Evolution Schematic 04.26.08: WWE Video Games (Part 6)

Posted by Mathew Sforcina on 04.26.2008

Just need a few more momentum bars...

Writer's Notes

Hello, and welcome to this oh so slightly delayed edition of the Evolution Schematic. I apologize for this, I know how much my ‘fans' miss me when I don't post on time, which as we all know is very very rare, Mr. Punctuality, that's me. But in my defence it was my birthday recently and thus parties and celebrations were required. Also, I'm working out my booking for an upcoming feature here on 411. Stay tuned for my 12th pick, it's a doozy.

Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5 are there for your reading pleasure.

And now, let's hit a couple more specials and get this thing oh so close to the final bell.



(Edit: This was intended on being a complete and total account. However, it has been brought to my attention that there are a couple of areas this series has missed, namely LCD games and Mobile Phone games, as well as one or two very minor games left out. We apologize for this, and hope to correct these omissions at a later stage. Thank you, and feel free to inform me of these omissions if you see them.)

Phase 28- Bring what? Cake? Soda? A plate? Girls?

Name: WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It
Console/s: Playstation 2
Release Date: November 19, 2001
Playable Characters: Albert, Big Show, Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Crash, Dean Malenko, D-Von Dudley, Edge, Faarooq, Fred Durst, Hardcore Holly, Ivory, Jeff Hardy, Jerry Lynn, Kane, Kurt Angle, Lita, Matt Hardy, Mick Foley, Molly Holly, Perry Saturn, Raven, Rikishi, Rhyno, The Rock, Shane McMahon, Spike Dudley, Stephanie McMahon, Steve Austin, Steve Blackman, Steven Richards, Tajiri, Tazz, Test, Triple H, Trish Stratus, Undertaker, Vince McMahon, William Regal
Unplayable Character/s: Earl Hebner, Michael Cole.
Match Type/s: Single, Tag, 6 Man Tag, Handicap, Royal Rumble, King Of The Ring, Hardcore, Falls Count Anywhere, Survival, Cage, I Quit, Table, Ladder, TLC, Special Ref, Hell In A Cell, Ironman, 3 Stages Of Hell, Slobberknocker, Last Man Standing, Ultimate Submission, Street Fight, Story Mode
Other Features: Commentary, CAW, Create A Taunt, Movelists, Movies.
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Info:

Just Bring It was the third Smackdown game, and the first on the PS2. The effect of this was notable, as the game looked sharper and also for the first time had audio commentary from Michael Cole and Tazz, which made for interesting listening when Tazz was involved in a match. The roster was decent (Stevie!), and the inclusion of move sets also gave you more characters, provided you knew who they were (#4 = RVD and so on).

However, the story mode was perhaps the most interesting development. Taking a page from No Mercy's general style, you had to roam the arena to find people to talk to and thus advance the story, within a certain time limit. Hence, theoretically, anyone could win any belt (outside of gender issues) provided you talked to the right people at the right time. However, having to walk around and find everyone, while a different and unique idea, plus allowing for secrets and hidden characters, was not the most popular of concepts and was scaled back in later releases. However, the game was a success and sold very well, thus proving that there was a market for a solid, arcade flavoured but still solid wrestling game.

That, or Fred Durst has a lot of fans.

Phase 29- This was none of the above.

Name: WWF/WWE Raw
Console/s: Xbox, PC
Release Date: February 11, 2002
Playable Characters: Al Snow, Albert, The Big Show, Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Crash Holly, D-Von Dudley, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Faarooq, Fred Durst, Funaki, Haku, Hardcore Holly, Ivory, Jeff Hardy, Justin Credible, K-Kwik, Kane, Kurt Angle, Lita, Matt Hardy, Molly Holly, Perry Saturn, Raven, Rhyno, Rikishi, The Rock, Spike Dudley, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, Steve Austin, Steve Blackman, Tajiri, TAKA Michinoku, Tazz, Test, Triple H, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, William Regal, X-Pac.
Unplayable Character/s: None.
Match Type/s: Single, Tag Team, Tornado Tag, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Battle Royal, Handicap, Title Match (WWF, IC, Euro, HC, LH, Women's), King Of The Ring.
Other Features: CAW, Weapon Collection.
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Xbox

PC

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It's such a shame. For a while, Xbox was the odd one out with WWF games. This first attempt sucked. It sucked bad. Terrible AI, terrible controls, no real story mode, just a bad game. Then, to make matters worse, they ported it over to the PC, which also hadn't had a good wrestling game in a while! Shocking!

Problems in development forcing the removal of blood, few positive advancements (the weapons collection thing was all right…) and it being the only WWF game on the Xbox for a while (and then the only WWE PC game for a while, the switchover happening between releases) added more bad taste to people's mouths.

Plus having Fred Durst as the last unlockable is silly. Damm need to get Taker's music…

Phase 30- The Last Train To WWF-ville.

