Tech News on G4‘SVR 2008’ releases a mixed bagDecember 06, 2007By John Powell - G4 Canada |
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Andre The Giant, the legendary one true giant of
professional wrestling. “The Ugandan Giant"
Kamala, a deceptively quick goliath who is wild Boy, were we wrong. At almost 20 minutes long, the match was pure agony. Not even the steel cage gimmick or Andre giving Kamala a “butt drop” from the top rope after slamming him could make up for the excruciating pace. What we thought would be a violent, bloody and unrestrained main event was just a boring dud. We went home disappointed hoping that next month’s line-up would be better. Based on common sense, you would assume that ‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’, the sequel to the greatest wrestling game ever made, would improve upon the high standards set by last year’s benchmark release. If you thought that, like my pals and I before the Maple Leaf Gardens card, you would be wrong. Dead wrong depending on the version you are referring to as some are surprisingly better than others. Below, we go through some of the instalments by platform and give you the lowdown on the good and bad of ‘SVR 2008’.
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ - Xbox 360
The starting roster itself is downright disappointing considering Yuke’s could have easily ported over so many of grapplers from the ‘2007’ edition. This is perhaps because of the new control and wrestler styles but still, there are great gaps.The main selling point of ‘2008’ is that it is the first WWE game to spotlight ECW superstars, stadiums and matches. Right out of the box, you can be CM Punk, Elijah Burke, John Morrison, Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. If you complete a special challenge, you can unlock the homicidal, genocidal, suicidal Sabu and the hardcore legend Terry Funk. Missing from the roster are Kevin Thorn, The Miz, The Boogeyman, Big Daddy V, Balls Mahoney, Matt Striker, Mike Knox, Nunzio and Stevie Richards. On the positive side, the ECW hardcore wrestlers have the ability to light tables, weapons on fire and we finally get to hear the commentary of kick ass announcer Joey ‘Oh, My Gawd!’ Styles.
If you didn’t know better, you swear Yuke’s just called this one in based on the lack of updates or improvements in so many areas of the game. The commentary is exactly the same as last year’s. The entrances and the type of matches are too. If you don’t own ’2007’, then ’2008’ is a great gaming purchase. Otherwise, you would be best saving your cash and sticking with ‘2007’ until Yuke’s takes another kick at the can. ‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ Rating: 6 / 10
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ – Nintendo Wii
Also absent are the new wrestling styles, the
24/7 mode, online play and every “create” option
except for “create-a-wrestler”. So, you can Replacing the ‘24/7’ gameplay selection is
something called “Main Event”. The storyline of
this stripped down career mode is told via pithy
cell phone messages. Between getting massages to
restore health and training to boost your stats,
you wrestle and are challenged by the same three
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ Rating: 4 / 10
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ – Nintendo DS
As you square off in the ring, hotspots appear on the screen indicating level 1, level 2 or level 3 type moves. After one of the attacks is chosen, the player must follow the onscreen actions with their stylus to complete the move. The actions themselves consist of tapping a hot spot over and over, etching spirals, sliding the stylus back and forth or dragging it along a meter or arrow. If you take too long to make your choice or complete the action, your rival will go on the attack instead. It is quite mind-blowing that the developers crammed so many gameplay choices into one DS cartridge. There are 18 arenas available, six match types (regular, hardcore, last man standing, submission, iron man and 3 stages of hell) and in Season Mode the Smackdown, Raw and ECW paths all have their own unique storylines to play through. This may be the first and maybe the last circumstance in which a DS version puts the smackdown on the Wii edition of a game. It’s true. It’s damn true. Not everything about ‘SVR 2008’ for the DS is as smooth as a Ric Flair strut however. The multiplayer is only multi-card play and you cannot create your own wrestlers, entrances or title belts.
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ Rating: 7.5 / 10
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ – Sony PSP
‘Smackdown versus Raw 2008’ Rating: 7 / 10
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How developer Yukes could goof things up in just
a year’s time after the spectacular job they did on ‘2007’, is confusing.
As mentioned above, Yuke’s has tinkered with the ‘SVR’ format launching new wrestler styles, the
reversal system and a ‘24/7’ career mode. All have hurt the game badly. If implemented correctly, the wrestler styles
might have really done something to make each
grappler really unique. Instead, the styles just
give everyone some new abilities. The hardcore
wrestlers can do some cool and dastardly moves
with foreign objects, brawlers can unleash
rapid-fire combination blows, dirty wrestlers can
use officials as shields and on the list goes on.
The technicians got the best of the deal though
as coupled with the insurmountable new reversal
system, the skill set ups their counter
techniques into unheard of levels. Good luck even
trying to slip a wristlock on them. The reversal
rate alone in ‘SVRF 2008’ is so totally
unbalanced that your internal frustration metre is sure to frequently overload.
The absolute worst change to ‘SVR 2008’ though is
the combining of the Season and General Manager
modes into ’24/7’. The blend results in stilted
gameplay reminiscent of ‘Raw 2’ for the original
Xbox. Instead of actually wrestling, most of the
time you will be charged with following a
calendar and completing such enthralling tasks as
signing autographs, cutting pay-per-view promos
and engaging in exercises to better your
abilities. None of these responsibilities are any
fun at all. Yuke’s seems to have forgotten that
there is a reason there are no pro-wrestling RPGs
on the market today. Fans want in-ring action.
They don’t want a business simulator.
An anaemic release that’s missing most of the
options available on the bigger and better 360
and PS3 versions. It should tell you something
that the game manual is only four pages long.
There is not much to describe or talk about. The
only matches you will have to choose from are
single, hardcore, tag, triple threat, and K.O.
matches. No cage matches or battle royals? That’s just scandalous.
For the Wii, the entire grappling system has been
dumbed down to the point that all you can do is
press A or B for strong or quick grappling moves
and wave the Wiimote around frantically to throw
punches and kicks. During the strong grapples,
you will have to flick the Wiimote up, down, left
or right to execute an airplane spin, piledrive
them into the mat, chokeslam them or whatever
moves have been assigned to your chosen wrestler.
Making the player point the Wiimote in the
direction of the particular move or taunt is
oddly amusing. Parents may not be smiling too
broadly though when they witness their children
doing the old DX crotch chop over and over again. You have been warned.
Of all the different versions of this year’s WWE
game, it is the DS adaption that really shows
some originality. As an alternative to the tried
and true button-mashing approach, Amaze has made ‘SVR 2008’ into a strategic game that exclusively
employs the DS touch screen to play.
Although the PS3 console version shares the same
flaws as the 360 version, something can be said
for such an in-depth port making its way to a
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