WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2006 (PS2)

Smackdown games have always been great, the best being Smackdown 2 on the Playstation. This is another great title, and once again it has loads more new features. The graphics on this game are truely amazing, all the WWE superstars look amazing and are incredibly detailed. The gameplay is excellent as well, superstars now have 25 front grapple moves, and you can execute new moves like Super Irish whip, which is handy if your in the Royal Rumble or want to throw someone out of the ring in a triple threat match. Another good feature is in title matches you can hit people with the belt which is great.

There are a few new match types, backstage brawls which basially speak for themselves, and Diva fulfill your fantasy. You can again make up your own title belt, and put it on the line in the all new title match. There is also a new mode called GM, where you become the General Manager of one of the brands, and try and beat the other in rating by creating matches and drafting superstars etc.

The create a superstar is excellent as always, and your creation can now speak as well. You can customise them with tattoos, hairstyles, costumes, pretty much whatever you want.

What I really like is the create an entrance. You can choose everything from the way he walks, to the pyro, and of course the music. Its really cool watching your guy being announced by the ring announcer, and walk down with fireworks going off in the background to a real superstars music.

The only real let down is season mode. You only really get one season of Smackdown and one season of Raw to compete in, although if you do it with different people again the storylines change slightly. The storylines however are fantastic, and the cut scenes are superb, made even better with the superstar voiceovers. A good part of season mode is the legends tour, in which you can fight in some great matches, like a Submission match in Montreal against Bret Hart (remember Survivor Series '97). The ECW storyline is cool as well. Commentary is excellent, and provided by Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler for Raw and Michael Cole and Tazz for Smackdown.

Overall it is a superb game, excellent graphics, storylines and gameplay. 9/10

Well, i'm back and ready to update you all with all the information given out so far. This is the CONFIRMED ROSTER. Source-IGN. Legends have not yet been confirmed. Anyone who shows the roster differently, is WRONG.
SVR2006 Roster
Batista
Big Show
Booker T
Carlito
Chavo Guerrero
Charlie Haas
Chris Beniot
Chris Jericho
Chris Masters
Christian
Christy Hemme
Danny Bashem
Doug Bashem
Eddie Guerrero
Edge
Eugene
Gene Snitsky
Heidneriech
The Hurricane
JBL
John Cena
Joy Giovanni
Kane
Khosrow Daivari
Kurt Angle
Lita
Mark Jindrak
Michelle McCool
Muhammad Hassan (Wooo!)
Orlando Jordan
Paul London
Randy Orton
Rene Dupree
Rey Mysterio
Ric Flair
Rob Conway
Rob Van Dam
Scotty 2 Hotty
Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Spike Dudley
Stacy Kiebler
Steven Richards
Sylvain Grainer
Tajiri
Torrie Wilson
Triple H
Trish Stratus
The Undertaker
William Regal
New Match Types
Buried Alive Match
Bar Room Brawl
A lot of work has been done to Cage matches to provide a more realistic feel.
New Random Stuff
Season mode 2 years long
You can now store a finisher
2 new attributes. Hardcore & Stamina
Stamina will play an important part in matches. More realistic so now you can't just continuously batter your opponent.
Online has apparently been revitalised completely with a broader choice of options.
There will be a Secret Belt which is still to be unveiled.
Create-An-Entrance has been confirmed.
Create-a-belt returns.
You can now pick which Mini-Game you have before the match.
Around 50% of moves have been reanimated (finally)
Polygon count and figure models improved.
TITLE BELTS CAN NOW BE DEFENDED ONLINE VIA A 'VIRTUAL WWE CHAMPIONSHIP. WITH CAREER LEADER-BOARDS AND A PERMANENT ID SYSTEM THAT TRACKS ALL OF YOUR USER STATS.
Superstar-specific storylines. Voice-overs return.
More than 100 Match types.
19 ARENAS, POSSIBLE 20TH. ECW ONE NIGHT STAND INCLUDED!
Fully customizable locker-rooms.
3 levels of blood.
Players can now do a cool sleeper hold, just like the real thinkg where the Ref lifts up the guy's arm three times.
You can now PLAY POSSUM. Unsure of what it is? It's when you lay down and pretend to be injured, you then jump up and hit a quick move or pin. Think Eddie Guererro.
Improved AI. Hard difficulty is actually pretty hard.
The Momentum System. It combines the old adrenaline system and the Dirty/clean meter.
Super dirty moves. The cheapest move in the game. Super Clean move, will be stealing your opponents finisher.
You can now steal your opponents taunt.
The amount of damage you do with a weapon is determined by what your Hardcore Attribute is like. So you won't see Lita hitting someone with a chair with the same velocity that a guy like RVD does.
Improved weight detective system.
Stamina can be regenerated.
Now there are 5 groups of moves. Just pressing Circle, which used to be irish whip, now puts you into a grapple hold. So that means that each superstar will have a huge 25 front grapples.
New Super Strong Irish whip.
Reversal system redeveloped. Now you can have a chain of 3 reversals. (Chain Wrestling)
You can now keep more than 1 profile on a memory card. That means you can do multiple seasons with different characters, instead of just the one.
Wrestlers will be in the ring while their opponent enters. Or, they may decide to hide outside the ring.
Announcers. Lilian Garcia and Tony Chimmel will be in the ring while introducing the wrestlers.
Entrances are no longer limited to just 1minute. Now, guys like HHH and Taker will be parading for over a minute and a half.
There will be a lot more info to come as time progresses. Including the new legends.
This game is looking amazing. I can't wait. There are so many new features and improvements. This is number 1 on my hitlist, and should be yours too!
Thanks for your time.

the original was a masterpiece. this is what most people know.

but for god's sake, the season mdoe was all over the place (i was the undertaker chasing torrie wilson ans stacy keibler).

now, with the arrival, of 2006.............WHAM! amazing. the new superstar specific storyline feature is incredible, meanign you can watch your favorite lads cut promos and slogans at each other...and if your character is meant to appear in the season mode, you get whisked off on a legends tour...this might seem patchy, but its effective..as you can revisit that infamous night in Montreal as HBK apparantly forced Bret Hart to "tap out" (for Bret Hart fans out there: he was meant to win that match, but HBK and Vince actually tricked him, behind the scenes)...and OK, there is a bit of a problem with the character you pick (for example, i was Stone Cold Steve Austin, and he was sidekick to the Hurricane) but its grand in the end.

the new matches and modes (like title match, GM and others) and brilliant, and the gameplay is amazing.....and as for replay value, there are PLENTY of exhibition matches to choose from,so u and ur m8s wont have any problems deciding wot to do nxt in that sense.

gm mode is fun but hard...and yes, sometimes annoying...but if you stick at it ull learn how to steal the show every night :)!

title mathces are a fun way to pass the time with ur mates (and can, in some ways, bring out the creative side in ppl!), and the game re-introduced the Million Dollar and HArdcore titles for you to fight for aswell.

the other new match types are gr8...this game is definatly an improvment on its predecessor...dont mind any1 who says otherwise!

the only let down is that THQ still have an obvioulsy LOOOOOOOONG way to go b4 they can even scratch the surface of how a real WWE match looks like.