FriskyTanuki
07-10-2007, 12:44 AM
http://wii.ign.com/articles/802/802607p1.html
On the eve of WrestleMania 23 in Detroit, Michigan, THQ gave us a brief first look at WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Nintendo Wii. During the demo members from game developer Yukes took the stage and demoed a quick match between Triple H and John Cena, complete with full Wii motion control for taunts, strikes, and grabs. Now nearly halfway to WrestleMania 24, THQ has again opened its doors to us, showcasing a slightly more in-depth WWE experience, and from what we've played thus far Wii owners may want to take note, as WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is no penny-pinching Wii-make.
For our Pre-E3 demo of the game we had a chance to go hands-on with the latest build of the game, again in a Triple H vs. John Cena match-up. This time around, however, controls were far more involved, using Wii motion at nearly every turn. Players will select their fighter, enjoy in-game intro cinemas complete with the same motion-capture animations as the 360 and PS3 versions, and step into the squared circle. Player control is handled with the analog stick, while basic Wii-mote motion takes care of directional strikes. A simple forehand swing will result in, you guessed it, a forehand swing. Backhand strikes (from left to right for a right-handed player) will perform a chop, while swinging up does a powerful upper attack (for Cena it's a dropkick, while Triple H does a big boot), and a swing down does a lower attack such as a mid-section kick.
As for more intricate attacks, players will need to combine motion with button holding. For a quick grapple, hold the A button and motion in one of the four classic directions. Each of these moves will execute a faster, lighter hold - including things like hip tosses, snapmares, or through clotheslines. These holds are meant to be set-ups for stronger offense later, so you'll generally want to weaken an opponent with strikes, move in for a few quick grabs, and then move on to the good stuff.
To execute the larger grab maneuvers - including things like power bombs, sidewalk slams, DDT's, the fireman's carry, and the like - players will hold the B trigger and grab with any of the four directions. From there, these larger attacks act entirely on user motion, so to pull off a powerbomb you'll need to actually flick up with the Wii-mote, wait until your opponent is in position, and then slam down (again with the Wii-mote) to send him to the ground. At any time during holds, however, your opponent can try to wiggle out of your offense by waggling the Wii-mote and nunchuk, so you'll need to execute the moves decisively and effectively to pull off the attack. The balance between strike, light grapple, and hard grapple, as well as the speed and precision of the game reminded us heavily of No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000 on N64, as it had the same risk/reward feel. Pull off a heavy move too soon, and you're going to get beat by a quick slap to the face, and nobody ("And The Rock means nobody!") likes that.
Where the Wii version really breaks the mold, however, is in basic ring control, and it's something that wrestling purists may find to be a bit too basic at times. Analog control is used for navigating the ring, but aside from that many of the actions are context-sensitive. If, for example, you want to do a running clothesline with Cena, you won't actually press a "run" button and then time your strike. Instead, you line up your opponent, motion towards him, and Mr. Chain Gang himself will sprint towards the enemy, pulling off the intended attack once he reaches him. It works, but it's also a give-and-take experience, as it means no running attacks from long distances (attempt the attack from more than a few steps away and he'll strike at shadows), and no free-running when navigating the outside of the ring. THQ is still playing with the idea of adding a run button, and while the running attacks work great in the context-sensitive form, we'd suggest putting in a general "run" trigger as well for more general ring navigation.
That being said, a few of the situation-specific actions work great as well. When throwing a player into a turnbuckle, for example, the default attack will be something like the ten-hit combo or a lift onto the top rung of the post. When nearing the ropes you'll need no button to exit either; simply press towards the ropes for more than an instant, and your player will exit the ring. Likewise, position yourself near an opponent that's outside the ring and deliver a cinematic diving attack by simply swinging your arm to initiate the attack.
Yes, it's a bit shallower than your standard WWE experience, but it also plays into the whole "arcade" feel THQ is going with this time around, and in that sense it works. IGN Wii Editor-in-Chief Matt Casamassina may not be a wrestling enthusiast, but when we climbed into the ring with SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on Wii he could still give me a decent run for my money with just a basic knowledge of the Wii controls; a far cry from the multi-page instruction booklet needed to comprehensively enjoy the other console counterparts.
