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WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 | 
 enlarge | From: THQ
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $42.49
You Save: $17.50 (29%)
New (36) Used (2) from $42.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 301
Platform: Xbox 360
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 55049
Model: 55049
UPC: 752919550496
EAN: 0752919550496
ASIN: B00175GC4U
Release Date: November 9, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Bring wrestling excitement to the Xbox 360 with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 | | • | Includes a large roster of WWE superstars | | • | Enhanced Tag Team matches include new double team moves and finishers | | • | Create-A-Superstar mode lets you customize your own wrestler | | • | Road to Wrestlemania mode offers deep and compelling story line |
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| Similar Items:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
The Number One fighting game franchise in the world is back on the Xbox 360 with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, giving wrestling fans the definitive simulation of the WWE experience. The latest version brings enhanced graphics, new matches, a huge roster of wrestlers, and more to keep WWE fans excited for a long time to come.  | 
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 for the Xbox 360 delivers enhanced graphics, new matches, and a huge roster of wrestlers. View larger. | 
Play cage, TLC, table, hardcore, royal rumble, extreme rules, and many other match types. View larger. | Play as All Your Favorite WWE Superstars
A huge roster of superstars are included in the game, drawing from the Raw, Smackddown, ECW, and more. Some of the players include: Ashley, Batista, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly, John Cena, Kane, Layla, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, William Regal, Big Daddy V, Big Show, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, Finlay, Tazz, and dozens more. In addition, the Create-a-Superstar returns, letting you customize your own character, play as him through the career mode and become the next superstar. You can also use the new Create-A-Finisher feature to make a unique finishing move by chaining together 10 different animations out of over 500. 
New weapons and objects include steel steps, tables, ladders, trash cans, and more. View larger. | 
Wrestling superstar roster includes Ashley, Batista, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly, and many others. View larger. | Enhanced Tag-Team Matches and Other New Match Types
Tag Team matches are emphasized in Smackdown vs. Raw 2009, and there are many new additions to make the game more realistic and fun. Players can now perform double teams on opponents, such as having one player hold an opponent against the ropes while on the apron, or pulling down on ropes while an opponent is running to send them out of the ring. And there are now different ways of tagging in, such as the forced blind tag and reversible hot tag. Teams also get team-specific finishing moves that are incredibly satisfying to perform. In addition to tag matches, there are 14 one-on-one match types including the Inferno, Gauntlet, Falls Count Anywhere, Steel Cage and Ladder matches, and even a Backstage Brawl. Road to Wrestlemania Mode
The single player Road to Wrestlemania mode offers a deep and diverse story line that is filled with brand defections, team building, and strategic alliances. You can choose from Triple H, CM Punk, The Undertaker, John Cena, and Chris Jericho to play in this single-player mode. There is also a story line for co-operative play, in which players control Batista and Rey Mysterio. The story lines are so custom tailored and well done that you might find them more compelling than what you see on television. Play Online and Download New Content
You can play against friends online in different matches, and this time, voice support has been added so you can trash talk to your heart's content. Additionally, you can also download new content to keep the game fresh. WWE fans and fighting game fans alike will both love this latest game, giving them a chance to grapple as their favorite superstars.
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| Customer Reviews:
 not impressed November 18, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
"New weapons and objects include steel steps, tables, ladders, trash cans, and more" That statement right there should say something.....08 had all of this already. Except for the create a finisher and inferno match this is SVR 08 minus legends, elimination chamber, create a belt and some moves......thus I am not at all impressed with THQ this year. I loved 08 but I don't need to buy it again for one match....hell inferno could have been DLC for 08 and you would have the same game. TNA impact was a jolk due to midway's laziness....so hopefully LOW will be better.
 It's Official: THQ has offically destroyed the WWE video game franchise November 17, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Let me just start off by saying that I've been a WWE fan for most of my life, and still fondly remember the WWF Attitude era has a teenager. I've also bought every single Smackdown vs RAW game since it's 2004 series debut. I have done so, every year, merely because, despite how many flaws THQ had in the game, there was at least ONE thing that made the game salvageable. And now that THQ has done away with that one thing, I can honestly say that this series is no longer worth YOUR time and YOUR hard-earned money.
