Take the Ring on the Road
World Wrestling Entertainment brings us their latest edition of its popular video game, Smackdown Vs Raw 2009. Being a massive WWE fan ever since the late 80’s, I got a surge of excitement when I was given the opportunity to write a review of it for the Nintendo DS. Having not tried a wrestling game on this format I was unsure what to expect in regards to visuals, gameplay and sound in comparison to my normal Xbox360 December purchase.
Firstly it was necessary to have a quick flick through the instruction booklet, purely to get an idea of how the game was going to integrate the touch screen feature on the DS, especially when I looked further to find that other than the D-Pad and L Trigger, no other buttons are used when actually in game other than of course the Stylus Pen and Touch Screen.
The manual had been successfully tackled so I switched the game on and checked the menus to see what features were available in the game; the main three options were Exhibition, Season and Create-A-Superstar. It made sense to start off with Exhibition and go through the game modes which consist of Single, Last Man Standing, Ladder, Steel Cage, Table, TLC and Hardcore game types which are all well known and popular WWE matches which will always offer true fans something to keep their interest.
Well it was “Time to play the Game” as HHH would say so I started off with a standard singles match to see how the controls felt and responded, and began with HHH vs. Jeff Hardy.
I then viewed the entrance sequences, which were accurate in details from how the superstars moved toward the squared circle minus the visually stunning pyrotechnics which would be seen on the XBOX360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation3, but for a handheld the entrances were good, showing the superstar’s entrance video on the stage as they strut to the ring mimicking their true to life counterparts while their themes were playing over the DS speakers.
Fight time and it began with just a few punches as I tapped on the stylus, which responded quite well depending on whether it was a tap, a tap and slide, or a circular motion to make my superstar grapple followed by a direction on the D-pad to perform a manoeuvre. At the beginning I was finding it difficult to beat the computer controlled player to the grapples as I was furiously trying to get grapples before my opponent, but this was not the case so I spent most of the first match learning to get up from the floor and avoid being counted out by the referee.
Well it was “Time to play the Game” as HHH would say
I enjoyed how the submission system works in regards that you have to tap the body part which is being attacked in order to break the hold or escape/force them to release the move and also the method of kicking out of pinfall situations by having to tap the numbers as they randomly appear on the DS touch screen.
Ok, it’s fair to say that Jeff Hardy beat me hard in the first match, so I thought I’d take it to another arena and try the table match! “Get the tables” was going through my mind, so the bell rang and first thing the computer player did was go out the ring and bring in a wooden table! Great half the battle was done I thought, so using the control 
system I did a few taps and knocked the computer down, double tapped the table and was then able to use this as a weapon! Next minute I was tapping on the stylus which was responding merrily by knocking the opponent to the ground.
When standing next to the downed opponent while still holding the table a small Table icon appeared, I clicked on this and it set the table up in the middle of the ring and then picked up my opponent. Both characters then began to grapple, and there was a circle around both character’s waists and the tapping race was on to win the grapple. After winning this a small up arrow appears which you have to slide the stylus up in order to win the grapple and slam your opponent through the table. I liked how this feature worked and used the stylus control! It was very simple but worked very well with the functionality of the control system.
Most of the other game modes work in a similar method in regards to tapping areas of the screen depending on whether you are trying to climb a ladder or escape a 15ft steel cage! The control system worked quite well at the start however, the harder the matches became while progressing your career through the season mode the more fiddly and difficult the execution of moves becomes. The more you rush to beat the computer to a move the less likely it is that the system registers your motion correctly, which I found became an issue when I was trying to execute more advanced and powerful holds.
The positives about the career mode though are that you can choose any of the games 29 authentic superstars and develop them over time while being part of your own WWE dream to become the next WWE champion on Smackdown, RAW or ECW by achieving success with your chosen superstar and leading them to the gold. The season mode is good if you want a bit more than just a quick match as you have to earn your way up the ranks in various matches and develop more skills as you progress with victories in matches. I think this mode offers the game more life as you can play and could be involved in any of the matches that exhibition mode offers but obviously the computer and the script you’re participating in determines what your next match is and who it will be against… and not all season modes will be the same, so it encourages you to try different superstars from each of the 3 WWE brands.
Overall I think the game is enjoyable and visually good for a handheld console where you can “Take the Ring on the Road” as the box says. I feel the game itself is not bad at all and the quantity of WWE authenticity inside will attract many true fans to make the purchase. Myself as a fan of the WWE would give this a 7/10 but I’m not sure how long it would keep my interest if I was just looking for a fighting game in general. I would also probably be tempted to purchase the game on an Xbox360, Wii or Playstation3 as its controls sometimes gets to you when you are trying to do moves that just don’t seem to register, and also for the improved graphics and details which would appeal to the hardcore WWE followers. “GAME OVER”
The Bad: Repetitive Game play but plenty of superstars to explore; New control method requires some practice and patience; Graphics Not As Good As Other Systems; Rated 15 Which Could Hinder the Younger Fans;
Bronze Y Award