Spontaneous Mike's unoffical WWE: Day of Reckoning thread - SPOILERS

[Mike Spartz]

What is the first match that you'll have when you play WWE: Day of Reckoning for the first time?
My first match will be Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit in a Iron Man match. I'll be playing as Benoit of course and I will follow that up with a TLC match between Trish and Stacy.

When will you buy WWE: Day of Reckoning? Have you preordered it?
I have already reserved a copy for myself at my local video games store. I'm excited because not only have I heard and read a lot of good things about the features included in this game, but this will be the first wrestling game that I have owned since WWE: RAW for the PC!

What impresses you the most about this game? What do you guys think of the new story/season mode (School of Hard Knocks)?
School of Hard Knocks is what attracts me the most about this game. I've heard great things about this new and improved story mode and I can't wait to try it out. I am a little letdown by the fact that female CAW's cannot be used because I was really hoping to put my CAW of RAW Diva Wannabe Christy through the season. I hope that it'll happen in future WWE games. The graphics are excellent as well, far surpassing WM XIX and X8.

What annoys you/ what letdowns do you have for this game?
I wish we got Brock Lesner, even though he's not with WWE anymore I still think THQ shoud've included him because he was a main eventer and an awesome wrestler.

One of the arguments fans have about this game (and other wrestling games in general) is the lack of graphic blood for female wrestlers. Do you think this is fair, or would you rather have the girls bleed just like the guys do?
I personally wish that blood was included in the programming of female wrestlers. I think that it adds realism to the matchs and it makes the match more entertaining to watch.

For those who have a Playstation 2, has the success of the SmackDown! series somewhat diminished your excitment toward GC wrestling games? And for those with a GC and a PS2, which console will you stay loyal to?
Basically this is me asking you guys if you prefer PS2 wrestling games to GC ones and why you do or dont. Adding to the question, I'd also like to know if the new DOR game, with it's improved graphics, gameplay functions, and story mode, has swayed you back to the GC. I only have a GC so I can't really answer this question fully, but I can say that DOR looks wickedly awesome and that's a good sign for GC owners.

[Tapout]

What is the first match that you'll have when you play WWE: Day of Reckoning for the first time?
Rhyno v. whoever they have as the World Champ. :D

When will you buy WWE: Day of Reckoning? Have you preordered it?
I'm kinda torn. It looks like it's getting the short end of the stick compared to Raw vs. SD, but it does come out first and I bought both games last year like a sucker. If I do get it it'll probably be on the release date.

What impresses you the most about this game? What do you guys think of the new story/season mode (School of Hard Knocks)?
I haven't heard a lot about it, seeing as how I only get PSM. But the story mode has to be an improvement over both WMXIX and SD: HCTP which were mighty bad. It was also way to easy to reverse moves in XIX, that must be better.

What annoys you/ what letdowns do you have for this game?
No Tajiri, and the general oversight of GameCube owners for PS2 owners, even though I have both.

One of the arguments fans have about this game (and other wrestling games in general) is the lack of graphic blood for female wrestlers. Do you think this is fair, or would you rather have the girls bleed just like the guys do?
I don't really care. I never use female unless I'm feeling like a jerk and have a four-way with three girls and one of my CAWs. :p I don't ever remember seeing a female bleed in the WWE though.

For those who have a Playstation 2, has the success of the SmackDown! series somewhat diminished your excitment toward GC wrestling games? And for those with a GC and a PS2, which console will you still loyal to?
I never liked the first four Smackdown games. HCTP was a vast improvement over its predecesors and maybe a notch above WMXIX. I liked the actual fighting better in SD, but the CAW in XIX was better because of the awesome logo editor. If they'd just take the best aspects of both series (all three I suppose, but I've never read anything positive about the XBox Raw games) and make a multi-platform game I think everyone would be a lot happier. I'm such a dingus I'll probably end up with both unless DOR totally exceeds expectations.

[Mike Spartz]

I don't ever remember seeing a female bleed in the WWE though.
Victoria started to bleed from the nose halfway through her now classic hardcore match with Trish for the Womans title at Survivor Series 2002.

[Tapout]

I got the game the other day. It is definately an improvement over WMXIX, but probably not enough of one to warrant spending $50 on it. The story mode is infinately better than XIX, and the counter system has been tweaked for the better but I wouldn't call it fixed.

The roster is absolutely abysmal. Missing are guys like JBL, Tajiri, and the Dudleys, but included are Garrison Cade, Mark Jindrak, and the Basham Bros. Somebody at WWE was smoking some bad crack when they thought of this. They do include the attire and moves for most recent departures and left out guys like Stone Cold, Brock Lesnar, and Tajiri, but if you stink at CAW like me it's pointless.

If you don't have WrestleMania XIX is definately worth getting, but if you do I'd probably save the $50. If you sell back XIX you'd probably only get like five bucks for it now anyway.

[Sigma]

I checked a copy out of Gamestop (I work there) earlier this week and it's a good game, but like dirtbag said it's not enough of an improvement over XIX to get me to fork over $50. The roster is awful and with Smackdown! Vs. RAW being released in November, I think I will stick with Here Comes the Pain till then.