The original "WWE Smackdown vs RAW" game was an average wrestling game, that had a lot of improvements over it's predecessors. Frankly, both 'WWE Day of Reckoning' games for the Gamecube were better than it, though.
"WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2006" remains to be the best in the series today, as it had far greater improvements over it's last title, had great action-packed gameplay, had over 100 different match types including the Divas' Bra & Panties Match, had a stellar Story Mode with good, realistic WWE storylines, had an in-depth Create A Superstar mode, had PPV Mode, and introduced the first ever General Managers (GM) Mode.
"WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2007" was our first disappointment as it mainly had a huge amount of bugs and glitches and mistakes and problems with it that ruined more than 50% of the actual gameplay. The storylines were terrible at best, the General Manager's Mode devolved into being worse than it was the year before, and the introduction of the new control stick scheme was something that many gamers today still aren't willing to get used to. The game was a major step down from "2006."
"WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008" was a major disappointment too, mainly for it's very limited roster (13 prominent WWE Superstars missing), it's limited customization, and the fact that the game series was STILL no better than it's 2005 release. Despite fixing some things up, like greatly improving it's Control Stick control scheme to be more comfortable and easy to use, the game still lacked any new or exciting features and managed to limit or prohibit just about everything Creation or Customization wise. They had destroyed all possible wrestler movesets and decided to repackage them as "Fighting Styles" which were done to hide and celebrate the fact that THQ were giving the least available options for a wrestler's moveset and in-ring abilities in any 'SmackDown vs RAW' game to date. The Create-A-Superstar's options for physical looks were improved, but without a cheat device like a Codebreaker, it was impossible to accurately give them stat attribute points. Why THQ decided to make this so, I'll never know. The WWE 24/7 General Manager's mode was the weakest to date, and even LOOKED bad, with it's new visual display. More rules and restrictions were put onto it that took out all the fun of actually wanting to play it. And with the constant timing and continuity mistakes and glitches involved in WWE 24/7 Career Mode, you often found yourself getting confused about storyline messages you were recieving, that were related to preparation of matches you had just finished. On top of that, the writing was just horrible. As bad, or possibly worse, than the 2007 game's opaque storylines, that could NEVER happen on real WWE programming. To add insult to injury, both SmackDown! and RAW brands had identical storylines in 2008's game, despite the last two games remedying this very problem! And the storyline matches themselves were ill-conceived and unexciting to play through. In fact, the ONLY thing that made 2008 worth playing over 2007 was it's new ECW Extreme Rules match.
.
And now, we get to "WWE SMACKDOWN! VS RAW 2009". And every single problem mentioned above still persists to this very day. This game, I can honestly say, isn't even worth really playing, let alone renting. It's the same as 2008, only with even less to offer. If you do want to play it very badly, then by all means, DO NOT waste your money on actually buying this! Even if you rent it, you'll soon find out how this title could possibly be the biggest disappointment that the Masters Of Disappointment, THQ, have to offer.
*** Gameplay ***
Exactly the same as 2008's, only with even less moveset options and the Superstar Abilities, more or less, gone. This time, you actually have to EARN the ability to do such things that just two short games ago were standard for EVERY single wrestler or diva. In short, it's just like the SvR franchise: it's the same, but worse.
*** Story/Career/Season Mode ***
This year, THQ decided to give specific storylines written for specific wrestlers. Good if you're a fan of that one guy, but bad for EVERYONE else. Sure, "WWE 24/7 Mode" was a bad idea, but at least, ANYONE you used or created in the game could actually go through it. The idea of a seperate Individual's own Story Mode and a seperate General Manager's Mode was an idea no one thought was bad, and thus, never needed fixing in the first place. And yet, we will probably never get that again with the way THQ seems to give us "More of Less" every year with these titles. 2007's game will probably be the last of the Season Mode & GM Mode formats.
