For the first time in a long time, the WWE has some competition in the yearly wrestling video game arena. With the increase in TNA fans and the simultaneous dropping of the WWE’s viewership numbers, the time was right for the new kid on the block to step up to the plate and dethrone the old man as King of the Wrestling Video Game. Unfortunately for TNA and its fans, the game didn’t come close. Thankfully, the WWE still must have noticed the threat existed, and WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw 2009 is arguably the best wrestling game yet on this generation of consoles.

The first thing you’re going to notice when you pick up the case is the obvious emphasis on tag teams this time around. “Together, you’re unstoppable” is sprawled in white and green caps across the top; underneath reads, “In WWE, the only person you can rely on, other than yourself, is your partner. You have each others backs, and together, you can accomplish more than you ever could on your own.”

Once you spend some time with the game it’s pretty clear that what the box says holds true; while the one-on-one aspects are largely unchanged from last year’s title, the tag system has gotten a complete overhaul. Starting off, tag partner AI has been greatly improved over last year’s game. Another new feature, hot tags, finally gives us that always-present hot tag action seen on TV in a wrestling game. What is a hot tag, you might ask? Basically, it’s when one partner is getting the mud stomped out of him, he’s being held from tagging his partner in, and then after some hooting and hollering from the fans he manages to just barely make the tag, the new guy comes in, cleans house, and saves the day.

In the game, things don’t have to be set up so specifically. In fact, if you want you can perform a hot tag right at the beginning of a tag match to give your team the upper hand. All you need to do is have your partner on the apron hold down on the d-pad, and a meter will build up. Once it’s full, you can perform a hot tag. It’s nice to see such a wrestling staple finally represented in game form, but it’s a little disappointing since you can just perform it at any time, no matter the location of your opponents. In fact, if your opponents try to avoid being the victim of a hot tagged partner, they don’t get a choice; they get teleported back into the ring so they can get pummeled by the new guy.

The other big feature in this game – and probably my favorite feature added in any wrestling game since we first got create-a-wrestler modes – is the Road to Wrestlemania. Last year, Yukes’ attempt at a single player story mode was abysmal. The story played out the same no matter who you were, and PPVs took place at the same venues year in and year out. To combat this, Yukes has teamed up with the WWE to offer six truly original story modes: Chris Jericho, Triple H, Undertaker, Cena, CM Punk, and the tag team of Rey Mysterio and Batista all have their own original stories, and all of the wrestlers voice their virtual counterparts.