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WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 Impressions (XB360)

THQ unveils its latest tag-team focused slobber knocker. Oh, hellll yeah!

by Chris Buffa on Friday, March 28, 2008

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2009

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

WWE fans have a lot to look forward to this fall, as THQ plans to unleash WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, the 10th edition of its popular wrestling franchise. This year's version packs a ton of new features with a heavy emphasis on tag team action. The result is an attractive sports entertainment extravaganza full of gorgeous visuals, an explosive presentation and enhanced features.

THQ

This year's game puts a strong emphasis on tag-team action. THQ has put a lot of work into making the experience less robotic and more like an actual WWE match. This includes momentum-shifting tags, where you'll be able to give your partner the "hot tag" to get quickly them into the ring and clean house. Conversely, you can turn your back on your partner, Shawn Michaels-style. We expect lots of drama, especially since you can tag in (a blind tag), even when you're partner doesn't want to come out.

In addition, you'll team up for various cooperative maneuvers to deliver punishing moves, such as double drop kicks, elbows and holding someone so your partner can give them Ric Flair chops. When you're not tagged in, you can stand on the ring apron and grab an opponent inside of the ring, which lets your partner get in some cheap shots. Furthermore, you can distract the ref, piss off or hype up the crowd and enjoy exclusive offensive moves.

In a unique twist, both partners share the same momentum meter, so if your partner sucks, so do you. This forces you to work as a team, making sure you have quick tags to keep each other fresh.

Create-A-Finisher should be really sweet. You can link animations together to create any move you can imagine. THQ programmed a new creation interface that lets you link over 500 animations together. You can decrease and increase animation speed, select the number of rotations and name the move. It's so advanced that you can even add taunts in between moves, so you can punch a guy and embarrass a wrestler before picking them up and breaking their neck. And when you're done, you can assign these moves to created superstars and the WWE roster. Tired of John Cena's finisher? Change it and then take it beyond the single player modes to the online arena. You can use these moves anywhere. Not only is this a sweet mode, but it also enhances Create-A-Superstar tenfold.

Customizing, however, doesn't end there. THQ will allow you to mess around with ring entrances and post match celebrations. You'll choose how you'll end the match, shaking your fallen opponents' hands, smacking them across the face or hitting them with a chair. You can even knock out the ref. It's especially cool with the Wii version, because you can use the remote and nunchuk to act out these motions, so when you first come onto the entrance ramp. For example, raising both controllers will cause your character to life their arms.

Road to Wrestlemania is the single player experience, a three-month journey to Wrestlemania that starts just before Royal Rumble. It includes new Superstar-specific storylines that make you feel like a particular wrestler. There's also a cooperative storyline for a tag team, with plenty of twists that could result in you and your partner turning on each other. Finally, Road to Wrestlemania has multiple endings, which encourages multiple plays.

SmackDown's Wii version is sweet because of the interactive motion controls that let you work up a sweat while pummeling the competition.

In addition, you can also expect 50% shorter load times, and this includes navigating menus, in-between cut scenes and waiting for matches to begin. You can also expect improved artificial intelligence, better commentary with less repetition (and robotic delivery), and according to THQ, the animation will be much smoother, thanks to more than 300 smooth motion-captured moves. With that said, we're most excited about the hit detection. Previous SmackDown games are an exercise in frustration, as you miss tons of attacks. This year's game should cut down on that, as improvements to the fighting system should make sure you drop those elbows more consistently.

Similar to last year, the Wii version is predominantly motion controlled, so not only will you physically move your arms to taunt and celebrate, but to also punch, kick, recover and execute devastating finishers. It won't be the most feature-packed version, despite having at least 30 match types, but its controls make it stand on its own. On the downside, it lacks the robust tag features found in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions.

Finally, SmackDown will have downloadable content, although THQ won't comment on what that'll be. They did, however, mention that even the Wii will have online play, which is huge, considering the system's meager online support.

Even though THQ still has a lot of work to do, we're already excited about WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009. It seems like THQ has made drastic changes, and we can't wait to play the game in the next few months. Expect more bone-crushing info on our road to WWE championship glory.

Latest Article Comments (16)

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digitaldis4ster on 7/22/2008 5:42 pm

Congratulations Buffa, you've managed to reach new lows. Not only does this piece reinforce that you are a poor writer with no knowledge of the video game industry. It also shows that you have no understanding of professional wrestling. :: thumbs up ::

bonillaant on 7/22/2008 4:12 pm

this is gona be ****ing awesome the brothers of destruction will kill the competition get ready dx

jovansedano on 7/21/2008 11:18 pm

im not a wwe fan, but i played there games and there very cool and 4 wii its better

batistabomb2332 on 7/21/2008 6:56 pm

and they'll have inferno matches those are gonna be sick

thecoolalex on 7/21/2008 1:35 pm

mercenaries 2 world in flames will be much better than this garbage u call a game.

patriots44jgc on 7/20/2008 8:24 pm

John Cena and DX[HBKandTRIPLE H]

jtrulz17 on 7/20/2008 3:00 pm

Not to down him...but John Cena is rather overrated...if you ask me. The girls drool for him...and that gives him popularity. Let me tell you all something. Sometimes, and a lot of times, popularity is hardly based on a person's skills...so to speak, John Cena is rated by his looks, attitude, and other lesser attributes, rather than his fighting skills. I am not saying he can't fight either. Just saying. I do like Edge...for some odd reason...ha. I think SmackDown is better than Raw...and ECW...except, you are allowed to use weapons in the ECW. It's Extreme...that's why. The WWE is rarely real...yet entertaining...go Undertaker!

jesswithhorses on 7/19/2008 7:33 pm

the wwe rocks because they do smackdown.

ootigger07oo on 7/19/2008 2:58 pm

john cena is the best coolest dude ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! john cena if you read this you rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!