WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008

In setting out to make a wrestling game for people who don't like wrestling games, THQ has turned in a game that nobody will like.

"The latest build also makes use of Mii integration for some interface screens and heath indicators when in-game, as well as some basic IR for menu interaction. All the expected modes are there, including things like singe competition, tag team, hardcore, K.O., triple threat, and tournaments including King of the Ring, and Beat the Clock Sprint, though there's no online support included this year. In addition there are also "Create a Move Set" and "Create a WWE Superstar" modes, which we'll be checking out soon as well. Overall Wii's version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 is shaping up quite nicely, but we're holding off our final say on the game until we see the final version in action."

Here's the thing, this is some of the most fun I've had on the mat in a wrestling game in a long time and after three and a half months of playing it, I still look forward to putting it through the paces each morning. The controls are great and make the act of wrestling shine. However, I can't score this game as high as last year's PS2/360 title or pervious installments of the franchise. Single-player 24/7 Mode is a step backward for the series, the Create-A-Superstar and GM 24/7 are basically rehashes of last year's product, and the same complaints we've had for years -- awful AI, lame commentary, poor collision detection -- are still rampant. Plus, the lack of online voice chat saps some of the fun of multiplayer. Is WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008 a fun game? Hell yeah, but it's the same fun you've been having for the better part of a decade.