WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 - Nintendo Wii (From Crewe Guardian)

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 - Nintendo Wii

5:20pm Tuesday 20th November 2007 in Leisure By Neil Docking

NINTENDO has a long tradition of hosting great wrestling games - with Aki's legendary title No Mercy the pick of the bunch.

However, the past five years has seen THQ's Smackdown! series rule the roost of grappling games, with its flashy arcade style appealing to wrestling fans and casual gamers alike on Playstation and XBox.

This is the first time a Smackdown title has appeared on a Nintendo machine and the programmers have evidently tried to make best use of its unique control system.

Players have to initiate moves by waving the controller in different directions and even mock their opponents by performing DX' crotch-chopping taunts with the accompanying nunchuck.

But this is quite simply one of the most ill-conceived, frustrating and miserable wrestling experiences ever.

Want to strike an opponent? Waggle. Block a move? Waggle. Get up? Waggle. Kick out of a pin? Yep, you guessed it, just waggle.

Artificial intelligence governs nearly every move. And those with the real thing should stay well clear.