Single Player Games, Bioware-Style RPGs and Savage Worlds

Obviously, I like RPGs. I mean, look around the site. I do not, however, tend to like video game RPGs. The BIG exceptions to that rule have been Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2, Jade Empire, Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II. What do they all have in common? Aside from KOTOR 2, they were all made by Bioware (and KOTOR 2 was made by Obsidian, specifically trying to emulate the aesthetics of KOTOR).

Anyway...Bioware RPGs tend to run along the same pattern: You have your character, you recruit (or get stuck with) companions who tag along, each of whom has their own backstories and sidequests that need to be unraveled...sometimes with game changing consequences and sometimes just fun character development...and your decisions tend to have an impact on your character or your relationships. For instance, KOTOR 1 had a Light Side/Dark Side track. KOTOR II went a step further, where you could influence your companions and their placement on the Light Side/Dark Side track. By Dragon Age, this had been replaced with a relationship meter...your actions were no longer inherently good or evil, but different teammates would react differently...to the point of leaving the team or gaining ability/skill bonuses due to their growing loyalty.

For the most part, this model has no place in your average RPG, because you're usually looking at four or more players (including the GM), so robust use of NPCs isn't terribly necessary. However, I don't heavily recruit players (as in at all), and so I tend to find myself running games for three players or less, and have run solo games more than the average GM. Now, I get quite a bit of enjoyment out of solo games, but they have a few inherent problems, like drawing from a much more limited skill set than with a full group, and fewer goals and motivations, thus fewer plot seeds.

This is where the Bioware inspiration comes in. A solo game with the sole PC as the driving focus in a party of NPCs can be a great way to account for a light game table, but there are a few big things you have to look out for:

- The first, and most important part, is ensuring that the NPCs don't overshadow the PC. They will obviously be better than the PC in some areas...that's kind of the point...but you don't want the game to be nothing but the NPCs bailing the PC out. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to avoid this:

• Make sure the player is the leader. When I have ran games like this, I did the role-playing for the NPCs, but it was always at the direction of the PC. They would occasionally offer advice, arguments and witty banter, but the decisions were ultimately made by the guy across the table. In combat, the player called all the shots and rolled the dice. As the GM, intervene if the player is trying to force the NPC into a suicidal situation (unless it would be in character for the NPC to go along with it...and sometimes it would be).
• Make the PC more powerful than the NPCs. They don't have to be equals, ya know. They aren't as important as the PC, they certainly shouldn't be more powerful...just cover extra deficiencies.

- The other biggie is to make sure that the game system can accommodate this. If a character sheet is a pain to distill down to an index card, it may be way too much work for the player to track multiple characters in combat. I love Marvel SAGA to death, but the card based system makes it a pain to run multiple NPCs as anything more than a quick card draw and hand wave. I've tried tracking multiple hands of cards...it becomes a nightmare, quickly. That said, I've ran a couple of games just like this in Savage Worlds, and it was a delight every time.

- NPCs are still NPCs. That is, you don't have to have everything about them on their character sheet...just the important stuff. Don't outright LIE (unless there's a justifiable reason), but you don't HAVE to list Secret (Planning To Stab The PC in the Face) on the shorthand sheet you're handing them.

Not surprisingly, for a game like this, I'd go with Savage Worlds over most of the existing options, in part because I have done it before. I ran the Savage Worlds of Solomon Kane with a single PC and three NPCs that I roleplayed but the player rolled dice for in and out of combat. The player, who normally played scrapper types, took it upon himself to make a snarky sorcerer who served in a support role in combat, whie the NPCs included his swashbuckling sister, their butler who swore to protect the siblings in the wake of their parents' deaths and a samurai bodyguard who had growing feelings for the sister. The Savage Worlds ally sheets provided ample information for the PC to handle everyone in combat, the miniatures system ensured that no one was ever overlooked (a problem we have sometimes had with companion NPCs in non-miniature using games) and the companions provided ready-made sources of conflict for the PC to deal with (like the old colleague of the butler who had gone quite insane, and the sister's attempt to hide the illness that was slowly killing her)...when the NPCs earned advances, the player would typically make the selection, with advice from me if something seemed appropriate that they may have overlooked.

Alas, real life intervened as it often does, and the game has been dormant for some time now, but I've incorporated similar approaches to other solo games, including a Clone Wars-era Star Wars game with my son (using Star Wars Saga Edition, which is fun but not QUITE as user friendly as Savage Worlds) and a homebrew fantasy setting for Savage Worlds. Anyone else have any experience running single player games? What approaches did you take?

Playstation 3 - One Year Later

Last year, I finally jumped into this generation of consoles by purchasing a PS3 for me and my son. I have played a LOT of video games this year. Many of them were purchased second hand, a few were purchased off of the Playstation Network, and a few were bought at full retail, with one of them even being preordered.

To put it mildly, I like my PS3. And not just for games. I'm also enjoying the Hell out of using it as a Blu-Ray player and for streaming Netflix. Overall, I am very, very pleased with my purchase, but I thought I'd make a blog post giving my thoughts on every one of the games I spent any real amount of time playing this year, in no particular order:

Marvel Super Hero Squad Infinity Gauntlet - Purchased for my son, I haven't played this nearly as much as I intended to, but I was pumped that they included Nova. Based off the cartoon of the same name, it's a kid-friendly take on the Marvel Universe, with gameplay serving as a beat-em up in which you control two heroes in each level.

WHAT WORKS: Cute writing, not on par with the TV show, but not bad. NOVA makes it into the game, which is just fantastic for me, and then they added Captain America, Bucky and Red Skull DLC, making it even better.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Controls and animation are kind of clunky. Probably too "kiddy" if you're not into the whole Super Hero Squad thing.

PROTOTYPE - An open world game in which you play an escaped amnesiac named Alex Mercer who has all kinds of freaky powers, but is also linked to a zombie-ish outbreak in the city. No matter how bad the bad guys are, Mercer never rises above the level of anti-hero, as he regularly consumes people. Still haven't finished this game. Probably should have played it before I played - and beat - inFAMOUS.

WHAT WORKS: The powers system works pretty well in game play, and it's fun for crazy, over the top action. There's a lot to be said for some of the cooler stealth powers as well, like consuming and shapeshifting into a military commander and calling down an airstrike on the bad guys before they realize they are bombing their own people.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The game seems to sacrifice a lot of character development and personality for swearing and blood. The basic premise is real similar to inFAMOUS, which I found to be superior in just about every way.

inFAMOUS - Similar to Prototype (in the broadest terms), inFAMOUS is an open world game in which you are given superpowers (electricity based), and you can determine whether you will save the world or destroy it. The powers will even develop somewhat uniquely depending on your path, good or evil. Beat this one on the Good playthrough, but I have only begun the evil playthrough. After you beat the game, you can continue playing in order to unlock additional power-ups and find Dead Drops which lay out the game's backstory.

