User Rating: 9.3 | Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 (Limited Edition) PS2
Forget what you remembered about last years Smackdown, though there may be a few game play similarities this is the evolution of wrestling right here. The new gameplay features such as the location specific body damage make this the most realistic wrestling game EVER. Taking it one step further than it was taken on No Mercy were after working on a specific body part a person would hold on to that part and if it was their leg they would limp a little on this game if it is your leg you may not get off the ground and when you do finally get up expect to stumble around a little maybe even fall over which is cool to me because it emulates real wrestling unlike JBI (Just Bring It) in which case some one could fall off of the ladder and be right back up to their feet in 2 seconds as if they just tripped off of a curb or something. The grappling system really resembles that of No Mercy you have 4 grapple types submission, power, signature, and quick along with these 4 grapples comes 4 moves per grapple giving each wrestler 20 ready grapple moves as opposed to its predessors 12, you tie up into these grapples first 4 and then you go into the second 4. This game isn't all perfect though there are some things that were removed from this years version that were in last years that would have made the game perfect; among the things missing are some of the licensed music (Victoria's T.A.T.U theme sounds like a Badboy rock remix all it needs is Diddy going yeah yeah i like that i like that), the Smackdown Cam is gone the game does it on it's own now which is fine by me but i felt more control with the option in my hands. I believe the end of the match beatings have been removed or changed from how they were carried out in the last game. This games biggest drawback however is in the sound department, EVERY form of verbal sound (except for grunts and what not) has been removed. It takes away a little, JR and the King's commentary on the last game wasn't that bad it was actually the best i had heard since WWE (would say F but may get sued) Warzone. Not only are JR and King missing but so is Lilian so you don't get a full rundown of your charecter on the way to the ring. On the upside of the sound however the crowd will now cheer or boo you depending on your status as heel or face. Back to the gameplay where HCTP really excels. The ability to counter SDs (Smackdowns) was a welcome addition to the series in last years title in my opinion the only gripe i had with it was that it could only be done if your charecter had a SD making it still seem like a race to see who could get their SD faster. This years follows the GC WWE games by allowing you to counter a signature move as long as you are somewhat coherent anytime, just like in real life by hitting both of the counter buttons simultaneously. Speaking of the counter buttons there are 2 now one for grapples and one for strikes once again much like the THQ WWE games of the past and GC games, you don't have to worry about guessing the direction that the button goes along with now either just time your button presses. Also gone from previous SD games are the anyone with a submission as a signature move is the best player on the game because they cause you to tap automatically" days now your charecter can counter the submission hold or fight his/her way to the ropes. When a submission is applied it has the same effect that it had on the previous SD games unless that part of the body has taken significant damage in which case you can actually make your opponent tap. When you go for the tap out the game becomes a good ol fashion button mash contest to gain momentum like Royal Rumble or Raw on SNES (all my ol school fans know what I'm talking about). My favorite match type so far is the Elimination Chamber it's really cool the only problem is that with 5 other superstars in the ring the game's camera pans out a little to far to get a good view of the action and it becomes hard to see what you are doing. Last issue I have with this game (promise, it's late and I have a class in the morning) is the roster. It is fully up to date but it is missing many wrestlers, key wrestlers who have not left at anytime due to injury or anything like that (ie the APA and Jamie Noble, Nidia, and Maven). The game gives you 34 create a player slots though so you can create those missing wrestlers. All we have to do is wait for gamespot to get some of those handy CAW guides helped me create each and every last one of my charecters on SYM. In closing if you loved SYM then go buy this game now stop reading hop in ya whip or on the bus and go get this game it is like the perfect blend between the N64 series and the PSone series. If however you liked SD for its super duper arcadey feel than you may want to avoid this title because let me tell you fall off that hell in a cell and u won't be getting up for at least 10 seconds and that is when your body is at good conditioning.