And since I'm bringing it up, I should mention that there is No General Manager's Mode in 2009's game. I repeat: THERE IS NO GM MODE!!! So, once you play through all of these horribly-written storylines for each of these superstars, (HHH, Taker, Cena, Jericho, CM Punk, and a Batista/Rey Mysterio tag team) there is quite literally nothing else to do in the game, but play exhibition over and over and over again.
General Manager's Mode was never what anyone would call "perfect" since it's 2005 debut, but at least it was there. At least they were trying. Scrapping it altogether is the sole reason I decided not to keep this game and why I am urging you not to waste your money on it, either. And even if you didn't play that mode and kept playing the single superstar mode in 2008's game, you don't even have that option, either, as the single star storylines given here are very short, very uninspired, and like I said before, just poorly written. HHH's is the only okay one and each storyline takes place after the Royal Rumble and lasts until Wrestlemania, putting each of them about two hours long, at the very most.
*** Create Modes ***
This is a 2009 game. We have Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 technology. We can do just about anything with these consoles. And yet, in a 2009 wrestling video game, we STILL cannot upload our own music onto the game, we STILL cannot have any previous-game-to-current-game technology letting us upload our old Created Superstars into the newest installment, and we STILL cannot even have any real (or useful, if they ever decide to actually do it) downloadable content. In 2009!!!
I, like many out there, am a CAW (Create-A-Wrestler) fan. Every year, I've filled up all of my slots and memory cards with Created Superstars. And even though it was a hassle, I even managed to Re-Create my favorites onto every, single newest 'Smackdown vs RAW' release. With 2008's title, I had to use a Playstation 2 Codebreaker just to give them attribute stats, and just to make GM Mode not suck so much that I couldn't make any matches on it or let anybody, including women, be champion title holders. It was a lot to do, but I did it for enjoyment of the game's sake, and to fulfill my own imaginative side. But I shouldn't have had to do so much JUST to make a WWE wrestling video game enjoyable.
Why THQ -who has admitted the Create-A-Superstar mode as their most popular feature- continues to limit us to what we can do and how we can do it, in a game WE bought with OUR own money, continues to boggle my very mind. To put it shortly, the few Create Modes left in this game suck, and Re-creating your favorite Created people from the previous games is not even worth it this time around. It's not like you'll be able to really even give them attribute stats, anyway. Maybe one of them, if you actually decide to do the endless "Season Mode" portion of this game, which is just an endless series of exhibition matches. So, just listen to me and save your time by not doing it. Especially since there is no stage for your performers to even act out in, being there is *NO* General Manager's Mode! "WWE Day of Reckoning 2" on the Gamecube had these same limitations, but at least, their game was... fun!
I should also probably mention that the Xbox 360 version of the Create A Superstar mode, is in the Metric System! That's right! Feet and Inches and Weight in Pounds are now Centimeters and Kilos! I'm an American. I'm not from Europe. So why does the North American release of this game have the Metric System in it? Why??? Why does THQ do anything stupid in their games? If there's one good thing to say about the Create modes, then it's that the Created Superstars clothes are now more of "3D" objects than the paper mache layers of "clothing" that they've always been since the WWE Create-A-Superstar's debut. However, this is all "too little, too late" at this point in time. Should we be proud that THQ finally decided to give us "actual character model clothing" instead of "2D layers of skin that look like clothing" this late in the game?
I also wish I could say this time around, they decided to finally give us a 'Create-An-Entrance-Video' mode in Create-An-Entrance, only the "Highlight Reel" as it's called, is only useful for online gamers to look at, and absolutely nothing else. Um... why give us a "Create-An-Entrance-Video" option if we can't actually use it for any Created or Real Superstar's ACTUAL videos??? Have you ever noticed how THQ makes me ask so many questions that shouldn't even need to be asked in the first place?
They also have the new "Create A Finisher", but I'll get to that later.
*** Graphics/Music/Presentation ***
Once again, the game looks like crap. Even on Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Although the Nintendo DS version looks surprisingly good. Of course, most gamers are willing to excuse bad visuals if the game is good, but this game is not good, so it will not be excused. Some superstars end up looking good and lifelike, while others, look not a single thing like their real life counterparts. Most likely, this is due to them using differently talented artists on different superstars. It would've been much easier for them to just use their one good artist on EVERYONE, but alas, this is not the case.
