Title: WWE Wrestlemania 21
Release Date: April 2005
Platforms: Xbox

Wrestlers Featured:
Batista
Jazz
Rob Van Dam
The Big Show
JBL
Scotty 2 Hotty
Booker T
John Cena
Shawn Michaels
Bubba Ray Dudley
Kane
Shelton Benjamin
Charlie Haas
Kurt Angle
Spike Dudley
Chavo Guerrero
Garrison Cade
Stacy Keibler
Chris Benoit
Lita
Tajiri
Chris Jericho
Matt Hardy
The Hurricane
Christian
Miss Jackie
Triple H
D-Von Dudley
Nidia
Trish Stratus
Eddie Guerrero
Randy Orton
The Undertaker
Edge
Rene Dupree
Val Venis
Eugene
Rey Mysterio
Rhyno
Ric Flair
**Legends:
Andre the Giant
The Big Show (2003 version)
Bret Hart
Jimmy Snuka
Mankind
Rey Mysterio (Gold Attire)
The Rock

Innovation & Gameplay: There was actually very little introduced in “WM21”. The game has the same features and feel as “Raw 2” for Xbox. Once again the create-a-wrestler mode was very deep, and players could also alter the appearance and attire of the existing roster. The various game modes remained the same from “Raw 2”. Outside of updating the roster, it seems as though very little thought went into developing the game. This was the last title released for the Xbox by WWE, as the console would soon be phased out in favor the Xbox 360.

Title: WWE Day of Reckoning 2
Release Date: August 2005
Platforms: GameCube

Wrestlers Featured:
Batista
Heidenreich
Rey Mysterio
Big Show
The Hurricane
Ric Flair
Booker T
JBL
Rob Van Dam
Carlito
John Cena
Shawn Michaels
Chavo Guerrero
Kane
Shelton Benjamin
Chris Benoit
Kenzo Suzuki
Snitsky
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Stacy Keibler
Chris Masters
Muhammed Hassan
Tajiri
Christian
Orlando Jordan
Torrie Wilson
Christy Hemme
Paul London
Triple H
Edge
Randy Orton
Trish Status
Eddie Guerrero
Rene Dupree
The Undertaker
Eugene
William Regal
Hulk Hogan
Bret Hart
The Rock
Mankind
Stone Cold Steve Austin

Innovation & Gameplay: Similar to “Day of Reckoning”, “Day of Reckoning 2” features a more narrative, storyline approach to game play. It is a true sequel in that, “DoR2” takes up right where the first game left off (assuming the player played “DoR” all the way through to conclusion. Either way at the beginning of “DoR2” your wrestler is now Heavyweight Champ after winning the title at Wrestlemania XX. Life is good, as not only are you champ, but your girlfriend is Stacy Keibler. Of course all of that crashes down around you as you lose the belt to Triple H, who then loses the title in a controversial match, which puts the title up for grabs once again. You must now compete in a tournament to see who will face off at Wrestlemania 21 for the title. Unfortunately, the title belt gets stolen, and you get framed as the thief. You are fired from Raw and lose your girlfriend. Just when things seem darkest, you are signed to a lifetime contract on Smackdown! You must now win that shows title, and go on to face Triple H at Wrestlemania in a Last Man Standing match, find out who stole the belt to clear your name, and most importantly, win back the love of Stacy Keibler. This was a fun approach to the wrestling game. It combined elements of a standard video game, with the fighting aspect of other WWE game titles. The graphics and gameplay are top notch as players could now choose from multiple submissions and movesets for their character. Also, the stamina bar plays a vital role in this game, if you allow your stamina to be completely drained, you will lose. Players must be careful to pace themselves in this game while fighting or they could find themselves winded quite quickly. If you like a little pre-planned storyline with your game, then the “Day of Reckoning” series is the best modern day gaming option. “DoR2” was the last WWE title published for the GameCube.

