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The history of THQ's WWE Games


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Posted 01 June 2011 - 09:38 AM

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The history of THQ's WWE Games
Looking back on the WWE, THQ & Yukes partnership.
June 1, 2011

Author: Richard (CDX Exclusive)

Now that THQ have lifted the lid on the new WWE game called "WWE '12" looking back it's hard to believe that the partnership of THQ and Yukes has been going strong for over ten years now. Since the year 2000 both companies have been producing WWE games each and every year adding new features, improving on old ones and generally giving polish on most aspects of gameplay.

Join us as we relive the history of THQ & Yukes WWE games and share what we feel made each one stand out.

  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
    <img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1173/4727399123_1fd1d89d10_b.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>Like WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, the 2011 version of SmackDown vs. Raw included a whole range of new features and improvements on the last year. The most enthralling change to this game was a new physics game engine which gave the player the ability to use weapons to their advantage such as being able to powerbomb an opponent freely through a table, or slamming Superstars spine onto a ladder which up until now has never been seen before. SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 also featured one of the biggest rosters ever featuring over 70 Superstars & Divas.

  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/svr2010/screens/images/ps3-360/68.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 pulled out all the stops, it featured lots of customization options like Create-A-Titantron, editable Superstars & Divas, & rivalry options. Like every WWE game successor, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 also featured the best graphics both of standard Superstars & Divas, but also on Create-A-Wrestlers which looked a lot more like real Superstars.

  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/svr09/images/ps3-360/344.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 focused on tag-teams. New features included tag-team finishers, the ability to hot-tag and you could work up tag-team attributes. A notable new match type was the Inferno match.



  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008
    <img src="http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/3382/36501402.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 was the first game to feature WWE's new ECW brand, the game had several new comers to the series such as Sabu, Sandman & Terry Funk. SvR 2008 also featured Extreme Rules matches which featured weapons which could be set on fire.


  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/svr07/images/screenshots/bookert.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 brought lots of new things to the table, one of them being new environmental hot-spots which gave the player many additional ways to inflict pain on an opponent in and around the ring. Another big change was the implementation of a new control system which featured the analogue sticks.


  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/svr06/images/screenshots/4.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 featured lots of new match types such as Bar Room Brawl, Fulfil your Fantasy & the Buried Alive match. SmackDown vs. Raw 2006 also included lots of new moves and new entrances which were all motion captured.



  • WWE SmackDown vs. Raw
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/svr/images/screenshots/4.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown vs. Raw was the first major change to the SmackDown series, with the new name adding the "vs. Raw" part it coincided with the then new WWE Brand Extension. Some notable additions were Superstar voice overs in the season mode, Create-A-PPV, Create-A-Championship & online play.


  • WWE SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/sdhctp/images/screenshots/2.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain paved the way for the WWE games you see today, features like blood, limb damage, Superstar attributes were added to name a few. The game also featured a roster of around 55 featuring Superstars such as Goldberg, Scott Steiner & for the first time Rey Mysterio.


  • WWE SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/sdsym/images/screenshots/2.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>After WWE bought ECW & WCW it allowed Yukes to add lots of new Superstars to the roster, some new stars were Booker T, Hulk Hogan & Rob Van Dam. SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth is probably best known for its big array of backstage areas. This was also the first game to use the initials "WWE" following the court case with the World Wildlife Fund.

  • WWE SmackDown: Just Bring It
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/sdjbi/images/screenshots/1.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown: Just Bring It was the first WWE game to make the jump to the PlayStation 2. Due to the power of the PlayStation 2 new features were added such like 8 Superstars in the ring at one time, commentary from Michael Cole & Tazz, a referee & real life entrances. SmackDown: Just Bring It also featured Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit to secure the use of the Undertaker's Rollin' theme song in the game.

  • WWE SmackDown 2: Know Your Role
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/sdkyr/images/screenshots/4.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>WWE SmackDown 2: Know Your Role paved the way for the Create-A-Wrestler mode we know and love today, it was the first game to feature the ability to edit individual parts such as boots, elbow pads, t-shirts & more, also allowing you to edit the colors of these parts. Another notable additional was the ability to preview the hundreds of moves before assigning them to a created Superstar.

  • WWE SmackDown
    <img src="http://www.code-x.ws/sd/images/screenshots/1.jpg" hspace="10" align="left" width="135px" height="89" border="0"/>This was the very first WWE game Yukes & THQ made together, before this there were games like WWE Attitude & WWE No Mercy & WWE In Your House, to name a few. WWE SmackDown was the first WWE game to have a more fast paced and easy to use control scheme.


Well, we hope you enjoyed this look back at THQ & Yukes WWE games. Obviously this list doesn't include several other games made buy Yukes such as WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE Raw and a few more as we hope to produce a recap on these at a later date.

Please don't forget to check out our WWE '12 forums for all the latest news, screenshots, videos & discussion.

#2 Dday141

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Posted 01 June 2011 - 05:21 PM

Favorite smackdown game of all time? Smackdown Vs. Raw 2006. Seriously THQ needs to do a Smackdown Vs. Raw collection, with HTCP up to Smackdown Vs. Raw 2006/2007, all with online play. Imagine how many people will buy that.

#3 Blizzard

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Posted 01 June 2011 - 06:15 PM

View PostDday141, on 01 June 2011 - 05:21 PM, said:

Favorite smackdown game of all time? Smackdown Vs. Raw 2006.
Totally agree.

#4 msveritova

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Posted 13 December 2011 - 03:51 PM

Amazingly!!! Изумительно !!!
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