WWE games have forever existed on one gaming format or another. The first WWE video game, 1989’s MicroLeague Wrestling, brought digital life to the then WWF favourites Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage and many more in a turn-based format. Interviews and commentary, as much a stable of Pro Wrestling as the bouts themselves, would also be provided by Mean Gene Okerlund and Vince McMahon respectively, as of the time captured by MicroLeague in its development.
Somewhat inevitably, Wrestlemania would also become a key video game license. 1989 brought about Wrestlemania-titled video games to both the home (Nintendo Entertainment System) and arcade markets, and shone in a change of genre to that more akin to the scrolling fighter, yet confined to a single arena.
Fast forward fifteen years later, WWE video games were already established as an annual occurence. In previous console generations a differently developed WWE title was released for each platform; the Smackdown series was always Sony’s package, the Xbox had the largely inferior, clunky and ultimately abandoned Raw series. Nintendo’s Gamecube was the outsiders choice which, in my opinion, was the best wrestling game of that generation in Day of Reckoning and its sequel. (I’ve completely ignored Wrestlemania X8 for good reason. Just don’t.). After the unsuccessful THQ Raw and Wrestlemania 21 efforts, the successful Smackdown! series became the dominant one, and was tweaked to become the Smackdown VS Raw series known today.
The first of these then new-gen WWE games - Smackdown VS Raw 2007 - formed a brief reinvention for the series, but was not without its problems. Presentation had improved significantly, in line with the jump in console power. The grapple system received the biggest overhaul, analogue sticks becoming the tool for executing quick and strong grapples. Sound familiar? It took some getting used to at the time of its inception; but has become a mainstay blueprint of the series ever since.
Even with such improved mechanics, SVR 2007 still fell foul of dated and a frankly jobber-level difficulty. It pales against WWE2K23’s steep yet excellent learning curve of its own Legend difficulty that invokes crisp reflexes and sharper ring awareness. Back to 2007, this is where crowd fighting and interactive spots were introduced. Match types were increased by bringing in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, another annual mainstay for WWE television, and is brilliant fun with a few mates round. There was also the introduction of ‘hot-spots’, where in key places around the ring, such as the ring post, a grapple icon will appear. Once activated, a cut-off animation will show your opponent (or even yourself, should you be on the receiving end) being thrown in the ring post, or other item around the ring. This incarnation also introduced fighting ‘in the crowd’, which, in reality, is a weapon-filled area over the crowd barrier in the top right of the screen, but is largely pointless.
The create a wrestler mode received of an overhaul, a world away from the massive community creations database we are blessed with today. Instead other creator modes have been included/improved. Create an entrance is among those improved, allowing full control from the video screen to the pyrotechnics used. SvR 2007 introduced the create a championship mode, allowing the creation of any title belts you desire, and then, naturally, fight for them. Stables can also be created/amended, and can be adjusted based on experience points obtained in season mode, to be more efficient as a team.
Such is the norm for annual sporting releases, there were some roster discrepancies upon the game’s release. Character gimmicks change, talent leaves or is released, or maybe were recruited at short notice (that was a long wait for Cody Rhodes this past year, huh?). Most significantly, SVR 2007 marked the final WWE game to feature Chris Benoit. Given the circumstances of his death in 2007, a few short months after the games release, his digital blueprint was subsequently removed from the upcoming 2008 sequel and, understandably, forevermore. This is also Kurt Angle’s final WWE appearance in a video game until WWE2K18, eleven years later. Kurt had already been granted release before the game’s launch as he took his gold-laden run to TNA Impact Wrestling. Lita would also make her last appearance on a regular roster due to her (frankly hilarious) retirement match at November’s Survivor Series of that year, the same month of the game’s release.
Then there is the soundtrack. Black Stone Cherry’s deep-riffed debut “Lonely Train” stands tall above a strong, metal-based soundtrack that at that time was the dominant music genre of WWE. Rise Against’s closing track “Survive” from the 2006 album “Sufferer and the Witness”, a favourite among WWE, is also suitably placed to make one’s head bop along whilst navigating the game’s menus and creator modes.
Whilst far from the polished product 2K deliver today, overall SvR 2007 game is still one of the best wrestling video games ever made. There is tons of fun to be had on multi player, with the far too easy single player elements letting the side down. But these games are all about being your favourite (or not so favourite) WWE idol, across various match types for multiple title belts with varying stipulations. And Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 has that in spades.