Outside of the general gameplay, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still delivers a very strong Wii effort considering it's the first WWE title of the system, and it's still only 40% finished. The general graphical presentation is pretty solid, already comparable to Day of Reckoning 2 for GameCube (better in some cases, worse in others), as it has a more complete environment at the sacrifice of some jaggies on character models. In general though, it's a solid first outing, and it houses some of the better character models we've seen on Wii thus far. The screens really don't do it justice, as the game definitely has an edge on some of the PS2 content we've seen thus far.
Moving away from graphics, the game will also include all the venues and as many of the match types as possible (something Yukes is working hard to achieve for this ground-up effort on Wii), and includes the same robust create-a-wrestler feature as its console counterparts. In addition, many of the animations in the game are made specifically for Wii, while the others borrow from some pretty impressive mo-cap. The action is faster, the crowd and lighting effects are already very promising for being less than half finished, and its just plain fun to kick the crap out of people with Wii motion.
As a final note, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still has some room to grow, but already shows some serious promise. Things like the taunt system (pulled off by holding C and doing wrestler-specific motions) are already extremely entertaining, as you actually need to do Triple H's "suck it" motion or classic "You Can't See Me!" hand gesture of Cena to pull off taunts, and seeing the person physically do it in front of you certainly ups the competitive feel in the room a bit. In addition, some of the ground attacks or turnbuckle punches are pretty brutal as well, with Cena actually straddling a downed fighter and having each hand's swing convert directly into a punch, or the lifting of both hands to do a grab and head-butt, but we want to see more of that. 90% of the game's moves will be pulled off with motion control according to THQ, and we of course want to see as many of them as possible make full use of both controllers in a deep, entertaining way. As it stands right now, things like powerbombs or powerslams check only for Wii-mote gestures. It'd be far more intuitive and realistic to make use of both hands for the attack.
Other than that, it's just about making sure the game is simple, but not overly-simplified. Things like grabbing weapons or pulling off finishers, for example, can only be done at specific times. In the case of a finisher it's normal, as previous SmackDown vs. Raw games require you to build up finisher icons in order to pull them off, but it's even more specific in the Wii version. After enough damage on the other player you'll have the chance to pull off a power move (which would be something like the five-knuckle shuffle for Cena), which then, and only then gives way to the match-ending finisher (the FU or Pedigree, for example). Yes, it makes the game more streamlined, but combine things like that with the limitations on grabs and strikes and you start to go down a slippery slope. SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Wii is definitely a game with tons of promise; it just needs to walk that line between being "pick-up and play" friendly and still having the depth necessary for a true WWE wrestling game. The motions are fun, the game is fast, and we had a blast playing it. Now we just want to see the design expanded a bit.
As a final teaser of more to come, THQ has allowed us to unveil ten WWE superstars already confirmed for the Wii-specific brawler. They are:
Undertaker
Kain
Triple H
Bobby Lashley
John Cena
Chris Masters
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Jeff Hardy
Sandman
We'll have more to come as development continues, so be sure to keep checking back to IGN Wii for the latest in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 news and media. Oh, and we'll see you March 30 in Orlando, Florida, for Wrestlemania 24.
Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun with the motion controls. I want to see those taunts in action.
Screens:
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046476/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052956742_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690179.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046477/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052957508_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690180.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046478/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052958211_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690182.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046479/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052958977_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690183.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046488/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053255224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690229.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046489/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053255881_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690230.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046490/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053256584_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690231.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046491/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053257224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690232.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046492/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053257865_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690233.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046493/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053258459_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690234.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046494/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053259084_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690235.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046495/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053259677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690236.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046496/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053300427_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690237.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046497/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053301052_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690238.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046498/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053301693_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690239.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046499/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053302349_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690240.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046500/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053303021_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690241.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046501/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053303677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690242.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046502/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053304318_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690243.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046503/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053304974_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690244.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046504/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053305677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690245.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046505/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053306224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690246.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046506/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053306849_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690247.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046507/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053307630_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690248.html)
And there are more here (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/imgs_3.html).
