Introduction
One must feel sorry for wresting game fans. While racing fans, fighter fans, shooter fans, etc get multiple games a year to play, wrestling fans usually get just one or two. Thats a good thing for the developers though, because even the lamest wrestling game sells bundles simply because it’s the only or one of the only ones at. The first two Smackdown! games had big problems and much room for improvement and still sold very well. The third Smackdown! looks to continue that trend. It’s a good game of wrasslin but could be much better. If ya smeeeeeelllllllll
Presentation
There is one area where Smackdown! has always owned the competition and that is the presentation. Smackdown!JBI is no different. The menus are quick to load(as is the rest of the game), easy to navigate. The game presents a WWF atmosphere like no other. The FMVs and entrances are all top notch. The crowd, a big part of wrestling is also presented very well.
The controls are the same as previous Smackdown! games. Easy to get in to, not very confusing. The only gripe aI have with the control is the same that I’ve always had, wrestlers should ’auto lock’ onto the last wrestler that hit them, but they do not. If you’re in a Royal Rumble with 8 wrestlers on screen and Rock just laid the smack down on you, you have to cycle through all the wrestlers until you’re facing him to retaliate. It gets frustrating very quick. Other than that, the presentation is excellent.
Graphics & Sound
Smackdown!JBI is a mixed bag in the graphics department. On one hand you got great looking arenas, lighting, animation and very good camera work. On the other you have flat 2-D crowds and character models that look barely better than the PSX models. You will not find a better animating wrestling game. They are absolutly flawless. The arenas are very detailed, as are the rings. The backstage areas however, are subpar at best.
The character models quality do vary. Some are actually pretty good(Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker). But some are just horrid, especially viewed up close(Lita, Matt Hardy, Rhino, Reagal). The faces on some are laughable at best. Not a game that takes advantage of the PS2s power.
Sound wise, the FMVs, effects and crowd sound great. If it were just those areas I’d give the sound an excellent rating. But every WWF game needs commentary, and JBI fails bigtime in this category.
Just like the real Smackdown!, you have Tazz and Micheal Cole ringside. And just like the real Smackdown!, they suck together. So, you could call the commentary very bad or very realistic. I say it plain sucks. Cole and Tazz repeat the same thing over and over. They never say anything relevant to whats happening in the match. For example I can piledrive my opponent, and they’ll say ’Wow what an exciting match’ or just ’Woah’. Then they’ll start spitting out useless thoughts on the wrestlers. For example, if HHH is in the match, they’ll say ’Triple H is one mean man’ and then say nothing else. Um, ok. They do scream the name of a finisher multiple times when you perform them(ie STUNNER! STUNNER!), thats the commentarys only saving point. It’s very dissapointing not to mention annoying.
Gameplay
Hardly anything has changed from Smackdown!2. Whether thats good or bad depends on your opinion of Smackdown!2. I loved Smackdown!2s gameplay, so the same holds for JBI. It’s pretty solid, but could be better. Theres really no improvements other than damage infliction. If you put a finisher on a wrestler they almost always stay down now, whereas in Smackdown!1-2 it took multiple finishers. There are many many types of matches to choose from. You have single, tag, tornado tag, 3on3 tag, hardcore, special referee, royal rumble, slobberknocker, table, tlc, 3 stages of hell, cage, i quit, ironman, last man standing, and there are lots of others, not to mention options for each such as tag, tornado tag etc. Also, the creation options are astounding. Create a superstar, create a stable, create a manager, create a taunt. Each are done very well also, especially create a superstar.
There are a few holes in the gameplay, but the match options and customization options make em seem a little smaller.
Lasting Appeal
Wrestling games always have great replay value and JBI is no different. The story mode is much better this time around because there isnt long loads between screens. Also it lasts much longer and you can unlock lots of things, such as weapons, create options, wrestlers, venues and more. Theres also 4 players allowed, making JBI the perfect party game.Conclusion
Another solid titles for Yukes. It’s not a perfect wrestling game, but its a pretty good one. There are problems with the gameplay and graphics/sound, but the sheer depth and replay value garauntees you’ll be playing for awhile. Recommended for any wrasslin fan.
