WWF SmackDown! The Best Wrestling Game Ever!

Now I am not a big fan of wrestling games on the PSX, in fact, with the acception of Attitude every single wrestling game on the PSX sucks. So when I played SmackDown for the first time, amidst all the hype it was recieving, I didn't give it much of a chance, because after all THQ made WCW Thunder and we all know how bad that game blows. But when I sat down and played SmackDown I was stunned.

This game has almost everything and it more than pleased me. Let's start with the graphics, SmackDown! has probably the best graphics ever for any wrestling game since WrestleMania: The Arcade Game. Instead of using mo-cap like Acclaim did for their games, THQ had their graphics hand drawn and you can see how much detail is given to each wrestler, the ring, the backstage area, and the crowd, well not so much the crowd, it seemed kind of flat. Now sound, with some great tunes in the background and the horns honking and the stove igniting SmackDown! held nothing back, except for commentary from Good Ol' J.R. and Jerry Lawler, the game doesn't seem complete without their commentary. Now let's get down to the actual play of the game. With 36 wrestlers, moves up the wazoo and a storyline, you will feel that you're actually there, unless of course you think you're actually in the ring.

This game has it all when it comes to wrestling from special stipulatons right on down to just a regular one fall match with all the rules. But, I've said it before to my friends and I'll say it again, where is the ladder match? This is my favorite stipulation and any wrestling game with it would already deserve my purchase, imagine SmackDown with a Ladder Match and you would have the perfect game. Overall I give it a 5. This is by far one of the best sports games I've ever played and if I had never played All Star Baseball 2000 for my N64 it would be the best game I've ever played.