WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008

In recent years, Smackdown Vs. Raw has been the premier wrestling series. The annual updates don’t always contain the proper content to differentiate each new title from the last, but the core gameplay has kept the series going strong.

On the mobile front, wrestling games – or any kind of fighting game, for that matter – have not had what it takes to get the hardcore fans to notice. That will change in the coming years, possibly sooner than expected as new game-dedicated mobile technology is introduced.

Unfortunately, that leaves little room for success with the current wrestling games. Such is the case with WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008. Overall it does more than most, has decent visuals, and runs pretty smoothly. But it doesn’t have the proper mechanics to make it feel like a wrestling game – consequently, it comes off as an arcade button-masher.

Note: These screens are much more pixelated than the game itself.

Victory…

If nothing else, SVR 08 is a fair demonstration of 3D effects produced for the average mobile phone. Character models are polygonal, three-dimensional, and are distinctly different from each other when battling in the ring. Mobile gamers will appreciate that the game features an actual movable camera (controlled automatically) that adjusts as the player and his opponent moves around.

During grapple moves, the camera leaps forward to give you a closer look at the action. The wrestlers are less detailed from this view, but their bodies are surprisingly free of the blocky look that pervaded most PSone and N64 games.

Why is that significant? Right now, the handheld systems are a few years ahead of the 32- and 64-bit technology of that era. PSP’s visuals are better than anything you could have seen in 1996. Mobile phones, however, are a few years below the graphics produced during the 32-bit era. If mobile developers are able to reduce the blocky appearance of characters even when great detail isn’t possible (as they have with SVR 08), just think of how amazing the games will look when our phones are finally on par with PSone.

SVR 08’s frame rate isn’t overly fast, but the game runs well. There aren’t many bouts of slowdown. The animations are choppy though not as choppy as you might expect. This improves with the closer grapple view. However, there is never a time in the game when the wrestlers’ faces look good. You can choose from roughly 10 different faces in the player creation mode, but they’re all a bit muddled. And as expected, you can’t tweak their appearance – only pre-sets are available. If you’re fascinated by the selection of a wrestler’s pants, you’ll be happy to know there’s a style feature that lets you choose between long, medium and short length pants. I’m not one of those people, so let’s move onto what really counts: customizable gameplay.

Along with the slight aesthetic changes, SVR 08 allows you to assign points to five different attributes: strength, grapple, durability, speed, and charisma. Twenty-one skill points are available. They’re assigned automatically when you begin the player creation mode, but you can reduce each attribute to its lowest amount (one point each) to allocate the majority any way you please.

Players may give their wrestlers four different moves from a list of 19. Choose one of the anti-charge moves: Big Boot, Clothesline, or Drop Kick. Select two grapple moves: Piledriver, Suplex, Body Slam, and Bulldog. And one crowd-pleasing finisher: Spear, Tombstone, RKO, Sweet Chin Music, West Coast Pop, Alpha Slam, Batista Bomb, Chokeslam, Dominator, Fu, Pedigree, and Pump Handle Slam.

This sounds great and is fairly cool. The moves aren’t spectacular but have enough detail to convince the player that he or she is actually playing a wrestling game.

…and Defeat

Unfortunately, the gameplay isn’t on par with the graphics. It isn’t particular bad – you could find worse time-killers, for certain. But it doesn’t play like a wrestling game at all. The OK button, which triggers kicks and punches, is your primary attack method. Expect to press it a hundred times for every few minutes of play. This turns the game into a button-masher in a matter of minutes.

The grapple moves are decent but there isn’t much to them. You initiate them by pressing the left selection key. If your opponent tries to escape, the close grapple view will appear. That’s when a meter pops up, and more button-mashing ensues. You’ll have to jam on the left and right buttons to keep the green rectangle aligned with the triangle in the middle.

Finishers and ring climbs are also executed with the left selection key. Press these buttons correctly (avoid attack while doing so) and the game does the rest for you. If you’re ever on the receiving end of a finishing move, it’ll be time to button-mash once more.

Gameplay: 5.0
While Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 isn’t a bad time-killer, the button-mash-heavy gameplay prevents it from achieving a true wrestling game feel.

Graphics: 7.5
Good character designs and 3D camera changes (dare I say dynamic at times) give Smackdown an edge over its wrestling and fighting game competitors.

Sound: 3.0
One song played until the end of time. Or until you shut off the sound, whichever comes first.

Difficulty: Easy
Press OK to continue. Press OK to attack. Press OK to win. Press OK to hear this message again.

Concept: 7.5
A lot of good stuff that doesn’t come together.

Overall: 5.5
For those looking to add Smackown Vs. Raw 2008 to their mobile lineup, it is recommended that you only play the game with a phone that has a sturdy OK button that can withstand excessive button-mashing. This game was reviewed on an LG VX8300 – one of the stronger phones on the market. If your OK button is weak, pass on this one or look for a new phone.