June 2, 2008 - When Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 hit the shelves back in late 2005, it presented a unique situation for gamers. For the first time since its inception, the series was available on two platforms albeit still exclusive to Sony. What made this more unique was that gamers were given a faithfully translated version of the PS2 game. THQ/Yukes went further by adding a few PSP exclusives. While the inclusion of one extra unlockable character and better left forgotten mini games didn’t make the game anymore superior, it did wonders for multiplayer gaming. You could now lay the smack down on people from places beyond your living room and that is reason enough to consider 2006 as a positive step in the right direction for the series on the portable front. How quickly things have changed in a few short years.

SvR 2008 for the PSP manages to condense what you get on the console version into a handy UMD. The only problem is that the console versions are at best average and the PS2 version is the game the PSP Smackdown most resembles. This is not to write off SvR 08 for the PSP as being a horrible game; it just feels more like a meager upgrade of the previous titles than an entirely new game.

Variability has become a staple for any competent wrestling video game, and SvR gives you all the match types as you could possibly want. Single, Tag, Handicap, Fatal Four Way, Royal Rumble, and so on means you have plenty of ways to grapple and “wrassle”. Unfortunately all this variety is nothing new. The time for some revolutionary gameplay modes has never been more prevalent.

New much hyped features include the signature styles and submission system. The former are different categories of fighting styles your wrestler may use such as technical, brawler, submission, showman etc. Each style has a unique special move or two that really gives the styles some flexibility. It helps differentiate the wrestlers and also caters to providing a more authentic feel for the wrestlers’ mannerisms. It’s not a revolutionary concept, but a welcome addition.

The submission system is a quirky, beneficial new technique. Once locked in a submission you toggle the analog stick back and forth to either increase the amount of pressure of the attack, or increase the likelihood of being able to counter. Wrestlers with higher submission levels (aka submission specialists) are most likely to benefit from this function, but it’s not exclusive to just that signature style.

The main mode of play for 2K8 is the 24/7 Mode. The ultimate goal is to work your way up the wrestling ladder to become a WWE legend. How you choose to become a superstar starts with what brand you want to represent. Initially, you have a couple of different options at your disposal. The calendar provides you with a month by month breakdown of all the television programs and pay-per-view events. You wrestle on the day your brand is on and the rest of the days are yours to decide what you want to do. Some of the options include upgrading your attributes such as your strength, speed and durability. This pits you against a random opponent where you are given a limited amount of time to execute a string of moves. You can also upgrade your skills such as your ability to work the microphone or your intake of pain. Finally, you can take part in a series of “static events” The prospect of being a movie star, going out on a trophy date, doing an autograph session among other things sounds cool but all you get is a screenshot and a random amount of money, popularity points, or fatigue. Sometimes you might even fail dependent on your selection and no explanation is given.

The 24/7 mode is also dragged down thanks to lame storylines and repetitive gameplay. One storyline involves your wrestler being paired with a WWE legend. Your GM will drop all sorts of hints as to who your mystery partner will be only to “surprise” you with someone you were most likely not expecting, but probably weren’t interested in having for a partner either. The matches are standard fare and feel tedious since the AI is often either way too dumb, or reverses everything you throw at them. Sure the latter option is challenging but would it be entertaining to watch on television? Not likely. On the other hand, the former scenario can lead to some short matches which would be defined as a “squash” amongst wrestling pundits. The AI on the lower difficulty settings will be little more than a practice dummy. There are some sliders you can use to tweak how the AI reacts. Although broken, it could provide a more satisfying experience if you are looking to customize the way you’d like the CPU to put up their virtual dukes or if you desire, have them practically job to you.