Title: WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2006
Release Date: November 2005
Platforms: Playstation 2/ PSP

Wrestlers Featured: *Broken Down By Roster
RAW Roster:
The Big Show
Carlito
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Jericho
Chris Masters
Danny Basham
Edge
Eugene
The Hurricane
John Cena
Kane
Kurt Angle
Lita
Rene Dupree
Ric Flair
Rob Van Dam
Rob Conway
Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Snitsky
Tajiri
Torrie Wilson
Triple H
Trish Stratus

*Smackdown! Roster
Batista
Booker T
Charlie Haas
Chris Benoit
Christian
Christy Hemme
Doug Basham
Eddie Guerrero
Heidenereich
John Bradshaw Layfield
Joy Giovanni
Khosrow Daivari
Mark Jindrak
Michelle McCool
Muhammad Hassan
Orlando Jordan
Paul London
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Scotty 2 Hotty
Spike Dudley
Stacy Keibler
Steven Richards
Sylvain Grenier
The Undertaker
William Regal

**Legends
Andre the Giant
Bret Hart
The British Bulldog
1980’s Hulk Hogan
Hollywood Hulk Hogan
Jake Roberts
Jimmy Hart
Junkyard Dog
The Rock
Mankind
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Ted DiBiase

**Other WWE personal and performers represented in the game, but not playable:
Eric Bischoff, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Lillian Garcia, Michael Cole, Mike Chioda, Nick Patrick, Tazz, Teddy Long, Tony Chimel, Vince McMahon.

Innovation & Gameplay: “SvsR2006” brought some creative new options to the PS2 series, and tweaked some established gameplay features to provide the most in depth wrestling gaming experience available. I guess the biggest innovation would be the enhanced General Manager mode. It “two year” period, it was up to you to guide either Smackdown or Raw to the top of the ratings. You now had to worry about show budget, wrestler’s contract, injuries, interference from your competitor’s show, running feuds, booking challenges, as well as crowd popularity and title reigns. There was no set “story” mode, you had to adjust your gameplay to accept a variety of scenarios. For instance, say you made Triple H the heavyweight champ of your show. You had to consider just how long his contract would last, as well as set up feuds within your shows roster to make sure he remained a popular champion. And to top if off, you could have him in a successful title reign in the middle of a popular feud, and he could get injured. You would need to move the strap to someone who could maintain the popularity and not lose ratings. What made this mode so much fun, was that you could play General Manager 10 times, and each time would be very different than before. GM Mode kept “SvR2006” from getting stale. Some new matches were introduced, such as the Buried Alive match, and the Fulfill Your Fantasy diva match. This was also the first “SvR” game available for the PSP handheld. And unlike games for the Game Boy, the PSP version basically matched the gameplay and roster of the console version. Actually the PSP version featured an additional legend in Jake “The Snake” Roberts that the PS2 did not have. You could connect the PSP to the PS2 and “The Snake” would then become a playable character on the console game as well. Players could once again create wrestlers, pay per views, and stables, and you could also make customized entrances for your created wrestlers. In a one year period, this title sold over 3 million copies, becoming one of Sony’s Greatest Hits.

Title: Smackdown vs. Raw 2007
Release Date: November 2006
Platforms: Playstation 2/ PSP/ Xbox 360

Wrestlers Featured: *Broken Down By Show Roster
RAW Roster:
The Big Show
Candice Michelle
Carlito
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Masters
Daivari
Edge
John Cena
Kane
Kurt Angle
Lance Cade
Lita
Mick Foley
Mickie James
Ric Flair
Rob Van Dam
Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Snitsky
Torrie Wilson
Trevor Murdoch
Triple H
Trish Stratus
Umaga
Viscera

Smackdown Roster:
Batista
Bobby Lashley
Booker T
Chris Benoit
Finlay
Gregory Helms
Hardcore Holly
JBL
Jillian Hall
Joey Mercury
Johnny Nitro
Ken Kennedy
Kid Kash
Mark Henry
Matt Hardy
Melina
Paul Burchill
Psicosis
Rey Mysterio
Super Crazy
The Boogeyman
The Great Khali
The Undertaker
Vito
William Regal

Legends:
Bam Bam Bigelow
Bret Hart
Cactus Jack
Dude Love
Mankind
Dusty Rhodes
Eddie Guerrero
Hulk Hogan
Jerry Lawler
Jim Neidhart
Mr. Perfect
The Rock
Roddy Piper
Shane McMahon
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Tazz

Non-Playable characters that also appear in the game:
Jim Ross
Jonathan Coachman
Lilian Garcia
Michael Cole
Mike Chioda
Vince McMahon
Nick Patrick
Stephanie McMahon
Teddy Long
Tony Chimel

