The between-match segues aren't perfect, but they're a lot more varied. The game's main draw is once again its season mode, and THQ has made a few improvements to this mode. However, THQ must not have wanted to spend the extra cash to license the Kid Rock song that the Undertaker has been walking out to lately, because he enters the ring to the standard WWF theme song. The Undertaker has his biker motif, and he even appears on a motorcycle in his intro.

The game has a deep roster, and it's up to date with most of the WWF's recent costume and character changes. Neither the game nor the manual does a good job of explaining some of the more esoteric match types, but a little bit of experimentation quickly clears up the confusion. There are also several different backstage areas, including locker rooms and the like. There are also a few different ring environments, based on SmackDown!, Raw, and the WWF's various pay-per-view events. Outside of the standard one-on-one and tag matches, you can also set up all kinds of different match criteria, such as special referee (where the referee can take sides and really get involved in the match), iron man, ladder match, hardcore (which has a ton of options on its own, such as handicap matches), slobberknocker (an endurance match of sorts that puts you up against several opponents), anywhere fall, King of the Ring, Royal Rumble, survivor, casket match, cage and hell in a cell matches, and table match.

The list of modes present in SmackDown! 2 is impressive. While it isn't that much different from the last SmackDown!, SmackDown! 2 makes enough incremental changes and upgrades to be significant in its own right. It's been less than a year since the original WWF SmackDown! debuted on the PlayStation, and already its sequel, subtitled Know Your Role, is upon us.

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