Now that I've had a chance to play . . .

[Shon Maxx]

My U.S. Title is cursed! When I started GM mode, I gave the belt to Eddie. Well, he got injured the next card for 6 months. I then ran a tournament, and although I can't remember who won it, I do remember that that person also got injured.

Overall it's fun, but I would have liked to have faces and heels and GM mode and more than 20 wrestlers since that makes building a fed hard. A question for those who may know...does GM mode last a couple of seasons, or is it continuous?

Thanks,

Jay

[thefamoustommyz]

Can you add CAWs to GM mode, folks?

[gamemaster]

Not sure but they do have a free agent pool so I dont see why not.

[ringsyde]

The Gamespot review of the game is now up. They give it an 8.9 rating. They also call it the best wrestling game in a decade.

I think it's better than their rating (I'd go 9.0 or slightly higher), but I can't argue with their assessment.

[hawk]

...Hawk...want...game...

[Shon Maxx]

Yes, you can add CAW's to GM mode, but they start really low in popularity (I think around 25 out of 100).

Finally got my dream match...Angle vs. Bret! Angle won at the 10 minute mark with the Angle Slam. Awesome Match!

Jay

[thefamoustommyz]

! CAWS in GM mode?!?!

I need this game..and I don't even have a PS2...=(

[Talison]

Hey, how did you do the tourny in GM mode?

[Shon Maxx]

I don't think you can, Talison, at least I haven't figured it out. I guess just sign the matches as regular matches and make the final one a title match.

Oh, this is a little cheap, but for anyone (like me ) who is just trying to get through the challenges to unlock everything so they can run their own fed, you can complete the challenges on 2 players. The only one you have to do alone is slobernocker.

That makes things a lot easier! As I said, cheap, but easier than last year's.

Jay

[Talison]

I don't think that's cheap at all. I mean this is primarily a 2 player game (poor Talison has no one to play with).

But seriously, if both players have thier own profile does beating a challenge only unlock money for that profile? What about changing move sets?

[Rod Munchkin]

How the heck do you store a finisher? I know you're supposed to press L1 and L2 but I cant seem to get it to work. Do you hold L1 and tap 2 repeatedly? Press L2 just once? Hold them both down? Any help would be appreciated.

[Talison]

I just tap them both.

[canadianpittbull]

The way it comes up it says hold L2 and tap L1 that is how I do it and it works wonders. You have to do it in order or it won't work.

[Rod Munchkin]

Just found out my controller's busted. The L2 button is broke. Thanks for the help though guys.

[Big Bri]

Is there a variety of clothing and hairstyle options? I remember there were a ton for HCTP and before that, but last year for SDVR they cut back significantly to make room for the online play and voiceovers. I'm really into CAW's, that's why I ask.

[Shon Maxx]

It looks about the same as last year, Bri, as far as designs and clothing, but I could be wrong; I haven't seen them all yet.

For anyone who's beaten most of the challenges, has anyone beaten 'Reverse a Finisher" and "Reverse the Casket Door?" I tried the finisher one with and without a finisher stored. Do you have to hit L2 and R2 right after the opponent hits L1 (tried that)? Do you have to wait until after the animation (screen spinning)? Or is there something else?

I have no clue about the casket one so any help there would be great.

Another thing I learned (actually I read about it on gamespot.com but it's verified here), and you're going to love this, Bri. After you beat Season Mode on both Raw and Smackdown, you get Unlimited EXP for your CAW!

Take care,

Jay

[Big Bri]

bladeflyer said:

Another thing I learned (actually I read about it on gamespot.com but it's verified here), and you're going to love this, Bri. After you beat Season Mode on both Raw and Smackdown, you get Unlimited EXP for your CAW!

Take care,

Jay

The Lord has blessed thee with this game mechanism.

I'll be done with this stupid paper in a couple hours then it's off the store to get the game!

[Talison]

The reverse casket one you have to let them get you in the casket and then stopthem from closing the door.

The reverse finisher one is tough. I was just slammin buttons and finally got it.

[Big Bri]

I finished that stupid paper (if anyone ever mentions Bolivian politics on this board from this day forward, they will be hunted down and forced to watch the Hulk Hogan DVD over and over again until they openly weep and beg to be exterminated) and picked up the game last night.

It was totally worth "dealing with" SVR for an entire year to get this game! I played with it for about an hour and skimmed through a few things on it...

Positives:

-On many menus, you don't have to scroll through "one at a time". You can see most of the list. It makes for easy "flipping through them".

-For CAW's you can use the control pad (the "cross") instead of the analog sticks to make adjustments. This was how HCTP was, and it's a much easier wat to do CAW's.

-Create-An-Entrance. I was so jealous when DOR had this last year.

-During a match the wrestlers aren't the size of toy soldiers like in SVR. They are large like in HCTP.

-GM Mode. Friggin' brilliant. I think they ripped some of us COTG players off on the match rating and show rating systems though, LOL.

-You can read what the crowd signs actually say in the menu.

-3 versions of Hogan, so when you get tired of slaughtering one, you can move onto another. Violence rates across the globe will decrease because of this stress reliever.

-Awesome graphics

-I like how you have to use a finisher before obtaining another one. It makes for more realistic play.

-The stamina factor really did make it seem more like a real match.

-You can create Tag Team Title Belts and engrave names on them!

-Post-match celebrations are back!

Negatives:

-The only I can think of at this point is that there are still limited clothing/hairstyle/etc. options for CAW's, but compared to the positives, this is a small negative.

Overall, I give it a 9 (SVR was about a 6).

One more class today and then I can get lost in this game and COTG for the next week!

[Shon Maxx]

I finally got both challenges done. I never realized you had to hit L2 or R2 when the circle is in the lit area. As for the finisher reversal (and I'll admit I learned this from gamespot.com.), pick someone with a top-rope finisher (Eddie, RVD, etc.) as an opponent, have them get a finisher, knock down your character (and hold circle to keep him down), then have RVD (or whomever you choose) do his finisher. At the last moment, hit L2 and you should raise your knees.

I got all the challenges last night. Tonight, I'd like to see if the Jake Robers trick is real in GM Mode.

I pretty much agree with Bri's review. One of my other little problems with this game is that they took otu the submission system from last year, or rather, no-meter submissions. I loved getting a guy in red, then lock the hold to make the the guy tap. You didn't even need to lock the hold on the same body part. Sevenr could get the guy's body in red, lock the arm bar, and get the tap.

In this game, however, they took out the NM submissions, so so much for using Severn's arm bar or Shamrock's ankle lock (I may still make Shamrock with that move).

Oh, I agree with Bri on less stress with 3 ways to beat Hogan. Andre, so far has slaughtered 2 of them (NWO Hogan has yet to face him).

So who are everyone's champions in GM Mode? Mine are:

Smackdown:
WWE: Angle (won from Bret)
US: Hassan (won from Hogan)
Tag: The World's Greatest Tag Team (won from Batista and Benoit in a ladder match)

CW: Divari (won from Rey in a triple threat match)

Jay