WHAT WORKS: I loved the personalities in the game, especially Cole McGrath (your character) and his partner Zeke. The open world was quite fun, with optional sidequests depending on your path (Good or Evil). The urban exploration really helped the world come alive, using a mix of parkour and static electricity to scale buildings and the like.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Some of the powers were wonky to use. A few of the sidequests got tedious, like some of the spying missions, in which you would have to track a person without being seen. I also got COMPLETELY mistaken on one sidequest due to the onscreen directions and wound up killing cops. Sucked, seeing as I was doing a Good playthrough.

Heavy Rain - Greatest Hits - Heavy Rain is as much interactive movie as it is a video game. It's a mystery plot in which you play four characters, all intertwined in a series of kidnappings and murders. The game eschews traditional control schemes, instead providing context sensitive controls for each scene. The four characters, a desperate father, an insomniac photojournalist, an odd FBI Agent from Five Minutes In The Future and a driven, hard-boiled PI, are all well developed and interesting. The game also has an interesting caveat: There is no guarantee that any of your characters will make it out alive. In fact, only two of them made it out of my game alive. I can't say the game was fun, exactly...it was an exhausting experience...but one I'm glad I went on.

WHAT WORKS: No other game has provided me with more tension than this one. Knowing that one wrong move could impact the story made every action count, and the story hit me with multiple gutpunches that stay with me to this day. The innovative control scheme became a subject of some criticism, but I thought it made the game truly come alive in the high stress situations.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The voice actors were all French, trying to sound American. Only one of them managed to really pull it off (The PI), but the stilted tone of the FBI Agent actually worked, helping sell how odd and off-putting he is. It's definitely not for all audiences, and CERTAINLY not for children. Like I said, I can't say it was FUN...but it was a gripping, emotionally exhausting experience.

God of War: Collection - I had tried to play God of War back on the PS2 and didn't care for it. My PS3 came bundled with the God of War Collection (parts 1 and 2) and God of War III, so I gave it another shot, and I'm glad I did. God of War is an alternate take on Greek Mythology, bordering at points on making Hercules the Legendary Journeys seem mythologically accurate (if that's a real thing). In the first game, Kratos is waging war on Ares, ultimately killing him and becoming the new God of War. The second game is Kratos being betrayed by Zeus and being saved by the Titans to reverse his fate. Originally released on the Playstation 2, the Collection has been given an HD update. The gameplay itself has been ripped off and raped by multiple action games since.

WHAT WORKS: This series does Insane Over The Top Action Gameplay better than any of its imitators. As long as you're not a Greek Myth purist, the callouts to Greek Myth are pretty awesome, as they managed to squeeze a TON of references in across the series. And everything...EVERYTHING...feels absolutely epic.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Your mileage may vary, but some criticize Kratos for being one dimensional. Personally, I thought it gave him a certain charm. Also, greek myth purists will have their heads explode with this game. Finally, as nice as the gameplay looks, the cutscenes look like CRAP in comparison.

God of War III - The epic conclusion to the series, as Kratos joins forces with the Titans to go after Zeus and the remaining Gods. This was the first (and only, thus far) God of War game made specifically for the PS3 and it shows. The opening cutscene went right into gameplay and it was so seamless that it took me by complete surprise. The series had built to an epic conclusion and they completely fulfilled the promise in a disturbing, but awesome, collision between Kratos and Zeus.

WHAT WORKS: Absolutely gorgeous game. A well delivered pay-off to a well-built story. The God of War series may not be incredibly DEEP, but it is certainly appropriately epic.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Not a ton of complaints. Really, my biggest complaint is going to be if they make a fourth game needlessly.

Assassin's Creed - A well-loved series taking place in two time periods: The modern times, in which Desmond Miles is being experimented on in a VR type project, and the distant past, where his ancestor Altair serves as an Assassin. Frankly, not a fan. One of the first games I bought for the PS3 and I was disappointed.

WHAT WORKS: The parkour was cool, but other games have done it better since. The eagle eye/diving from high points was also cool...but that's all I got.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: For one, it felt like every time I was getting going as Altair, I was snapped back into playing Desmond, or watching long cut scene after long cut scene, instead of - you know - PLAYING THE GAME. Ultimately, Assassin's Creed and I did not click, and though I only paid $10 for it, I feel I paid too much.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition - Based off of the Wolverine movie, the Wolverine video game slipped under a lot of noses because a) people tended to hate the film and b) people tend to hate movie video games. Sad, because this is actually quite good. Lots of unlockable, historical Wolverine costumes are available, if you hate the movie look, and it doesn't follow the movie exactly, providing some nice fights with Sabretooth, the Blob and even Sentinels. Still haven't quite finished this one yet, with about an Act to go, I believe.

WHAT WORKS: This Wolverine pulls no punches. The movie may not have been R-Rated, but the game is rated M for Mature, and rightfully so, as Wolverine hacks, slashes, decapitates and disembowels his way through legions of baddies. Wolverine has never felt more like Wolverine in a video game.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: It's still the movie plot (with added backstory), which isn't the BEST...though it is better executed than in the film. Pretty sure the Sentinel boss fight has a glitch to it that can make it unwinnable, but reloading your game save seems to fix it.

Red Dead Redemption - I used to think Red Dead Revolver was as close to a great western game as I was ever going to see. I was shocked, and pleased, to discover that this topped that game in every way. The story of John Marston is an homage to westerns from across the spectrum, as he is enlisted by the government to bring his former gang to justice. Along the way, Marston encounters one of the best supporting casts I've ever seen in a video game as he is yanked around all over the map by people using him for their own purposes. I saw the ending coming, but it didn't make it any less powerful.

WHAT WORKS: The best Western experience in a video game. Period. Bar none. An amazing, bittersweet story of a man trying to be rid of his past, providing a narrative worthy of many of the best western films. The gameplay has everything from shootouts to duels to playing horseshoes to poker. I've also had quite a bit of fun with the online multiplayer, playing with a couple of buddies of mine.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I never got the hang of duels in this game like I did Red Dead Revolver.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare - Taking one of the most powerful stories I've played in a video game, and turning it into a campy, zombie infested b-movie experience should have been horrible...instead, it became new levels of awesome. While I prefer the original narrative to this one - if I had to pick one, I mean - this was a stroke of genius. Taking minor characters from the original story and giving them bizarre, over the top twists, Undead Nightmare is both hilarious and creepy...and surprisingly touching at times.

WHAT WORKS: Well, I've always liked the idea of undead cowboys, and as amazing and emotional as Red Dead Redemption's story was, it's nice to see that they didn't take themselves too seriously.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Accidentally shooting someone in town and having the whole town turn on you violently. Eesh.

