[Video Game] WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth

[Kam]

WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth! (PS2)

"It’s that time of the year again when Yukes decide to crank out the Smackdown licence, steal another one of The Rock’s catchphrases and make themselves a game. The 4th one of the series now, Shut Your Mouth (Catchy name, no?) is looking to promise more modes, more features and improved gameplay. After the disappointment that was Just Bring It, the game is set to includes quite a few new changes."

Order your copy:

US:$49.99 - Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IJJF/talkwrestling-20) (November 21st)

UK:£37.99 - Amazon.co.uk (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000069UZL/talkwrestling-21/) (November 15th)

(Prices may change)

Preview:

Read the preview here (http://www.talkwrestlingonline.com/Games/VGRP/Smackdown_Shut_Your_Mouth/smackdown_shut_your_mouth.shtml)

[mwnn]

as long as the season mode is actually a mode and not just win,defend and then back to the start if you ever did manage to loose I might get this one.

how on earth can they mess up the career mode...tsk

[Hardcore Holly]

the season mode looks like its gonna be pretty good this time around!!

[mwnn]

Seen a bit more of it now.

Graphics arent bad..the hair moves
Clipping still sucks now and again. Competition, who can make their hand disappear the most in HHH's breast :D

the "three minute review" comes tomorrow

[The Crippler]

I'm getting the game tomorrow and I'm actually pretty excited about it. It looks really good and the season mode sounds very promising, I just hope when I get it I'm not left disappointed.

[Miss T]

Im buying it tommorrow, for my lil bro, honest! :smurfy

[Pabster]

It's the best WWE game yet. THQ have really gone all out on this game and you can tell. So many new options, it's unbelievable.

I give this 5/5.

:xyx

[Peter]

I may as well post a quick summary of what I think:

Graphics - 7.5/10
Sound - 8/10
Gameplay - 8/10
Lifespan - 8/10
Overall - 8/10

Strengths:

~Excellent Season mode
~Lots to unlock, which will take the average gamer a good few weeks to unlock everything
~Good graphics
~More realistic gameplay
~Great entrances
~Very detailed and addictive CAW mode
~Much improved commentary
~Lots of options and match types

Weaknesses:

~Wrestlers still often dissapear through each other
~Gameplay still isn't tweaked to perfection
~Roster is somewhat outdated, with Rey Mysterio, Batista, Nida and Jamie Knoble and several others missing


And thats your lot. :)

[Peter]

Heres my Amazon.com review:

WWE Smackdown : Shut Your Mouth is a sequel to the popular WWE Smackdown series on Playstation 2. After the third installment, which proved to be a real dissapointment, the game is back, with lots of new characters, more realistic gameplay and a host of new match options, not to mention an amazing Season mode and an incredibly detailed Create a Wrestler mode. The graphics have also been tweaked to perfection, with floppy hair movements and beatiful facial, sweat and expression animations. All in all, it is a great game, but there are still parts that need improving.

First of all, I will start off with the graphics. There really are few faults I can find with them, to be honest. Each wrestler has been made excellently, with facial movements being spot on and very nice attires on all the stars, which are very realistic. The hair looked awful in the previous three titles, but it has been changed in this game, with the hair flopping around while playing, which looks a lot more realistic compared to the hair that looked like it had been stuck on it the other games. The graphics are not perfect though. They are pretty damn good, but there is one huge glitch overall on them, and that is that wrestlers still frequently dissapear through each other during matches. It looks very unrealistic when you have your opponent in a headlock and your hands are dissapearing through their neck. That is pretty much the only fault I can find with the graphics, they are otherwise fantastic.

Next catergory is gameplay. Believe it or not, there are yet more options in SYM than JBI. In the Exibition, there are well over 70 types of matches to play, such as Cage, TLC, Ladder, Hell in a Cell and Slobberknocker stipulated match ups. There are also some new options, such as Captain Fall Six Man Tag. in which you select a captain for each team, and they must be pinned to win the match. There are traditional Royal Rumble and King of the Ring match options too. On top of all this, there is a killer Season mode. First off you select a superstar to play as in the Season. You then get to participate in the Roster Draft, in which you get to be either Ric Flair or Vince McMahon, and get to choose what stars appear on your program, which is either Raw or Smackdown. This is a lot of fun to do. Your star then starts the Season, which lasts two years, and there are loads of options here, as you try to gain superstar points and work your way up the ranks to try and become Undisputed Champ. On the way, at every PPV you win a match, you get to unlock something, such as an arena, superstar attire or CAW parts. The Season and Exibition modes are both superb. Only problem I have with the Season is that there are no voice overs, but never mind.