Innovation & Gameplay: Almost all of the innovation on “SvR2007” consisted of tweaking the graphics, and giving the player more freedom when executing moves with his wrestler. Players could now take their matches out into the crowd, and use weaponry, and fan signs in their matches. On the Xbox 360, players could now see the “sweat” break out on their wrestlers as well. “SvR2007” retained the general manager mode from the previous release, and players could still create stables as well as individual wrestlers, and players could still modify the existing roster. Once again unlocking the Legends was a fun aspect to the game, Jim Neidhart making his legends debut. While this is a fun game, many people felt that there wasn’t enough difference between “SvR 2006” & “SvR2007”.

Title: Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 Featuring ECW
Release Date: November 2007
Platforms: Playstation 2/ Playstation 3/ PC/ PSP/ Nintendo DS/ Wii/ Xbox 360

Wrestlers Featured: *Once again broken down by Show Roster
Raw Roster:
Bobby Lashley
Candice Michelle
Carlito
Jeff Hardy
John Cena
JTG
Booker T
Melina
Mickie James
Ken Kennedy
Vince McMahon
Randy Orton
Shad
Shane McMahon
Shawn Michaels
Snitsky
Triple H
Umaga
William Regal

*Smackdown Roster:
Ashley
Batista
Chavo Guerrero
Chris Masters
Edge
Finlay
Gregory Helms
Hardcore Holly
JBL
Kane
Kenny Dykstra
Matt Hardy
Mark Henry
Michelle McCool
MVP
Rey Mysterio
Ric Flair
Torrie Wilson
The Great Khali
The Undertaker

*ECW Roster:
CM Punk
Elijah Burke
Johnny Nitro
Kelly Kelly
Marcus Cor Von
The Sandman
Sabu
Terry Funk
Tommy Dreamer

**Legends:
Bret Hart
Mick Foley
Eddie Guerrero
Jim Neidhart
Rick Rude
The Rock
Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter
Stone Cold Steve Austin

*WWE personal & performers who appear in the game but are not playable:
Armando Estrada
Jerry Lawler
Jim Ross
Joey Styles
Jonathan Coachman
Justin Roberts
Lilian Garcia
Maria
Michael Cole
Mickie Henson
Mike Chioda
Nick Patrick
Tazz
Teddy Long
Tony Chimel

Innovation & Gameplay: I guess the first thing I should mention about “Smackdown vs. Raw 2008” is that it was made available for all of the current game platforms, and that a version was even made for the older Playstation 2 platform (which kind of tells you just how well Playstation 3 was doing?). And, for the first time in 7 years, a game was on the market featuring the ECW logo once again. One thing to note, is that depending on which game platform you play “SvR2008”, there are some significant differences. For instance, the Nintendo DS only features about 21 wrestlers on its roster, but you can use the touch screen feature to move your character around the ring. The Wii version has the complete roster, and using the Wii controllers, the player must actually “act out” the chop moves, and punches, but the Wii game does not include the General Manage mode which was so popular on previous releases, and that is the main reason I chose to pick this title up for the Xbox 360 as opposed to the Wii.
“SvR2008” features the most extensive game play ever available in a WWE title. Players can still choose to play the General Manager mode that was so popular in previous releases, and for the first time players could choose to play “WWE 24/7” where they would take either a character off of the existing roster, or create their own, and take that character from House Shows to headlining Pay Per Views to becoming a WWE Legend. Players were also given the option of playing in Tournament Mode, which opened up a couple new gaming options such as “Beat the Clock”, “King of the Ring” or “Money in the Bank”, or players could create their own tournament. Because ECW is involved with this release, look for new weapons like the barb wire bat, and burning tables are also available. Gameplay is similar to what was available on “SvR2006” and “SvR2007” with a few tweaks to improve submissions, stamina and movesets. Overall if you’ve enjoyed the “Smackdown vs. Raw” series you will enjoy 2008.

So those are all of the games released so far. I still need to pick up “TNA Impact”, but because it’s starting at $60 for the Xbox 360, I’m going to wait a little while until used copies are available, or until my son asks Santa Claus for it, whichever comes first. I will however put up a full review once I’ve been able to sit down and play it for awhile.

