Software:WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

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Short description: 2000 professional wrestling video game
WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
WWFSmackDown2KnowYourRole.jpg
North American cover art featuring Chris Jericho, The Rock, Triple H, and The Undertaker[lower-alpha 1]
Developer(s)Yuke's
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Toshihiko Kitazawa
Producer(s)Norifumi Hara
Designer(s)Toshihiko Kitazawa
Artist(s)Taku Chihaya
SeriesSmackDown!
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: 20 November 2000[2]
  • EU: 1 December 2000[1]
  • JP: 25 January 2001
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, known in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestling 2 (エキサイティングプロレス2, Ekisaitingu Puro Resu 2), is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's released in November 2000 on the PlayStation by THQ. It is the sequel to WWF SmackDown!, and the second game in the SmackDown series, itself based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) professional wrestling promotion.

Know Your Role achieved commercial success, becoming the best-selling combat sports game on a single format (PlayStation) with 3.2 million units sold.[3] The game was succeeded by WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It in November 2001.

Gameplay

The Season Mode was heavily modified in this game. Along with removing the pre-season mode that was included in the original, Know Your Role gave more storylines and more matches per show. These changes were given a mixed reaction by fans and critics alike. Wrestlers, wrestling moves, and arenas are unlocked as the player progresses through a season. The Season Mode has multiplayer support, with up to four players playing at once in a Season. Wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Billy Gunn, Mick Foley (including Cactus Jack) and Debra are unlockable characters.

This is also Michael Cole's second appearance as an unlockable character, with his first appearance being in WWF No Mercy. This would be Cole's last appearance as a playable character until WWE '12, where he was included as DLC.

Big Show and Ken Shamrock were initially playable in the game, but they were both removed before release. Big Show had been removed from the promotion's main roster and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, while Shamrock left professional wrestling to return to mixed martial arts competition. Despite this, both characters have been known to randomly appear during a Royal Rumble match (which the player can take control of) and can be used in other modes via a GameShark code, although their names and select screen images were removed.

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role was the first game in the SmackDown series which introduced the advanced Create-A-Superstar, allowing the player to create a character in greater detail as opposed to just choosing preset mix-and-match templates like the previous game. A unique feature was also included in which players are allowed to assign managers such as Paul Bearer and Tori to different superstars. In addition, more features were added such as Create-A-Moveset, Create-A-Taunt, and Create-A-Stable which allowed up to 4 members.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic90/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM8.83/10[6][lower-alpha 2]
Famitsu30/40[8]
Game Informer9/10[9]
GameRevolutionB+[10]
GameSpot8.8/10[11]
IGN8.9/10[12]
Next Generation3/5 stars[13]
OPM (US)5/5 stars[14]
X-Play3/5 stars[15]
The Cincinnati Enquirer4/5 stars[16]

The game received "universal acclaim" according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[4] Daniel Erickson of NextGen commended tons of options and multiplayer matches, but was critical to the game's Story mode.[13] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[8]

Star Dingo of GamePro said in one review, "A huge arsenal of moves and a ridiculous number options - some great, some not so great - add tons of replay value and make Smackdown 2 [sic], making it a virtual no-brainer for wrestling fans. Even if you can't stand pro wrestling, you may end up having a blast."[17][lower-alpha 3] In another GamePro review, Lamchop said that the game "reigns as the supreme wrestling title on the PlayStation—and that's no load of monkey crap. Gamers everywhere will smell (and like) what THQ has cooked up."[18][lower-alpha 4]

The game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[19] indicating sales of at least 300,000 units in the UK.[20]

The game was nominated for the "Best Sports Game (Alternative)" award at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.[21] It was also a runner-up for the "Best Extreme Sports Game" and "Best Multiplayer Game" awards at the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards, both of which went to SSX and TimeSplitters.[22][23] The game won the award for Action in Readers' Choice at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[24]

Notes

  1. ↑ The PAL-region cover art retains The Rock and Triple H, but they are featured in different poses. Chyna is also featured on the cover with Triple H.
  2. ↑ Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 9/10, and the other gave it 8.5/10.
  3. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and fun factor, and two 4/5 scores for sound and control in one review.
  4. ↑ GamePro gave the game 5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, 4/5 for control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor in another review.