Darksiders - An action game borrowing more than a little from God of War, Darksiders has an interesting concept: War, Horseman of the Apocalypse, is summoned forth and brings about the End Times. Then he finds out after the fact that he was tricked into acting before he was supposed to, and is tasked to shake apart Heaven and Earth until he finds the truth, battling Angels and Demons along the way. The gameplay doesn't really live up to the concept.

WHAT WORKS: Cool concepts, cool designs. That's kinda it.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The graphics themselves already feel dated, and the gameplay kinda does as well. It LOOKS cool...until you actually start playing.

Lost: Via Domus - Despite all the warnings, I still bought LOST: Via Domus because I'm a hardcore LOST guy. You play a new character, who was on Oceanic 815, and interact with a number of the LOST characters, complete with Flashbacks. Try as I might, I could not get into it, and am still only about three episodes into it (though I think that means I'm halfway there). I wanted to like it so much...

WHAT WORKS: It's not HORRIBLE...I just kept getting better games that kept me from going back to it.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The game assumes you have working knowledge of the show. If you don't, you probably need not apply. I HAD working knowledge of the show and I still couldn't get into the game. Also, some of the voice acting is disturbingly off the mark.

Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition - I was a pretty huge fan of Bioware going into this, due to Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. What I found was my favorite video game RPG. You have six different origins, three different character classes and two different sexes to choose from, each factor influencing the gameplay. My sole playthrough thus far was as a Dalish Elf Male Warrior. The game ditched the Morality System that had become more and more common in RPGs, replacing it instead with an Approval system, in which you tried to balance the respect and approval of your party members. The Ultimate Edition includes all of the DLC, and I've played about half of it, still needing to complete Awakenings, Golems of Amgarrak and Witch Hunt.

WHAT WORKS: My favorite set of party members in an RPG, ever. I vastly prefer the balancing approval over an alignment system. The game even managed to have a *plot relevant* sex scene!

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I DID lose a couple of my cool DLC items when I transferred my character to Awakenings...=(

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions - A surprisingly good Spider-Man game, taking place in four realities with four Spider-Men: Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Man 2099. A mystical fragment stolen by Mysterio is shattered and disperses through time, leading to the Spider-Men each having to deal with a trio of their foes that have gained control of the artifacts, altering each of them in various ways. Each one plays somewhat differently, with Spider-Man Noir standing out the most (his missions are almost entirely stealth based). Each world also has a noticeable visual style, helping them stand out further. Still not quite to the end game on this one.

WHAT WORKS: Interesting selection of foes. Very witty writing, with the Deadpool level standing out in particular. Good gameplay that feels evocative of Spider-Man far more often than not. The Spider-Man Noir levels particularly stand out.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The Deadpool level has this horrible, horrible sequence involving a tidal wave that sorely tempted me to put the game down and never look back. A few frustrating oddities like this pop up here and there, but this is by far the worst.

NCAA Football 09 - Got this one dirt cheap after I got swept back up into the college football thing this year due to OSU's banner year. Without playing a football game in ages, I was able to get into the groove after a few games, and am now kicking much butt.

WHAT WORKS: Being able to alter the difficulty and the AI sliders in the middle of games, adjusting difficulty up and down as needed or preferred on a whim. Dynasty mode is pretty fantastic as you can control anywhere from 1 to 12 teams! I control three of them (OU, OSU and TU), because I am a fan of Oklahoma football more than I am any one school.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: It's hard to find the sweet spot at times between too difficult and too easy. I know it's there...just still playing with the AI sliders to figure it out. The team management stuff can get to be overwhelming, but thankfully the computer can do a decent job of simulating that for you.

Batman Arkham Asylum: Game of the Year Greatest Hits - This used to be the best superhero game ever made. Arkham Asylum brought Batman alive in a way that no other game had before. The plot is simple: Joker breaks free and takes over the Asylum. This allows other villains their chances to act as well, with some (like Scarecrow) playing a larger role than others (like Zsaz). Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their animated roles as Batman and Joker, and do so splendidly.

WHAT WORKS: EVERYTHING. The voice acting, the way the game helps you become Batman, from combat to stealth to investigation. The dozens and dozens of easter eggs, including multiple, subtle hints at Arkham City. The realization at one point in the game when you discover that Batman can leave at any time, he just refuses to. OH...and BATMAN TRICKS YOU. The sideplot with Riddler is also amazing, as he slips into desperation and insanity while Batman is solving his riddles.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The 3D (which is optional) gives me headaches. The challenge maps are kind of repetitive.

WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 - The best wrestling game I have played since I owned an N64. Smackdown vs Raw 2011 finally got the groundwork laid, piece by piece over the years, incorporating new weapon physics, new Royal Rumble mechanics, new Ladder match mechanics, improved tag team AI and the crown jewel: Universe mode, which allows you to play the entire roster, throughout the WWE year, which I frankly think is awesome. The game also includes a deep roster, from undercard guys to the main event, with a few Legends sprinkled in. I ordered this game on Christmas Eve last year, and was still playing it almost a year later.

WHAT WORKS: Universe mode...so very much. Also, you can download created wrestlers that obsessive people have slaved over, instead of having to make them yourself.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: You can't upload Storylines if you have edited the guys in any way. Road to WrestleMania kinda sucks. No tournaments or Beat the Clock Challenge.

WWE '12 - The follow-up to Smackdown vs Raw 2011 added a number of nice, new features...but also stumbled in a lot of ways. THQ launched their own online servers, which are very unstable, even for guys like me who only want to download wrestlers. The game is also pretty glitchy, though a patch is supposedly being worked on for that. On the plus side, Universe mode is a lot more customizable, even adding in storylines to flow from show to show.

WHAT WORKS: A lot of the stuff from 2011 is still there, and the extra customization options for Universe are very nice. Still a solid engine that is fun to play. You can now pick your wrestler AFTER Universe cut scenes before matches, letting pre-match actions help you decide who you want to control.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: If you're like me and don't like using Legends in your Universe, the roster feels a lot more shallow this year, and the DLC releases are pretty lackluster. Just about every storyline in Universe mode turns SOMEBODY...which gets entirely too chaotic after a while.

Captain America: Super Soldier - Completely overlooked due to people being gunshy about movie tie-ins, the Captain America game was a very pleasant surprise this summer. Borrowing pretty heavily from Arkham Asylum, the game provides an authentic Captain America experience that largely fits into the movie continuity after he gets the iconic shield, but before the climax. The story was written by Christos Gage, one of the most underrated writers in comics. Easily the most underrated superhero game available this generation.

WHAT WORKS: Chris Evans reprises his role as Captain America, Christos Gage delivers a good, solid story and ripping off Arkham Asylum is not the worst thing you can do for a Captain America game. And it's usually available dirt cheap because everyone overlooked it.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The biggest disappointment is that it takes forever to unlock the classic Captain America costume, and you can't replay the game with it, limiting its use to the final parts of the game and the Challenge maps.