What’s coming up next? It looks like WWE has the next “Smackdown vs. Raw” game slated to hit the streets again in November:

It will once again feature the ECW roster. Also announced for the release are enhanced Tag Team play, an Inferno Match, and returning to the series is the Backstage Brawl. Once again, versions will be available for all gaming platforms including a version for the Playstation 2 (does anyone own a PS3?). As always I will pick this one up the day it’s released.

As stated at the top of this column I have gotten some great feedback from a few readers on this series of columns.

Byron wrote “I really enjoyed the world tour-no mercy 64 series. I hope you cover the legends of wrestling games. Gameplay may have been weak, but the roster was enormous and matchups were endless(even with the abscence of Bruiser Brody) I thought it was worth a mention.”

When starting this series of columns I debated on including the “Legends of Wrestling” games, I was going to skip them and only focus on licensed titles. Because I have received a few requests to include them in this column……

Title: Legends of Wrestling
Release Date: December 2001
Platforms: Playstation 2/ Xbox/ GameCube

Wrestlers Featured:
Hulk Hogan
Jimmy Snuka
Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Anima
Bret Hart
The Iron Sheik
Mr. Fuji
Terry Funk
Don Muraco
Jerry “The King” Lawler
George “The Animal” Steele
Tony Atlas
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Nikolai Volkoff
The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
One Man Gang
Greg Valentine
Harley Race
Dynamite Kid
Ricky Morton
Robert Gibson
Brian Pillman
Eddie Gilbert
Rick Martel
Ivan Koloff
Ivan Putski
Cowboy Bob Orton
The Sheik
Kerry Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Kevin Von Erich
Mike Von Erich
David Von Erich
Dory Funk, Jr.
Rob Van Dam
Sabu
Lou Albano
Jimmy Hart

Innovation & Gameplay: First and foremost, what “Legends” offers to gamers is its extensive roster. Many of the wrestlers featured in this game had never been part of a wrestling game before. You could finally play as one of the Von Erich’s or as Tito Santana. After losing the rights to product WWF titles, Acclaim went on to develop games under the WCW and ECW banners, but a year or so after acquiring those rights, WCW & ECW went bankrupt. Acclaim decided to take what would have been the next “ECW” game and turned it into “Legends of Wrestling”. Outside of the roster, one of the biggest innovations “Legends” brought was its “Career” mode of gameplay. Basically the player chooses a wrestler to work through the multiple territories in various regions around the country. You must claim the title in a particular region before moving on to the next territory. You can work with legendary managers like Lou Albano or Jimmy Hart to help secure your popularity and get title shots. Players can also create wrestlers, and the create a wrestler feature on “Legends” is as deep as anything offered by the licensed titles of the time. Players can choose from a variety of match types, from singles, tag team, 4 man and 3 man elimination matches are also available. The biggest drawback to the game is the slow-paced action. Compared to the WWF titles at the time, “Legends” seems a bit clunky. But for nostalgia buffs you can’t go wrong with “Legend of Wrestling”

Title: Legends of Wrestling II
Release Date: November 2002
Platforms: Playstation 2/ Xbox / GameCube/ Game Boy Advance

Wrestlers Featured:
Abdulla the Butcher
Andre the Giant
Andy Kaufman
Bam Bam Bigelow
Baron von Raschke
Big John Stuff
Bob Backlund
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
The British Bulldog
Bruno Sammartino
The Nasty Boys
Dr. Death Steve Williams
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Killer Kowalski
Mil Mascaras
Paul Orndorff
Owen Hart
Rocky Johnson
Rick Steiner
Scott Steiner
Sid Vicious
Eddie Guerrero
The Grand Wizard
Hulk Hogan
Jimmy Snuka
Road Warrior Hawk
Road Warrior Anima
Bret Hart
The Iron Sheik
Mr. Fuji
Terry Funk
Don Muraco
Jerry “The King” Lawler
George “The Animal” Steele
Tony Atlas
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Nikolai Volkoff
The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
One Man Gang
Greg Valentine
Harley Race
Dynamite Kid
Ricky Morton
Robert Gibson
Brian Pillman
Eddie Gilbert
Rick Martel
Ivan Koloff
Ivan Putski
Cowboy Bob Orton
The Sheik
Kerry Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Kevin Von Erich
Mike Von Erich
David Von Erich
Dory Funk, Jr.
Sabu
Lou Albano
Jimmy Hart

