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WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2006

Guest ch1ppy08

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apsham
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http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/717/717798/vids_1.html Much improved commentary and cool new systems on the last two videos.

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JoeMimic Opener

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September 26, 2005 - After hearing it from players and critics alike last year, THQ wanted to ensure that WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 had the best season mode ever available to wrestling fans. The 2004 version of that feature, after all, suffered from a myriad of different problems (including poorly-recorded voice acting and rather generic storylines) and just about every other sports game on the market eclipsed it in terms of options, unlockables, and things to do. But based on what I've seen of SmackDown vs. RAW 2006, so far, the game's apparently permanent status as a season mode underperformer isn't looking quite so permanent anymore.

You see, in the newest iteration of WWE SmackDown vs. RAW, THQ has gone back to the drawing board and revamped two main areas of the Season feature to make it more like real WWE programming. As basic an improvements these two fixes may sound (Presentation and Gameplay flow, more specifically), I can tell you first hand that it makes an enormous difference in how the season plays out already... and I'm only one month into it.

To start, there are more than 100 different completely motion-captured cinematic cutscenes ranging from two to six minutes in length. Likewise, there are double the amount of cutscenes compared to 2004 and players no longer need to press the X button to move on to the next scene (now, the storytelling happens in real time). The voice-acting used to convey these stories is much, much better when compared to last year too, and the wrestlers finally sound like they're speaking with emotion and conviction and boast realistic lip synching at every turn.

And speaking of, well... speaking, created superstars now have voices too. In fact, there's no longer onscreen text used during the season mode unless players turn on the optional feature in the menu screen. Instead, gamers can now select from among five different voice types to represent their characters between matches, or select from any existing superstar on the roster and listen to them instead.

Of course, the big news is that some of (but not all) the legends also have voice-overs included with their personas and can be used during a regular season just like the normal guys (the basic rule of thumb is that if he has a voice, he can be used during a season). What's more, there is also legend-specific storylines into addition to superstar-particular plots to go along with them. This means that if you choose the Undertaker or Triple H, you're going to run into situations that you wouldn't otherwise see with anyone else. Every WWE superstar will act and behave in a manner that mirrors their real life personality too, and regardless of whom you choose every last character in the season mode will speak.

On the downside, the two-player simultaneous season from SmackDown 2 on the first PlayStation still hasn't been brought back for SmackDown vs. RAW 2006 -- and while women can defend their titles in exhibition matches, they can't be used for season mode either. The good news is that the storylines themselves are pretty interesting, and can boast as many as 10 scenes in a single arc before players move on to the next feud. It's also worth noting that seasons are now two years long instead of one (one each for SmackDown and RAW), and there's even an ECW storyline thrown in for good measure.

When combining both seasons together, players can expect more than 70 different wrestling matches and around 15-16 hours of gameplay if they manage to go through the typical path. Surprisingly, THQ tells us that SmackDown vs. RAW isn't going to allow players to switch shows mid-season this year, and that any cross-promotional stuff only happens as a result of the storyline. Needless to say, moving from SmackDown to RAW and vice-versa won't be voluntary, but your ultimate goal is still to capture all the belts from both shows.

To pull off such a feat, players have a whole boatload of challenges and choices at their disposal. While the storyline itself isn't overly branching, users will have the opportunity to select who they want to fight, what kind of matches they want, and who they want to align with in certain situations (via multiple choice). As an added bonus, players can also earn trophies for successfully completing specific tasks (with prizes for being a legend killer, winning the Royal Rumble, doing well in Bar Room Brawls, etc), earn alternate costumes because of those trophies, and unlock a new legend for beating the storyline mode for each show.

There's still a lot about the season mode of SmackDown vs. RAW 2006 that we don't know (like the extent of the character-specific storylines and how many multiple endings there are), but those are revelations probably best left for you. Even so, we've put together a special treat for wrestling fans curious about how the new season works. Linked below is a snippet from the very first storyline in the game when using Randy Orton. It'll give you a good idea of how things go over the course of a feud and show you just how much things have been improved.

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zero Hall Of Famer

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Still no word on whether or not created wrestlers can be AI controlled in season mode though. That would be a huge disappointment if they weren't now that they can have voice overs.

Only five choices for CAW voices though? That's incredibly lame. And knowing THQ, I can only guess how stupid these generic voices are. I bet we get a robot, alien, and monster. Still, being able to use pre-existing wrestlers, that's pretty cool, I suppose.

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alldaws1 Intercontinental Champion

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Only five choices for CAW voices though? That's incredibly lame. And knowing THQ, I can only guess how stupid these generic voices are. I bet we get a robot, alien, and monster. Still, being able to use pre-existing wrestlers, that's pretty cool, I suppose.

I think it's a big step-up, as long as they're not all stupid voices. The videos look great IMO, Flair & Triple H attacking Shelton after their match was golden.

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EddieRuckus Midcarder

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Season mode looks decent this year, I might pick this up when it comes out. I love the voice-overs, and this thing with Randy Orton and Triple H after the Smackdown invasion is pretty sweet, seems like an actual TV show. Plus if they have the long and grand Chris Master's entrance, I'll definately buy this when it comes out.

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