WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth
Score: 91% ESRB: Teen Publisher: THQ Developer: THQ Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 (1 - 6 w/Multi-tap) Genre: Sports/ Fighting
Graphics & Sound: Side by side with last year's Raw on the powerful Xbox console, WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth's player models look surprisingly as good on the PS2. The richness of the detail that went into creating all of your favorite WWE Superstars is unbelievable. In fact, the visuals don't just stop there, but continue into the ring, and even into the locker room, parking lot, and anywhere else you may find trouble. Shut Your Mouth's music and sound fx are equally as well done, for the most part. Every wrestler's true anthem is in the game, so you'll be treated to some great intros as they enter the ring, complete with the jumbo-tron effects. The subtleties of the in-ring sounds are pretty good, but the announcing team is quite frankly, horrible. Taz and J.R. are extremely boring in this year's version of Smackdown!, and it unfortunately takes away from the overall presentation in front of you.
Gameplay: If you've ever watch wrestling on the boob tube, or played any recent wrestling video game, then you know you're in for a treat with all of the types of matches included on the disc. You'll be able to jump into the ring and lock up with tons of different Superstars, male or female, in more than just a few different matches. Included are your typical Singles, Tag Team (2- or 3-man), or Battle Royal matches, as well as the specialty matches like Hell in the Cell, Royal Rumble, and King of the Ring. Wrestling games have almost always been known for their outstanding multiplayer gameplay, and Shut Your Mouth is no exception. In fact, this year you can add a couple of more friends and actually hook it up with 6 total people (using two Multi-tap Adapters). But even with all of this multiplayer goodness, there are also many people out there that are looking for a great single-player experience. Building upon the trademark of the Smackdown! series, this year's storyline incorporates the real-life draft of wrestlers to each of the Wrestling Giant's two main TV shows, Raw and Smackdown. After the draft, you can take your controlled wrestler (either created, or a WWE Superstar) on a roller coaster journey through a great wrestling soap opera. It is in this Career mode where you will also unlock goodies in the game.
Difficulty: WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth presents itself in a very, very nice way. Speaking of the Career mode, you will start out playing in sub-par arenas, like on Sunday Night Heat, and work your way into prime time. Once there, you will face more aggressive Superstars, and immediately notice the difficulty level of the game increase, just like in real-life. The first thing you need to do in the game is figure out how to control your wrestler to the fullest degree possible. Thankfully, using the controller is more about precision than it is button-mashing, yet it still controls very well. Once you figure out your controls, you'll have to learn your opponents' idiosyncrasies before you can finally call yourself the WWE Champion.
Game Mechanics: Wrestling games (as well as fighters in general) have sometimes had a bad reputation for being button-mashers when it comes to the control, but Shut Your Mouth is different. With a little finesse and precise timing, you'll soon see that there truly is an art to wrestling. The good news is that THQ has set up the controller to work perfectly in your hand. Simple button presses will perform less-than-simple moves, including the one-button-press for each wrestler's finishing move. The only real problem with the game's presentation is that it can get very hairy (and no, George "The Animal" Steele is not in the game) when you're involved in a Battle Royal-type situation. It is sometimes hard to know who you are 'locked' onto, and would have been nice to have some sort of color-coded indicator or something. But, that small issue aside, WWE Smackdown! Shut Your Mouth is a quality game and the next evolutionary step in the series. If you liked last year's game, then you'll definitely want to pick up Shut Your Mouth.
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 WWE Smackdown!: Here Comes The Pain