The graphics this time out look amazing. They looked really good last time, but WWF Raw somewhat dampened the glory. This year, Smackdown is looking as good as Raw did. Wrestlers look even smoother with muscles bulging in all the right ways, and Yukes (longtime caretaker of the Smackdown series) effectively creates the illusion of skin. It’s good that these guys look a lot better, too, because you’ll be seeing their ugly mugs up close and personal in the newly beefed up story mode. You all have spoken and the creators of Smackdown have listened. There are now multiple story paths, dependant on the wrestlers, and now you can enter Superstars into the World Wrestling draft pool. To bring the newly enhanced story mode to life is a bigger focus on televisual presentation. Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Tazz and Michael Cole are on hand to dish out the verbal rundown, and you’ll see full intros and cutaways just like on TV – from the pyrotechnics to the TitanTron videos.

But the single player mode isn’t the only thing that has been enhanced. New match types include Elimination Tag, Captain Fall Tornado Six-Man Tag and Slobber Knocker Anywhere. That’s right, you’ll be able to play up to six person multiplayer, which can’t hurt, right? The three-man tag team is now playable, and you can smack down your opponents using your very own custom wrestler. New additions to the Create a Wrestler will make your wildest dreams come true.

In addition to all of these enhancements, there are over 14 different pay-per-view arenas and several backstage areas modeled on Madison Square Garden. The audience moves, cheers, boos, and jeers wrestlers, reacting to the action as it happens. Controls on this version of Smackdown seem better than ever – the action is smooth. Some fans of previous installments may take a little while to get used to the new control scheme, which, although very similar to the other Smackdown games, feels a bit quicker. Matches don’t plod along at all – they clip ahead at a pace more akin to the televised spectacle.

Overall, wrestling fans should rejoice. Sure, they lost the "F" this year, but World Wrestling Smackdown!: Shut Your Mouth should more than make up for it. Smackdown the Fourth will suplex all of your other games into submission this fall, and it’s only for PS2.