Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3224 in Video Games
• Brand: THQ
• Model: 99050
• Published on: 2008-11
• Released on: 2008-11-09
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: PLAYSTATION 3
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .57" h x 6.73" w x 5.70" l, .30 pounds

Features

• Bring wrestling excitement to the PlayStation 3 with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009
• Includes a large roster of WWE superstars
• Enhanced Tag Team matches include new double team moves and finishers
• Create-A-Superstar mode lets you customize your own wrestler
• Road to Wrestlemania mode offers deep and compelling story line

Amazon.com Product Description
The Number One fighting game franchise in the world is back on the PlayStation 3 with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, giving wrestling fans the definitive simulation of the WWE experience. The latest version brings enhanced graphics, new matches, a huge roster of wrestlers, and more to keep WWE fans excited for a long time to come.

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 for the PS3 delivers enhanced graphics, new matches, and a huge roster of wrestlers. View larger.

Play cage, TLC, table, hardcore, royal rumble, extreme rules, and many other match types. View larger.

Play as All Your Favorite WWE Superstars
A huge roster of superstars are included in the game, drawing from the Raw, Smackddown, ECW, and more. Some of the players include: Ashley, Batista, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly, John Cena, Kane, Layla, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, William Regal, Big Daddy V, Big Show, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, Finlay, Tazz, and dozens more.

In addition, the Create-a-Superstar returns, letting you customize your own character, play as him through the career mode and become the next superstar. You can also use the new Create-A-Finisher feature to make a unique finishing move by chaining together 10 different animations out of over 500.

New weapons and objects include steel steps, tables, ladders, trash cans, and more. View larger.

Wrestling superstar roster includes Ashley, Batista, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly, and many others. View larger.

Enhanced Tag-Team Matches and Other New Match Types
Tag Team matches are emphasized in Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, and there are many new additions to make the game more realistic and fun. Players can now perform double teams on opponents, such as having one player hold an opponent against the ropes while on the apron, or pulling down on ropes while an opponent is running to send them out of the ring. And there are now different ways of tagging in, such as the forced blind tag and reversible hot tag. Teams also get team-specific finishing moves that are incredibly satisfying to perform.

In addition to tag matches, there are 14 one-on-one match types including the Inferno, Gauntlet, Falls Count Anywhere, Steel Cage and Ladder matches, and even a Backstage Brawl.

Road to Wrestlemania Mode
The single player Road to Wrestlemania mode offers a deep and diverse story line that is filled with brand defections, team building, and strategic alliances. You can choose from Triple H, CM Punk, The Undertaker, John Cena, and Chris Jericho to play in this single-player mode. There is also a story line for co-operative play, in which players control Batista and Rey Mysterio. The story lines are so custom tailored and well done that you might find them more compelling than what you see on television.

Play Online and Download New Content
You can play against friends online in different matches, and this time, voice support has been added so you can trash talk to your heart's content. Additionally, you can also download new content to keep the game fresh.

WWE fans and fighting game fans alike will both love this latest game, giving them a chance to grapple as their favorite superstars.

Customer Reviews

A Real Improvement.
The Smackdown game series since about Here Comes the Pain has been on a downward spiral. Many loyal fans of the series abandoning it because they felt like THQ were putting the minimal effort into the game, simply because they knew it would sell. In many ways they were justified for turning their back on the series as it gave THQ the wake up call they needed. This game seems like one of the very first games in the series that a hell of a lot of effort was put into it. With a massive roster, an easy to use yet detailed controlling system and a beefed up tag system this game was bound to be a success. First off THQ needs to reassure the abandoning fans that this is a very different game from the originals. One way in doing that is giving them one thing the fans have always wanted, a "create a finisher" mode. The very notion that you can now create your own finisher is something that the fans think will make a massive difference to such a game. Anyway, the modes are going to be discussed in a minute but in a nutshell this game is really good.

The Roster: This contains over 60 wrestlers, none of them legends but the sheer size of the roster itself is enough to allow you to effectively use the newly updated tag team system. The real gem for this particular installment is the announcement that in order to keep the rosters from becoming out dated, THQ are going to finally utilise the Playstation Network by allowing downloadable content. This will not only feature wrestlers but will allow other additions such as possible new storylines or looks for current superstars to match what is going on in TV land. The first announcement of the DLC is although there is not yet a date, superstars Evan Bourne and Ted DiBiase Jr. are confirmed to be a part of it along with a few other little things.

