1UP writes: "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 vs. TNA Impact! is a total squash match: THQ's annual grappler makes Midway's debut competitor look like a curtain-jerk jobber. The win's well deserved, too -- SVR09 is by far the best game in the series. OK, I know, that should be as obvious as a screwup from Raw general manager Mike Adamle, but it's well known that THQ has been slow to fix the nagging complaints that have been tearing up Smackdown's tights: piss-break-long load times, wonky animations, and ho-hum story modes. Well, this year THQ patched up all of its problems to create an awesome package any fan will surely want to grab.
The first thing you'll notice when you boot up SVR09 is the surprising lack of load times. Past games in the series were severely plagued with waits so painfully long that it felt like you were watching a Great Khali Iron Man match. Thankfully, things are a lot quicker now. Developer Yuke's has also put some much-needed grease on the game's animation system, which leads to Superstars that actually move around (somewhat) realistically. I still noticed a few instances where my chosen wrestler sauntered around like a ring-smart robot, but compared to last year's game, the Superstars definitely aren't as rusty."
