Season Mode Road to WrestleMania Attitude Era Mode
In the WWE SmackDown vs. The Raw player was allowed to choose a wrestler from the game’s roster and participate in a mode called “Season”. In this mode, the players go along with the selected restaurateurs on a thorny path to the top, earning the respect of fellow wrestlers and the popularity of fans. Like real WWE stars, their protégés in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw participated in various storylines that influenced a lot in their future path. Starting with WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, the so-called “draft” was included in the games, and several brands appeared in the game for the first time. Now the player could defend and win the titles of the brand to which he was assigned, fight with those resters that are present in the roster of this brand. By the way, winning the title gave the wrestler in the “Season” more popularity and more frequent appearances in the main fights (“Main Event”). The pinnacle of a career year is a match at WrestleMania, WWE’s premier PPV event. After this PPV, the career starts again (new season year), with the same selected wrestler and the same settings. Next, the WWE Draft Lottery is held, as a result of which the rester is assigned to one or another brand.
Season Mode was replaced by Road to WrestleMania starting with WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009, and has been included in every game since, including WWE ’12. In this mode, players go through various storylines for multiple wrestlers. The passage of some plots has become possible to take place in a cooperative (i.e. together). This mode has become less arcade-like than its predecessor.
The road to WrestleMania will be replaced by the Attitude Era mode in the new WWE ’13 game. In this mode, players will go through several storylines that took place in one of the most memorable times in the history of professional wrestling.
WWE Universe Mode
The WWE Universe mode first appeared on SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, replacing the “Career” mode from the previous installments. The mode built plots, events and relationships between wrestlers (from friendship to enmity), which could improve or worsen as a result of a match or any cutscenes. Cutscenes could appear before, during, or after a match.
Demo Mode
Screenshot of the ladder fight (participants – Jeff Hardy and Kurt Angle) in the game SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
In each game of the series, in addition to other modes, there was a “Demonstration” mode, in which all types of matches possible for a particular game are available. The base matches for each game were considered regular 1-on-1 fights, where the player chose a wrestler and fought either the AI or another player. There are also team matches where a pair of wrestlers team up to fight another team. Team matches can be both “2-on-2” and “3-on-3”. In addition to regular matches, games include no-rules modes – matches with tables, chairs, ladders and other items (guitars, sticks, trash tanks, barbed wire); cage matches (there are three types of cage matches – in one you just need to get out of the cage to win the match, in the second the cage is a little wider and does not aim to get out of there, so the ways to win are varied – hold, pain, knockout; the third type is called “Elimination Chamber” – two start the match, after a certain time four more wrestlers join them in turn – the goal is to remain the only one in the cage (by the way, this mode first appeared in the WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain game). there is a “Royal Rumble” match based on an actual WWE fight – the goal is to be the only one among another nine, nineteen, twenty-nine or thirty-nine wrestlers (WWE ’12 first appeared “Royal Rumble” for 40 people). the Inferno match type was introduced (the goal is to throw the opponent through the ropes; the “chip” of the battle is the fire around the ring), and in 2010 the Championship Scramble match.In SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 mode was renamed from “Demonstration” to “Play/Game”.