Game Modes: In exchange for the previous installments WWE 24/7 mode, we're now given Road to Wrestlemania and Career Mode. Road to Wrestlemania is essentially a shortened Season Mode starting from around the Royal Rumble and is tailor made for specific superstars. A drawback to this is that you can only play as either Triple H, CM Punk, Undertaker, John Cena, Chris Jericho or Batista & Rey Mysterio as part of a co-op RTW play. There's also a career mode which is basically a never ending thing with no story, it's just fight to earn a shot at a title, win, then fight for another title. You can do that with anyone.

There's also the new Create A Finisher which I haven't tried yet but will get around to eventually. I've never really been fan of the create a wrestler things so if you really want to know then I'd check out other reviews.

To wrap it up in 4 simple words? I Love This Game. It's fun, it's easy and it's packed. The only problem is that when I've managed to complete all the RTW's I can imagine becoming quite un-interested with it until we get the DLC anyway. Hopefully along with new superstars, THQ will be able to give us new RTW storylines and arenas to keep us occupied with the DLC until the next installment. This type of thing will also allow THQ to give us a lot more to the game with constant updates instead of trying to put as much on the disc as possible before release date.

I'm also praying that trophies will follow eventually although it's looking doubtful for this particular installment. I would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone who's a fan of wrestling.

Good For a Few Hours
Game's appeal died down rather quickly for me. Roster is not very good according to past games. There isn't any real high profile past names to unlock other than Flair which is kind of disappointing. There are other wrestlers, but they aren't wrestlers I really care for.

Only interesting thing about the game for me is the new gameplay which is easy to get used to. However, the moves list feels rather limited compared to past games. It was fun in the beginning, but faded really fast. Story modes also didn't help much. They are only available for a selected few. Found myself just skipping and getting everything done quickly so I can just unlock the secrets. Only made it threw three of the seven.

Played the game for two days and was already pretty bored with it. If you're yawning while playing a game, this usually isn't a good sign. Traded it in back to Amazon for a gift card instead. This series seems to be getting old with every new iteration that comes along. Heres Comes the Pain and Shut Your Mouth are still my favorites.

All in all, I don't think it's really the game that I disliked, but the fact that my interest in WWE has declined. There is no longer any attachment to any wrestler and this was a big appeal to me. If I don't care for the wrestlers, the fun will be short lived. I guess I just miss the Rock, Stone Cold, Bret Hart, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, and all the big stars of the past who used to be in the series. The roster just seems like fillers now.

THQ gets worse with each new release
Want fewer wrestlers, fewer wrestling moves, a smaller plot, less voice acting, less animation of commentators and general managers? Then this is the game for you!

With each new game release, somehow THQ delivers less. Those who played the older PS2 versions of this game, Shut Your Mouth or Here Comes the Pain, will notice that there is a lot less GAME here than in the games before. And that's sad. This is the PS3, you think you'd be getting MORE game, not LESS. But you'd be wrong!

Remember how you used to be able to wrestle The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, and a whole slew of midcard wrestlers? Well not anymore! It's as if there were only 10 or 11 wrestlers on three different shows (RAW, Smackdown, and ECW), and that's all they could put in this game. It's a wonder they even have a tag team division, considering how few wrestlers there are in this game to go around.

But there are a lot of little touches that are missing from this game, it's as if whole game modules from previous games were never coded, or converted to the PS3. For instance, previous games animated the commentators telling you about that night's show. Now, it's a still image while the game loads. The game used to be able to do more, now it's less!

Lots of little touches are gone. Remember how if you bloodied a wrestler, if there was a cutscene after the match, the wrestlers were still bloody? Now that only happens some of the time.

It's as if they spent all of their time coding arena fireworks and entrance walks, instead of the actual wrestling. Remember how injured wrestlers might have an injured head, torso, or legs? Now they just hold their heads. And forget about having a slew of wrestling moves. It seems as if every wrestler now has about the same 4-5 moves. Variety is too hard to program, says THQ!

Lazy, lazy programmers, putting together only a few features to ship this piece of junk out. THQ should be ashamed of themselves. The people writing 5 star reviews for this game have never played the older series, or are THQ employees faking their reviews. Don't buy this, go get a used copy of "Here Comes the Pain" (PS2) or "Shut Your Mouth" (PS2) to see what an actual wrestling game looks and plays like!