WWE Smackdown! vs. RAW 2007

WWE Smackdown! vs. RAW 2007 gives the wrestling genre a kick to the breadbasket!

With a November release date looming, THQ recently stopped by the GamePro offices to show off the latest playable build of their upcoming brawler, WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2007 for the Xbox 360.

X Marks the Spot

The big news is, of course, the cancellation of the PlayStation 3 version. It's true: players will have to wait for late 2007 to play Smackdown on the PS3. But the good news is that the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PSP versions are on track for their November 2006 launch.

"This can't be good for my tennis elbow."

The Xbox 360 build, described as "pre-alpha," was the focus of our meeting. But it wasn't nearly complete: it had only a small roster of wrestlers, temporary sound effects, and suffered from the typical pre-release bugs. Developer Yuke's says that they're in a final "polishing phase" on the game, but even the rough version we played looked and felt promising.

So far, THQ is only confirming nine wrestlers for Smackdown 2007 (with more, obviously, to come):

Little known fact: they borrowed this ladder from the Harlem Globetrotters

Little known fact: they borrowed this ladder from the Harlem Globetrotters

John Cena
Ray Mysterio
Triple H
Shelton Benjamin
Chris Benoit
Johnny Nitro
The Undertaker
Booker T
Kurt Angle

We also noticed that you could select from several different attires for each wrestler on the character select screen; Triple H, for instance, could wear a black evening suit. But THQ and Yuke's representatives downplayed this feature, describing it only as a small bonus and not a full-fledged character customization mode.

Analog Aggressor

Then we got into gameplay, where Smackdown 2006 has made its real advancements this year. The first key gameplay addition, called "ultimate control," gives players the ability to chain together multi-link throws and grapples into a combination attack. Some are simple: hoisting a wrestler into the air, manually walking to the ropes, and pushing down on the right analog stick to slam the victim outside the ring. Others are more technical, and might offer a wrestler several attack options for finishing a more elaborate throw combinations. These branching grapples reminded us a bit of the multi-throw combos of Tekken's King and Nina, though they relied on simple analog stick motions and not button tapping.

"Behold, rock-hard pecs in all their glory!"

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