The music regarding Superstar Entrances and such are okay and standard fare, but as far as a soundtrack goes, this one is one of the worst, yet. No big surprise though, right? SvR 2006 probably had the best soundtrack in the series mainly because half of all the songs were original and made specifically for the game itself, but even that soundtrack was just "okay." But this year, the music is so bad, that once again, I had to Mute all music on the game's audio options just to not have to hear it.
The presentation style of the game looks weak. It's rare when I complain about menus and selection screens in a game, but this one warrants it. Plus, I don't want to have to look at John Cena's bare body every single time I navigate the game's menus.
*** "New" Features ***
In a game series that has mastered making foolish consumers pay for less of something every single year, they sure know how to fool you with the actual "new" content. The three new things they are 'hyping' this year are the new Tag Team format, the new gimmicky Inferno Match, and the new Create A Finisher option. All of them suck. It's that simple.
The Tag Team format is probably the best out of these three, here. It's basically more of an emphasis of the cooperation needed in order to make a tag team work. But it's nothing impressive, at all. The Inferno Match isn't even on level with 'ECW Extreme Rules' from '08. It's a gimmick, and not even an accurate one, at that.
The Create A Finisher, as I might have pessimistically guessed, sucks. I'm sure though, it would be near impossible to please everyone with the mode, THQ manages to once again disappoint, by giving us an incomplete, unfinished version of their new Create-A feature. It starts you off with many options for a finisher, but with each new step given, your options just about literally are cut in half. So by your third or fourth option in making your own finisher, you are left with virtually nothing useful or creative. To emphasize this point, you will find it virtually impossible to make already EXISTING finishers by using this poorly made new mode! Want to make a modified F-U? Well, good luck trying!
*** Overall ***
This game is just more of the same, less of the good, and none of the improved, as the last THREE titles have been! It really is a letdown to me, and really makes me wish THQ wasn't holding tightly onto the reigns of the WWE Gaming franchise. With a severely lacking Create-A-Superstar mode, and NO General Manager's Mode, or anything to possibly replace it or have in-place of it, there is zero reason for me to own this game or even recommend it to the good people on this website. Even if you didn't like all the aspects of the "WWE Universe," there at least used to be enough customizable content to create your own WWE Brand, and run it however you wished, with your own fully created Roster of wrestling talent, made up of your own WWE title belt champions. The fact that even THAT no longer exists warrants me saving my money, hoping to help you save yours, and hoping that you heed my words carefully and AVOID THIS GAME.
Even if you never used the Creation modes, then even still, this game is a rental at best, as the poorly concieved Storylines given in this title will only last you a week or two, at the best. In a 2009 game, only giving the gamer an Exhibition Mode and a few very short Season Modes and virtually nothing else, is utterly inexcusable! If all you're going to do is play Exhibition and then play, a handful of "specially made" individual storylines, which only last about two hours each, then WHY even bother spending forty to sixty dollars on this game? Don't.
In fact, the only reason I did not give this game a [One] is to not come off as a biased WWE hater-just-to-hate. I am giving this game a 100% fair review and the fact that the game can give you at least a couple of hours of enjoyment with your friends as a rental and nothing more, warrants it at least being worth Two Stars. But my disappointment in these THQ-made WWE games makes me feel like giving this latest title a [Negative Five]. I can honestly say that this game, is no better, nor worse, than that very disappointing "TNA Impact" release, if you want to call THAT a "game."
Until someone else other than THQ (The Horrible Quality) and Cory Ledesma at THQ makes these WWE video games, I will not continue to buy them and support them. With 2009's release being a joke, almost to the point that you think that literally and are hoping that they have done this just to make their upcoming "Legends of Wrestlemania" game look good by comparison, it kind of makes you wonder about WWE fans, in general. Most of them are white males with a lot of disposable income, and if you don't have to even try to make a good game, just how many of them will buy it, regardless?