On the eve of WrestleMania 23 in Detroit, Michigan, THQ gave us a brief first look at WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Nintendo Wii. During the demo members from game developer Yukes took the stage and demoed a quick match between Triple H and John Cena, complete with full Wii motion control for taunts, strikes, and grabs. Now nearly halfway to WrestleMania 24, THQ has again opened its doors to us, showcasing a slightly more in-depth WWE experience, and from what we've played thus far Wii owners may want to take note, as WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 is no penny-pinching Wii-make.
For our Pre-E3 demo of the game we had a chance to go hands-on with the latest build of the game, again in a Triple H vs. John Cena match-up. This time around, however, controls were far more involved, using Wii motion at nearly every turn. Players will select their fighter, enjoy in-game intro cinemas complete with the same motion-capture animations as the 360 and PS3 versions, and step into the squared circle. Player control is handled with the analog stick, while basic Wii-mote motion takes care of directional strikes. A simple forehand swing will result in, you guessed it, a forehand swing. Backhand strikes (from left to right for a right-handed player) will perform a chop, while swinging up does a powerful upper attack (for Cena it's a dropkick, while Triple H does a big boot), and a swing down does a lower attack such as a mid-section kick.
As for more intricate attacks, players will need to combine motion with button holding. For a quick grapple, hold the A button and motion in one of the four classic directions. Each of these moves will execute a faster, lighter hold - including things like hip tosses, snapmares, or through clotheslines. These holds are meant to be set-ups for stronger offense later, so you'll generally want to weaken an opponent with strikes, move in for a few quick grabs, and then move on to the good stuff.
To execute the larger grab maneuvers - including things like power bombs, sidewalk slams, DDT's, the fireman's carry, and the like - players will hold the B trigger and grab with any of the four directions. From there, these larger attacks act entirely on user motion, so to pull off a powerbomb you'll need to actually flick up with the Wii-mote, wait until your opponent is in position, and then slam down (again with the Wii-mote) to send him to the ground. At any time during holds, however, your opponent can try to wiggle out of your offense by waggling the Wii-mote and nunchuk, so you'll need to execute the moves decisively and effectively to pull off the attack. The balance between strike, light grapple, and hard grapple, as well as the speed and precision of the game reminded us heavily of No Mercy and WrestleMania 2000 on N64, as it had the same risk/reward feel. Pull off a heavy move too soon, and you're going to get beat by a quick slap to the face, and nobody ("And The Rock means nobody!") likes that.
Where the Wii version really breaks the mold, however, is in basic ring control, and it's something that wrestling purists may find to be a bit too basic at times. Analog control is used for navigating the ring, but aside from that many of the actions are context-sensitive. If, for example, you want to do a running clothesline with Cena, you won't actually press a "run" button and then time your strike. Instead, you line up your opponent, motion towards him, and Mr. Chain Gang himself will sprint towards the enemy, pulling off the intended attack once he reaches him. It works, but it's also a give-and-take experience, as it means no running attacks from long distances (attempt the attack from more than a few steps away and he'll strike at shadows), and no free-running when navigating the outside of the ring. THQ is still playing with the idea of adding a run button, and while the running attacks work great in the context-sensitive form, we'd suggest putting in a general "run" trigger as well for more general ring navigation.
That being said, a few of the situation-specific actions work great as well. When throwing a player into a turnbuckle, for example, the default attack will be something like the ten-hit combo or a lift onto the top rung of the post. When nearing the ropes you'll need no button to exit either; simply press towards the ropes for more than an instant, and your player will exit the ring. Likewise, position yourself near an opponent that's outside the ring and deliver a cinematic diving attack by simply swinging your arm to initiate the attack.
Yes, it's a bit shallower than your standard WWE experience, but it also plays into the whole "arcade" feel THQ is going with this time around, and in that sense it works. IGN Wii Editor-in-Chief Matt Casamassina may not be a wrestling enthusiast, but when we climbed into the ring with SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on Wii he could still give me a decent run for my money with just a basic knowledge of the Wii controls; a far cry from the multi-page instruction booklet needed to comprehensively enjoy the other console counterparts.
