Fighting

'What is art?' is one of those questions for the ages that no two persons will agree on, but almost everyone will undoubtedly have an opinion. While it is simply impossible to explore the infinite depth of the question to any great extent in the confines of a 1000 word game review (about a Rasslin' videogame no less), I think most can agree that art has plenty to do with self-expression.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Language, Violence 

According to ESRB, this game contains Blood, Violence

I remember a number of years ago, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was still in its infancy, the violent and controversial tournament made its way to my hometown. The night of the show, a local, highly experienced and well respected martial arts instructor was asked for his opinion of the tournament. He replied that it is not real martial arts not because the fighters lack technique, but because the martial arts are not really about fighting.

I disagree with Mike on his assessment of UFC Tapout's fighting engine. True, the standing game is not full of dazzling combos, but this is the point, to make a skill out of prediction. Its almost an art to watch for openings in your opponents attacks, and suddenly grab a limb out of the air to slam their body into the ground.

Well, after reading Dale's review and considering some of his points, I must admit that I had a little change of heart and felt compelled to lower my rating on Smackdown 2. The game definitely has major issues that I needed to emphasize more.

Its no secret that developers dont have the best track record when it comes to producing videogame sequels. Some will attack the problems that plagued the original in a deliberate attempt to improve upon the playing experience. The rest will just add the prerequisite bells and whistles fans are demanding without giving much thought to how the entire package will fit together. That appears to be the case with Yukes sophomore WWF release, WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes, Mild Language

Game Description: Licensed by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), this sequel to the popular WWF SmackDown has made several improvements upon its predecessor. There are now more than 50 wrestlers from which to choose, including the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Chyna. New gameplay modes include Ladder Match, Hell in a Cell, Casket Match, and Tornado Tag-Team Match. To mimic the TV show's format even further, plots are developed through cutscenes that feature the voices of the superstars. You can create your own wrestler or even a new pay-per-view event. Season mode includes more matches, events, and pay-per-view events than did its predecessor. It all adds up to a fast and furious virtual version of the real thing.