A smackdown for the New Year

World Wrestling Entertainment has produced yet another winner. Only a couple of years removed from its last video game, WWE has decided to usher in the New Year with its latest offering, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006. Those expecting just a simple rehash from the earlier title will be surprised at the steps this new game has taken forward. In what will probably be the final WWE game for this generation of consoles, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 is arguably the best wrestling game ever created in any generation. With the kind of predecessors the wrestling genre has seen, that’s quite an accomplishment. Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 not only improves just about every aspect of its predecessor, it brings a little extra to the table.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 still plays like the Smackdown vs. Raw of a couple of years back in the sense that the core gameplay remains the same. The controls are essentially identical, except for some tweaks and some new moves. Two of the biggest changes in how the game flows though are the stamina meter and momentum bar. Executing powerful moves and running around the ring drains out your stamina, limiting your movement and sometimes knocking you out, while nailing high impact moves and playing to the crowd boosts your momentum meter. When your momentum is at its peak, you’ll be able to use your wrestler’s finishing move. The addition of these two new features brings more realism to the game. Instead of just executing power move after power move, one must now consider saving some energy for the later part of the match. Finishers will also be harder to come by, as you are no longer allowed to stock up multiple finishers.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 also features two sets of commentators from actual WWE shows, Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim Ross for the Raw brand and Tazz and Michael Cole for Smackdown. They can get quite repetitive, but it’s still better than the commentary of the old Smackdown vs. Raw.

The game features a relatively updated WWE roster in the best graphic models I’ve ever seen for a wrestling game. This is probably the most obvious change found in Smackdown vs. Raw 2006. The graphics are extremely detailed and realistic that it almost feels like you’re watching TV and not playing a video game. The game runs with such smooth animation that matches come of as fluid as they would in real life and sometimes, even better. Some of the new characters in this game that aren’t found in the previous one are Carlito, Heidenreich, Eugene and Chris Masters. WWE Legends like Hulk Hogan (three versions of him), Bret "The Hitman" Hart and the "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith are also included.

A new General Manager mode has been added to the set of game modes already available. It basically requires you to draft a roster of superstars and then book matches to get fans to watch your show. The better the matches you create, the better chance of you winning the ratings war with the competing brand and win GM of the year. Although this mode sounds cool, it’s not the best mode available. Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 features a Season Mode that has obviously required a lot of effort to create. It features full voice acting from every WWE superstar, including the character you are playing, which was the obvious flaw in the previous game. Apart from the great voice-overs, Season Mode sports a number of well-written storylines, reminiscent of real WWE angles. Without giving anything away, the storylines’ twists and turns will keep you glued to the TV screen.

 There are a few new matches that are added to the already impressive plethora available. These include the Buried Alive match, made famous by the Undertaker, in which you have to beat your opponent bad enough to drag him to a casket and bury him in dirt. A Fulfill-your-Fantasy Divas match is also available, in which you can pit WWE Divas in Fantasy situations of your choice.

The peripheral Create modes have also been improved, with tons of new ways to modify and mold characters and turn them into wrestling superstars. The Create-A-Superstar is powerful enough that one can produce those new WWE Superstars that didn’t make it into the game, like Bobby Lashley, Ken Kennedy and MNM, fairly accurately.

With all these goodies put together, it’s tough not to consider WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 the best wrestling game in the market. The improvements alone make it a worthwhile buy for any wrestling fan. The new features, new characters, new matches and vastly entertaining Season mode creates a great experience that bills this game as one of the best available, wrestling or otherwise.

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For questions, comments or corrections, please e-mail me at emailcarlramirez@yahoo.com.