WWF SmackDown!

This game for the PlayStation set in motion the long-running WWF SmackDown! series.

Overview

SmackDown! was the first wrestling game produced by THQ and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation. This game boasted a much faster arcade-style play and was the predecessor of Acclaim's Attitude game. This game provided a much simpler system of performing moves rather than Acclaim's button-mashing technique. Grapples could be done by simply selecting a direction on the arrow pad and pressing a button. This also has been a staple of the franchise throughout its games, evolving each time. The gameplay modes were few, but included backstage areas for wrestlers to take their aggressions out on each other.

Gameplay

WWF SmackDown! is like your basic wrestling game with fast arcade-style gameplay. You take control of one wrestler and are set in the ring against another wrestler (number of wrestlers varies on match type). Grapples and strikes in this game are executed by using the directional pad in different directions and pushing the circle or X button. Also, both buttons can be combined to pull off special moves such as power bombs. WWF SmackDown! also allowed you to fight backstage and use many objects lying around the area in which you are fighting. This was the second wrestling game to have this feature (the first game being WCW Mayhem). The game also had an extensive season mode which had never been included in a WWF game.