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IGN Review of WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008
It should be no surprise to anyone that when it comes to WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008, DS was about as far from the "primary SKU" as possible. As the first wrestling title on DS - first respectable one, anyways - THQ decided to change things up a bit with its DS offering by creating a game that looked as impressive as possible, was as cinematic and realistic as possible, and as "DS" as possible. When we first had a chance to go hands-on with the game, it came as no surprise that SmackDown! vs. Raw on DS was anything but a generic design, shedding the direct control and free movement feeling of every other wrestling experience out there for an extremely innovative - and downright gutsy move, we admit - control method. So while SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 for DS isn't exactly an "every man" game, it's certainly a unique experience that would only work on DS, and a pretty enjoyable experience despite some first-round jitters.
For SmackDown! vs. Raw's first effort on DS, THQ went with a completely off-the-wall choice, using literally no buttons on the pocket hardware and instead opting for a full touch-based experience. Rather than navigating your wrester around the ring via d-pad, all movement is handled automatically in what will initially feel like a turn-based wrestling experience. In reality though, it's anything but, as SvR blends touch precision, strategy, and speed to deliver a totally unique feel on the system.
We've had a chance to go in depth on the nuances of the DS design in previous hands-on impressions, but the basic premise revolves around a simple rock, paper, scissors concept. At any given time the touch screen will show the two wresters standing off face to face, as well as three touch icons attached to various parts of your wrester's body. Tap an icon and you'll initiate a touch-based move. These can be as simple as dragging a hand back to begin a punch, or as complex as pulling an arm backwards, then forward, and then creating tiny circles in a "stir the pot" motion to wrench up an opponent in a headlock. Strategy comes in when you take into account the three different moves in each opportunity (labeled 1-3 based on time needed to perform it, as well as difficulty and power of the attack) and string it all together for a very technical, strategic wrestling experience. Fast attacks beat mediums, mediums are quicker than strong, but strong can attack even when hit by a fast attack; it's as simple as that.
The game's design is also part of its overall flaw, however, as players are either going to get into the concept of touch-based fighting, or they absolutely won't. Personally we had a blast with it while playing multiplayer, but when diving into the pretty simplistic single player mode (and Season Mode, at that) the intensity of playing mind games on your opponent and element of human error is lost, making it less appealing overall. Along those same lines, there's literally no control for ring navigation, so something as simple as working an opponent into the corner will take a few consecutive successful hits. With three options at all time, it can become pretty uneventful to see the same attack over, and over, and over again.
The team over at Amaze did a pretty decent job of mixing things up though, which will certainly add to the lifespan of the game for those that really get into the basic concept. You can compete in singles competition in regular matches, hardcore, iron man, last man standing, submission, and three stages of hell. In addition to selecting preferred weaponry (or "foreign objects") for your player you can also select an ally when applicable who can not only be called in during vital points in a match, but also act as a constant stat boost depending on their style. When ripping through career mode you'll also have a few mini-games for training purposes, and while they're extremely basic overall it still helps to lengthen the experience. Still, only the most hardcore wrestling fan need apply, as this one is about as serious of an experience as you can get. Even finishing moves - a staple in WWE - can only be pulled off when weakening a specific area of your opponent; a huge difference from the two minute matches of the Wii version.
In the end though, there simply needs to be more. Much like the Wii version we consider SmackDown! vs. Raw's first DS effort to be a great first step in the right direction, and even though it's a love it or hate it design, we see the appeal, and have had a ton of fun with it during multiplayer bouts and a few intense single player matches. There's no create-a-superstar, no online, and only one-on-one matches though, all of which need to be remedied next year. As far as audio goes, there's no commentary at all, but each of the wrestler's intro music is included, and the crowd reacts to the on-screen action by starting chants and gunning for their favorite star when the action gets hot. The audio isn't mind-blowing by any means, but teamed with the smooth 3D action the game's presentation is still pretty impressive, and it definitely has a very cinematic look and feel throughout.
©2007-11-01, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
For SmackDown! vs. Raw's first effort on DS, THQ went with a completely off-the-wall choice, using literally no buttons on the pocket hardware and instead opting for a full touch-based experience. Rather than navigating your wrester around the ring via d-pad, all movement is handled automatically in what will initially feel like a turn-based wrestling experience. In reality though, it's anything but, as SvR blends touch precision, strategy, and speed to deliver a totally unique feel on the system.
We've had a chance to go in depth on the nuances of the DS design in previous hands-on impressions, but the basic premise revolves around a simple rock, paper, scissors concept. At any given time the touch screen will show the two wresters standing off face to face, as well as three touch icons attached to various parts of your wrester's body. Tap an icon and you'll initiate a touch-based move. These can be as simple as dragging a hand back to begin a punch, or as complex as pulling an arm backwards, then forward, and then creating tiny circles in a "stir the pot" motion to wrench up an opponent in a headlock. Strategy comes in when you take into account the three different moves in each opportunity (labeled 1-3 based on time needed to perform it, as well as difficulty and power of the attack) and string it all together for a very technical, strategic wrestling experience. Fast attacks beat mediums, mediums are quicker than strong, but strong can attack even when hit by a fast attack; it's as simple as that.
The game's design is also part of its overall flaw, however, as players are either going to get into the concept of touch-based fighting, or they absolutely won't. Personally we had a blast with it while playing multiplayer, but when diving into the pretty simplistic single player mode (and Season Mode, at that) the intensity of playing mind games on your opponent and element of human error is lost, making it less appealing overall. Along those same lines, there's literally no control for ring navigation, so something as simple as working an opponent into the corner will take a few consecutive successful hits. With three options at all time, it can become pretty uneventful to see the same attack over, and over, and over again.
The team over at Amaze did a pretty decent job of mixing things up though, which will certainly add to the lifespan of the game for those that really get into the basic concept. You can compete in singles competition in regular matches, hardcore, iron man, last man standing, submission, and three stages of hell. In addition to selecting preferred weaponry (or "foreign objects") for your player you can also select an ally when applicable who can not only be called in during vital points in a match, but also act as a constant stat boost depending on their style. When ripping through career mode you'll also have a few mini-games for training purposes, and while they're extremely basic overall it still helps to lengthen the experience. Still, only the most hardcore wrestling fan need apply, as this one is about as serious of an experience as you can get. Even finishing moves - a staple in WWE - can only be pulled off when weakening a specific area of your opponent; a huge difference from the two minute matches of the Wii version.
In the end though, there simply needs to be more. Much like the Wii version we consider SmackDown! vs. Raw's first DS effort to be a great first step in the right direction, and even though it's a love it or hate it design, we see the appeal, and have had a ton of fun with it during multiplayer bouts and a few intense single player matches. There's no create-a-superstar, no online, and only one-on-one matches though, all of which need to be remedied next year. As far as audio goes, there's no commentary at all, but each of the wrestler's intro music is included, and the crowd reacts to the on-screen action by starting chants and gunning for their favorite star when the action gets hot. The audio isn't mind-blowing by any means, but teamed with the smooth 3D action the game's presentation is still pretty impressive, and it definitely has a very cinematic look and feel throughout.
©2007-11-01, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved