WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth (PlayStation 2)- 12.10.02

[Jeremy]

WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth takes Yukes’ SmackDown series to new heights. This fourth installment in the series resolved many of the problems that have plagued the previous games by adding a ton of great features from Yukes‘ Toukon Retsuden series. Yukes has really done an amazing job at amalgamating the game engines from their two wrestling games series. I’m amazed at how well they implemented the body damage system from the TR games, while managing to uphold the fast pace that made the SD series famous. They’ve also added some new cogs to the works in the form of the best counter-wrestling system that has ever been seen in a wrestling game.

The revamped countering system incorporates the fantastic amateur-wrestling counters from the third game in the series, while at the same time, incorporating the timing-based countering from WWE WrestleMania X8 on the GameCube. With this countering system, you can add an extra layer of excitement to your matches by having a back-and-forth standstill of a contest that not even you, the player, can fully control This countering system makes recreating classics like the Bret Hart-Curt Hennig match from the 1991 SummerSlam, or, for those who haven’t seen that contest, it also enables you to accurately recreate the action of NWA-TNA’s X division. The addition to the gameplay of finishing move theft is a welcome one. For those new to the wrestling game scene, this feature was quite prominent in Aki’s games (WWF No Mercy, WWF WrestleMania 2000, WCW/NWO Revenge, and Virtual Pro Wrestling 2, just to name a few,) but this is the first time it has been done in a Yukes-developed game. And, much like the countering system, it adds an extra layer of depth to the gameplay of the SD series. Now, when something like this is done in wrestling, it is treated like a big deal as it the ultimate battle of one-upsmanship. When Ricky Steamboat did it to Ric Flair in their NWA World Heavyweight title wars, the crowd went nuts. Would Flair submit to his foe due to the pain caused by his very own finisher? Or would the wily Nature Boy counter the hold that he helped to make famous? This kind of drama can now be found in the SmackDown series, and I couldn’t be happier. This feature also compliments the countering system well since you can have back-and-forth exchanges of nothing but using the opponent’s finisher, then having him counter it, have him slap your finisher on you, then having you counter it. It also fit’s the fast-paced nature of the series perfectly.

It’s a shame that, despite all of the fantastic stuff in this game, the submission system is still inexcusably poor. Had the submission system from the TR games been implemented, a realistic system that allowed you to lock your foe in a submission move, and it would not be broken until either your opponent broke it by force, or they made it to the ropes, in which case you could still hold on to the move for up to four seconds, if the ref’s count reaches five, you’ll be disqualified. The submission system in SYM is, sadly, the same as in the other SD games, you apply a submission hold, and after about one second, the move is broken. This system really doesn’t do some of the game’s submission holds justice. Moves like the Ankle Lock and the Crippler Crossface are made to look brutal because of the amount of time the person executing it spends cranking the move in, they spend time to inflict as much damage as possible with the move. The SYM submission system cheapens the use of submission holds, which is a damned shame.

Sadly, there are few new modes for you to truly test out the game‘s new gameplay renovations. The only ones of note are the lucha libre trios match (called a captain fall six-man match in SYM) and the revamped season mode. The revamped season mode replaces the sub-par story mode from the third game in the series and adds some much-needed improvements, however, it, much like the game’s gameplay, has faults all its own . The good? It gives you a pretty exciting recreation of the last year of WWE programming and it brings the ranking system out of the SD 2 mothballs. The bad? Plenty. First off, while it is exciting to recreate the brand extension from April, and the NWO invasion from February, the mode gets quite boring aside from that. Secondly, the ranking system is pretty much worthless since it is only useful in the season mode. Unlike SD 2, which implemented it to perfection by letting you move up in the rankings at any time. Now onto the meat and potatoes of the season mode, the recreation of the past year’s WWE programming. The actual recreation elements of the mode are solid, but if it veers from that path, it’s horrid. Thankfully, the recreation of the storylines takes up about 90% of the mode, for plot purposes. The main problem I have with the season mode is the fact that it’s the only mode in which you can defend titles. In SYM, you’re forced to defend your title in the season mode, and that is it. Outside of this mode, champions aren’t even recognized. This horrendous part of the game strips away some of the player’s freedom, and that’s not right. The player spent $50 on a game and they can’t even defend a title the way they want.

For all of the bad in the gameplay, there’s a lot of good. The Create A Superstar mode is back, and better than ever thanks, in part, to the hidden cards. This mode allows you to create any wrestler on the planet visually, and the hidden cards will unlock a host of move sets, you’re bound to find one of your favorite ex-WWE or NWA TNA wrestler’s move set hidden in the game. The appearance part of this mode has been revamped. The key innovation lies in the addition of the morphing system, which enables you to completely customize every part of your wrestler’s build through the use of the left analog stick. Now you can control pretty much every aspect of your wrestler, you can even age their faces through a new body morphing system, which also enables you to alter the size and shape of their heads. This aspect of the game is pretty much limitless since the only bounds being placed on you are by your imagination. As if that weren’t enough, tons of new moves have been added to this feature, and the create-a-taunt feature has been revamped. It now allows you to create, step-by-step, every movement made by your wrestler, except for the moves he does in the ring. These newly-added features allow you to make an even more precise CAW with less guesswork than before.

SYM’s enhanced gameplay controls like a dream. Any and everything in the game can be controlled with ease. Keeping with the counter-wrestling system, going from a hammerlock, to a go-behind, to a leg trip, to an armbar, is an effortless process. The same can be said for any other aspect of the game. The SD games have always featured spot-on control, and now they’ve got an engine that shows that aspect off.

The graphics in the game are spectacular. Gone are the character models from JBI that looked like they were done on the PSX. Now, each and every wrestler is bathed in depth and detail; so much so that you will swear you are looking at a televised event. This will really hit home with you once you see the sagging muscle builds of legends like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan in the game, and when you see the sweat beading off of the wrestlers’ bodies, which adds a nice touch of realism to the game. On top of tons of little details like the ones mentioned above, SYM also adds tons of animation to the moves of the wrestlers, and it does a world of good for the believability of the moves. Without this increase in animation, the counter-wrestling system would be negated due to choppy transitions. Thanks to the pumped-up animation, this is not the case. The animation for almost every move in the game has seen some tweaking, and it’s good to see. Also, each and every character in the game has been given the royal treatment in terms of animation and moves. Gone are the days of only main event guys being given beefed-up animations. Now, every single character in the game has moves and animations that were created just for them. This enhanced level of detail to the wrestlers in the game adds a level of authenticity to the series that hasn’t been seen before. It also does a great service to the talent in the game since they are all being represented accurately.

The sound in the game is, yet another mixed bag. On one hand, the game features a ton of music, both in-game and during the entrances, that keeps your blood pumping, it also features some of the most realistic sound effects I’ve ever heard in a wrestling game, and on the other, it features the worst commentary I’ve ever heard in a wrestling game. I’ve always said that commentary should be left out of wrestling games unless it could be done right, and these words ring true for this game. The commentary supplied by Jerry “the King” Lawler and Jim Ross is disjointed and often-times has nothing to do with the action on-screen. These kinds of problems are simply inexcusable. When problems are this bad, the commentary should be left out. I could tolerate the commentary if these things only happened every so often, but they happen in every match. Thankfully, you can turn the commentary off, but it never should have been there to begin with. It just takes up space that could have been better spent on refining the gameplay. The lack of some authentic entrance themes (Matt and Jeff Hardy, Tajiri, and Stacy Keibler‘s themes) is a bit of a downer, but since they did get the rights to Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” (this is the first game to ever feature a Hendrix tune in it), and the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, all is forgiven. The sound effects are a highlight of the sound. Each and every attack in the game, from the smallest chop, to the largest choke slam, has its own unique sound effect that does an amazing job at conveying the damage done by that particular move. The ring announcing in the game, supplied by “The Fink” Howard Finkel, is unparalleled, it sounds just like it does on TV, with just the right amount of emotional input added in, it doesn’t sound bland, or overblown.

I’m proud to say that SYM packs in a ton of replay value, despite the faults. The hidden cards will keep you glued to the story mode; while the features that are unlocked with them will keep you glued to the CAW mode. Having the ability to edit each and every move that your wrestler does in the ring, by altering his move set, does wonders for the replay value as well. I’m glad that Yukes carried this feature over from the third game in the series, as it allows you to add a more personal touch to the wrestlers in the game, since you can basically change everything about them except for their looks. However, the replay value is severely hampered by the aforementioned season mode-only title defenses. Being able to defend the title in any type of match you wanted usually helped to keep a game fresh, and since that feature is lacking, so is some of the replay value. Thankfully, the pros outweigh the cons for the replay value. Despite the limits placed on the game’s replay value, it should give you months of joy.

Overall, WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth is a fine wrestling game If nothing else, it‘s the best SmackDown game to date.. For all the bad parts, there are a lot of good ones as well. However, with the release of Legends of Wrestling 2 right around the corner, I’ve got to say that you should just rent this game. Give it a shot at the very least, but if you’re the least bit skeptical about it, and you’ve got Legends of Wrestling 2 on the brain, just rent this game. If you absolutely must own every wrestling game on the market, like me, then go ahead and buy it, as long as it won't interfere with you buying another game.

[LOL]

Originally posted by bahn in the contest rules thread
Now, we're going to judge your Reader Reviews on style, creativity, and entertaining quality. Boring, technical rant authors need not apply.

There aren't even any other entries yet, and you've already lost.

[Shinobi128]

great job jeremy, keep up the great work.

[Jeremy]

Thanks Shinobi.

[Tommy Tallarico]

Thanks omfgninjas. Great post. Lol.

[Andy]

Nice job, Jeremy

[Jeremy]

You're welcome Andy, thank you for the cordial reply.

[bahn]

I like your avatar

[Jeremy]

Well, as cool as Master Shake is, nothing beats the master of the Lance Vance dance.

[MonsterMash]

Frankly, Jeremy disserves to win. He supported these reader reviews like no one else has, and for that alone disserves some sort of recognition. So, Jeremy, thanks.

Now, completely ignoring the contest, you’re always asking for suggestions and feedback. Prepare for the mother load. I’ve pulled no punches, spared no expense, and spent a very very long time coming up with the following. Some guy somewhere once said “If they are entertained, I have failed. I had hoped to better them.” It’s high expectations, but I hope this betters you.




Paragraph one. Try an intro. An interesting intro. Don’t start out with the game’s name as the first thing you say. Try to be funny, ironic, dramatic, thought-provoking. SOMETHING. I have never played any of these games, nor am I a professional reviewer, so these fixes are going to be flawed all over, but at least they’ll give you something to hopefully think about. I cut some of the words and shortened it, and added something at least resembling a joke.


Just when you thought Yukes’ SmackDown series couldn’t get any better, but slightly before you remembered you’ve never cared, WWE Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth informs you that your opinion was never needed to begin with. If you happen to enjoy wrestling games however, and understand the initial thought but are upset by the second, then you’ll be happy to hear that this fourth installment is simply the best yet. By adding some elements of their lesser known wrestling series Toukon Retsuden, Yukes has created one of the best grapplers ever.


Paragraph two.


Long time fans will quickly notice the greatest improvement to the series is the revamped countering system. By borrowing a bit of WWE WrestleMania X8, Smackdown’s developers have added another layer of depth, and more importantly (given that this is a wrestling title) excitement. Timing is now much more essential, and you’ll find yourself adjusting quickly to the new element, so that you’ll be wrestling in the game and not with the controller. Continuing the borrowing theme for a moment, “finishing moves,” similar to those in Aki’s grappler titles have also been implemented. These moves are custom built to correspond to each wrestler’s style and bring the dramatic elements of wrestling closer to recreation on console. Tying these new additions together nicely is the fact that finishers themselves can be countered. Prepare for some heated and hilarious bouts when finisher after finisher is countered and returned.

I cut this down to half the size easy. This means I got rid of your wrestling notes, but people who follow wrestling will know it all already and those who don’t won’t care. They admittidly do add a bit of drama to the review however. If I followed wrestling and had any idea what you were talking about, I would’ve put one back in. If it was brief.

Paragraph three.

It’s a shame that despite all of the stuff (both new and old) done so well in this game, the submission system is still inexcusably poor. Had Yukes only looked to its own Toukon Retsuden series for inspiration, this could have been an even greater improvement than the new countering system. Instead, submissions work like they always have in Smackdown. Instead of the dramatic struggle for control seen in TR, these moves last about one second, every time. To see these otherwise brutal moves over so quickly cheapens their value, which is a damned shame.

I got rid of some of the info about TR, which in case you’ve forgotten, you’re not reviewing. Also, the middle two sentences were EXTREMELY poor. I have no idea what-so-ever what you were trying to convey. There were way too many commas and way too many ideas. Again, this replacement paragraph is much shorter.

Paragraph Four.

Sadly, there are only a few new modes for you to truly test out SYS’s gameplay renovations. The only ones of note are the lucha libre trios match (called a captain fall six-man match in SYM) and the revamped season mode. The revamped season mode replaces the story mode from the third game in the series while adding some much-needed improvements but still maintaining many of the flaws. Improvement-wise it presents a pretty exciting recreation of the last year of WWE programming and marks the return of the ranking system of SD 2. As for the returning flaws, expect the mode’s excitement to wear thin once you have experience the most note-worthy moments of 2001. Secondly, while it’s nice to have it at all, the ranking system is implemented poorly since it is only used in the season mode, unlike SD 2. Another flaw is the limitations put on defending titles. It’s frustrating when an earned title is not recognized, can not be defended, and really isn’t used at all outside the season mode.

Shorter, again. If the recreation is 90% don’t waste four sentences saying how the other 10 is flawed. Cut it down to one if you really still want it in there. The bit about the titles was also fairly confusing; I summed it up only as I well as I understood it. The thing about $50 yadda yadda? I HOPE your joking. Someone who makes fun of Gamefaqs as much as you do ought to recognize that cliché from fucking MILES away, even if you are half blind. I also tried to fix some grammar and punctuation flaws. Have someone proofread if you can, things like missing periods, excess commas and unnecessary wordage makes your reviews flow even rougher than they otherwise would.

Paragraph Five.


After harping on the negative, let’s get back to some of the many good things this game does. The Create A Superstar mode is back and better than ever thanks to the hidden cards. After you have created a visual persona for your wrestler, these hidden cards will unlock a host of move sets, and you’re bound to find one of your favorite ex-WWE or NWA TNA wrestler’s move set hidden in the game. Additionally, the visual manipulation you can do to custom wrestlers is almost endless due to an improved morphing system. As if that weren’t enough, tons of new moves have been added to this mode, and the create-a-taunt feature has been revamped. It now allows you to create every taunt movement made by your wrestler step-by-step.

Changed some wording and moved some stuff around. You put too many details into sentences before getting to the beef. “I’ll talk about this. This, unlike that, but somewhat similar to there, and not at all related to what, but having something to do with something I said earlier, is…” Try instead - “I’ll talk about this. This is…”




Intermission and sponser promotion. Are you a heterosexual male whose attention is waning? You, too can be revitalized!

End Intermission.




Paragraph Six.

SYM controls like a dream. Considering the vast array of movement your wrestler is capable of, the fact that everything flows so well is astonishing. Starting after a counter, going from a hammerlock, to a go-behind, to a leg trip, to an armbar is an effortless process.

This is an odd place for this. I know you like writing “Control” “Graphics” “Sound” paragraphs. Well, no one likes reading them. Integrate this into the gameplay sections somewhere. I got rid of the generic “everything else” comment, changed “keeping” because it confused me, altered the intro, and got rid of the last sentence. I realize it’s supposed to be a segue way into the next paragraph, but it wasn’t doing a good job of it. Besides, you’re going to move this into the gameplay body anyway, so it’s not needed anymore.

Paragraph 7.

Graphically, this game is spectacular. Gone are the character models from JBI that looked like they were done on the PSX. Now, each and every wrestler is bathed in depth and detail; so much so that you will swear you are looking at a televised event. This will really hit home once you see the sagging muscle builds of legends like Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, the sweat beading off of their bodies, the extravagant movements perfectly captured… This is an ironically realistic adaptation of a sport where realism is frowned upon, and it is wonderful.