Innovation & Gameplay: Basically the same roster from the first game was carried over to the second game (with the exception of RVD), and another 24 legends were added to what was already a pretty impressive lineup.
**On a quick side note. I’m not sure how much money these individuals received when their likeness is used in a video game? I just think it’s really a shame that the first monetary residuals seen from the gaming industry to find its way to Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund came from company not affiliated with WWF/WWE. I certainly hope that WWE includes some of these overlooked legends in future releases.**
Once again players can lead a wrestler through the various territories, winning titles, and working their way up the various rosters. Unfortunately gameplay had not improved much from the original release. The action still plays out very slowly, and the controls are not as responsive as what we’ve become accustomed to when playing the WWE titles. Nostalgia is once again the premiere buying factor with “Legends of Wrestling II”.

Title: Showdown Legends of Wrestling
Release Date: June 2004
Platforms: Playstation 2/ Xbox

Wrestlers Featured:
Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig
Diamond Dallas Page
Dusty Rhodes
Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Nikita Koloff
Macho Man Randy Savage
Rick Rude
Sting
The Ultimate Warrior
Mikey Whipwreck
Sandman
Chris Benoit
Mick Foley
Ric Flair
Rob Van Dam
Jeff Jarrett
Buff Bagwell
Hulk Hogan
Jimmy Snuka
The Road Warriors
Bret Hart
The British Bulldog
The Iron Sheik
Mr. Fuji
Terry Funk
Don Muraco
Jerry Lawler
George “The Animal” Steele
Tony Atlas
Rocky Johnson
Ricky Steamboat
Nikolai Volkoff
Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana
King Kong Bundy
Koko B. Ware
One Man Gang
Greg Valentine
Harley Race
The Steiner Brothers
Dynamite Kid
The Rock n’ Roll Express
Abdullah the Butcher
Brian Pillman
Billy Graham
Eddie Gilbert
Rick Martel
Ivan Koloff
Ivan Putski
Cowboy Bob Orton
The Sheik
Kerry Von Erich
Fritz Von Erich
Kevin Von Erich
Dory Funk, Jr.
Sabu
Andre the Giant
Andy Kaufman
Bam Bam Bigelow
Baron von Raschke
Big John Studd
Bob Backlund
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Davey Boy Smith
Bruno Sammartino
The Nasty Boys
Steve Williams
Jim Duggan
Killer Kowalski
Mil Mascaras
Paul Orndorff
Owen Hart
Sid Vicious
Eddie Guerrero
The Grand Wizard
Lou Albano
Jimmy Hart

Innovation & Gameplay: “Showdown” played out in much the same way as the first two entries in the “Legends of Wrestling” series had. “Showdown” had be far the largest roster of all-star talent ever assembled in a wrestling game. Unfortunately the gameplay had not really changed since the series was launched three years earlier. To make matters worse, “Showdown” would “freeze” or “lock up”, there were so many glitches in the game, that the version planned for the Nintendo GameCube was scrapped altogether. To date this is the last entry in the “Legends” series.

Some more reader feedback:

Chris wrote: “I am 32 and also progressed from the 2600 to the wii. My fav is def wm2000. I wanted them to do tournaments around the country like they do with madden. Also I'd love to see your summary on coin-ops like wwf supestars and my fav ..wrestlefest...”

In the future I may take a look at coin-op games, but I will have to do some research first, please look for coin-op info in a future column.

Kevin wrote: “I still play WCW Revenge today....that was such a great game with easy pick up and play and a large roster of characters. I also play WWF Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy since those were made by THQ and still the same style of gameplay. I wish WWE would come out with a game with the new wrestlers under the old format. My friends and I in college used to create wrestlers and challenge each other for titles on the later WWF THQ games. I miss those games, I don't think that SMackdown vs. Raw has matched those games in terms of gameplay. The options are better but for pure gameplay those original THQ titles were the best.”
One thing I’ve noticed is just how well developed the N64 games were. It doesn’t seem like that game system made much of a splash, as Playstation seemed to garner more attention, but the N64 WWF titles were top notch, and very fun to play.

Hopefully, you have found this series fun to read. And one last reminder, if you would like me to forward copies of the column in word document format with cover art from each of the games discussed, please send a request using the feedback box at the bottom of the page. Thanks for reading and keep the feedback coming.