Wrestling is by far the most controversial of sports. Not because of its inherently glorified, violent nature, but because of its monumental grandstanding. It's a sport of epic melodrama, which is the source of both its appeal and its abhorrence. There's apparently no middle ground for viewers, either – you love it or you hate it, and although this latest addition to the mobile gaming franchise is obviously aimed at fans of the pseudo-sport, the polarising nature of WWE wrestling is impossible to ignore in the 2009 edition.
The SmackDown vs Raw series went 3D in 2008, which is no small feat on the mobile platform. Not considering the grand scope of arenas and characters included to make SmackDown vs Raw a recognisable experience. And the 2009 version builds on these foundations, as unstable as they might have proven.
The wrestlers themselves received much of the attention, so the fighters really didn't require much of an update. That said, their miniaturised likenesses are still surprisingly accurate, and the roster of licensed wrestlers is as comprehensive as ever. There were issues regarding the quality of the ring and stadia, however, and those issues seem to have been taken seriously by developer Bight Games.
Action often takes to the ringside as well as within the ropes, and the decent choice of arenas have all received a welcome makeover. Depending on how the camera pans around the match it can still get a bit pixely, but as your attention tends to be focused elsewhere it rarely becomes an issue.
But all this 3D extravagance comes at a cost. The system seems to struggle with the tangibility and movement of these well-textured polygons. The fighters regularly pass through each other when up close (that's not a wrestling term or a euphemism, by the way), and as their balletic moves take them toward the ropes, the scenery often takes on an equally insubstantial construction.
Considering the crux of WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009 is the fighting mechanic, this inherent imprecision makes for a frustrating match. If your attack reaches an opponent who's not at quite the right distance to trigger the appropriate response, your arm or boot will pass right through him, generally followed by antheir equally mistimed counter-attack, and before you know it you're back to back – having shuffled right through each other.
It's easy to forgive the rather aggravating way your character rolls around the mat, apparently unable to stand up (as this is in line with the grandstanding of the WWE events) but shortcomings in programming, rather than sporting fidelity, make for a disjointed and uncontrollable experience.
Wrestling has become a long-lived TV serial over the years, and it's no longer a simple matter of providing a ring for two over-muscled, under-dressed showmen to battle in. To keep the ravenous legions of fans on their feet and screaming, WWE has invented a host of variations beyond ropes and canvas, and the licensed game makes a valiant effort to realise the best of them. Often enough, these changes in the rules or the addition of a cage don't seem to make a huge difference to the gameplay, but do have a noticeable effect on the speed and fluidity of the animation.
True enough, there's a lot of action for the phone to cope with, but the rambling controls and unresponsive fights suffer badly whenever the frame-rate drops. Unless some serious magic is woven around WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009, we fear even stalwart fans of the soap opera sport will struggle to feel the atmosphere of a well-staged fight when it comes time for our review. Hit 'Track It!' to be the first to know when it piledrives its way onto the site.
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