Incredible Hulk - I wanted to like this, given what I fan I was of the Incredible Hulk movie...and the list of unlockables sounded cool...however, this game was just the prototype for Protoype, which didn't really impress me.

WHAT WORKS: Apparently, there are no Bruce Banner missions, thankfully.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The graphics look like last generation graphics and the gameplay just feels anemic compared to the last-gen Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction game.

inFAMOUS 2 - The follow-up to inFAMOUS had a lot to live up to, and it did two things right immediately: 1) It transplanted the setting to a New Orleans stand-in called New Marais, which provided a whole new feeling to the game (and rightfully so). 2) Unlike most games, Cole did NOT get his powers all stripped away, starting all over from scratch. Like the previous game, this one has a Good path and an Evil path, and I have completed the Good path. The inFAMOUS mythos gets explained a little more and you can even develop new powers based off of different elements, namely ice and fire.

WHAT WORKS: Sucker Punch took everything that made inFAMOUS work and stepped it up. In fact, with the photography side missions and the Tether power, to say nothing of the snappy writing, I REALLY want to see them make a Spider-Man game. The Good and Evil playthroughs also seem to be even more divergent in this game than the last one. Lastly, they provided tools for User Generated Missions to help add to replayability.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Again, not much. I call this one a must-buy for PS3 owners, as it's easily the best non-licensed superhero game that has been released thus far.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge - I picked this one up on a whim due to Gamestop not having inFAMOUS 2 when I went looking for it. It's a fun game (and one more I haven't beaten), I just would have waited for the price drop in retrospect. Basically, it's a Hack 'n' Slash game in which you switch back and forth between two characters, the human Caddoc and the elven E'lara. Each character is at least as developed as your average action game character, and I would have been downright giddy buying this game at the $15 Amazon is selling it for now. It does seem that a lot of folks thought they were getting an RPG, and judged the game harshly based on that assumption. Not as underrated as Captain America, but I would still call it underrated.

WHAT WORKS: I love the interaction between the two characters and the hack'n'slash is an enjoyable diversion. Switching between the two characters makes the gameplay stand out versus other action games.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: A lot of the weapons seem to repeat in loot drops during the game, and the Create-A-Quest feature (or whatever it's called), has kinda fallen short due to the lack of interest in the game.

Borderlands Game of the Year - The first person shooter I had bought in years, I was attracted by Borderlands' FPS/RPG hybrid qualities. Picking a character and leveling him up is quite fun. I chose the Hunter, and once I worked my Falcon up a bit, I was wreaking all kinds of havoc. Game of the Year includes all of the DLC, and I've completed the main story as well as The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned...but I've gotten frustrated on Mad Moxxi's Underdone Riot since I only play solo.

WHAT WORKS: The FPS/RPG mash-up works surprisingly well, keeping me engaged through the main plot. The absurd humor freshens up a lot of stuff that could easily be old hat otherwise.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The plot is entirely paper thin. You can EASILY forget about NPCs and the overall plot, because most of the time it just doesn't matter. Still, the carnage is cool enough that most of the time, you won't notice.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Limited Edition - The first Castlevania game I have bought...ever? I think I rented all the rest. Apparently, this isn't considered a "true" Castlevania game (it is a reboot, apparently), but man it's both a pretty game and it's fun. In fact, it helped inspire the "Horror of Trevala" setting I still hope to release for Savage Worlds someday. It's had some nice twists and turns, and great voice work (Patrick Stewart is the Narrator!), with fun gameplay and boss fights that feel epic (and somewhat inspired by God of War, in a good way). I actually did buy the Limited Edition, with art book and CD (and the music for this game is fantastic, so there's that).

WHAT WORKS: The music. Patrick Stewart. The swell upgrades for your character (with preview animations calling back to the original Castlevania). The game oozes atmosphere, whether you're racing through a sweltering jungle, battling a titan in the snow or fending off vampires in a dark castle.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Gabriel Belmont lacks personality, driven purely by his obsessive need to save his wife. The one-note protagonist works a bit better in God of War than it does here...although Gabriel is MUCH less of an anti-hero than Kratos is.

Batman: Arkham City - Remember how I said inFAMOUS 2 approved on inFAMOUS in just about every way? Arkham City takes Arkham Asylum to the extreme. An amazing Batman story (and don't be fooled by the trailers: This thing is all about Batman and Joker), with an even more epic side mission with Riddler, as well as the addition of playable Catwoman missions. After I beat the story mode, I had two side missions that had never even started! I beat Arkham City quickly...because I could not put it down.

WHAT WORKS: The Challenge Maps feel much funner this year, in part because you can also play as Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing (the latter two through DLC). After beating the story, I still had two side missions that hadn't STARTED and I STILL haven't stopped Riddler! Even the frikkin' Penguin got a bad-ass makeover for the Arkham version of the Batman mythos! The plot was full of twists and turns and a shocking ending.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The lack of voicework for Nightwing and Robin is disappointing, and there is an INCREDIBLY annoying section under a factory in which Batman has to use ice floats and grapple lines to get around. It gets old. Fast.

Anyway...my year with the PS3. Yes, I've played a lot of games. That's not even getting into the PSN games, most of which disappointed me. Only Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Marvel Pinball and DC Universe Online got much play (and DCU Online got old FAST). Still...good investment, and I still have games that are out that I want to get!

Tommy's Take on Captain America: Super Soldier

Something I haven't done in a while (since Zombie Pirates): A full-fledged video game review...Captain America: Super Soldier for the PS3.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Captain America: Super Soldier is a multiplatform game (PS3, XBox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS). This review deals explicitly, and entirely, with the PS3 version. Captain America retails for about $50 brand new, $10 less than your typical PS3 game, and I pre-ordered from Amazon for about $37, which seemed really hard to pass up.

The game is based off of Captain America: The First Avenger (even featuring the voice talents of Chris Evans, Hailey Atwell and other cast members, notably excluding Hugo Weaving as Red Skull), though the story is set during the middle of the film, with Captain America and the Howling Commandos assaulting Castle Zemo, which has been taken over by Red Skull, Arnim Zola, Baron Von Strucker, Madame Hydra and Iron Cross...(comic book writer Christos Gage crafts a very nice backstory for this which is unraveled through a series of diaries Zemo has left around the castle that Captain America can find).

Gameplay is reminiscent of Arkham Asylum, heralded by a great many people as the greatest superhero game of all time, with "free-flowing combat" as Captain America moves from Hydra goon to Hydra goon.  Captain America also has "Tactical Vision" which is reminiscent of, but not identical to, Batman's "Detective Mode". Shield control comes in two forms of attacks, a straight up, computer targeted attack, and an "Aimed" mode for finer targeting, which can be further refined by spending bars from your Super Soldier meter to "lock on" to multiple targets, ensuring that your shield bounces to each of them.

