Fighting hand-to-hand was all well and good way back in the 8-bit stone age of video games, but these days, audiences expect a little more. Specifically, they expect to be able to use anything and everything to mete out horrible injury to their enemies.
When it hits in November, WWE SmackDown! vs RAW 2007 will answer the call by enabling players to take advantage of environmental hotspots spread out across the arena. And whether it's grinding your opponent's face into a chain-link fence or yanking him junk-first into a steel pillar, you'll have total, analog control over how much pain you inflict. Read on as we shed some light on a few of the ways you'll be able to turn the ring into a weapon, and thenclick hereto see nearly all of these atrocities in motion on the Xbox 360.
Above: These are PS2 screens, but expect to see this and other face-removing moves in the PSP edition as well.
Turnbuckle ten punch
We'll start off with a bona fide classic. Effectively grappling your opponent in 2007 all but stuns them, giving you a moment to drag them around the ring. If you drag the other guy over to a turnbuckle, you'll shove him against it, climb up on the second rope and - with your sweaty abs just inches from his face - draw back your fist and punch him in the head.
Naturally, your opponent will be helpless to move his arms or resist in any way at all as you push up on the right stick and yank it back down again to slam your knuckles into his head. Get up some good momentum to deliver a few really powerful punches, smack him with a flurry of little punches or just draw back and release the stick. Ha ha, fake-out! As a bonus, the crowd will keep count as you deliver the blows. It's just like being there, or at least just like watching it on TV.
Foot rope choke
Got your opponent down on the mat? Good. Click the right stick to grab him, and drag him over to the edge of the ring to place his neck against the bottom rope. Now, place your boot on the back of his head and push for all you're worth by moving the right stick up and releasing it. You can do this for as long as you like, unless the referee is watching, in which case you've got until the count of five.
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