WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role
WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation in 2000. Building on the groundbreaking foundation of the original SmackDown!, this sequel delivered an unprecedented season mode, a vastly expanded roster of WWF Superstars, and the introduction of Hell in a Cell, ladder, and table matches. It became the best-selling wrestling game on the PlayStation, defined by its fast-paced arcade gameplay and extensive creation suite.
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About This Retro Game
Released at the absolute peak of the Attitude Era on November 21, 2000, Know Your Role captured the WWF at its most culturally dominant. The roster featured Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, and Kane, alongside iconic stables like D-Generation X and The Acolytes. The game's season mode was a groundbreaking simulation that allowed players to pick any WWF Superstar and guide them through months of storylines, complete with branching promos, backstage skits, and random events like surprise run-ins and alliance formations.
The creation suite in SmackDown! 2 was the deepest yet seen on a console wrestling title at the time. Players could craft fully custom wrestlers from an immense library of parts, design original taunts, and even program custom entrance choreography—complete with pyro, lighting, and camera angle selections. This was matched by the game's signature fast-paced, arcade-style combat, which prioritized fluid grappling, reversal windows, and the ability to store up to five finishers at once, allowing for dramatic, sudden come-from-behind victories that mirrored the unpredictability of a real Attitude Era main event.
The backstage brawls were a notable addition, letting players fight anywhere from the locker room to the boiler room, the parking lot, and even the WWF New York restaurant. The match variety was staggering for its time, featuring standard singles and tag matches, the aforementioned Hell in a Cell and TLC bouts, Royal Rumble, King of the Ring tournaments, and the punishing hardcore matches that let wrestlers use everything from steel chairs to kitchen sinks. The game's soundtrack featured the iconic 'The Beautiful People' by Marilyn Manson as its theme, alongside tracks from Cypress Hill, Limp Bizkit, and Methods of Mayhem. As of 2024, the fan community has released multiple comprehensive mod packs, including 'SmackDown! 2: Director's Cut' which adds wrestlers from later eras, fixes bugs, and expands the season mode with new storylines.
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WWF SmackDown! is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation. It is based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and features many of its popular wrestlers and storylines from the late 1990s.
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