Yes, the WWE has that kind of power, to draw in people to buy their products without even thinking twice about them, but when you continue to fail every single year, us as gamers, have to step in and say, "No more!" Say "No More!" by not purchasing this title and by not supporting below-quality WWE video games every single year. Much like the WWE continues to lose fans and viewers without WCW or any other wrestling franchise to give them any true competition (sorry TNA fans, but it's true), the WWE will continue to put out programming so bad, that SmackDown! is getting 1.5 ratings each week. And the same thing is true with THQ as, as long as no one else owns the rights to WWE video games, we will get garbage-quality gaming like this, with only the bare minimum effort, if any, put into it. Maybe IF enough people stop buying, THQ will start actually caring about what they release each year. But that's a pretty big IF.
This game is horrible, not worth your money or time, and should be avoided altogether, if possible. Stick with the older SvR games, or stop playing WWE video games, altogther. Those are your only two choices when THQ messes up on a scale like this.
To sum it up in three simple words: "This game sucks."
 A good step up after a not so good effort last year November 16, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Last years version was so bad it's the first SVR I never bought. The limited moves, the horrible controls. I still think the '07 version has the best controls. But let's get to this years, the controls are a little different and take some time to get used to but once you do all is ok. One great thing I noticed right away, much improved load times. They are actually very quick this year which is a huge improvement. The graphics are fantastic. Love all the match types, even the gimmicky inferno match. I think I like that one though just because I was in the crowd live at The Unforgiven PPV they had the first one at. I love the stories Of Road to Wrestlemania mode. I haven't tried career mode yet so I can't comment on it. But another good thing is the amount of wrestlers in this years version. All of the favorites are here although there doesn't seem to be many legends but that's ok. That should be saved for a different game anyways which I think is coming. But I've spent a good amount of time playing and it is a very fun game for sure. Definitely highly recommended.
 So much fun!!!! November 15, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Picking this up, I was worried that it would become boring and that I'd get burnt out on it so quickly, like the other games. This one offers a couple different storylines in the "Road to Wrestlemania" feature. Also, the Create-A-Finisher is amazing. The only thing I noticed wrong about this game, so far, is that when you're creating a character, you cannot change the positioning or the size of the tattoos. Other than that, amazing game and waaaaay better than the other ones.
ANother year another Wrestling Game November 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
WWE SvR 2K9
Another year...another wreslting game....and yes I am probably one of few that plays them but I do it because it is mindless fun.
Basically this a lobotomized rehash of last year's game and when I look over all of the reiterations, I wish I could cobble together some of the things that made 2004 and 2005 good and add them in.
I will say that Yukes did deal with a few technical issues in the game and fixed a few animations, but then broke a few others.
They did improve in some of the graphics of the game but with that, there are still some issues with clipping.
With that said...is there any good in this title?
- The career mode is actually pretty good and branching but you still have this been there done that mode and it is pretty linear.
- create a Wrestler is still about the same and it could take you a while to get thru if you want to make your own rosters. One portion of this creation mode that can suck your time away is the create a finisher move. Now one reviewer (I think in IGN slammed this mode. I thought it was the best thing....it kind of sucks that in past interations, you had to do you best to not 'borrow' a move from a past or present wrestler. Create a finisher gives you a chacne to create some of the sickest moves available...one that I created starts off with a flurry of blows which them moves into a pose of my wrestler in a move reminincent of Razor Ramon's Crrcifix bomb, but turns into a backbreakers and then end with a back suplex...it's sick.
- The inferno mode is a pure gimmick however I am glad that the backstage brawl is back.
There are more arenas and a lot of unloackables that are a little tougher to get and you have to be in a modd to get it.
I would like to see if Yukes does indeed keep up with the various rosters chnages thru DLC but only time will tell
BTW if I didn't mention it, if you played last year's iteration, then you should have no problem with this one as far as control....that remains unchanged...and I think it even detects your old settings and applies to the game.
Scale of 1 to 5 - about a 3.
if you are a hardcore fan, pick it up...otherwise you can skip past this one...I will say that this time, the roster is a bit better.
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