WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role

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WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role (Exciting Pro Wrestling 2 in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation console by THQ and developed by YUKE's Future Media Creators. It is part of the WWF SmackDown! (now WWE SmackDown vs. Raw) series based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) professional wrestling promotion. It is the sequel to WWF SmackDown! and was succeeded by WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It on the PlayStation 2. This was the last of the six WWF games made for the PlayStation.

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Gameplay

The Season Mode was also modified in this game. Along with removing the pre-season mode from the original, Know Your Role gave more storylines and more matches per show. These changes were given a mixed reaction, some proclaiming the bigger variety of storylines in the game. Although there were some flaws in the Season Mode, such as skipped matches being fought between two battling meters. Another issue was the long loading times needed for even the most insignificant scenes, such as a wrestler walking down a corridor. Wrestlers, wrestling moves and arenas were unlocked as the player progressed through season. However, the Season Mode is multiplayer, with up to four players playing as superstars in a Season. This version also had limited commentary and limited voice overs for specific characters and points in storyline mode.

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WWF Smackdown! vs. WWF Smackdown 2 Know Your Role

The Create-A-Superstar mode improved greatly from its predecessor. Taking ideas from WWF Attitude, fans could now put more detail into the superstars such as facial features and attire. The original head, upper and lower body mode from the original could still be used in this game as well. A new Create-A-Taunt feature was also added in which you can create a new taunt for your superstars.
The arsenal of moves available increased in this game (such as The Rock's spinebuster and sharpshooter), expanded to accompany not only superstars in the game but also those not in the game. Movesets of superstars from other wrestling promotions such as WCW or Japanese promotions could be used for created superstars. In terms of gameplay, wrestlers have more striking moves with the inclusion of moves made by combining the X button with a horizontal and a vertical arrow button. Double team moves in tag team matches were also a new inclusion as well, and could be pulled off by placing an opponent in your partner's corner and making a turnbuckle move. However, this made double team moves impossible in Tornado Tag matches.
The entrance style of wrestlers from the previous game still existed in Know Your Role. Although more entrance movies were added, they still appeared in front of a superstar's TitanTron video and not the entrance stage like other wrestling games released around the same time, such as WWF No Mercy.
Such criticisms for the game included wrestlers immediately getting up after receiving a move or jumping off a ladder and missing their opponent. The game also was noted to have several glitches such as walking on air.

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Missing Features

'Smackdown! 2: Know Your Role' did not feature The Undertaker's then theme music "American Bad Ass" by Kid Rock due to copyright reasons. The game instead featured the 'Deadman' version of 'Thorn in Your Eyes', the RAW theme at the time. by WWE composer Jim Johnston. The same applied to WWF No Mercy on the Nintendo 64 which instead used the RAW theme at the time, 'We're All Together Now' by the same composer.
The game very clearly had Ken Shamrock and Big Show in it, although they were not named or playable characters. Both would appear randomly in Royal Rumble, Slobberknocker or Season modes, complete with full movesets and theme songs. Both men had been removed from the game at the request of WWE. Shamrock had been released from his contract due to Shamrock's own wishes, and Big Show had been taken off WWE programming to attend further training at Ohio Valley Wrestling. It is possible to unlock both through a cheat device. Jeff Jarrett and Goldust left WWE for WCW when the game was still in the making. And there parts are in the game too.

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Other features

In an improvement on the previous game, the game had many more items that could be unlocked by making certain achievements. One of these is the inclusion of additional Superstars, including Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. In the previous game, you could only unlock body parts for a player created character that loosely resembled additional superstars. Unlocking a superstar unlocks the playable character as well as his/her features (body parts, theme music, video, moves, etc.) for a created character. However, a player did not actually have to compete in any matches to unlock these. These were unlocked at specific points during season mode. Steve Austin is unlocked if you get past the Backlash pay-per-view, regardless of matches played or won. And then Shawn Michaels is available unconditionally if you get past 'Judgment Day', and so on.
One of the largest criticisms of the game is in the new career mode. Instead of just one show per calendar month, there were now 5 (2 Raw is Wars, 2 Smackdowns and 1 pay-per-view), each with 8 matches. You could choose to skip matches, particularly ones you were not involved with. However, a long loading screen would appear. Pictures of all of the match participants would appear on screen with an energy bar underneath them. They would deplete until enough were completely empty, with someone being declared the winner. And each show is interupted by 2 cut-scenes, many of which do not add a story to the mode.
Randomly throughout the mode, a 2-part cut-scene would occur. An unknown wrestler would randomly lure another superstar into a dark corner, and beat him up. Your superstar would later pass him in the hall and wonder who he is. And then you may, or may not, have a match against him. If you win this match, you unlock several body parts and moves for created wrestlers. But finding all 35 unknown wrestlers is almost impossible.