Compared to its Nintendo 64 counterparts (i.e. WWF Wrestlemania 2000), SmackDown's graphics are downright amazing. That is not to say that the N64 versions are at all ugly, but the texture use and model creation on SmackDown are light years above and beyond what's been done on the big N's machine. For example, in Wrestlemania 2000 the hair on the characters was simply plastered on top of the head and had no depth to it. In SmackDown, however, the hair is a separate entity itself and has dimension to it, giving it a much more realistic look. SmackDown's attention to detail on the wrestler's faces is one of particular interest; the wrestler's mouths will move if they are required to say something in their introduction sequence or during a cut-scene where he or she is talking to your character. And thankfully, The Rock's eyebrow has been faithfully recreated and looks better than it ever has before.

Wrestler introductions and music are a main indication of what wrestler will be appearing in the ring. Whenever you hear a sound effect of a glass shattering you immediately know Stone Cold Steve Austin is coming out. When the infamous phrase "You smell what The Rock's cookin'?" pounds over the speakers, it does not take long to realize that The Rock is about to make his way through the entrance. Getting back to the point, wrestling games have not really accurately portrayed wrestling introductions - not until now, at least. SmackDown has the character's videos (shown up on the huge screen during wrestling events) and music begin, and soon after the polygonal character will strut out and make his way to the ring. There is still some room for improvement, but THQ has certainly taken a huge step in the right direction with this relatively overlooked aspect of gaming wrestlers.

In the end, the aspect of a wrestling title that will either make or break it is it's fighting system. Games like WWF Attitude and ECW Hardcore Revolution overcomplicate things by making each move have a unique button combination; making it far too hard to memorize each move. THQ's other PS wrestlers have had similar problems, and this has turned off gamers from the easy-to-use control system in their Nintendo 64 titles. For SmackDown, Yukes has created a control scheme and fighting system that is very similar to Wrestlemania 2000's and it works like a charm. Hitting the "X" button in conjunction with either up, down, left or right will result in a different punch or kick. Hitting the circle button in conjunction with the aforementioned directions has the effect of a different type of throw/grapple. Facing your opponent has a set of four different movies for each X and circle, and depending on the situation (the opponent is facing the other direction, is on the ropes, etc.) will change the types of moves that are used. This control scheme and fighting system allow for beginner gamers to jump into the fray and have fun with little or no difficulties, yet has the depth that won't make the game become boring quickly.

Only a few weeks back Acclaim Entertainment's ECW-based wrestling title, ECW Hardcore Revolution, hit the market. The game itself was nothing to shout about, but the amount of options in the game was something to get excited about. Surprisingly, SmackDown has just about everything that Acclaim's game does, if not more. Want to duke it out in a iron cold cage? Go for it. Feel like doing the three way tango? Be our guest. Not only that, but there are Royal Rumbles, King of the Rings, one on ones with a manager tagging along, a guest referee and a whole lot more. There's enough in SmackDown to keep things interesting for months to come, and it will be a long while before the game becomes boring.

THQ has begun implementing the now standard create-a-wrestler feature into their titles, but the idea is still being developed. Whilst in Acclaim's titles you can edit and customize everything right down to the eyes and eyebrows, SmackDown only gives the option to choose from around 50 to 75 different options for the head, upper body, lower body, etc. There are far less options, but many humorous combinations can still be created. As THQ continues to evolve and refine their wrestling formula we should see extras like this being to become more in-depth, but what is there at the moment is enough to suffice.

An interesting addition to SmackDown is the ability to go through different sections of the stage. For example, in a match that allows you to go to different areas (such as "Anywhere Falls"), you may start out in the actual ring but end up in the boiler room at the end of the match. Around the various areas there are passages to other places, and by throwing your opponent into that passage you can go into that other area. Each of the areas has its own set of unique environments and weapons, and there are certain advantages that can be found by moving the characters through in and out of the spots.