Smackdown Vs Raw 2006
Brandon Sears
Ever since THQ released WWF No Mercy back in late 2000, the wrestling game industry has been searching for something to be dubbed as a worthy sequel. Many games have come and gone that have brought new ideas to the table and boasting quite pleasing features that although come close, never offer something with a feeling of completion.
I figure in doing this review I should take an unbiased look at the game and mention the improvements as well as the disappointments (although little) that the game displays first and the single player modes second.
General Game Play and Presentation - The game play pretty much resembles last years with the few different grapple types leading to you utilizing somewhere around 25 different moves. Another new feature to this year's gameplay is the stamina feature. In an effort to make the game more realistic, THQ/Yukes have now made it possible for your wrestler to wear himself out to the point of collapse simple to do with the work that he/she is putting forward within the ring. Your stamina however can be recovered due to inactivity or by recharging yourself. However, unless otherwise turned off, this feature remains on and therefore certain wrestlers can only last for so long. For example, take an Iron Man match competitor such as HBK against Big Show, clearly HBK who is used to lasting longer is going to have a higher endurance rate than Big Show. I feel this is one of the key additions that are moving the Smackdown! Series in an effective sports simulation style direction. It also offers a new move known as the "Power Irish Whip" which sends your opponent hurling at intense speeds often into the corner or over the top rope (can also be utilized in cage matches but I'll get to that later). Last but not least is the AI. Now, I've never really had a problem with the A.I. but a lot of gamers do. This year instead (although included) of just your standard levels of difficulty (Easy, Normal, Hard and Legend), SDVR offers you completely customizable A.I. settings. Such as setting its reversal rate, how often it will go to the top rope, how often it will use power grapples all that wonderful stuff. I have yet to attempt this so I do not know how well it works.
SDVR 2006 now offers over one hundred match types (no, that's not a typo). Although that seems crazy keep in mind that its counting matches like "one-on-two hardcore match", "6-man tornado tag match" and "triple threat ladder match". So I bet you're asking, "Okay so those matches were in last year's version, what new one's are we talking about here?" SDVR 2K6 now brings you a buried alive match as well as a "fulfill your fantasy match", "Bar Room Brawl", the return of the "Backstage Brawl" and a newly revamped cage match. The buried alive matches, although fun, tend to get very annoying after so long. The object is to get your opponent up the aisle and to the pre-made grave site within the arena. As you deposit your defeated foe into the casket and giant tractor has but one purpose, to dump A LOT of dirt on you therefore "burying you ALIVE!" Getting wrestlers like Kane or The Undertaker into a casket is next to impossible which I suppose is reasonable, but not for the sheer amount of effort and insane beatings it takes in doing so (try beating Kane for 16 minutes with a shovel). The "fulfill your fantasy match" although fun and gimmicky is rather pointless and I'm sure no one would miss it if it were not in next years version. The two new aforementioned backstage brawls are fun at first but do not really offer a lot of replay value due to the low amount of interaction and room to move around so it's a plus that they added 3 in total(Parking Lot Brawl returns in this years version as well). This leaves me with my favorite match addition/improvement within the game; the steel cage match. In the last year's versions, steel cage matches basically were not fun. In fact, I'm sure they were avoided by many and dubbed the most boring matches in the game. However, the developers down at THQ/Yukes listened to the fans (as they always do) and added new features. Grappling your opponents on or against the cage (think: German suplex's off the very top, climbing up and yanking your opponent back to the ring, slingshots into the side and grinding your opponents face with your hands or your foot until he wields a crimson mask to mention a few) and adding mini games to do with climbing and exiting through the door, make the match one of the most enjoyable.
"Smackdown!: Here Comes the Pain" was the first next generation system to bring back the return of blood and SDVR 2K6 revolutionizes it by offering 3 different levels. This is also the first game that allows the blood to flow from your wrestler and stain the mat(even if only for a few seconds). This of course adds to the atmosphere of a heated rivalry between two players or just an already intense match, makes the game feel more realistic is what I'm trying to say here. To get that blood out of your wrestler and subsequently onto the ring canvas, (SDVR) 2K6 offers you two new weapon choices being the barbed wire bat and the ring bell. Both are welcome additions as I know I've missed being able to butcher my opponents with fragmented steel wrapped around a wooden stick.
I guess this is the part where I speak about the creation mode. SDVR boasts the most options so far in any wrestling game as far as creation deals with. The CAW is incredibly in-depth as usual and for the first time, offers 3-D clothing! Whoa! The guys down at THQ/Yukes have also given us a list of about 150 call names for our wrestlers as well, including real names! Like mine! This year SDVR also borrows from the Day of Reckoning games with "Create-an-Entrance". I was really excited when I heard about this feature as we would no longer have to choose a standard template and we could edit the exiting wrestler's entrances. However, this eventually gets to become so tedious that it's not even worth it. In DOR you could preview your pyro, lighting, camera angles without any loading whatsoever. However, in SDVR, EVERYTHING takes you to a loading screen. It takes up so much time and causes a lot of frustration unless you know exactly what you want. "The Create-a-Belt" is back as well offering a much cheaper price tag on creation. It also gives you the option of name engraving on your championship(which I'm told you can defend online).
Single-Player Modes - The season mode returns again this year (as if there was a doubt it wouldn't) and brings with it really well-done voice acting as well as extremely entertaining original storylines. An improvement for sure would be the two different seasons for the two different shows (RAW and Smackdown!) rather than recycled storylines with different wrestlers(i.e. Rene Dupree pursuing Torrie on Smackdown and Tajiri pursuing her on RAW). The season mode also incorporates the legends that are included in this year's version such as Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Jimmy Hart, Bret Hart and others.
Although the season mode is great and all, it does not measure up to what I think is the greatest inclusion in the game. The GM Mode has been something I've wanted for years. With GM Mode, you are in charge of drafting wrestlers, managing their contracts and booking PPVs/television shows. Your eventual goal is to put on a better product than your competition. The only downside is that if you want the big ratings you have to push the wrestlers with the higher popularities which does make sense but sort of inhibits what kinds of matches you want to have IF you want to win in the end. As of right now, I am selected RAW and have made it past my first PPV, so far the GM Mode has been the most enjoyable option I have used and will have incredible replay value.
All in all SDVR 2006 is the best wrestling game available today. I for one am so sick of comparing games to No Mercy. Yes, No Mercy was great but the level of gameplay, options and visuals are so far passed that that the game itself seems ancient(this of course is my opinion).
*** I don't know if anyone is looking for any info whatsoever in having to do with online play but I do not play online. There, I said it. Bamm!
Brandon Sears is an insurance salesman by day and a superhero by night (not really). He has been writing for Modern Distraction since 2004. He lives in Sydney Mines with his wife, Ashley and his dog Toby.