WWF SmackDown!

WWF SmackDown PS1 is a professional wrestling game developed by Yuke’s and published by THQ for Sony’s original PlayStation. Released in North America in March 2000, it brought the World Wrestling Federation’s late-1999 television era to the console, taking its name and presentation cues from the then-new weekly SmackDown! program. It was the first PlayStation WWF game published by THQ and the opening installment of the long-running SmackDown series. In Japan it was released as Exciting Pro Wrestling, while European players received the PlayStation version later in 2000.

Matches are built around quick, accessible wrestling controls and a large selection of WWF performers from the period. Players choose a wrestler, navigate the ring and surrounding areas, strike, grapple, run, climb the turnbuckles, attempt pins and apply submission holds. Each competitor has a recognizable set of moves and a finishing maneuver, so the moment-to-moment action is shaped by timing, position and the chance to turn an opponent’s mistake into a decisive sequence. The pace favors immediate arcade-style bouts while retaining wrestling staples such as rope breaks, count-outs and title matches.

Exhibition play offers a broad menu of match formats, including singles and tag team contests, handicap encounters, hardcore rules, steel cage matches, Royal Rumble competition and other multi-wrestler variations. Several matches can move beyond the ring to backstage locations, giving brawls a different setting from the standard arena. The game also includes a Special Guest Referee option, letting an additional player handle officiating duties in supported matches. Entrances use video and music associated with the WWF presentation, and victory sequences help give individual wrestlers a distinct ring persona.

Season Mode provides the game’s longer-form play. Wrestlers take part in a calendar of house shows and pay-per-view events, pursue championships and build their place in the rankings. Backstage scenes use on-screen dialogue rather than recorded speech to frame alliances, disputes and match setups. The game tracks championship records and rankings across its modes, so exhibition results can matter when a save is kept. A Pre-Season path is available for created wrestlers, allowing a new character to establish relationships and develop before entering the regular season.

Create a Superstar lets players assemble custom wrestlers from selectable body parts and adjust attributes, moves, entrance choices and personality-related settings. Progress through the game can unlock additional pieces for these creations, rather than simply adding every hidden WWF personality as a ready-made selection. Players can also arrange their own pay-per-view cards, choosing a series of matches and participants, while rankings and belt histories provide a continuing record of the fictional WWF results created on a memory card.

The roster reflects a specific moment in the WWF’s Attitude Era, rather than the expanded line-ups and more elaborate creation tools of later SmackDown games. Established names such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and The Undertaker appear alongside teams and newer arrivals associated with the television product of the time, including The Dudley Boyz. That period focus, the fast PlayStation presentation and the mixture of exhibition, custom event and season play define WWF SmackDown! as the foundation for a series that would continue with WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role later in 2000.