WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 wants to be the year’s biggest wrestling game. It lands somewhere closer to average. The game brings back the SmackDown vs. Raw split, with each disc offering its own roster, story mode, and set of playable arenas. That sounds like a lot. In practice, it mostly means two nearly identical games sitting side by side.
The Split Between Two Discs
Each disc carries its own set of wrestlers, story lines, and arenas. The idea is that fans get two games in one package, one built around SmackDown’s roster and the other around Raw’s. On paper, that should double the value. In play, it mostly doubles the repetition.
The rosters overlap heavily. A wrestler who appears on one disc shows up again on the other, often with the same moves and the same look. The arenas and story modes diverge slightly, but the core fighting system stays the same across both discs.
Story Mode Stumbles
The story mode is where WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 tries hardest to stand out. Players pick a wrestler, build a reputation, and fight their way through rival brands and rival promotions. It sounds like a full adventure. It plays like a thin one.
Cut scenes are brief and forgettable. Objectives are simple. The mode rarely asks players to make a real choice beyond picking a fight. After a few hours, the story loses steam. It never builds enough momentum to justify its length.
The Fighting System Is Familiar
The fighting itself is where WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 holds together best. Wrestlers move and react like their real-life counterparts. Throws, grapples, and finishing moves all land with a satisfying weight. The controls respond well once players learn the timing.
But the system has limits. Combos are shallow compared to earlier WWE games, and the pace rarely rises past a steady mid-tempo. Matches feel less like fast-paced action and more like careful, deliberate contests of strength. That works for some players. It frustrates others looking for the chaos of a real match.
Online Play Shows Its Age
Online multiplayer is where WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 starts to show its age. Connections are inconsistent across all three platforms. Matches break up, screens freeze, and lobbies take forever to fill. The game asks players to wait while servers catch up, and that waiting can last several minutes during busy periods.
None of the platforms escape this problem. The PS3 version, the PSP version, and the Xbox 360 version all suffer from the same poor online infrastructure. There is no platform that handles online matches with any real consistency.
Sound Design That Misses the Mark
The sound design leans heavily on crowd noise and commentary. That should work. It doesn’t. Commentators repeat themselves constantly, and the crowd reacts to things that haven’t happened yet. The result is a match that feels off by the time it ends.
Music is better. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 comes with a solid selection of theme songs, and the arena tracks hold up well. But the commentary is the weak link, and it drags down the overall experience.
PSP and Mobile Versions Share the Same Problems
The PSP and mobile versions of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 share the same roster and the same problems as the console versions. Arena variety is limited, and the story mode is even thinner on these smaller screens. The PSP version in particular struggles with frame rate issues during busy matches, while the mobile version cuts corners on graphics and animation to fit smaller devices.
None of these versions offers a compelling reason to play over the console editions. They exist mostly as portable copies of a flawed console game, and they inherit every weakness of the original.
What Works
There are moments where WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 shines. A well-timed throw, a smooth chain of moves, a satisfying finisher — these moments prove the game has real talent underneath its rough edges. The roster is deep, and the movesets remain satisfying to execute.
The presentation also deserves credit. Arenas are detailed, and the menus are easy to navigate. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 looks like a polished product, even when it doesn’t play like one.
What Doesn’t Work
The flaws pile up quickly. The split between SmackDown and Raw feels like marketing rather than content. Story mode fails to engage. Online play is unreliable. The commentary is broken. These are not small problems sitting alongside strengths. They are the whole picture.
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a game that knows how to look good and struggles to perform well. It is a polished shell holding a hollow core.
Key Facts
- Title: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
- Platforms: PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Mobile
- Format: Two discs, each with its own roster and story mode
- Score: 6.6 of 10
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a game that splits its focus and loses its audience. The fighting is solid, the presentation is polished, and the ambition is real. But the execution falls short at almost every turn. This is a game worth playing for a few hours, then setting aside.