While you can go back and revisit every other section of the castle, the story is very linear, not a lot of choosing your objectives at all. As you gain Intel Points (by defeating enemies, finding intel files in the castle, etc), you unlock viewable extras, Challenge Maps (which can be completed for more Intel points), and Combat Upgrades, which include stronger counters, the ability to ricochet the shield off of more targets and specialized shield maneuvers.

You can also unlock Ultimate Captain America and Classic Captain America, complete with the ability switch costumes before you load up your game, although unlocking Classic Captain America requires enough Intel points that you will not do it before you complete the game unless you spend a fair bit of time on Challenge Maps (you can use the unlocked costumes on Challenge Maps, and in the free-roam mode that is unlocked after you beat the game, allowing you to finishing finding the remaining Zemo diaries, Zola films reels and the like).

Another nice tidbit is finding Hydra schematics around the Castle, which allow Cap to exploit weaknesses in the various Hydra troop types.

WHAT WORKS: The combat feels very much like Captain America, allowing you to wipe out whole squads of Hydra mooks hand to hand or with your shield as you see fit. The dialogue never felt repetitive, and Chris Evans sounds like a very authoritative Captain America. Christos Gage provides a script that hews very closely to the moral of the Captain America film, and doesn't actually contradict it, even when it seems to (notably with certain plot developments involving Arnim Zola). The Challenge Maps provide a lot more variety than Arkham Asylum does, for the most part, in large part because the various enemy types in Captain America provide more variety than the Joker mooks in Arkham Asylum does. While the various mini-games (such as decrypting codes) are repetitive, they are quick enough to not slow the game down to the point of annoyance.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The game feels pretty short. I got it in the mail on Wednesday, beat it on Sunday, and had no "marathon" sessions with it. The animation is stiff at points, especially when people are talking, and the lighting effects also get strange, especially with Captain America's shield at certain angles. Not being able to carry over the costumes to a new game is very disappointing, as I'd be willing to give it at least one more playthrough as "classic" Captain America.

CONCLUSION: Captain America's not a long game, but it is the best in-game representation of Captain America I have ever seen, and one of the best movie games I have ever played. The story isn't some deep, complex affair like you're going to get from, say, Dragon Age or Heavy Rain, but tapping Christos Gage to write Super Soldier was a great idea, though I am a bit biased, being a big fan of his work. The game borrows from ground laid by Arkham Asylum while tweaking the formula enough to make it feel like Captain America and not like Batman in red, white and blue. Personally, I was very pleased with the purchase.

[My WWE Universe Year 2] The Bash

Road to The Bash

WEEK 1

RAW

You would think Ezekiel Jackson would be tired of losing to Evan Bourne...and yet...afterwardsm Bourne tried to make nice, but it might have just offended Jackson further.

Poor Bolo. Even if Wade Barrett hadn't jumped him on the way to the ring and gave him the Wasteland on the floor, his chances of victory were not good. Big Show tried to keep Barrett from inflicting too much damage, but the outcome of this match was never in doubt.

William Regal and Drew McIntyre looked impressive in destroying Tyson Kidd and Primo in a Ladder Match, proving a point after last night's loss.

In a crushing Fatal Four Way, Edge pinned both Alberto Del Rio and Justin Gabriel while Big Show fought off an interfering Ted DiBiase...and then Big Show triumphed when he and Edge collided!

SUPERSTARS

Rob Van Dam and David Hart Smith made an odd team against Luke Gallows and Mike Knox...who looked impressive as they defeated Van Dam and Smith, despite interference from Cody Rhodes!

Joe Cothern jumped R-Truth from the crowd and wiped him out with a brutal lariat for the win!

Terry Funk was accompanied by Shinsuke Nakamura as he faced Skip Sheffield (w/Heath Slater). The younger and stronger Sheffield did a ton of damage, but the wily Funk inflicted some wounds of his own. However, The Nexus tricked Nakamura into causing a distraction that allowed Sheffield to take a chair to Funk. A Stunner put Funk out moments later.

SMACKDOWN

CM Punk opened the show against Drew McIntyre! William Regal ran out to interfere, but Kofi Kingston ran out to intercept him! Punk got the pin with the GTS!

Big Show and The Greatest American Bolo faced off with Mark Henry and MVP in a Tables Match! MVP and Henry jumped Show and Bolo before the match, but the good guys fought back and Show speared Henry through a table for the win!

Shelton Benjamin and Daniel Bryan picked up an impressive win over Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel!

In the main event, Sting faced off with John Cena and Batista in a Triple Threat Tables Match! Despite Cena and Sting both being (mostly) fan favorites, they pulled no punches...in fact, Cena won when he drove Sting through a table with the Attitude Adjustment! As Cena celebrated, William Regal and Drew McIntyre came to the ramp and taunted him!

WEEK 2

RAW

Shinsuke Nakamura's new job description seems to be bodyguard to the babyfaces as R-Truth took on, and defeated, Vance Archer.

Wade Barrett fended off Dolph Ziggler in a good match...until the match was restarted as a Falls Count Anywhere Match! Barrett went after Ziggler with a chair...when Edge stormed the ring and Speared the WWE Champion! Ziggler picked up a huge win thanks to the interference!

William Regal and Drew McIntyre jumped Cryme Tyme before the bell, but nearly regretted it as Shad and JTG took the fight to them! Regal cheated to get the upperhand, when Kofi Kingston came down and got involved! Once the ref removed Kingston, Regal was able to pin JTG by using the ropes for leverage.

As Edge was in the process of taking Alberto Del Rio down in a #1 Contender's Match, Wade Barrett interfered! Edge wound up getting frustrated and nailed Barrett with a chair...and the referee DQed Edge!

SUPERSTARS

The Great Muta fended off an attack by Matt Hardy in order to pin Terry Funk with a Moonsault.

Mike Knox jumped The Rock from behind and hit the Knox Out on the concrete floor to score the pin in a Falls Count Anywhere Match!

In a six man Raw Battle Royal, Sheamus was the first elimination, at the hands of Santino! Ezekiel Jackson got the next elimination, sending Zack Ryder out. Joe Cothern dumped out Ezekiel Jackson as Big Show eliminated Santino, and the two big, bald men squared off! As hard as Cothern hits, it was ultimately Show that prevailed!

SMACKDOWN

The Miz jumped CM Punk before the match in their Extreme Rules Hardcore Title Match. Punk kept him from capitalizing and the match went back and forth. Miz stuck a trash can on Punk's head and whacked it with a chair, and finished him with the Skull Crushing Finale on the can for the win.

Alex Riley looked very impressive against Booker T, but Booker busted him open and put him down with the Book End!