Got rid of stuff like “in the game” and “you will” extra “and’s,” “when you’s” “wrestler’s” etc. etc. etc. Got rid of the second half where you said “the animation is good” 20 times. I know I cut some stuff out but the “movements” briefly summarizes all of it, and makes it more dramatic as well. Two things I left in but are questionable: what is “JBI?” If you haven’t used it recently or often, don’t abbreviate. It does not make you hardcore.

Paragraph 8.

Unlike the massively improved visuals, aurally it is a mixed bag. On one hand, the game features a ton of music that keeps your blood pumping and some of the most realistic sound effects I’ve ever heard in a wrestling game. On the other, commentaries still SUCK. The commentary supplied by Jerry “the King” Lawler and Jim Ross is disjointed and often-times has nothing to do with the action on-screen. Thankfully, you can turn mute it without losing any of the sound effects or music. Developers take note, it is a BAD thing when the option to turn off commentary is listed as a positive. Other flaws include the lack of some authentic entrance themes (Matt and Jeff Hardy, Tajiri, and Stacy Keibler‘s themes,) but since they did get the rights to Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child” (this is the first game to ever feature a Hendrix tune in it), and the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, all is forgiven. The ring announcing in the game, supplied by “The Fink” Howard Finkel, is unparalleled, it sounds just like it does on TV, with just the right amount of emotional input added in. Most importantly though, given the amount of slamming ramming and other shovings you will do, sound effects are very very nice. Each and every attack in the game, from the smallest chop, to the largest choke slam, has its own unique sound effect that does an amazing job at conveying the damage done by that particular move.

Right away, notice the link to the previous paragraph. It’s still a “Sound” paragraph, which is bad, but at least now it flows a little bit better. I separated your “good hand” “bad hand” thoughts into two sentences. Having one long confusing sentence instead of two does not make a review flow faster. I got rid of a little bit, moved the order around, and added the slamming ramming thing just because it’s something different. I have not seen the phrase “other shovings” before (partly because shovings is not a word) but I enjoy it at the moment so I am sharing it with you. Maybe you hate it, than come up with something else you haven’t seen before. Anything to make the reading of your “Sound” paragraph slightly more worthwhile than it would be otherwise.

Paragraph 9.

Get rid of it. All of it. Add “adds replay” to earlier comments about stuff that adds replay. Add “takes away replay” to comments about stuff that take it away. EGM has one number for replay that says what you took an entire paragraph to do.

Paragraph 10.

A conclusion should summarize, but you’ve said “good/bad parts” so many times the reader couldn’t forget it if he/she tried. It does not need to be stated again. I like being told that this is the best of the series. If I want to sample, I know which one to buy. I like the “you should rent,” I like it when reviewers take a stance. The mention of the upcoming LoW2 is helpful too. It informs me that this game has possibly superior competition just around the corner. Let’s get rid of everything else.

WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth is the best SmackDown game to date. However, with the release of Legends of Wrestling 2 right around the corner, it’s hard to recommend anything but a rental.

A boring close but it gets the job done. Now add some knowledge from your obvious wrestling fandom to tell me (as reader) why I haven’t wasted my life on WWE videogames. Your consumers will like that type of life reaffirmation. Something that says “even though you shouldn’t buy this game, thank you for reading this review and for enjoying something I enjoy as well and letting me share” without actually saying it. A quick statement supporting yourself, the genre, videogames, the reader, etc. This is the one place where it’s ok to be generic.

Wow. Well, this is certainly the longest thing I’ve ever written here, and I hope you aren’t insulted by any of it. It’s all meant to better your writing. Read and compare everything here to what you had, even if it means you'll have to skip some posts and no reviews for awhile . I'm not saying everything I've done is better than yours, but it should all give you some stuff to consider. I spent three hours doing all this so hopefully it won't go to waste. Listen to the guys you give you shit, and listen to the guys who say nice job. While it's not all layed out that way, it's certainly possible to take advice from all of it. Anyway, stay cool man, hope some of it helps.

And now, a custom Gamefaqs review of me. For no reason whatsoever.

Overall, this post had som god and some bad It is certainly the longest, of monstermashs posts but that does not mean it is the best fo his posts. Personably, i felt it ha d not enough CG Movies but the chick was hotz! lololl!!11