under the SmackDown vs. Raw name) and is based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This game is the sequel to 2003's WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain and was succeeded in 2005 by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006.

Gameplay

Screenshot of the new Parking Lot Brawl, featuring Eddie Guerrero and John Cena.

The game is largely similar to its predecessor, but adds some key features. The most heavily marketed ones were the game's improved graphics with an increased polygon count and the game's addition of voice overs in Season mode provided by actual WWE performers (previous WWE games had used sampled wrestler voices sparingly). The latter feature was somewhat controversial for several reasons. The voice overs supplied are only for wrestlers that are not being controlled - the player's controlled wrestler spoke through subtitles. The addition of voice overs was also linked to the Season Mode being more linear than Here Comes the Pain. The story lines encountered are generally the same for each wrestler, with the only differences being the opponents encountered, depending on which wrestler is chosen.

Several new gameplay features are introduced, including pre-match and in-match mini-games. The pre-match mini games are randomly chosen before every singles match, Test of strength, Stare down and Shoving match. Several in-game minigames were also introduced, chop battle, Spanking mini-game - in bra and panties matches, a female wrestler could enter a "spanking" mini-game. The meter mechanic from the chop battles are retained, but the player must perfectly time the button press three consecutive times to win. If the player does so, a cut scene of the two female wrestlers kissing is played.

The ability to sustain a submission till the count of 5 once a rope break had been reached was also implemented. The game features several arenas that WWE held events at in 2003 and 2004; there are also arenas based on each WWE television show.

Also added to the game was the Clean/Dirty system, which influenced each wrestlers tactics. Players can choose if the wrestler is clean, dirty or neutral. A clean or dirty wrestler has a meter that can be filled up by performing special clean/dirty actions or moves.

Features

This game was the first Smackdown game to not have Stone Cold. Instead, this game featured new superstars like Rene Dupree, and Mark Jindrak. Most of the legends were in the previous game, but this one also had new legends like Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, André the Giant. Mankind returned to the series as a legend along with The Rock.

The game features a season mode where superstars play a season on their respective brand. Both brands' seasons have several brand crossovers and feature the ability to fight for divas to use as managers throughout the season if they are won. These divas include Sable, Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson and Trish Stratus. The player earns money throughout the season to purchase unlockables and legends. They also fight for their brands respective championships (the World Heavyweight Championship as the main title and the Intercontinental Championship as the secondary title for Raw, the WWE Championship as SmackDown!'s main belt and the secondary being the United States Championship).

WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW also includes a redone WWE PPV (Pay-Per-View) mode from its past games where the player can play sample PPVs from 2004, or create a PPV of their own by booking matches choosing matchtypes and any superstar, legend or created superstar in the game. Created Championships could be waged in the created PPVs. Before playing the PPV the game would show a generic highlight reel featuring two of the superstars in the main event of the show. Commentary began to improve and sync up with the matches more.

Also, the game featured an all-new Create-a-Championship mode where the player can create and defend the title in their created PPV. The game also includes the Create-A-Wrestler mode from previous games where the created superstars movesets, attributes, entrances, and brand could be customized. The create mode was improved from the previous game. Stables could be created featuring any wrestler game and entrances could be customized.

All new challenge mode provides gamers with opportunities to challenge themselves at different difficulty levels. In addition, several challenges put gamers in memorable matches from the past and beating these challenges will help unlock alternate attires, arenas.

This is the first WWE game on the PlayStation 2 to have the feature to play online. However, players can only choose between a singles and a Bra and Panties match.

Pay-per-view events

Soundtrack

Song Artist
When Worlds Collide Powerman 5000
Bring the Noise Public Enemy
Bonecracker Shocore
Superstars Styles of Beyond
Polyamorous Breaking Benjamin
Firefly Breaking Benjamin
Alone Zebrahead
Falling Apart Zebrahead
The Angle Core (band)
Bottom Line Swollen Members
Last Night on Earth Powerman 5000
Riot Time Powerman 5000
The Way It Is Powerman 5000
Can't Stop (22nd Century Lifestyle) pre)Thing
Chasing After Tantric

Reception

Critic reviews

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings81.11%[1]
Metacritic80/100[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Electronic Gaming Monthly7.67/10[3]
Eurogamer7/10[4]
Game Informer8.5/10[5]
GameSpot8.1/10[6]
GameSpy[7]
GameZone8.7/10[8]
IGN8.4/10[9]
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)[10]
VideoGamer.com7/10[11]
X-Play[12]
Detroit Free Press[13]

The game was met with positive reception upon release, as GameRankings gave it a score of 81.11%,[1] while Metacritic gave it 80 out of 100.[2]

Accolades

Distributor: Category: Result:
2004 Spike Video Game Awards Best Fighting Game Nominated

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ EGM staff (December 25, 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Electronic Gaming Monthly (186): 122. Archived from the original on June 16, 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Cutlack, Gary (November 17, 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ Zoss, Jeremy (December 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Game Informer (140): 174. Archived from the original on May 14, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ Navarro, Alex (November 1, 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw Review". GameSpot. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ Leeper, Justin (November 10, 2004). "GameSpy: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw". GameSpy. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ The Bearer (November 16, 2004). "WWE Smackdown vs. Raw - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  9. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (October 29, 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW". IGN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ Smith, David (January 2005). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Dransfield, Ian (December 3, 2004). "WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw Review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  12. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (December 7, 2004). "WWE SmackDown vs. RAW Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on December 15, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  13. ↑ Gardner, Omari (November 21, 2004). "'WWE SmackDown vs. Raw'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2015.

External links