It's all about the Game, and how playable it is.

Why, hello there.


I realise my previous blog was a bit out of the blue and heavy as fuck to interpret, hence the lack of comments.
That's why I make a 180° turn and head into something that's less heavy, entertaining, etc.


Every year since the dawn of time, WWF/-E has been releasing videogames of their intellectual property. Unlike most game series, they've decreased playability with every coming installment ... despite promoting it as bigger, better and more beautiful.


Call me an old sack, but I firmly stand by my idea that "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role!" and "WWE SmackDown!: Shut Your Mouth" are the best games THQ/Yuke's/WWE has ever released.


SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role (KYR) of course looked awful, movements were strained and create-a-wrestler (CAW) were ridiculously bad, but unlike many other installments, it carried the vibe of the attitude era. While I'll be on the forefront of putting down nostalgia ... not a single game has managed to recreate the vibe of rebellion that KYR did. It gave the player exactly that what was on tv.


SYM provided the fans with a ridiculously huge roster, roughly 65 superstars/divas and increased playability.
Not to mention a different path for a created superstar. The story was very fleshed out and you'd be involved in so many things. Interesting to note: the story of SYM was written by then WWF/-E writers, who were capable wrestling writers to boot.


Since then, the series has gone downhill in my opinion. Many people within the crazy fandom regard "Here Comes the Pain!" as the best game in the series, but I disagree most definitely. While I don't own the game myself; I have played it a few times, but for some reason, it didn't please me in the way that SYM did. The visual aspect remained pretty much unchanged, but never did it reach the pedestal I had put SYM on.


Perhaps this is because I bought SYM during the time when wrestling took a backseat to many other things in my life and it re-ignited my love for wrestling? I don't know, really.


After HCTP, there was SmackDown! vs Raw. I liked the game, but while playing it (mocking the fact that many  wrestlers looked nothing like their real-life counterparts), it felt like a bad rip-off. Things remained unchanged in the following installments. SvR2008 brought ECW somewhat into the mix. Though if it hadn't been on the cover, I wouldn't have realised. (ECW was pretty much left out, due to the Chris Benoit murder/suicide debacle)


SvR 2009 brought us the Road to Wrestlemania. This was probably the biggest disappointment yet. They promised lots of cool additions and you ended up having to play with people WWE picked. A reasonable addition was the "Create-a-Finisher" mode. While far from perfect, it did give the fans something they had been yearning for for years.


SvR 2010 brought much of the same. Road to Wrestlemania was still shit, forcing you to choose between 
- Mickie James
- Created Superstar
- John Cena/Triple H Brand Warfare
- Edge
- Randy Orton
- Shawn Michaels


I don't know, but for me this doesn't scream "MUST BUY NAO!". Of course I did, because I am a sucker.


As previously touched upon in my previous blog, I will also buy SvR2011. Why? Because the shameless promotion has promised me a huge roster, expansion, the same Road to Wrestlemania crap (with Christian being playable), expanded Create-a-Finisher, etc.


It's being released in 2 days here. I will go out and buy when I've got the time or the interest to do so. I will of course pour my findings in blog form.




Until then, good night and good news!






D~