WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 (Sony PlayStation 2, 2005)

Honestly, this is one of the best wrestling games I've ever played. It's so much fun. You really can't go wrong with SvR2k6. If you enjoyed the previous installment, then you're definitely going to enjoy this one. Enough of my blabbering, let's kick off the review.

Story - 8

The story is simple, as usual. You're a WWE Superstar on his way to the top, encountering different matches, fueds, challenges, the sort. The story isn't bad, nope, not at all. And since there are two different brands, there are two different stories (basically).

From what I've played (and I've played both), the stories seem to intertwine a little bit. Not brand-wise, but in the sense of what actually happens during the season. During the RAW brand version, you play as a wrestler, and you go on the WWE Legends tour, in return for a title shot. You then come back, and... eh, actually, that's all I'm going to tell you. On the Smackdown! version of season mode, you watch as General Manager Theodore Long gets run over by a car, and chaos ensues within Smackdown. Enemies are made through accusations, and tension is high. Once again, that's all I'm gonna say. Play them for yourself, you're not gonna be disappointed. All in all, story = good.

Graphics - 10

WOW. When I see the graphics, my mind is blown away. Seriously, the graphics have definitely improved. And I know a lot of people like to skip over the entrances, but just take 1 look at say... maybe Randy Orton's entrance. You won't regret it. The graphics are engineered so well it's amazing. His [Randy Orton] face looks exactly like its' real-life counterpart. The pyros are pretty great, too. Good graphics all around. And we all know good graphics never hurt anybody.

Gameplay - 10

The gameplay is golden, as usual. Great fun. And it's gotten quite real, too. There's even a stamina bar, and each move has a certain amount of stamina it takes up. Throughout the match, you deplete your stamina bar, and you must take pauses, often frequent, to refill it again by pressing select. The matches in the game are good as usual, with new additions such as the Buried Alive match, the Bar Room Brawl, and the Fulfill Your Fantasy match. The GM mode is also a new feature. You get to play the part of the General Manager, the man who makes the decisions, the guy who's in charge.

Sound - 8

The sound is okay. I mean, it's definitely not bad, but it has room for improvement. Most things do. Some commentary is pretty funny, but it does get repetitive as usual. The music isn't bad, although I really don't see anything but rock and rap. Where's the classical? I mean, you know you wanna be kicking some ass to Beethoven.... or maybe that's just me... ah well. Like I said, sound isn't bad.

Miscellaneous - 9

This is where all the other stuff gets put in. Like the new locker room feature. And the creation modes. Anyways, new locker room feature. It's pretty cool. You get to have your own locker room, and you can customize it to your liking. From having different WWE collectibles atop a desk in different areas, to different rugs, to different wall posters. The creation modes are great too. The Create-A-Wrestler is pretty good, as usual. Create-An-Entrance is also pretty cool. Create-A-Stable... interesting enough. Create-A-Moveset, you know. And Create-A-Championship. It's so great. The prices have been lowered IMMENSELY. So now you don't have to save up 50k to get the belt of your dreams.

Overall - 5/5

Great title. Awesome graphics, smooth gameplay, realistic wrestling, and incredible character selection. The game has a great selection of basically any match you can imagine. Season mode is also fun. The storylines are funny but can get boring after awhile especially if you rather just play the matches. Matches and wrestler's attributes are scarily realistic. Momentmum is a big factor in any match, just as in the WWE. Create-a-superstar and online play will keep you playing the game with new characters months after you beat the game. By finding the correct configurations online, you can create classic superstars like the Ultimate Warrior, Kevin Nash, Razor Ramon, & basically anyone you could think of.
I would definitely recommend buying this game, especially if you have any interest in wrestling whatsoever. If you have any questions about the game, don't hesitate to contact me!

THQ sends players back to the ring with WWE SMACKDOWN! VS RAW 2006 for the PS2. Featuring many of today’s top wrestlers, an intriguing WWE/RAW storyline, and some new tweaks that make the game much more than a button-masher. WWE SMACKDOWN! VS RAW 2006 features nearly every major player in either the WWE or the RAW roster. With all these characters, including the WWE divas, players will surely find at least one of their favorites. In previous WWE games, each character had the same four grappling attacks, in the 2006 game, each wrestler is assigned four out of seven different styles of fighting and moves. This adds a layer of strategy to the game that requires players to master each character’s abilities. Another addition is stamina and momentum. As wrestlers battle it out, they will lose a little bit of stamina for each move they execute. The more moves they do, however, and the more exciting the match becomes, the more momentum they built up. These two additions stop players from relying on a button-mashing series of powerful moves yet also require them to perform some of the impressive actions or risk losing momentum and the crowd. In addition to these tweaks and the huge roster of wresters, WWE SMACKDOWN! VS RAW 2006 includes a number of different gameplay modes, matches, and hidden characters and costumes. All of the intense WWE and RAW excitement is here, and gamers who love watching the wrestling shows will really enjoy playing the game.

Special Features
The wrestlers from WWE and RAW provide voices, as do commentators Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, and Tazz. The soundtrack includes pieces tracks by Dillinger Escape Plan, Bumpy Knuckles, and other licensed music.

I have played the entire Smackdown series and this is by far the best one of them all. The graphics are sharp and realistic. The Create-a-wrestler, create-a-belt and create-an-entrance continues to improve. The season mode seems a bit short, but you can play it over again to unlock wrestlers, unlock items for your locker or take your wrestler on a different route. At first, the new General Manager mode didn’t sound too fun, but it quickly got addicting and it wasn’t so bad. The best thing about this game is the different type of matches the game has to offer. I think the worst thing about this game is the computer difficulty. Easy is really easy and legend is extremely difficult. After a lot of practice of the moves and reversals, the legend difficulty isn’t so bad, but the matches might still be long. Right now, I think this is the best wrestling game in the Smackdown series.

I have to agree that Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 is the best to date but, i will have to disagree when it comes to charactor creation. The game does not offer enough hair styles or clothes to create many charactors. I would also have liked to have been able to edit the superstars appearance.
Also THQ must have been in a real hurry to release the game where they didn't notice the Smackdown opening video shows wrestlers not included in the game. And in case they didn't notice Tazz says to Cole the match might last 60 mins and Cole replys that he wished it would last an hour.
With the many flaws i found in Smackdown Vs Raw i would still have to say it is the best wrestling game since No Mercy. Yet, there is nothing to compare it to since WWE has no competition.