Outside of the general gameplay, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still delivers a very strong Wii effort considering it's the first WWE title of the system, and it's still only 40% finished. The general graphical presentation is pretty solid, already comparable to Day of Reckoning 2 for GameCube (better in some cases, worse in others), as it has a more complete environment at the sacrifice of some jaggies on character models. In general though, it's a solid first outing, and it houses some of the better character models we've seen on Wii thus far. The screens really don't do it justice, as the game definitely has an edge on some of the PS2 content we've seen thus far.
Moving away from graphics, the game will also include all the venues and as many of the match types as possible (something Yukes is working hard to achieve for this ground-up effort on Wii), and includes the same robust create-a-wrestler feature as its console counterparts. In addition, many of the animations in the game are made specifically for Wii, while the others borrow from some pretty impressive mo-cap. The action is faster, the crowd and lighting effects are already very promising for being less than half finished, and its just plain fun to kick the crap out of people with Wii motion.
As a final note, SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 still has some room to grow, but already shows some serious promise. Things like the taunt system (pulled off by holding C and doing wrestler-specific motions) are already extremely entertaining, as you actually need to do Triple H's "suck it" motion or classic "You Can't See Me!" hand gesture of Cena to pull off taunts, and seeing the person physically do it in front of you certainly ups the competitive feel in the room a bit. In addition, some of the ground attacks or turnbuckle punches are pretty brutal as well, with Cena actually straddling a downed fighter and having each hand's swing convert directly into a punch, or the lifting of both hands to do a grab and head-butt, but we want to see more of that. 90% of the game's moves will be pulled off with motion control according to THQ, and we of course want to see as many of them as possible make full use of both controllers in a deep, entertaining way. As it stands right now, things like powerbombs or powerslams check only for Wii-mote gestures. It'd be far more intuitive and realistic to make use of both hands for the attack.
Other than that, it's just about making sure the game is simple, but not overly-simplified. Things like grabbing weapons or pulling off finishers, for example, can only be done at specific times. In the case of a finisher it's normal, as previous SmackDown vs. Raw games require you to build up finisher icons in order to pull them off, but it's even more specific in the Wii version. After enough damage on the other player you'll have the chance to pull off a power move (which would be something like the five-knuckle shuffle for Cena), which then, and only then gives way to the match-ending finisher (the FU or Pedigree, for example). Yes, it makes the game more streamlined, but combine things like that with the limitations on grabs and strikes and you start to go down a slippery slope. SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for Wii is definitely a game with tons of promise; it just needs to walk that line between being "pick-up and play" friendly and still having the depth necessary for a true WWE wrestling game. The motions are fun, the game is fast, and we had a blast playing it. Now we just want to see the design expanded a bit.
As a final teaser of more to come, THQ has allowed us to unveil ten WWE superstars already confirmed for the Wii-specific brawler. They are:
Undertaker
Kain
Triple H
Bobby Lashley
John Cena
Chris Masters
Randy Orton
Rey Mysterio
Jeff Hardy
Sandman
We'll have more to come as development continues, so be sure to keep checking back to IGN Wii for the latest in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 news and media. Oh, and we'll see you March 30 in Orlando, Florida, for Wrestlemania 24.
Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun with the motion controls. I want to see those taunts in action.
Screens:
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046476/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052956742_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690179.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046477/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052957508_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690180.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046478/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052958211_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690182.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046479/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709052958977_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690183.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046488/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053255224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690229.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046489/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053255881_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690230.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046490/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053256584_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690231.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046491/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053257224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690232.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046492/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053257865_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690233.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046493/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053258459_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690234.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046494/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053259084_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690235.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046495/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053259677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690236.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046496/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053300427_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690237.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046497/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053301052_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690238.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046498/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053301693_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690239.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046499/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053302349_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690240.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046500/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053303021_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690241.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046501/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053303677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690242.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046502/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053304318_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690243.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046503/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053304974_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690244.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046504/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053305677_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690245.html)
http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046505/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053306224_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690246.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046506/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053306849_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690247.html) http://media.ign.com/thumb/204/2046507/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-2008-20070709053307630_thumb_ign.jpg (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/img_4690248.html)
And there are more here (http://media.wii.ign.com/media/882/882475/imgs_3.html).