WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, known in Japan as Exciting Pro Wrestle 2 (エキサイティングプロレス2, Ekisaitingu Puro Resu 2), is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's released in November 2000 on the PlayStation by THQ. It is the sequel to WWF SmackDown!, and the second game in the SmackDown series, itself based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) professional wrestling promotion.

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
North American cover art featuring Chris Jericho, The Rock, Triple H, and The Undertaker[lower-alpha 1]
Developer(s)Yuke's
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Toshihiko Kitazawa
Producer(s)Norifumi Hara
Designer(s)Toshihiko Kitazawa
Artist(s)Taku Chihaya
SeriesSmackDown!
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • NA: 20 November 2000[1]
  • EU: 1 December 2000[2]
  • JP: 25 January 2001
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Know Your Role achieved commercial success, becoming the best-selling combat sports game on a single format (PlayStation) with 3.2 million units sold.[3] The game was succeeded by WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It in November 2001.

Gameplay

The Season Mode was heavily modified in this game. Along with removing the pre-season mode that was included in the original, Know Your Role gave more storylines and more matches per show. These changes were given a mixed reaction by fans and critics alike. Wrestlers, wrestling moves, and arenas are unlocked as the player progresses through a season. The Season Mode has multiplayer support, with up to four players playing at once in a Season. Wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Billy Gunn, Mick Foley (including Cactus Jack) and Debra are unlockable characters.

This is also Michael Cole's second appearance as an unlockable character, with his first appearance being in WWF No Mercy. This would be Cole's last appearance as a playable character until WWE '12, where he was included as DLC.

Big Show and Ken Shamrock were initially playable in the game, but they were both removed before release. Big Show had been removed from the promotion's main roster and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, while Shamrock left professional wrestling to return to mixed martial arts competition. Despite this, both characters have been known to randomly appear during a Royal Rumble match (which the player can take control of) and can be used in other modes via a GameShark code, although their names and select screen images were removed.

Create modes

WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role was the first game in the SmackDown series which introduced the advanced Create-A-Superstar, allowing the player to create a character in greater detail as opposed to just choosing preset mix-and-match templates like the previous game. A unique feature was also included in which players are allowed to assign managers such as Paul Bearer and Tori to different superstars. In addition, more features were added such as Create-A-Moveset, Create-A-Taunt, and Create-A-Stable which allowed up to 4 members.

Reception

The game received "universal acclaim" according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [4] At a score of 90 out of 100, Metacritic has never awarded a higher score to any other WWE video game. Daniel Erickson of NextGen commended tons of options and multiplayer matches, but was critical to the game's Story mode.[13] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[7]

The game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[17] indicating sales of at least 300,000 units in the UK.[18]

The game was nominated for the "Best Sports Game (Alternative)" award at GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2000 Awards, which went to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.[19] It was also a runner-up for the "Best Extreme Sports Game" and "Best Multiplayer Game" awards at the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 2000 Editors' Awards, both of which went to SSX and TimeSplitters.[20][21] The game won the award for Action in Readers' Choice at IGN's Best of 2000 Awards.[22]

Notes
  1. The PAL-region cover art retains The Rock and Triple H, but they are featured in different poses. Chyna is also featured on the cover with Triple H.
  2. Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 9/10, and the other gave it 8.5/10.

References
  1. IGN staff (20 November 2000). "THQ Ships WWF Smackdown2: [sic] Know Your Role". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  2. "CTW Game Guide". Computer Trade Weekly. No. 818. United Kingdom. 1 December 2000. p. 32.
  3. "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 (Page 14)". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  4. "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. Rector, Brett (12 December 2000). "WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 27 January 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  6. Zuniga, Todd; Sewart, Greg; Mielke, James "Milkman" (January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2 [Know Your Role]". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 138. Ziff Davis. p. 204. Archived from the original on 29 January 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  7. "プレイステーション - エキサイティングプロレス2". Famitsu (in Japanese). Vol. 915. Enterbrain. 30 June 2006. p. 25. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  8. Reiner, Andrew (December 2000). "WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role". Game Informer. No. 92. FuncoLand. pp. 104–5. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  9. Star Dingo (22 November 2000). "WWF Smackdown! 2 - Know Your Role Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 February 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  10. Nash, Joe (December 2000). "WWF Smackdown 2 [sic]: Know Your Role Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  11. Gerstmann, Jeff (17 November 2000). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role Review". GameSpot. Red Ventures. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  12. Smith, David (22 November 2000). "WWF Smackdown 2!: [sic] Know Your Role". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  13. Erickson, Daniel (February 2001). "WWF Smackdown 2 [sic]: Know Your Role". NextGen. No. 74. Imagine Media. p. 81. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  14. Zuniga, Todd (January 2001). "WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 40. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 28 January 2001. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  15. Shkloven, Emmett (12 January 2001). "WWF Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role". Extended Play. TechTV. Archived from the original on 18 April 2001. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  16. Saltzman, Marc (26 December 2000). "The Rock, WWF friends return in Smackdown 2". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  17. "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009.
  18. Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Game Developer. Informa. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  19. GameSpot staff (5 January 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000 (Best Sports Game (Alternative) Runners-Up)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 22 February 2001. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  20. OPM staff (13 March 2001). "Best Extreme Sports Game". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 19 April 2001. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  21. OPM staff (13 March 2001). "Best Multiplayer Game". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 19 April 2001. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  22. IGN staff (30 January 2001). "PSX Best of 2000: Action". IGN. Snowball.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2001. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
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