Name: WWF/WWE Wrestlemania X8
Console/s: Gamecube
Release Date: June 11, 2002
Playable Characters: Albert, The Big Show, Booker T, Bradshaw, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, D-Von Dudley, Edge, Faarooq, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Hurricane, Jacqueline, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Lance Storm, Lita, Matt Hardy, Mighty Molly, Raven, Rhyno, Ric Flair, Rikishi, Rob Van Dam, The Rock, Scott Hall, Scotty 2 Hotty, Shane McMahon, Stacy Keibler, Stephanie McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Tajiri, Tazz, Test, Triple H, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, William Regal.
Unplayable Character/s: None
Match Type/s: Single, Tag, Handicap, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Battle Royal, Royal Rumble, Hardcore, Cage, Hell In A Cell, Ladder, Table, TLC, Ironman, Path Of A Champion, Battle For The Belts.
Other Features: CAW, Create A Belt.
Screenshot:


You know, I don't think it's too much to ask for a WWF/WWE (this game came out right around the big switch, so while the box and booklet say WWE, the game says WWF, this being the final official WWF product ever made) game to feel like a WWE product. What I mean by that is that I expect a WWE game to feature heavy on the story, and less on the in ring stuff. I mean, No Mercy had both, don't get me wrong, but given the choice between gameplay and story mode, if one has to be awesome and the other merely ok, I'll take story mode. I mean, this is WWE here, Sports Entertainment. If I bought an ROH game (or rather, as I think will soon happen, I buy a Japanese Game with ROH in it), I'd expect little to any story mode and just a superb wrestling engine. WWE, other way round.

So why was there this rash of no story mode games? Like Raw before it, this game had no real story mode, merely a Path Of A Champion mode, where you just wrestled a few matches and won the title.

Whoopie.

I mean, the game was all right. The controls were bad, but it looked nice, had Titantrons and music, had a nice Create A Belt mode that you could defend against friends (sadly only in multiplayer, given that Internet play wasn't active yet), and the nWo, but apart from that, the game had nothing really to go for it, and the lack of anything resembling a decent story mode really just makes the whole thing frustrating. I mean, with the next game I understand it, but on the Gamecube, I expected more…

Phase 31- Closest ever to Madden Syndrome WWE ever got.

Name: WWE Road to WrestleMania X8
Console/s: Game Boy Advance
Release Date: October 23, 2002
Playable Characters: Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Jericho, Christian, D-Von Dudley, Edge, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kane, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Test, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker.
Unplayable Character/s: Vince McMahon.
Match Type/s: Singles, Tag, Handicap, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, Hardcore, Cage, Lumberjack, Championship, King Of The Ring, Royal Rumble, Gauntlet, Pay Per View, Exhibition, Team Battle.
Other Features: Shopzone Unlockables, Belts, Multiplayer.
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Info:

Although the game wasn't just a roster ‘update'. I mean, yes, it was pretty much the same game as Road To Wrestlemania. But it had a graphics update, a gameplay update and some new features, and it was a decent game, but still, at the heart of it, it was the same game. To some people, this is a disadvantage. They like updates, new modes, new ideas. But many of the biggest selling games sticked to the same gameplay, not changing what wasn't broke. So it's a double edged sword, and a fair to good game, depending on your viewpoint.

Phase 32- But I'm only talkin' ‘bout Smackdown!

Name: WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
Console/s: PS2
Release Date: November 13, 2002
Playable Characters: Al Snow, Albert, Big Show, Big Valbowski, Billy Gunn, Billy Kidman, Booker T, Brock Lesnar, Bradshaw, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Chuck Palumbo, D-Von Dudley, Diamond Dallas Page, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, Faarooq, Goldust, Hardcore Holly, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Hurricane, Ivory, Jazz, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Lance Storm, Lita, Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Maven, Molly Holly, Randy Orton, Raven, Rhyno, Ric Flair, Rico, Rikishi, Rob Van Dam, The Rock, Scotty 2 Hotty, Shawn Michaels, Shawn Stasiak, Spike Dudley, Stacy Keibler, Stephanie McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Tajiri, Tazz, Test, Torrie Wilson, Triple H, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, William Regal, X-Pac.
Unplayable Character/s: Debra, Earl Hebner, Jerry ‘The King' Lawler, Jim Ross, Linda McMahon, Michael Cole.
Match Type/s: *deep breath* Single, Single with a Manager, Tag, Tag with a Manager, Tornado Tag, 6-Man Tag, Tornado 6-Man Tag, Handicap- One on Two, Handicap- One on Tag, Handicap- One on Three, Royal Rumble, King of the Ring, King of the Ring Special Tournament, Hardcore Single, Hardcore Tornado Tag, *gasp* Hardcore 6-Man Tag, Hardcore Triple Threat Tornado Tag, Hardcore Triple Threat, Hardcore Fatal 4 Way, Hardcore Time Limit, Triple Threat, Fatal 4 Way, 4-Man Battle Royal, 5-Man Battle Royal, 6-Man Battle Royal, Cage Single, Cage Tornado Tag, Cage Triple Threat, *bigger gasp* Cage Fatal 4 Way, Cage Single Pin and Give Up, Gage Triple Threat Pin and Give Up, Cage Fatal 4 Way Pin and Give Up, Elimination Tag, Elimination Tornado Tag, Elimination Captain Fall Tornado 6-Man Tag, *gasp, drink, cough* Elimination 6-Man Tag, Elimination Tornado 6-Man Tag, Elimination Table Tornado 6-Man Tag, Hell in a Cell, Hell in a Cell Tornado Tag, Hell in a Cell Triple Threat, Hell in a Cell Fatal 4 Way, Hell in a Cell Armageddon Hell in a Cell, *sigh* I Quit, Ironman, Ladder, Ladder Tornado Tag, Ladder Triple Threat Tornado Tag, Ladder Triple Threat, Ladder Fatal 4 Way, Last Man Standing, Lumberjack, Slobber Knocker Time Limit, Slobber Knocker No Limit, Slobber Knocker Anywhere, Special Referee, Special Referee Two Referees, *huge gasp* Street Fight, Submission, Submission Ultimate Submission, Table, Table Tornado Tag, Table Triple Threat, Table Fatal 4 Way, Table Tornado 6-Man Tag, TLC, TLC Tornado Tag, TLC Triple Threat, TLC Fatal 4 Way, *breath* TLC Title, TLC Title Tornado Tag, TLC Title Triple Threat, TLC Title Fatal 4 Way, 3 Stages of Hell. *phew*
Other Features: CAW, Create-An-Animation (Taunt/Walk/Stance), Season Mode, Backstage Areas.
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Info:

