The DS versions of big multi format games often get overlooked. With most of them being licensed games, a lot of press and public instantly assume an experience overly pared down from other versions on the handheld. It’s an erroneous assumption; often the DS version can offer something entirely different from the lead 360 and PS3 SKUs, the graphically simplified Wii and PS2 ports and the shunted over PSP version.



Certainly in the case of WWE Smackdown versus Raw, developers Toze have put out games that differ widely from their bigger console brothers in the past, and while 2008 and 2009’s iterations left much to be desired, they both offered a novel take on the wrestling game sub-genre. The question is, with SDvR 2010 offering the most improved polished and complete iteration of the game for years on home consoles, can the DS version make similar leaps in quality?

The short answer is no, butSDvR DS makes enough of an effort to warrant fans to taking a look. The big change this year is after realising that using DS gestures to perform wrestling moves doesn’t really work in real time (2008 had a pseudo turn based approach, but half hearted it, meaning my secret hopes for a WWE turn based strategy game were dashed), Toze has made the game completely button controlled. The Dpad moves your guy, shoulder buttons handle blocks and evasive dodges, and the face buttons handle running, special actions and attacks and grapples, which themselves are modified by tapping or holding the button. So far, so reminiscent of AKI N64 classics No Mercy and Virtual Pro Wrestling then.



While this is undoubtedly A Very Good Thing, there is a reason why AKI’s N64 wrestling titles still stand out as some of the best examples of their type some twelve years after they were popular, and SDvR can’t capture the magic. While moves are divided into strong and weak attacks, move lists for each wrestler are still slightly short, with the running grapples, apron based attacks and springboard moves found in the home versions absent here. Those out to play some high risk spot fests on the go will be disappointed.



More glaring is the obscenely dumb AI who will put up very little fight on even the hardest settings. Squashing opponents with all your moves and winning in two minutes flat can be satisfying, especially when you’re only playing for a short train ride, but the lack of challenge means you should have no problems fending off opponents in the game’s career mode, and a novel mechanic in which you buy in game cards for in ring perks (distracting opponents with a diva, instantly kicking out of a pin or having another guy interfere on your behalf to name but three) is made redundant.



Speaking of the career mode, there’s ups and downs to be had here too. Toze’s history as a cult handheld RPG developer stands out here, as the story is well constructed and fairly lengthy. You work your way through a calendar of shows on each of WWE’s three brands, winning titles, making partnerships, being betrayed and finding yourself being bounced from show to show. In addition to the main business of making scheduled appearances, there are also a few side stories triggered by talking to certain characters at certain times. Some dialogue is fairly hammy, and some bizarre typos in the text are present indicating some slapdash playtesting on the game’s tight development schedule, but the story is solid enough to keep you going.



Where the career mode falls down is when you’re not wrestling. Just like the last two years,SDvR 2010expects you to hit the gym on your off days to develop your stats in four different mini games.  All four mini games are ridiculously dull and clearly have had little time dedicated to them. The skipping game used to improve your speed is especially shonky, the jump rope rotating bizarrely in your wrestler’s hands as you press the B button to trigger a two frame jumping animation that would make a Famicom blush. SDvRat least gives you an incentive for playing these fiascoes – higher stats mean access to more moves for your wrestler to use in matches, which has the knock on effect of you being more invested in your character eventually wrestling how you want them to. The main issue however, is with one scheduled match per game week followed by five ‘free’ days, you’re basically expected to play the terminally boring mini games just as much as actually wrestling. Be aware- of the game’s impressive fifteen or so hour length, seven hours are spent jumping a rope. Think on.

"Listen player, ain't nobody gets far in this business without being able to jump over a rope hundreds of times. Now hit the gym, then job out to Hornswoggle"

Elsewhere, it’s worth noting that some, though not all of WWE’s gimmick matches are in place. Tables, ladder, cage and TLC matches are in, along with a DS exclusive Ambulance match; which is amusing mainly for the victory animation, wherein an ambulance drives through the arena, presumably plowing down a ton of wrestling fans, while the text onscreen simply says ‘win’. Yes. The variety gives a nice break for those getting bored with one on one matches (though tag matches would have been an obvious addition, it seems the DS can’t handle more than three models on screen at any one time), but all match types suffer from the game’s overall lack of challenge. Multiplayer might have more life (especially with a nice ranking system that gives you a title based on your Exhibition win/loss record) but with it only supporting local multicart play, I can’t see many people playing it- I certainly didn’t. Create a Wrestler, as last year, is present in 2010 and essential for playing career mode. It’s a lot more limited than the home SKUs certainly, but adequate enough.



Overall, it’s hard to recommend SDvR 2010 DS (crikey, it’s a long title even when you abbreviate. And I didn’t include the ‘featuring ECW’ part) to anyone but die hard fans. While those with an interest in the squared circle’s soap opera will find a lot to like in the well crafted story and promising if flawed gameplay, anyone with only a casual interest in wrestling (sorry- sports entertainment) may have to wait until next year for the games’s promise to be fulfilled.

Smackdown versus Raw 2010 Gameplay (offscreen)