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WWE SmackDown! (formerly WWF SmackDown!) is a series of professional wrestling video games released by THQ. The franchise takes its name from World Wrestling Entertainment's weekly Friday night (previously Thursday night) television program of the same name. The game is developed by Japanese developer YUKE's Future Media Creators, who had previously developed the popular Toukon Retsuden series of Japanese wrestling games. In Japan, the series has also been released as Exciting Pro Wrestling. The series as a whole has sold quite well, with WWE claiming total sales in excess of 26 million units for the whole series.

After SmackDown! vs. RAW, the series took a shift of focus from its original arcade-like roots to more of a realistic wrestling simulation game. With this shift, the next game in the series was called SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006, matching the naming scheme of other sports games such as the Madden NFL series.

Contents 1 Original series 1.1 WWF SmackDown! 1.2 WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role 1.3 WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It 1.4 WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth 1.5 WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain 2 SmackDown! vs. RAW 2.1 WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2.2 WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 2.3 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 2.4 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 3 Rosters 4 References 5 External links

The first four games in the series were each titled after one of The Rock's catchphrases. Here Comes the Pain was named after Tazz's catchphrase in reference to Brock Lesnar. Following Here Comes the Pain, taglines were phased out.

Main article: WWF SmackDown!

The first installment of the series was released for the PlayStation (PS1) in North America on February 29, 2000 and in Europe on March 9, 2000. It was released in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling on August 3, 2000. The game was the first PlayStation WWF game to be released by THQ, who had recently secured the license to release WWF games. Its fast, arcade-style gameplay were different from past slower paced WWF games. The game also featured the first extensive Season Mode in a WWF game, in which the player was allowed to participate in WWF storylines.

Main article: WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

The second installment was released on the PS1 in North America on November 19, 2000, and later in Japan, as Exciting Pro Wrestling 2, on January 25, 2001. The game is generally considered by fans of the series to be superior to its predecessor, with its vastly increased roster of wrestlers, backstage areas, matches, and improved Season Mode. However, this game has been criticized for having long loading times in comparison to the first Smackdown game.

Main article: WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It

The third installment was released on the PS2 on November 18, 2001. It was the first American wrestling game released for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). It also holds the distinction of being the first SmackDown! game to feature semi-authentic wrestler ring entrances and the first entry in the series to allow players to walk around WWF backstage areas. Notable flaws about the game are its large use of Memory Card space, its Season Mode, which was criticized for being short and repetitive, the general lack of improvement in gameplay, poor but unintentionally hilarious commentary, and the fact that the roster did not include any members of the Alliance from WCW/ECW during the Invasion angle and was thus a source of dismay. It is, however, worth noting that it is the only game in the Smackdown series to allow tag team matches with 8 wrestlers in the ring at once. It came out January 24, 2002 in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling 3. All new copies of the game are now titled "WWE" SmackDown! Just Bring It.

Main article: WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth

The fourth installment of SmackDown! was the first released on the PS2 after the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) changed their name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was released in the United States on Halloween, October 31, 2002 November 15, 2002 in Europe, and February 6, 2003 in Japan, as Exciting Pro Wrestling 4. The game features an extensive roster of WWE stars, including Hulk Hogan, an improved Season Mode which includes storylines involving the nWo and a wide variety of unlockable features. Also notable is the game's soundtrack, which includes licensed theme music for several wrestlers; "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix (Hollywood Hulk Hogan's theme) and "Also sprach Zarathustra" (Ric Flair's theme). On the cover was then-SmackDown! superstar Triple H and others on the same roster.

Main article: WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

The fifth installment of the series is considered by some fans to be one of the best American-produced wrestling games, and by others the best wrestling game of all time. It was released on the PS2 on October 27, 2003 in North America, November 7, 2003 in Europe, and January 29, 2004 in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5. The game introduced a more traditional grappling system while retaining the series's fast gameplay. It was also the first game in the series to allow the player to earn experience points and strengthen the used superstar.

These games were realesed when the Smackdown! video games and the RAW video games thought to join together to make "Smackdown! vs. RAW" video games.

