WWF SmackDown! (video game)

The game's main story mode contains three main parts, first with the Pre-Season (for created wrestlers), but after ten in-game years of playing the Pre-Season, players are allowed to skip it. By playing and advancing in the season modes players gain rewards such as unlockables or attires, but instead of unlocking new characters, players unlock new body parts to put on new creations, to play as that "unlocked" character. Once players build a creation, they must fight in a Pre-Season year to build their skills and make their alliances. The story mode contains no voice-overs, instead the characters meet each other backstage with mouths that move to no voice and on-screen cutscene text. The game also lacks play-by-play color commentary.

WWF SmackDown! has many match types including Single, Tag Team, Hardcore, Steel Cage and many more.{{cite web |last=Nix |first=Marc |date=March 1, 2000 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/02/wwf-smackdown |title=WWF Smackdown |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404014529/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/03/02/wwf-smackdown |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}} The game features the late 1999 WWF roster following SmackDown!{{'}}s premiere, including the then-newcomers The Dudley Boyz.

Yuke's, the developer of SmackDown! had previously created the Toukon Retsuden series of wrestling games in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Despite this, the game engine used in SmackDown! is not based on contemporary Toukon Retsuden titles, but rather The Pro Wrestling, a title developed by Yuke's as part of D3 Publisher's Simple series and released several months in Japan beforehand.{{cite web |last=Bixenspan |first=David |date=October 20, 2017 |url=https://kotaku.com/weve-basically-been-playing-the-same-wwe-video-game-for-1819712776 |title=We've Basically Been Playing The Same WWE Video Game For Over 15 Years |website=Kotaku |publisher=G/O Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310060129/https://kotaku.com/weve-basically-been-playing-the-same-wwe-video-game-for-1819712776 |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

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{{Video game reviews

| GR = 87%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/199349-wwf-smackdown/index.html |title=WWF Smackdown! for PlayStation |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520231816/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/199349-wwf-smackdown/index.html |archive-date=May 20, 2019 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| Allgame = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Ottoson |first=Joe |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22623&tab=review |title=WWF SmackDown! - Review |website=AllGame |publisher=All Media Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115064255/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=22623&tab=review |archive-date=November 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 10, 2015}}

| EGM = 8.75/10{{cite magazine |last1=Hsu |first1=Dan "Shoe" |last2=Hager |first2=Dean |last3=Boyer |first3=Crispin |last4=Smith |first4=Shawn |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/4/4f/EGM_US_129.pdf |title=WWF SmackDown! |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=129 |date=April 2000 |page=166 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105031904/https://retrocdn.net/images/4/4f/EGM_US_129.pdf |archive-date=November 5, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}{{efn|Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 9/10, and two others gave it each a score of 8.5/10.}}

| EPD = 8/10{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Jules |date=March 31, 2000 |url=http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=2305&full=1#mr_toppy |title=WWF Smackdown [sic] |website=The Electric Playground |publisher=Greedy Productions Ltd. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020721170601/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=2305&full=1#mr_toppy |archive-date=July 21, 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| EuroG = 9/10{{cite web |last=Ellis |first=Keith "DNM" |date=April 24, 2000 |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/wwfs-psx |title=WWF Smackdown |website=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010107175800/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/wwfs_psx |archive-date=January 7, 2001 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| Fam = 27/40{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8649&redirect=no |title=エキサイティングプロレス |language=ja |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Enterbrain |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006220030/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8649&redirect=no |archive-date=October 6, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| GI = 9/10{{cite magazine |last1=McNamara |first1=Andy |last2=Fitzloff |first2=Jay |last3=Reiner |first3=Andrew |url=https://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4187 |title=WWF Smackdown |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=FuncoLand |issue=84 |date=April 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001021134132/http://gameinformer.com/reviews/review_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=4187 |archive-date=October 21, 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 10, 2015}}

| GameFan = 90%{{cite magazine |last=Mears |first=Rick |date=March 2, 2000 |url=http://gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=1437&t=r |title=REVIEW for WWF Smackdown |magazine=GameFan |publisher=Shinno Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000606045340/http://gamefan.com/repre.asp?g=1437&t=r |archive-date=June 6, 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 10, 2015}}

| GameRev = A−{{cite web |last=Dodson |first=Joe |date=March 2000 |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34091-wwf-smackdown-review |title=WWF Smackdown Review |website=GameRevolution |publisher=CraveOnline |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064037/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/wwf-smackdown |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| GSpot = 8.7/10{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |date=March 2, 2000 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwf-smackdown-review/1900-2549366/ |title=WWF SmackDown! Review |website=GameSpot |publisher=Fandom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204172940/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/sports/wwfsmackdown/review.html |archive-date=December 4, 2004 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| IGN = 8.8/10

| NGen = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Erickson |first=Daniel |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGen65May2000/page/n101/mode/2up |title=WWF Smackdown [sic] |magazine=NextGen |publisher=Imagine Media |issue=65 |date=May 2000 |page=101 |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

| OPM = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Rybicki |first=Joe |url=https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-31-april-2000/page/n85/mode/2up |title=WWF SmackDown! |magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |volume=3 |issue=7 |date=April 2000 |page=89 |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

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WWF SmackDown! received favorable reviews according to video game review aggregator GameRankings. Daniel Erickson of NextGen was positive to the controls, graphics, and game modes such as Season and Referee mode, but criticized its "shallow" arcade-like quality and create-a-wrestler mode. In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of 27 out of 40.

Lamchop of GamePro called SmackDown better than Acclaim's WWF Attitude in terms of graphics and "speedier" gameplay, but thought that Attitude has its full commentary and character voices than the former.{{cite magazine |author=Lamchop |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/GamePro_US_139.pdf |title=WWF SmackDown! |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |issue=139 |date=April 2000 |page=86 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925184638/https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d6/GamePro_US_139.pdf |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}{{efn|GamePro gave the game 5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, 4/5 for control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor in one review.}} In another review, The D-Pad Destroyer praised the Season mode and called the title "one of the best wrestling games in the history".{{cite magazine |author=The D-Pad Destroyer |date=April 24, 2000 |url=http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/4985.shtml |title=WWF SmackDown! Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041105235954/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/4985.shtml |archive-date=November 5, 2004 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 6, 2023}}{{efn|GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4/5 for control in another review.}}

The game was a bestseller in the UK upon release,{{cite magazine |title=Game Charts |magazine=Official UK PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Future Publishing |issue=61 |date=August 2000}} and again three months later.{{cite magazine |title=Game Charts |magazine=Official UK PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Future Publishing |issue=64 |date=November 2000}} It also received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),{{cite web |url=http://www.elspa.com/?i=3944 |title=ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum |website=Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515224703/http://www.elspa.com/?i=3944 |archive-date=May 15, 2009 |url-status=dead}} indicating sales of at least 300,000 units in the UK.{{cite web |last=Caoili |first=Eric |date=November 26, 2008 |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/elspa-i-wii-fit-mario-kart-i-reach-diamond-status-in-uk |title=ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK |website=Game Developer |publisher=Informa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=October 6, 2023}}

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{{WWE video games}}

Category:2000 video games

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Category:WWE SmackDown video games

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