Now the sound. Again, very impressive here, the WWE have licensed a lot of superstar themes, such as Edges "Never Gonna Stop" theme by Rob Zombie, Rob Van Dams "One of a Kind" by Breaking Point, and Litas "Lovefurypassionenergy" by Boy Hits Car. There are however a few themes missing. The Hardy Boyz and Tajiri and Stacy Keibler all have their respective themes replaced by generic music, and Maven has the Smackdown theme, instead of the TE theme. Kanes latest theme is also noticebly absent. Bar those few themes though, all the other superstar themes are in, and the sound is very good. During matches, you get a stompy rock generic theme, which is okay. Overall, thumbs up for the sound.

Now, the roster. The roster is very good, with 60 WWE superstars to choose from. There are several new names in SYM, such as Booker T, Brock Lesnar, Rob Van Dam, Stacy Keibler and Hulk Hogan. Several big name superstars are however missing, such as Rey Mysterio, Paul Heyman, Jamal and Rosey and Eric Bischoff, making the roster a bit outdated. There is the CAW mode to create these stars, and it is not a hard job as the CAW mode is the best I have ever seen, with things being so in depth you can even do face morphing, very impressive. Overall, a decent roster, despite several big name stars missing.

Now finally the lifespan. There are many aspects to SYM that will keep you hooked for ages, such as unlocking everything and creating characters in the CAW mode. The Season will also keep you playing for a long time. The gameplay however, can get slightly repetitive and boring after a few weeks, which might put you off playing it to complete it 100%. The gameplay is a lot more realistic than the other three games, but is still very samey with similar (but easy to pick up) controls. Still, if you are a diehard WWE fan this will keep you playing for a good few weeks to say the least. Lifespan is good, but not great. Basically, you will be playing for weeks, but not months.

Overall, excellently produced WWE game, most realistic WWE game yet. I give it 4/5, because it is not perfect, but damn sure close. Good, good game well worth a look even if your not a wrestling fan, but if you are a WWE fan with a PS2 this is an essential buy.

[Peter K]

Time for my no-nonsense review :)

I got the game last Christmas and played it loads of times for weeks and weeks and months.

Sure, the game has beautiful and fancy graphics - but again that's what the PS2 do anyway :)

With the lovely graphics - the gameplay in the Season mode are VERY suspect - with difficulity levels ranging from each match as "Ridicously Easy" to "Rock-Hard". - for example I, as an created wrestler - found battling against most wrestlers an easy walk-through but when you face The Undertaker and Kurt Angle - it is very hard and you need to regularly hit him with clotheslines. - but facing Brock, The Rock and Hollywood Hogan - it's easy to beat them! - weird!

But - there're terrible glitches - for example, if you are fighting on the ramp and the opponent pushes you to the edge of the ramp - you float for a few seconds before crashing back down to the floor.

Then, in the Subway section - if you get in a train and goes away leaving your opponent back in the Subway - when you arrive at The World complex - the opponent will be there with you - as if he've never missed the train!

But - when you're finished the season mode - it is not worth carrying on with the game as it is the same every time - I've part exchanged the game now as it's not great now.

If you've never played this title - get it. - my PK Rating: 8/10.

[OLDSCHOOLREBEL]

What is the most amount of knockouts you got in the Slobber Knocker mode and with who? Be honest. I got 46 with Edge. Has anybody beaten the record of 70?

[Peter K]

I've not just got 70 - I've got 100! :)

[OLDSCHOOLREBEL]

My new record is still with Edge, but now I have 98.

[Peter K]

Originally posted by OLDSCHOOLREBEL
My new record is still with Edge, but now I have 98.

Just 2 more and you get a secret video! - but it's not worth watching really apart if you're a big Divas fan - as it's about the divas.

[OLDSCHOOLREBEL]

Come to think of it, the video is not what is important. It is beating down The Rock until he cannot stand up is what is important! Sorry. I got a lttle carried away.

[Peter K]

Originally posted by OLDSCHOOLREBEL
Come to think of it, the video is not what is important. It is beating down The Rock until he cannot stand up is what is important! Sorry. I got a lttle carried away.

Say, you're right! - that is more important - I acheieved that too :)