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WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw

Topic: Software

 From HandWiki - Reading time: 9 min

Short description: 2004 professional wrestling video game
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw
Box art for the game, featuring Vince McMahon
Developer(s)Yuke's
Publisher(s)
SeriesSmackDown vs. Raw
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: November 2, 2004
  • EU: November 12, 2004
  • JP: February 3, 2005
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw (also known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 6 in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 on November 2, 2004 in North America. It is the sixth installment of professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s video game series, the sequel to 2003's WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, and the first game to be released under the SmackDown! vs. Raw title. The game series was rebranded after the introduction of the brand extension which divided WWE's roster into two brands, the latter brand in the game's title being named after WWE's weekly Monday Night Raw program.

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw was succeeded in 2005 by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006.

Gameplay

Screenshot of the new Parking Lot Brawl, featuring Eddie Guerrero and John Cena.

The game is largely similar to its predecessor, but adds some key features.

Several new gameplay features are introduced, including pre-match and mid-match minigames. The pre-match mini-games are randomly chosen before every singles match and include a test of strength, a stare down, and a shoving match. Several mid-match mini-games include the chop battle, and a spanking mini-game for female wrestlers in bra and panties matches. The meter mechanic from the chop battles are retained, but the player must perfectly time the button press three consecutive times to win. If the player does so, a cut scene of the two female wrestlers kissing is played.

The ability to sustain a submission till the count of 5 once a rope break had been reached was also implemented. The game features several arenas based on pay-per-views held by WWE in 2003 and 2004, as well as arenas based on each weekly WWE television show.

Also added to the game was the Clean/Dirty system, which influenced each wrestler's tactics. Players can choose if the wrestler is clean, dirty or neutral. A clean or dirty wrestler has a unique meter that can be filled up by performing special clean/dirty actions or moves.

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw also includes a redone WWE PPV (Pay-Per-View) mode from its past games where the player can play sample PPVs based on real life match cards from 2004, or create a PPV of their own by booking matches and choosing match types with any superstar, legend or created superstar in the game. Created championships could also be waged in the created PPVs. Before playing the PPV, the game would show a generic highlight reel featuring two of the superstars in the main event of the show. Play-by-play commentary was also improved, with the commentary beginning to improve and sync up with the matches more.

The game also featured an all-new Create-a-Championship mode, in which the player can create and defend the title in their created PPVs. The game also includes the Create-A-Wrestler mode from previous games where the created superstar's movesets, attributes, entrances, and brand could be customized. The create mode was improved from the previous game. Stables could also be created featuring any wrestler and entrances could also be customized.

A new Challenge mode provides gamers with opportunities to challenge themselves at different difficulty levels. In addition, several challenges put gamers in memorable matches from the past and beating these challenges will help unlock alternate attires and arenas.

SmackDown vs. Raw was also the first installment in the series to feature an online mode, but only Single or Bra & Panties matches can be played.

Reception

The game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[1] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[2]

Critical

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic80/100[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM7.67/10[4]
Eurogamer7/10[5]
Game Informer8.5/10[6]
GameSpot8.1/10[7]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[8]
GameZone8.7/10[9]
IGN8.4/10[10]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[11]
VideoGamer.com7/10[12]
X-PlayStarStarStarStar[13]
Detroit Free PressStarStarStar[14]

The game received a score of 80/100 on review aggregator Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]

Accolades

Distributor: Category: Result:
2004 Spike Video Game Awards Best Fighting Game Nominated[citation needed]
9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Fighting Game of the Year Nominated[15]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3944. 
  2. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  4. ↑ EGM staff (25 December 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Electronic Gaming Monthly (186): 122. 
  5. ↑ Cutlack, Gary (17 November 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_wwesmackdownvsraw_ps2. 
  6. ↑ Zoss, Jeremy (December 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Game Informer (140): 174. http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/E8E5347F-0E09-4308-BBC0-EEBB2120F0A2.htm. Retrieved 12 February 2015. 
  7. ↑ Navarro, Alex (1 November 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-smackdown-vs-raw-review/1900-6111984/. 
  8. ↑ Leeper, Justin (10 November 2004). "GameSpy: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw". GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/wwe-smackdown-6/565133p1.html. 
  9. ↑ The Bearer (16 November 2004). "WWE Smackdown vs. Raw - PS2 - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/wwe_smackdown_vs_raw_ps2_review. 
  10. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (29 October 2004). "WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW". http://ps2.ign.com/articles/561/561668p1.html. 
  11. ↑ Smith, David (January 2005). "WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. http://www.1up.com/reviews/wwe-smackdown-raw. Retrieved 8 April 2016. 
  12. ↑ Dransfield, Ian (3 December 2004). "WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw Review". VideoGamer.com. http://www.videogamer.com/ps2/wwe_smackdown_vs_raw/review.html. 
  13. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (7 December 2004). "WWE SmackDown vs. RAW Review". X-Play. http://www.g4techtv.com/xplay/features/50507/WWE_SmackDown_vs_RAW_Review.html. 
  14. ↑ Gardner, Omari (21 November 2004). "'WWE SmackDown vs. Raw'". Detroit Free Press. http://www.freep.com/entertainment/videogames/gmini21e_20041121.htm. 
  15. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details WWE SmackDown! vs Raw". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2006&idGame=151. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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