WWE-SmackDown-vs-RAW
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Smackdown returns, do the load times still suck?
Smackdown is out today. I was originally going to do a Metareview for this game, but I decided: why not focus on the one crucial flaw of last year's game? The load times. As you may remember, WWE SmackDown! 2006 got smacked down by the gaming community by having quite possibly the worst load times of any game in recent memory. Is this year's iteration of the popular wrestling franchise any better? Let's find out: Gamespot (79/100) - "Load times are still a big issue, as well, though not quite as humongous an issue as they were last year. Prematch load times are still long and annoying, especially when you have entrances set to on; menu transitions, especially in season mode, take longer than they ought to; and creating a wrestler can still be a time-consuming process, thanks to the loading. Again, Yuke's did improve this aspect somewhat this year, but load times continue to get in the way of the game." Games Radar (80/100) - "The developers remembered this, too; they made a focused effort to drastically reduce loading. And it worked: the loads aren't lightning quick, but they are far faster, now measuring in double-digit seconds instead of minutes." GameZone (85/100) - "On to the bad news, the game suffers from heavy lag that just doesn't pertain to the Ad Hoc multiplayer mode but throughout the single-player mode as well. This, of course, is a major annoyance that often leads to missed punches or choke slams. Secondly, the long load times are back, although - on a lighter note -they're not as frequent as the first game." The critics say the load times have improved, but are they tolerable yet? I'm placing an open challenge to all readers: if you own this game, please make a similar video, for PSP Fanboy fame, and maybe even a little swag, or something.
Smackdown wrestlers' intro videos
It only feels like yesterday when we were making fun of WWE Smackdown (it was, in fact, two days ago). So, maybe, we'll be a little bit nicer this time. A new year means the developers have a chance to get things right. Get rid of the load times. GamesRadar has been nice enough to grab all the wrestler intro videos from the upcoming Smackdown game, and convert it into iPod PSP format. Simply download their files, and dump it into your 2.80 PSP's VIDEO folder. The new year of Smackdown hits stores November 1st.
WWE SmackDown 2006 to frustrate even more players at new budget price
A press release from THQ today proudly proclaimed that their wrestling title, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006, is now available in the low-budget Greatest Hits lineup. According to the press release the game "includes updated fighting and stamina systems, impressive graphics, integrated motion capture technology and authentic SuperStar voiceovers, bringing game play to life with unprecedented levels of realism and strategy during matches." They forgot to mention that the game also features some of the worst load times... ever. Those of you with great patience may want to give this a shot, though. If you can ignore horrendous load times, you'll see that $20 will net you a pretty solid wrestling game. [Via PSP World]
SmackDown cancellation causes wrestling riot
If you like wrestling, or watching wrestling, or playing wrestling, perhaps you were looking forward to getting your SmackDown fix on the PS3. You'd better find a different game to look forward to. The official THQ forum for Germany created a thread regarding the removal of the Sony and PS3 logo from the SmackDown website. It became such a hot topic that one of THQ's own, Max Stellar, posted a response: "The backdrop for this is that the PlayStation version was going to be finished substantially later than the other versions" and they would rather concentrate on every other platform first. The thread mysteriously vanished rather quickly. Recently, however, THQ has made their official announcement. They're releasing the next SmackDown on the 360, PSP and PS2. A fantastic new version is slated for 2007 on the PS3. So fear not, Sony fans, for there is still the PS2 version to enjoy. But this year's next-gen version is reserved solely for the XBox 360. So sorry, but it's better to let THQ get used to the awesome power of the PS3 so we can really feel the smacking and the downing next year, right?
SmackDown series to miss PS3 launch, making next-gen debut on Xbox 360
Following rumors that the PlayStation 3 version of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 has been cancelled, THQ confirmed that its perennial wrasslin' series will not boost the PS3 launch lineup this holiday. Instead, SmackDown 2007 will ship for PS2 and PSP, and more importantly, will make its 'next-gen' debut exclusively on Xbox 360. THQ did add that the SmackDown franchise would eventually make it onto PS3, but not until holiday 2007.
Pics of sweaty men [update 1]
Pro-G has posted some new screen shots of WWE SmackDown! Vs. RAW 2007. Wrestling is decidedly not my thing, but the shots look pretty nice. Developed by Yuke's and published by THQ, the game is set to feature online play with in game voice chat as well as a new grappling system. Expect to see the game by Christmas. Be sure to check out the screens if rippled, oily menfolk tickle your fancy (or you could always look at this instead). [Via Evil Avatar] Update: The game should be out this Christmas, not Christmas 2007.
New WWE SmackDown! Vs. RAW 2007 screens
Coming to you like a flying sidekick are these fresh new screens for WWE SmackDown! Vs. RAW 2007. Whether you're a fan of the piledriver or not, the aesthetics for this head-crunching title are undeniably appealing. THQ is saying it has "more realistic fighting" also, so maybe it'll reach out to other gamers who might not vibe with men in tight pants and funny masks.
New WWE game announced
Must... Try... To Control... Excitement... Oh, wait, that was easy. Continuing the trend of putting out one average wrestling game after another, the "wrestling" (from some of their shows, you have to wonder...) behemoth that is WWE have announced yet another PS2 video game. Imaginatively titled Smackdown vs Raw 2006, the game will include, for the first time, stamina, adding more strategy and realism to the matches. No word on whether poor booking, ridiculously ill conceived plots, and wrestlers with talent being fired while untalented idiots keep their jobs will be part of the season mode. That would truly bring WWE videogame realism to a new level.
No WWE at E3
For those quivering in anticipation of the new WWE Smackdown vs Raw title being revealed at E3, we're afraid you're going to have to keep quivering. Try not to hurt yourself. The logic at THQ, if you can call it that, is that, apparently, revealing the game AFTER E3 has a bigger impact. Really not sure how that works, since everyone knows E3, everyone knows the really big players make big announcements at E3, and everyone expects the big names to be revealed at E3. The move paints THQ as bush league, but the title will still sell, even if they do no promotion whatsoever, so let's let them have their little fantasy, shall we.
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw: a great letdown
Since the turn of the century, THQ's SmackDown! franchise has been churning out titles year after year, courtesy of Yuke's development team. Alright, so five years & six games isn't record breaking, but THQ has been in the wrestling business for a long time now and perhaps reached the pinnacle (at least in this generation) with last year's Here Comes the Pain. That's not to say this year's installment is along the lines of Just Bring It, but it is a bit of a letdown. The two most talked about features, online play & WWE voice acting, are really disappointing. The online component is a shockingly bare bones affair that seems like it belongs in the first generation of broadband console games. As for the voice acting, it ranges from pitiful to believable, but generally remains just tolerable. A few additions have been added to the gameplay, including minigames that mimic stare downs, shoving matches, chop battles, & spanking contests (sorry, ladies only). The character models remain top-notch, and the arena options/match types are overwhelming, but Yuke's still fell short of true innovation. If you're a fan of the series, you'll likely enjoy SmackDown! vs. Raw the same way a Madden-head enjoys each annual installment. It's a great wrestling game, just don't expect it to redefine the genre.