The #1 Contenders Fatal Fourway between Christian, Luke Gallows, William Regal and Shelton Benjamin was crazy, including a Rey Mysterio run-in. Despite a ton of nearfalls, the end came when Christian hit the Killswitch on Gallows while Shelton and Regal fought on the floor, giving Christian the win.

Sting, John Cena and Batista met in a rematch, this one a Ladder Match! Again, it was every man for himself and Sting got split wide open...but he also managed to be the one to climb the ladder and pull off the win!

WEEK 3

RAW

Apparently The Greatest American Bolo was unavailable as Big Show had to announce a mystery partner to join him against Ted DiBiase and Joe Cothern...Chavo Guerrero! Dolph Ziggler also came out, getting in DiBiase and Cothern's heads and allowing Chavo to pick up an impressive pinfall on DiBiase.

Kane looked impressive, pinning Dolph Ziggler in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to become the #1 Contender to the US title. After the match, he went after Dolph with a chair, but Zack Ryder made the save!

JTG vs Justin Gabriel got so competitive that Heath Slater ran out to interfere, nervous about his partner's chances...but the 450 Splash ended JTG's hopes.

Edge defeated Albero Del Rio in a Iron Man Match that was actually little more than a bloody massacre!

SUPERSTARS

Sheamus jumped Shinsuke Nakamura before their match began, but Nakamura had counters ready for just about everything. However, the Celtic Warrior would not be denied and got the pin with the High Cross.

The Rock collided with Mike Knox and got the pin after Luke Gallows was ejected from ringside!

Despite a prematch attack by Kaval and Christian, Chavo Guerrero and The Greatest American Bolo pulled it together to beat the Christian Coalition.

SMACKDOWN

Sting came out to back up CM Punk against The Miz, but Christian still ran to the ring. As Punk was trying to run off Christian, Miz goaded Sting into taking a shot at him, which got Punk DQed!

William Regal triumphed over Rey Mysterio in a Falls Count Anywhere Match while Drew McIntyre watched on.

Cody Rhodes and Goldust looked brilliant against Mark Henry and MVP in a brutal tables match when Goldust put MVP through a table after the Shattered Dreams!

Batista vs John Cena was interrupted by Alex Riley, who attacked both men! Though neither man seemed too fazed, Cena was the one more distracted, allowing Batista the upperhand. The referee got bumped and Batista took a chair to Cena, then finished him with the Batista Bomb!

WEEK 4

RAW

Vladimir Kozlov utterly dominated Ted DiBiase.

Romero Contreras completely destroyed David Otunga.

In a SHOCKER, Tyson Kidd and Primo became the #1 Contenders to the Tag Team Titles after William Regal and Drew McIntyre had a miscommunication and Kofi Kingston got involved to disrupt Regal and McIntyre!

Edge picked up even more momentum by pinning Alberto Del Rio in a Steel Cage!

SUPERSTARS

Kane looked dominant, destroying US Champion Evan Bourne in a preview of their title match.

Matt Hardy stood about as much of a chance against Sheamus as you would expect.

In a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match, Mike Knox took on The Rock, Rob Van Dam and Shelton Benjamin! Shelton ate the first People's Elbow and Knox ate the second...RVD powered out of the Sharpshooter and got caught with the Rock Bottom! Rock scored a clean sweep!

SMACKDOWN

The Miz battled CM Punk in a crushing Extreme Rules Match for the Hardcore Title! Late in the match, he hit the Skull Crushing Finale on a bloody Punk but instead of going for the pin, set up a one man conchairto. Punk dodged it and came at Miz with a chair, but got nailed with boot and a DDT on the chair...Miz got his pin!

Rey Mysterio, Yoshi Tatsu, Christian and Kaval faced off in a Fatal Four Way that got turned into a Falls Count Anywhere Match! It stayed mostly along team lines for a while, until William Regal ran in and attacked everyone! There were a ton of nearfalls, but Rey ultimately caught his own partner for the pin!

Goldust picked up a small upset over William Regal with the Final Cut!

John Cena and Batista collided in a #1 Contender's Match! Batista hit the Batista Bomb early, but Kofi Kingston ran in! Later, Batista bumped the ref and went after Cena with a chair, but got caught with a shoulderblock! Cena hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Batista had the Attitude Adjustment scouted! Batista ripped the turnbuckle cover off and sent Cena in, injuring him for another Batista Bomb that finished it!

THE BASH

John Cena and Kofi Kingston looked dominant against Tyson Kidd and Primo, with Cena pinning Kidd to retain the Tag Team Titles.

Kane ambushed Evan Bourne from the crowd and laid waste to him! Bourne kicked out of a Choke Slam and fought valiantly...but Kane hit a second and become the NEW United States Champion!

Randy Orton dismantled Justin Gabriel, sending a message to WWE Champion Wade Barrett!

In a Championship Scramble match for the Intercontinental Title, Christian started off with Drew McIntyre! Drew showed the first signs of injury, but held on against Christian. Hardcore Champion and Christian Coalition member The Miz hit the ring next! Things started getting crazy violent with Christian hitting the Killswitch to The Miz on the floor, and McIntyre bringing the ring steps into play! William Regal hit the ring next, just in time to save McIntyre from Miz! However...he snuck in and pinned McIntyre himself, becoming the interim champion! Kofi came in last, and Miz was waiting with a steel chair! Kofi tried DESPERATELY to pin SOMEONE and retain his title, but time ran out as he covered Christian and William Regal won the Intercontinental title!

Sting came to the ring first, followed by Batista...but both men were shocked when Shawn Michaels' music hit! HBK came out of the crowd and nailed Batista, apparently an official entrant in the match! He immediately went for the Superkick on Sting, but Sting ducked! All three men went back and forth, with Batista hitting Batista Bombs and Sting firing up, locking him in a Scorpion Deathlock! The end came when Sting took a hard fall and HBK went up top...but Batista slid in the ring with the World title and NAILED HBK, knocking him to the mat and pinning him to become the NEW World Champion!

Edge, Alberto Del Rio and The Big Show came out for the main event...while Wade Barrett ran in from the crowd and attacked Show! He hit the Wasteland, but Del Rio broke it up! Barrett and Del Rio went at it and he set Del Rio up for a Wasteland of his own, when Edge hit the Edge-O-Matic on Show to steal the WWE title from Barrett!