Main article: WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW

The sixth installment of the series is SmackDown! vs. RAW. This installment features a highly increased polygon count for characters, a "Create-a-PPV" mode, a "Create-a-Belt" mode, the "Parking Lot Brawl" and Internet play many felt was lacking in Here Comes the Pain and a widely disappointing smaller roster of roughly 45 wrestlers. However, the lack of current superstars is countered by an increased amount of legends, including Mankind, The Rock and Bret Hart. This installment of the franchise has generally been seen by game critics as a "transition game" for the series offering little in the way of innovation. The game was released on the PS2 on November 9, 2004.

Main article: WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006

The seventh installment in the series brought out a more realistic approach to gameplay. New features included a momentum meter, interactive backstage settings, stamina rating and a General Manager mode, and for the first time ever a Buried Alive match. In and released forPlayStation portable(PSP) on December 5, 2005.

Main article: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

The eighth installment of the series is the first game in the "SmackDown!" franchise to be included on the Xbox 360 as well as the PS2 and PSP. A PlayStation 3 (PS3) edition was planned but was eventually canceled. New features for the game include a more interactive fighting environment, including fighting within the crowd, high impact combination moves, and a new analog control grappling system. The Money in the Bank ladder match type was also added to this installment. In North America, the game was released on all consoles on November 14, 2006.

Main article: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008

The ninth in the SmackDown! series, is the first to be released on all of the next-gen consoles, with games on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and Nintendo DS. This is the first in the series to include WWE's third brand ECW, and for PS3, 360 and PS2 versions the new WWE 24-7 mode, which is the usual season mode with the returning GM mode combined. Also, this game will feature wrestlers with different fighting styles, 8 different styles with a primary and secondary choice. New match types include ECW Extreme Rules match. A match that brings the new weapon wheel into play, allowing flaming tables, fans assistance in beat downs, and many new weapon attacks. Released on the 9th November in Europe, and November 13 for North America.Also this game features a upgrade on a CAS to 100, unlike in the previous version, only up to 99 overall.

Since Here Comes the Pain, each game in the SmackDown! series has included unlockable Legend characters. The Legends featured either former WWE Superstars such as André the Giant, Bret Hart and Ted DiBiase or old personas of a current Superstar such as The Undertaker from the early 1990s and Kane's masked attire.

Only five playable characters have been featured in every game in the series up to and including SmackDown vs. Raw 2008. They are Kane, Triple H, The Undertaker, The Rock, and Edge. Although The Rock has been in all of the games in the series so far, he has only been featured as a legend since SmackDown! vs. RAW.

Fred Durst is the only celebrity to be a playable character in any of the games. He was a secret character in Just Bring It.

• Dunham, Jeremy (2005). "SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006: World Premiere". July 4, 2005.
• Dunham, Jeremy (2005). "SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006: PSP Revealed". July 20, 2005.
• WWE Corporate: Licensing. Accessed October 13, 2006.
• IGN information on SmackDown! vs Raw 2008 [1]
• Hunt, Jen (2007). "SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 unveiled". Accessed 1 September 2007.

• WWF SmackDown! at GameFAQs
• WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role at GameFAQs
• WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 (PS2) at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006 (PSP) at GameFAQs
• WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 (PS2) at GameFAQs
• WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 (PSP) at GameFAQs
• WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2007 (Xbox 360) at GameFAQs

Video games based on World Wrestling Entertainment
SmackDown! series
SmackDown! • Know Your Role • Just Bring It • Shut Your Mouth • Here Comes the Pain vs. RAW • vs. RAW 2006 • vs. Raw 2007 • vs. Raw 2008
WrestleMania-based games
WrestleMania • Super WM • Arcade Game • Challenge • Steel Cage • Road to WM • Road to X8 WM 2000 • WM X8 • WM XIX • WM 21
Other
RAW (1994) • RAW • RAW 2 • Day of Reckoning • Day of Reckoning 2 • Attitude • Betrayal • In Your House • King of the Ring • No Mercy • Rage in the Cage • Royal Rumble • Royal Rumble (2000) • Superstars (1989) • Superstars • Superstars 2 • Survivor Series • War Zone • WrestleFest • With Authority! • Crush Hour