15 Best Wrestling Games Of All Time
9. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007
Those who have played every single WWE game since the first SmackDown on PS1 might be slightly stunned to see SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 picked out from the litter of other titles in the series. THQ performed a soft reboot of sorts in 2004 with SD vs. Raw, and they started to slow the gameplay systems down with each passing release. Admittedly, to some who prefer their wrestling games to be zippy, that'll sound a bit crap.
2006's SmackDown vs. Raw '07 release was anything but crap. It introduced a brand new analog control mechanic for hitting moves and engaging opponents. Importantly, THQ and Yuke's let players pick between the new and old systems. That was a smart call, because it meant the game was more accessible to those who liked the previous way of doing things.
Bells and whistles brought to the dance for the series debut on Xbox 360 included better interactivity in certain match types and an overall glossier look to the graphics and presentation. That was to be expected, but there's really nothing wrong with the base PS2 experience either. You'll still have a good time if that's the version you'd like to go back and play now.
The Season Mode was another weird winner for Yuke's as well. Various storylines paid homage to the soap opera stylings of the era, but devs knew they could up the ante further because, well...this was a video game, not real life. It's a trip to play through some of it these days compared to the much more grounded MyRise in games like 2K24.
Generally, SD vs. Raw '07 was a sweet spot for the series before gameplay got too slow and contextual.