RAW

1. John Cena (default)
2. Sheamus (Backlash)
3. Triple H (The Bash)
4. Wade Barrett (Royal Rumble)
5. Santino Marella (WrestleMania)
6. Edge (Backlash)
7. Wade Barrett (Extreme Rules)
WWE Champion: Edge (The Bash)
1. The Miz (default)
2. R-Truth (Backlash)
3. The Miz (Extreme Rules)
4. Zack Ryder (The Bash)
5. Ted DiBiase (Night of Champions)
6. Sheamus (Summerslam)
7: Evan Bourne (TLC)
United States Champion: Kane (The Bash)
1. Ted DiBiase (default)
2. The Greatest American Bolo (Feb. Week 3 Year 1 Raw)
3. Batista (Elimination Chamber)
4. Zack Ryder (Apr. Week 4 Year 2 Raw)
Million Dollar Champion: Kane (May Week 2 Year 2 Raw)

Smackdown

1. Rey Mysterio (default)
2. Jack Swagger (Backlash)
3: Sting (TLC)
World Champion: Batista (The Bash)
1. Dolph Ziggler (default)
2. Luke Gallows (Extreme Rules)
3. Christian (The Bash)
4. Kofi Kingston (Night of Champions)
5. Drew McIntyre (Summerslam)
6. Todo Americano (Hell in a Cell)
7. Dolph Ziggler (Nov. Week 4 Year 1 SD)
8. Kane (Elimination Chamber)
9: Kofi Kingston (Backlash)
Intercontinental Champion: William Regal (The Bash)
1. Raven (Dec. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
2. MVP (TLC)
3. Kane (Jan. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
4: Kofi Kingston (Mar. Week 1 Year 1 SD)
Hardcore Champion: The Miz (May Week 1 Year 2 SD)

1. The Hart Dynasty (Default)
2. John Morrison & R-Truth (The Bash)
3. The Hart Dynasty (Summerslam)
4. John Morrison & R-Truth (Hell in a Cell)
5. Straight Edge Society (Bragging Rights)
6: William Regal & Drew McIntyre (Elimination Chamber)
Unified Tag Team Champions: John Cena & Kofi Kingston

[My WWE Universe Year 2] Extreme Rules

ROAD TO EXTREME RULES

RAW

WEEK 1

Santino Marella looked impressive, pinning Ezekiel Jackson in a Falls Count Anywhere Match after the Cobra!

Goldust and Cody Rhodes looked great together, beating Tyson Kidd and Primo after Goldust pinned Primo following Shattered Dreams!

Romero Contreras murdered Chavo Guerrero.

Wade Barrett beat Sheamus to a bloody pulp in a #1 Contender's Match...but Edge ran in and took out his old rival Barrett with a Spear! This allowed Sheamus to hit the High Cross for the pin! However, Barrett had friends in high places and the match was restarted as a Falls Count Anywhere Match! Edge ran out again, but a wayward shot by Sheamus caused Edge to leave Sheamus to his fate...the Wasteland!

SUPERSTARS

In a Triple Threat Match, Kaval jumped Shelton Benjamin before the match during a bout with Mike Knox. They all went back and forth until Kaval caught Knox out of nowhere with a small package for the pin.

Heath Slater picked up a nice win over Matt Hardy.

As Triple H battled Joe Cothern, Cothern's Million Dollar Teammate Dolph Ziggler hit the ring...and laid out Cothern! Triple H looked confused...but hit the Pedigree for the pin!

SMACKDOWN

The Miz jumped Kofi Kingston from the crowd before their Hardcore Title Match, and used that advantage to pin him and win the Hardcore title.

Rey Mysterio looked like he had Christian on the ropes in a Tables Match, when Kaval ran in and split Rey wide open! This allowed Christian to put Rey through the table for the win.

As Raven and RVD fought MVP and Mark Henry in a cage, Raven made his escape first, which unfortunately left RVD alone against the other two. The reunion of MVP and Henry wasn't successful as RVD managed to thwart them and escape himself.

Sting and Batista squared off in a big brawl. Booker T tried to help Sting out, but Batista managed to use the chaos to bring a sledgehammer in and nail Sting. Ultimately, the Batista Bomb finished Sting.

WEEK 2

RAW

Kane took advantage of the mutual hatred between Zack Ryder and Ted DiBiase to win the Million Dollar Title in a Triple Threat Match! After the match, he went after Ryder with a chair when Dolph Ziggler hit the ring and ran him off!

William Regal and Drew McIntyre fended off Cody Rhodes and Goldust in a non title Falls Count Anywhere match thanks to intervention by Luke Gallows.

Alberto Del Rio jumped Big Show from the crowd before their match, using the unfair advantage to take Show out!

In a brutal Triple Threat Falls Count Anywhere main event, Sheamus pinned Edge to defeat him and Wade Barrett. Skip Sheffield got involved at one point but was sent scurrying...Sheamus stands tall to redeem himself after losing last week!

SUPERSTARS

Shinsuke Nakamura being at ringside did nothing to help Terry Funk against Husky Harris, who scored the pin after a crushing top rope senton.

Shelton Benjamin found himself in a precarious position, facing Alex Riley and Kaval in a Triple Threat Match. Benjamin managed to stun Kaval and Riley, pinning Kaval after Paydirt, just as fellow Christian Coalition stablemate John Morrison hit the ring with a chair!

R-Truth hit the ring on fire and polished off Vance Archer quickly!

SMACKDOWN

Jack Swagger and The Rock beat the living Hell out of one another, but Swagger came out on top with the Gutwrench Powerbomb! After the match, Undertaker appeared in the ring and gave Swagger a chokeslam!

In a match every bit as thrilling as you would expect, John Morrison pinned Rob Van Dam after a crushing running knee to the face!

Mark Henry and MVP jumped Cryme Tyme before their Tables Match! Though it was a good brawl, MVP and Henry never looked to be in real trouble, winning after MVP suplexed JTG through the table.

CM Punk and John Cena battled in a Tables Match that was interrupted mid-bout by Alex Riley! Riley laid both men out but Cena ultimately recovered and put a bloodied Punk through two stacked tables!

WEEK 3

RAW

As much damage as Ezekiel Jackson did to Evan Bourne in their Tables match to open Raw, Bourne still prevailed when he crushed Jackson through a table with the Air Bourne!

In a shocking show of ability, Dolph Ziggler outlasted Kane in an impromptu Submission Match to become the #1 Contender to the US title.

Joe Cothern hit the ring on fire and destroyed David Otunga, even putting his feet on the ropes to punctuate it.

Randy Orton stalled out some of Sheamus' momementum with an RKO!

SUPERSTARS

Because they haven't wrestled on Superstars enough, RVD faced off with Mike Knox. Knox stormed the ring before the match, but Van Dam still prevailed with the Five Star Frog Splash.

Ted DiBiase stormed the ring against Santino, but it failed for him like it just did Knox against RVD...I mean, c'mon, Santino's a former World Champion.

In a Raw battle Royal, Vladimir Kozlov eliminated Chavo Guerrero, Romero Contreras sent Terry Funk out, and Husky Harris accidentally eliminated his own team mate Skip Sheffield. Romero eliminated Harris moments later, and then suplexed Kozlov over the ropes and to the floor!

