Smackdown 5 - Day Two

10.30.2003

I managed to get more sleep yesterday. I limited myself to only playing Smackdown until 9:45 last night (even though I started trying to put the controller down around 8:00). Even on the easy setting, I still manage to get my butt whooped every once in a while, but that's part of why I like the game. The easy mode is good for learning, but it's not so easy that you can always breeze through everything. Of course,the way the career mode lets you build up states, I'm guessing that breezing through the easy mode is an eventuality.

Another day of playing has shown me more things that I like about the game. All the message boards I read before the release of the game were excited because it was going to feature the Elimination Chamber. I got to play in the elimination chamber last night, and I've got to admit it was pretty cool. The story mode intrigues me more and more. The role playing aspect (such as remembering you're a heel) is done really well, although sometimes I'm not sure what to do. For example, I had been feuding with the Undertaker, and had gotten extra experience for creating a "strong rivalry" with him, but at one point he offers to teach me some moves. If I turn him down (as I did the first time) he insults me and walks off. The option came up again later, so I accepted his offer and managed to gain some experience.

I snuck in a home-made story line last night, too. Right when my rivalry with Undertaker started, I had just won the US title, and Undertaker won itfrom me in a 4-way match. I was able to demand a US title match from the GM, mainly because it was the only title for which I was eligible. It may be a stipulation of demanding a match, but Taker showed up with 2 Smackdown icons already charged up, meaning he could apply 2 of his finishing moves at the beginning of the match instead of working his way up. Well, those finishers were put to hasty use and made short work out of me. For the next match, I again asked for a title shot, and it was given to me! Trying a new tactic, I grabbed a chair and started whacking away at Taker, which was working real well until he stole the chair and started whacking back, so I ended up losing that match too. But I was able to again ask for a titleshot, so for the 3rd time I tried a different strategy - lots of clotheslines followed by lots of top rope frog splashes. This eventually got me the win (and my second US title reign!).

The following match was a PPV, 4-way TLC match.Taker won.

After getting involved in the Royal Rumble story line (in which I was eliminated by the freakin' Hurricane!), I managed to recapture the US title (for my glorious 3rd title reign!). After that, I was getting ready to put everything away for the night, but I managed to have a match with Kurt Angle, and nothing makes me smile more than just whacking Kurt with a chair (after all, that's what camtoons are all about.

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Smackdown 5 - Day One

10.29.2003

After playing the new Smackdown for about 6 hours (maybe 7 or 8), I've emerged from my game coma long enough to sleep and do a little work.

But that game is sooooo cool!

It has lots of things I've been wishing for. Body part specific damage. Weight restrictive moves. Some kick ass graphics. Some more immersive story lines than I would have thought.

Yep, not going to be getting much sleep the rest of the week.

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Smackdown 5 - Here Comes The Pain

10.28.2003

The game that I've been waiting for since... well, probably March, is now out. The latest Smackdown for the PS2 came out today. Unlike the other wrestling games I've been catching up on, I'll probably sit down and play this one all the way through, playing different modes that it may have, all while creating my own character.

If you don't hear from me in a week, I'm in a PS2 induced coma at home.

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Def Jam Vendetta & Legends of Wrestling II

10.27.2003

I am almost caught up with playing my accumulated wrestling games! The last two have been better than I was expecting.

Def Jam Vendetta (PS2) is a better wrestling game than I was expecting. The moves are nice and slick, and there's a good variety of moves between characters. It has a good story in the background, my favorite part of which is where you get to "choose" a girlfriend and then have her fight (your old girlfriend) for you. There's also a nice mix of background venues for the ring (although they all end up acting the same way from my perspective). With that said, DJV is really just another fighting game, ala Mortal Kombat, just set in a wrestling ring with wrestling moves up until you get to use your Matrix style, gravity defying finishing move. You progress through the story until you lose to an opponent, at which point you have to try and try until you finally beat him. After X opponents, the cut-scene having to do with the story plays.

My favorite aspect of DJV was the counter-move system. Once you apply a submission type hold (like my favorite Sharpshooter), you can leave it on as long as you want, but eventually your opponent will gather enough energy to counter the move and send you flying. To avoid this, you have to release the hold voluntarily (and not get thrown across the ring), or maybe hold on long enough for your opponent to submit. To go along with this, there is a health meter per body part as you apply holds, so you know how close your opponent is to submitting (after 15 headlocks).

Legends of Wrestling II (Xbox) was another surprise for me. I thoroughly hated the first one. The move and grapple system was just too alien to me. The sequel is better. The graphics are pretty good, although all of the wrestlers pretty much look the same. There doesn?t seem to be as many clipping problems as I?ve seen in other games, and the animations for the moves go by fast and smooth. There?s a story that goes along with the career mode that is randomly selected when you enter a new territory,but it doesn?t seem to affect the game play any. You?re supposed to have 12 to 15 attacks available depending on range from your opponent and whether it?s a weak, medium, or strong attack, but I seem to be relegated to about 5 moves when using Road Warrior Hawk (r.i.p.). Set on "Jobber/Easy", it?s not such a big deal, but it does get a little repetitious at times.

My favorite parts of LoW2 were (1) Selecting the region to play in. I?ve always thought this would be cool. I would like to do more with it than just select a region, fight until you win the title, defend it once, and then move on to the next region (I?m fighting in the last region now, soI?ll have to wait to see what happens next). I also liked (2) the selection of legends to fight. I?m just a goofy old timer, but I got a kick out of saying "I?m kicking Bob Backlund?s ass!"

So, both games are pretty good. Def Jam Vendetta is more of you classic fighting game set in a wrestling world story line, while Legends of Wrestling 2 is more of a fighter for people who remember the old timers of wrestling.

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Dropping Like Flies

10.23.2003

It's not been a good week to have had some fame.

Road Warrior Hawk died Sunday from an apparent heart attack. He was the first of the "muscle head" wrestlers that I ever saw on tv. I remember being in awe whenever he and his partner showed up, because you knew the opponent didn't have a chance.

Stu Hart passed away last Thursday. Hewas the father of one of the largest wrestling families around. Stu was around 200 years old, and even then he could still kick most peoples ass.

Actor Jack Elam dies. Jack was in every other western that showed up on tv when I was growing up. He was almost as old as Stu.

Fred "Rerun" Berry was found dead in his LA appartment. He always referred to himself as Fred "Rerun" Berry. Showing that they're on the ball, Fred "Rerun" Berry is no longer available on the Hollywood Is Calling celebrity list

Singer-Songwriter Elliot Smith was found dead Wednesday of an apparent suicide attempt. Of the songs listed, I don't remember hearing any of them.

Evel Knievel turned 65 last week. He's still alive, which compared to everyone elses lifestyle listed here is a pretty amazing feat!

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