Smackdown vs RAW 2010

Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 is already underway and in development and from what I have seen of it this game will be a massive step up from the last three almost similar games.

New features of the new game include an improved Create-a-Wrestler feature which gives created wrestlers as good graphics as the actually WWE Roster involved. As a feature in this section you can now create your own unique tattoos, logos and designs with a Paint tool. The create a finisher option is likely to return following the success it had in SVR09 and create an entrance is likely similarly to be a returning feature but you appear to also be able to chose a pose for your wrestler on the vs screen which, if an old WWE XBox game is anything to go by, gives me the idea that you will also be able to arrange your own entrance video - but that's a long shot and more of a guess from me.

The power is being transfered more into your hand with the new game as an in depth story mode has been created. In this new story mode the power to not only chose the characters involved but also the stories themselve, the cutscenes, where the events happen, the camera angles used, the matches on the card and even write your own script for the event. This micromanagement is not to everyone's taste but it is a nice addition none the less.

The Road to Wrestlemania story mode returns again with a few changes. New storylines are an obvious must but more stories are to be added as a Divas Road to Wrestlemania is included and a Create-a Wrestler one is included as well.

Another interesting and somewhat exciting addition is the ability to alter the appearences of the superstars themselves. In particular the designers have apparently given the player the option of creating alternative ring attires for the superstar where you can alter the clothes worn, add face paint, elbow pads, knee pads, boot and more - according to the website.

And this may not be the end of the upgrades to the system as it's release date is scheduled to be in October.

All in all this looks like the best game produced for the WWE in many years and it is definately one I am loking forward to getting. The only downside for me is that I have had to switch console. I would usually get it for the Playstation but I have been unable to get enough money spare to get the Playstation3, but I've got an XBox360 so I can get it on that.

The create-a-character has always been a huge selling point for me on WWE games. And I've played plenty of them, since way back on original PS. Hell, I played them on NES I think.

Story mode is huge.

Gameplay is another thing. I remember one Smackdown game for the PS2 that was just a bunch of button smashing. I got beat by my dimwitted cousin because he smacked the controller like an unruly child.

Interesting to see what you think on this one, WT.

-HECK!

I've bought every Smackdown game that's ever been out and each of them seem to have a two to three game period of similarity followed by improvement. They test things in certain games to see how is works but drop it if its poorly recieved. The games have evolved and thats what makes the Smackdown games the best in their type. The fact that the gameplay has gotten a bit more difficult as time's gone by shows the attempts to improve the experiance.

I may have to wait until I see more of the game and actually play it before I decided whether its a must play or just one I put on the shelf (there have been a few of them) but from what I have seen so far its the best game in a long while.

That said, I cannot remember the last Smackdown game that got me this exited. I can't wait for it to be released.

It sounds really cool. I forget which Smackdown game I bought last, it was a years ago. PS2.

Is it Smackdown roster only? Or are Raw and ECW on board as well?

I hope there is a demo for this one.

On a side note, is Christian still on ECW?

-HECK!

I have '08 and it serves me well. I know they keep improving and stuff, and '08 is a lot better than the first one I got (I think it was '01, and just Smackdown... not Smackdown Vs. Raw back then).

Graphics are good, gameplay is good. Obviously they're still making them better, so that's cool. But I tend to pick this kind of game up cheap.

The roster is not completely known yet. Obviously the ususal suspects will be there, like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, etc but its the newer guys involved who grab the interest. Like the last games it'll include wrestlers from all three brands and some legends.

This is the official website if your interested in cheaking it out: http://www.smackdownvsraw.com/#/home

And these are some of the video previews of the gam:

Training mode - http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14347664/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2010/videos/smackvsraw_training_082509.html

Create-a-Wrestler - http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14347664/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2010/videos/smackvsraw_createasuperstar.html;jsessionid=u5j09u1esb3f

Create-a-Finisher - http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14347664/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2010/videos/smackvsraw_finisher_082509.html;jsessionid=3mhn33dd4prg1

Story Mode - http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14347664/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2010/videos/smackvsraw_storymode_082509.html;jsessionid=6v42tq1nc5140

And yes, Christian is still on ECW. He's the champion and is in a feud with William Regal over the belt.

I read that if you pre-order this at Game Stop you get the Stone Cold Steve Austin code. Without it you can't access him.

-HECK!

It's true. You have to pre-order the game from Game Stop or you cant get Stone Cold Steve Austin. But he's only available via XBox 360 and Playstation 3's.

do you even get game stop in the UK? never heard of it

this is their website - http://www.gamestop.com/lxbox360 - and they do have British Stores. I put Portsmouth into their store locator and it found one.

I think Gamestop has another brand it goes by overseas. Forget the name. Maybe gaboman would know.

Some people trade codes online too. Once in a while you can find it. Good luck though.

The commercials for the game look really cool.

-HECK!

I coming here to rant about something so bare with it.

Ok. Playing Shawn Michaels Road to Wrestlemania Scenario. Second match in is HBK vs. JBL with Randy Orton on commentary. Less than halfway through the match Orton leave commentary and gets a chair then throws it into the ring for JBL. Orton distracts the ref and JBL hit HBK with a chair. Nothing wrong with that. Not fair but perfectly fine wrestling and wrestling game occurance. What happens next is the problem.

The match continues and I as HBK have the upper hand then Orton gets into the ring, in plain view of the Ref, attack HBK, in plain view of the ref, and the match is allowed to continue!

The rules of wrestling clearly state that a singles match is a one on one match. Interferance from anyone is not tolerated and is an immediate DQ. There are ways around this, doing so without the ref seeing being the main one, but if the ref sees the interference then it is a DQ.

So why the hell was the match allowed to continue with Orton clearly interfering?! It annoyed me so much that I got myself DQed just to end the bloddy match and gave up with the game for the day.

Its not the only thing thats annoyed me with this game so far. The Ladder Matches and Mixed Tag Matches are the other thing.

The Ladder matches annoy me because no matter what you do to whoever your facing their never down long enough for you to climb the ladder and do anything more than about two seconds of trying to get the belt/briefcase down. You could hit someone with a Chokeslam followed by a Tombstone Pildriver as the Undertaker and I could gaurentee that that same wrestler would be up and climbing/pushing over the ladder before you even reached the top of it.

The Mixed Tag Matches annoy me because if the male wrestler so much as touches the Diva then the team the male wrestler is on is DQed and with the automatic targeting system the game has if the male wrestler is slightly nearer the Diva than he is to the other male wrestler then he's going to get that Diva whether you like it or not. The manual tageting system is not completely reliable either - for example when playing Mickie James Road to Wrestlemainia I had a tag match a could have won it fifteen minutes before I did if she would just look at the wrestling on the apron and knock them on the floor so I could pin the legal tag partner of the opposing team with their interferance but she never looked at them!

The game, generally speaking, is good but there are something that just totally and utterly piss me off and make me lose total patience with the thing. The above are some of those things.

Just to add, the new Smackdown vs RAW 2011 game has not improved the gameplay for the ladder matches at all - graphics and interaction yes, gamplay no - and its just annoying, just as unrealistic and just a difficult a match as its always been, particularly the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.