References

  1. ↑ "CTW Game Guide". Computer Trade Weekly (United Kingdom) (818): 32. 1 December 2000. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (20 November 2000). "THQ Ships WWF Smackdown2: [sic Know Your Role"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/21/thq-ships-wwf-smackdown2-know-your-role. 
  3. ↑ "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 (Page 14)". http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/preview/files/assets/basic-html/page14.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/wwf-smackdown-2-know-your-role/. 
  5. ↑ Rector, Brett (12 December 2000). "WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Psx/Reviews/Wwfsd2/. 
  6. ↑ Zuniga, Todd; Sewart, Greg; Mielke, James "Milkman" (January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2 [Know Your Role"]. Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (138): 204. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_138_January_2001_U/page/n203/mode/2up. Retrieved 10 December 2021. 
  7. ↑ Steinberg, Scott (25 January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=5126&full=1#mr_toppy. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "プレイステーション - エキサイティングプロレス2" (in ja). Famitsu (Enterbrain) 915: 25. 30 June 2006. https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=8657&redirect=no. Retrieved 14 January 2024. 
  9. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (December 2000). "WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (92): 104–5. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200012/R03.0807.1228.29022.htm. Retrieved 11 February 2015. 
  10. ↑ Nash, Joe (December 2000). "WWF Smackdown 2 [sic: Know Your Role Review"]. CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34090-wwf-smackdown-2-know-your-role-review. 
  11. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (17 November 2000). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwf-smackdown-2-know-your-role-review/1900-2655483/. 
  12. ↑ Smith, David (22 November 2000). "WWF Smackdown 2!: [sic Know Your Role"]. Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/23/wwf-smackdown-2-know-your-role. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Erickson, Daniel (February 2001). "WWF Smackdown 2 [sic: Know Your Role"]. NextGen (Imagine Media) (74): 81. https://archive.org/details/NextGen74Feb2001/page/n81/mode/2up. Retrieved 10 December 2021. 
  14. ↑ Zuniga, Todd (January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (40): 140-41. https://archive.org/details/official-u.-s.-playstation-magazine-issue-40-january-2001/page/140/mode/2up. Retrieved 14 January 2024. 
  15. ↑ Shkloven, Emmett (12 January 2001). "WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role". TechTV. http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,23008,3015146,00.html. 
  16. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (26 December 2000). "The Rock, WWF friends return in Smackdown 2". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Gannett Company). http://cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/122600_smackdown.html. 
  17. ↑ Star Dingo (22 November 2000). "WWF Smackdown! 2 - Know Your Role Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/7446.shtml. Retrieved 15 January 2024. 
  18. ↑ Lamchop (January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role". GamePro (IDG) (148): 82. https://retrocdn.net/images/e/e6/GamePro_US_148.pdf. Retrieved 15 January 2024. 
  19. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". http://www.elspa.com/?i=3944. 
  20. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Informa. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/elspa-i-wii-fit-mario-kart-i-reach-diamond-status-in-uk. 
  21. ↑ GameSpot staff (5 January 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Sports Game (Alternative) Runners-Up)". Ziff Davis. http://www.zdnet.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2000/p4_14.html. 
  22. ↑ OPM staff (April 2001). "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards (Best Multiplayer Game)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (43): 32. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-43-april-2001/page/n31/mode/2up. Retrieved 14 January 2024. 
  23. ↑ OPM staff (April 2001). "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards (Best Extreme Sports Game)". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) (43): 34. https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-43-april-2001/page/34/mode/2up. Retrieved 14 January 2024. 
  24. ↑ IGN staff (30 January 2001). "PSX Best of 2000: Action". Snowball.com. http://psx.ign.com/news/30804.html. 

External links



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