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Wrestling games are always popular and this year, we have a wide array of games coming out for various consoles. Leading the charge is WWF Smackdown: Just Bring It, the third 
entry into the Smackdown Series and fist such game for the PS2. I looked forward to this game all year, and right off the bat, I will tell you this is an awesome title I plan to play for a very long time.
Smackdown is an improvement over last year's game, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The graphics are cleaner, nicer and much more defined. The load time is significantly faster and there is no stoppage in the action during the Royal Rumble for a new wrestler to hit the ring. The biggest improvement is the number of wrestles that can fit in the ring at once. During a Royal Rumble match, eight men can fit in the ring. You can even have 8-man elimination matches and for the first time since Wrestlemania Challenge (NES), you can hold a six-man tag-team match. You can even have three tag-teams battle each other. This really opens things up for players and increases the replay value of the game.
Of course, there are complaints. The sound sucks. I am upset that Booker T, DDP, RVD and Lance Storm could not be included in the game. I am also upset that with eight people allowed in the ring, there wasn't a 4-on-4 Survivor Series option. That would have been so cool. Other than that, I loved this game. There are just too many things not to love. The create-a-wrestler mode is just so damn deep that you can change everything from the facial structure of the character to the way his or her eyebrows look. I love the fact that there are secret cards you obtain, similar to the Madden series, that open up other options for you and I am mad happy with the fact that the stories are shorter and I can actually go walking around the arena, getting myself into sticky situations. Awesome. I think this game kicks ass, but like always there is so much to improve on in order to make Smackdown 4 the most complete wrestling game ever.
Graphics-Rating a 7: The graphics are nice. 
The characters look good, but that funny body structure can be seen on many of the wrestlers, just like in the two games for the PS One. The arena looks better and the backstage areas are enormous. The cut scenes are very well done. Still, there are some key complaints. When I fight in the crowd of 2D people, they move away in such an odd matter that it is comical, plus it just looks awkward to have 3D wrestlers fighting in a 2D crowd. Also, some clothes fit weird on wrestlers and I noticed the title belt looked very awkward on some of the characters, like the graphics of a guy's shirt was interfering with those of the belt. Finally, there are some collision detection problems that allowed me to climb a table and still climb it even after a wrestler had pulled it away from me. Feels good to stand on air for a second. What's up with that?
Sound-Rating a 3: The entrance music is good and that's it. We asked for announcing and we got it, but it sucks. Tazz and Michael Cole sound like they are announcing for the old Starting Lineup Talking Baseball games. (Insert Name)…did real good with that…(insert move). Horrible.
Controls-Rating a 7: Everything is the same as the last game. The same buttons to attack, grapple, pick things up, etc. Everything about the grappling system is the same, so there are really no changes at all in how to play the game from the last one. However, that is actually a bad thing now that you have eight wrestlers in the ring. It is almost impossible to fight them all off as things move too fast. It seems to take forever to get my guy to face the wrestler he wants to attack and then I have to have him face the other wrestler attacking him and before I know it I am attacking my partner or the referee. There should be some kind of system that has you automatically facing the person attacking you. That's the only control problem that needs work.
Gameplay-Rating a 10: I loved playing this game, especially with friends. Just being able to have eight people in the ring has excited me so much that I can overlook all the problems I have mentioned. It just feels too real at times. I enjoy the fact that I have really started developing a dislike for wrestlers as Matt Hardy and I have traded that damn European title four times. Oh, I'll kick his ass, that's for sure. Anyway, it was like having a real sports entertainment federation in my home. Hours and hours of fun to play and sometimes that's all that matters.
Replay Value-Rating a 10: Are you kidding me? So much to do and so many wrestlers to try out; you'll be playing this one right up until Smackdown 4 comes out.
Overall: It depends. This is an above average game. If you are a WWF fan with a PS2, this game is for you. If you have an X-Box and a PS2, but a limited budget, wait until WWF Raw comes out, because that game is actually going to be even better. However, if you can get both, I say go for it. Casual wrestling and fighting fans should try this game out. I guarantee they'll love it. Just turn the sound off.
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