Yeah, this one had a few game modes in it. It also had one of the best season modes outside of No Mercy. A 2 year epic that gave you freedom to make choices, that centred around the draft split, with Flair's Raw vs. Vince's Smackdown. Shockingly enough, this game actually predicted the future, as halfway through the season mode Flair and Vince make up, and the game switches to the Owners vs. The Superstars, something that didn't quite happen that way in real life but sure did happen overall.

The gameplay was slightly less reverse heavy, with more emphasis on knowing the right button to press rather than merely mashing them as with the last Smackdown game. The announce duties were now taken over by JR and King, and were scaled back slightly, becoming less intrusive as the first attempt with SYM. There were new backstage areas as well, WWE The World, Times Square and others, which gave you new weapons, interactive environments you could whip people into, and of course, snowball fights.

One of the biggest and best SD games thus far made, this gave No Mercy a run for it's money in many people's eyes, being that much bigger, that much more beautiful, and that much more advanced. In many ways, it came down to people's preferences on the game engine. Regardless, it still proved that people liked the WWE, and wanted to play their games, that people liked to pretend they were wrestlers.

And somehow, this lead to the next game having nothing to do with wrestling.

Phase 33- Seriously, what the hell?

Name: WWE Crush Hour
Console/s: PS2, GC.
Release Date: February 19, 2003
Playable Characters: The Big Show, Billy, Booker T, Bradshaw, Brock Lesnar, Bubba Ray Dudley, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Chuck, D-Von Dudley, Edge, Hulk Hogan, Jeff Hardy, Kane, Kevin Nash, Kurt Angle, Lita, Matt Hardy, Ric Flair, Rikishi, Rob Van Dam, The Rock, Stacy Keibler, Stephanie McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Test, Triple H, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, William Regal.
Unplayable Character/s: Jim Ross, Jonathon Coachman.
Match Type/s: Season Mode, Raw, Smackdown, Hardcore, Hell in the Cell, Lumberjack, Ironman, Cage, Royal Rumble, Running the Gauntlet, Survivor Series, King of the Ring, Battle Royal, Bottom Line.
Other Features: Demolition Derby Fighting, Commentary, The Japanese Shampoo Commercial Edge Did.
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Gamecube

PS2

Info:

Geez.

Well, on one hand, you can understand this game's existence. Vince McMahon has, and also has had, a desire to use Wrestling as a springboard. Vince McMahon doesn't just want to bring you wrestling action. He wants to give you wrestling, and football, and news, and comedy, and porn, and your internet access, and sell you cars… Vince is an ambitious man. So, naturally, this would eventually expose itself in a game. The story for Crush Hour shows a world where Vince now controls all media, and the WWE superstars are all over the place. So, naturally, Vince tries to see to it that they end up dying on camera with Crush Hour, a Twisted Metal Rip… I mean, a Demolition Derby themed game.

Now, to be fair, the game's actually not that bad. If it had been released as "Crush Time", with fictional media boss Paddington Cade doing this idea with a variety of his celebs, singers, actors, comedians, sports stars and so on, it would be a good game. Hell, it actually is pretty good as is.

But with the WWE plastered all over it, it comes across as well…lame. I mean, you're playing a car combat game with Billy, Chuck, and The Undertaker. That just doesn't fit right. It's just not what you expect or want from the WWE. So it never quite clicks, unless you can see past the WWE logos and characters and what have you. Luckily the next WWE game released was everything you expected from a WWE game, and then some. And not only because Victoria was in it…

A HUGE thank you to Wikipedia, Gamefaqs, Gamer's Hell, Mobygames, Gamespot, Gamespy, and Consoleclassix for being cool sites for this column.