WWF SmackDown! (video game)

Short description: 2000 professional wrestling video game

WWF SmackDown!

NTSC cover art featuring Chyna, The Rock, Billy Gunn and Mankind

Developer(s)| Yuke's
Publisher(s)|

* WW: THQ
* JP: Yuke's

Director(s)| Toshihiko Kitazawa
Designer(s)| Toshihiko Kitazawa
Daisuke Doi
Osamu Hashimoto
Artist(s)| Taku Chihaya
Composer(s)| Masafumi Ogata
Kei Morioka
Rei Shimizu
Series| SmackDown!
Platform(s)| PlayStation
Release|

* NA: 2 March 2000
* EU: 14 April 2000[1]
* JP: 3 August 2000

Genre(s)| Sports
Mode(s)| Single-player, multiplayer

WWF SmackDown!, known in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling (エキサイティングプロレス, Ekisaitingu Puro Resu), is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and released for the PlayStation by THQ. It is based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and is named after the company's weekly SmackDown! television program. Originally released on 2 March 2000,[2] the game received a direct sequel released several months later, entitled WWF SmackDown! 2.

The first WWF game on the PlayStation to be published by THQ, SmackDown! marked the start of a long running series of WWE video games from THQ, then continued by 2K Sports and rebranded as WWE 2K. The game was also re-released under the Greatest Hits budget range.

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 Development
* 3 Reception
* 4 Notes
* 5 References
* 6 External links
* 7 Features
* 8 History
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

## Gameplay

The game's main story mode contains three main parts, first with the Pre-Season (for created wrestlers), but after ten in-game years of playing the Pre-Season, players are allowed to skip it. By playing and advancing in the season modes players gain rewards such as unlockables or attires, but instead of unlocking new characters, players unlock new body parts to put on new creations, to play as that "unlocked" character. Once players build a creation, they must fight in a Pre-Season year to build their skills and make their alliances. The story mode contains no voice-overs, instead the characters meet each other backstage with mouths that move to no voice and on-screen cutscene text. The game also lacks play-by-play color commentary.

WWF SmackDown! has many match types including Single, Tag Team, Hardcore, Steel Cage and many more.[3] The game features the late 1999 WWF roster following SmackDown!'s premiere, including the then-newcomers The Dudley Boyz.

## Development

Yuke's, the developer of SmackDown! had previously created the Toukon Retsuden series of wrestling games in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Despite this, the game engine used in SmackDown! is not based on contemporary Toukon Retsuden titles, but rather The Pro Wrestling, a title developed by Yuke's as part of D3 Publisher's Simple series and released several months in Japan beforehand.[4]

## Reception

Reception

| Aggregate score

Aggregator| Score
GameRankings| 87%[5]
Review scores
Publication| Score
AllGame| [6]
EGM| 8.75/10[7][lower-alpha 1]
Eurogamer| 9/10[9]
Famitsu| 27/40[10]
Game Informer| 9/10[11]
GameFan| 90%[12]
GameRevolution| A−[13]
GameSpot| 8.7/10[14]
IGN| 8.8/10[3]
Next Generation| [15]
OPM (US)| [16]

WWF SmackDown! received favorable reviews according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[5] Daniel Erickson of NextGen was positive to the controls, graphics, and game modes such as Season and Referee mode, but criticized its "shallow" arcade-like quality and create-a-wrestler mode.[15] In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.[10]

Lamchop of GamePro called SmackDown better than Acclaim's WWF Attitude in terms of graphics and "speedier" gameplay, but thought that Attitude has its full commentary and character voices than the former.[17][lower-alpha 2] In another review, The D-Pad Destroyer praised the Season mode and called the title "one of the best wrestling games in the history".[18][lower-alpha 3]

The game was a bestseller in the UK upon release,[19] and again three months later.[20] It also received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[21] indicating sales of at least 300,000 units in the UK.[22]

## Notes

1. ↑ Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 9/10, and two others gave it each a score of 8.5/10.
2. ↑ GamePro gave the game 5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, 4/5 for control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor in one review.
3. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4/5 for control in another review.

## References

1. ↑ "CTW Game Guide". Computer Trade Weekly (United Kingdom) (785): 34. 14 April 2000.
2. ↑ Sabga, Chris (29 February 2000). "THQ's WWF Smackdown to be released on March 2 for PSX". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/01/thqs-wwf-smackdown-to-be-released-on-march-2-for-psx.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nix, Marc (1 March 2000). "WWF Smackdown". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/02/wwf-smackdown.
4. ↑ Bixenspan, David (20 October 2017). "We've Basically Been Playing The Same WWE Video Game For Over 15 Years". G/O Media. https://kotaku.com/weve-basically-been-playing-the-same-wwe-video-game-for-1819712776.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "WWF Smackdown! for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/199349-wwf-smackdown/index.html.
6. ↑ Ottoson, Joe. "WWF SmackDown! - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22623&tab=review.
7. ↑ Hsu, Dan "Shoe"; Hager, Dean; Boyer, Crispin; Smith, Shawn (April 2000). "WWF SmackDown!". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (129): 166. https://retrocdn.net/images/4/4f/EGM_US_129.pdf. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
8. ↑ Grant, Jules (31 March 2000). "WWF Smackdown [sic"]. Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=2305&full=1#mr_toppy.
9. ↑ Ellis, Keith "DNM" (24 April 2000). "WWF Smackdown". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/wwfs-psx.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "エキサイティングプロレス" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8649&redirect=no. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
11. ↑ McNamara, Andy; Fitzloff, Jay; Reiner, Andrew (April 2000). "WWF Smackdown". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (84). http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4187. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
12. ↑ Mears, Rick (2 March 2000). "REVIEW for WWF Smackdown". GameFan (Shinno Media). http://gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=1437&t=r. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
13. ↑ Dodson, Joe (March 2000). "WWF Smackdown Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34091-wwf-smackdown-review.
14. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (2 March 2000). "WWF SmackDown! Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwf-smackdown-review/1900-2549366/.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Erickson, Daniel (May 2000). "WWF Smackdown [sic"]. NextGen (Imagine Media) (65): 101. https://archive.org/details/NextGen65May2000/page/n101/mode/2up. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
16. ↑ Rybicki, Joe (April 2000). "WWF SmackDown!". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 3 (7): 89. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-31-april-2000/page/n85/mode/2up. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
17. ↑ Lamchop (April 2000). "WWF SmackDown!". GamePro (IDG) (139): 86. https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/GamePro_US_139.pdf. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
18. ↑ The D-Pad Destroyer (24 April 2000). "WWF SmackDown! Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/4985.shtml. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
19. ↑ "Game Charts". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Future Publishing) (61). August 2000.
20. ↑ "Game Charts". Official UK PlayStation Magazine (Future Publishing) (64). November 2000.
21. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". http://www.elspa.com/?i=3944.
22. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/elspa-i-wii-fit-mario-kart-i-reach-diamond-status-in-uk.

## External links

* 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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

## 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.
18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628.

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