THQ

In the end, the graphics and sound may be lacking, but Smackdown! shows up where it counts the most, in the amount of features and the rock-solid gameplay. It's not without a bit of irony that at a time when wrestling game developers are trying to complicate a player's actions in a misguided attempt to create some sort of wrestling simulation, Smackdown! manages to do just that with a far simpler style.

So in Smackdown!, the ability to grow my character and further adjust his arsenal of moves with choices that only become available after I've reached certain levels of ability really caught my attention—hook, line and sinker. I simply couldn't stop playing there after, and Smackdown! became just plain smack for me.

Game Description: Lay the SmackDown! on your enemies with your own created jabroni or as one of the World Wrestling Federation's top superstars. Make friends and then break them as you roam backstage from the boiler room to the kitchen. Call upon your allies for help and then climb over them as you kick, grapple, and People's Elbow your way to the top. Just remember that backstage politics can work against you—don't let The Rock run-ins, well-placed metal chairs, and McMahon-appointed guest referees get you in the end.

When it's all said and done, this is simply the best there ever was as far as wrestling games go. From the realistic look to the moves and the action, it's everything a wrestling game should have been since we moved into the 3D age. Ease-of-use usually equals unparalleled fun and Wrestlemania is a fine example of this.

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

There seemed to be limitless amounts of depth in the attack moves, grappling holds, reversals, and counters. And if you've ever seen it in the square-circle, chances are it's in Wrestlemania. Even more amazing is how it's all filtered through an incredibly simple and easily grasped control scheme.

Game Description: Are you tough enough? Over 50 of the top superstars of the WWF are ready to brawl in this take to the mat. Brought to you by the same folks who created the popular WCW or NWO Revenge, this one is a complete wrestling package: all of the characters, moves, options, and match varieties you could ever imagine. You can pick your wrestler and throw down in Tag Team, Cage, and Weapons matches, Road to Wrestlemania mode, or any of the standard modes you know and love.