SMACKDOWN

Shelton Benjamin stormed the ring and wiped out Jack Swagger in a super fast "Falls Count Anywhere" match! After the match, Kaval and John Morrison came out onto the ramp and taunted Shelton!

The Miz gained some hardcore credibility with a successful title defense over Finlay in an Extreme Rules match.

John Cena and Kofi Kingston agreed to take on Alex Riley and a mystery partner in a Tables Match...Riley's partner? MIKE KNOX. William Regal walked to the ring...and blasted Kofi with a chair! In a shocker, a chair weilding CM Punk ran out of the crowd and seemingly ran Regal off!  Kofi ultimately got the win for his team with a flying legdrop through the table on Riley!

Shawn Michaels taught Batista a nasty lesson in being TOO laser focused, pinningg him to become the #1 Contender to the World Title! The match was restarted as a Submission Match...in which the two reviled men tore each other apart! HBK ultimately left Batista a bloody mess...and made him submit to the Figure Four Leglock!

Week 4

RAW

Kane, being cheered on by Alberto Del Rio, defended the Million Dollar Title against Santino. Dolph Ziggler was in the crowd, but Kane would not be distracted.

Vance Archer jumped Shinsuke Nakamura from behind before their match started, but he never capitalized and Nakamura planted him after the Boma Ye.

Tyson Kidd and Primo jumped John Cena and Kofi Kingston on their way to the ring, but Cena and Kingston destroyed the two smaller men and prevailed, becoming the #1 Contenders to the Tag Team Titles! After the match, Regal and McIntyre hit the ring and wiped them out!!

Edge was suckered by Wade Barrett into a handicap match against Skip Sheffield, Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater! The Nexus was too much for him, and Gabriel's 450 Splash put Edge out.

SUPERSTARS

The Great Muta prevailed over Terry Funk in an impromptu Falls Count Anywhere Match.

Mike Knox and Luke Gallows jumped Cody Rhodes and Goldust on their way to the ring! The Golden Boys tried to fight back, but Knox hit the Knoxed Out on Goldust to pick up the win!

Alberto Del Rio ambushed Triple H before their match began, and kept him from ever getting out of the starting gate.

SMACKDOWN

The Miz and John Morrison argued about who should start off their match against Shelton Benjamin and Daniel Bryan, and it proved to be a nasty bit of foreshadowing. Even when Kaval came out to interfere (and got suplexed into the ring steps by Shelton), The Christian Coalition could not keep focused enough to beat Shelton and Bryan.

Rey Mysterio fended off Mark Henry's interference en route to beating MVP!

CM Punk came out to take on Alex Riley for getting involved in his business a couple of weeks ago. As they went at it, John Morrison hit the ring and Punk looked nervous...until Morrison laid out Riley!! Punk looked stunned...then finished Riley off!

Sting and Shawn Michael faced off in an Iron Man Match with HBK getting the first pin, thanks to a pre-match sneak attack! Sting rallied back, but Batista ran in and hit the Batista Bomb! Booker T ran Batista off and Sting wound up pulling ahead, getting a 3-1 victory! HBK had to be carted away on a stretcher post-match!!

EXTREME RULES

John Morrison beat The Miz down for most of their TLC match...but Miz kicked Morrison off the top of the ladder and managed to yank the Hardcore title down!

In a clean, athletic contest, Evan Bourne pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Air Bourne to retain the US title!

Randy Orton reduced Alberto Del Rio to a bloody mess in a Last Man Standing match. Del Rio was quick enough to avoid the Punt Kick, but ate the RKO and got KOed.

In an INTENSE and HIGH IMPACT tag team ladder match, John Cena, Kofi Kingston, William Regal and Drew McIntyre got all of each other...Regal at one point knocked down two ladders with Kofi's limp body, but Cena got the belts after knocking Regal off the ladder! New champions!

Shawn Michaels' replacement for the World Title Match was none other than...BATISTA. Batista took everything Sting had and kept shrugging it off, rolling out of the ring after a Death Drop, powering out of the Deathlock and even getting back up after Sting drove him through the announce table...but Sting did get the pin after a second Death Drop!

Two months after Santino spoiled his Raw dominance, Wade Barrett defeated Edge in an Extreme Rules match to become a two time WWE Champion! After the match, Barrett brutally attacked Edge with a chair!

RAW

1. John Cena (default)
2. Sheamus (Backlash)
3. Triple H (The Bash)
4. Wade Barrett (Royal Rumble)
5. Santino Marella (WrestleMania)
6. Edge (Backlash)
WWE Champion: Wade Barrett (Extreme Rules)
1. The Miz (default)
2. R-Truth (Backlash)
3. The Miz (Extreme Rules)
4. Zack Ryder (The Bash)
5. Ted DiBiase (Night of Champions)
6. Sheamus (Summerslam)
US Champion: Evan Bourne (TLC)
1. Ted DiBiase (default)
2. The Greatest American Bolo (Feb. Week 3 Year 1 Raw)
3. Batista (Elimination Chamber)
4. Zack Ryder (Apr. Week 4 Year 2 Raw)
Million Dollar Champion: Kane (May Week 2 Year 2 Raw)

Smackdown

1. Rey Mysterio (default)
2. Jack Swagger (Backlash)
World Champion: Sting (TLC)
1. Dolph Ziggler (default)
2. Luke Gallows (Extreme Rules)
3. Christian (The Bash)
4. Kofi Kingston (Night of Champions)
5. Drew McIntyre (Summerslam)
6. Todo Americano (Hell in a Cell)
7. Dolph Ziggler (Nov. Week 4 Year 1 SD)
8. Kane (Elimination Chamber)
Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston (Backlash)
1. Raven (Dec. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
2. MVP (TLC)
3. Kane (Jan. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
4: Kofi Kingston (Mar. Week 1 Year 1 SD)
Hardcore Champion: The Miz (May Week 1 Year 2 SD)

1. The Hart Dynasty (Default)
2. John Morrison & R-Truth (The Bash)
3. The Hart Dynasty (Summerslam)
4. John Morrison & R-Truth (Hell in a Cell)
5. Straight Edge Society (Bragging Rights)
6: William Regal & Drew McIntyre (Elimination Chamber)
Unified Tag Team Champions: John Cena & Kofi Kingston

[My WWE Universe Year 2] Backlash

YEAR ONE

YEAR 2

ROAD TO BACKLASH

WEEK 1

RAW

Raw opened with the debut of new Raw arrival...THE BIG SHOW! Poor Ted DiBiase. DiBiase hit the ring hard and did a lot of damage, but either seemed like he was out to hurt somebody, or wasn't confident enough to go for the pin...and got KOed. Show, to his credit, offered DiBiase a handshake, but was refused.

Triple H was seated at ringside as Sheamus and Big Zeke squared off for a #1 Contender's spot!

It was a hard hitting brawl...and Ezekiel Jackson scored the clean pin!

The Miz found himself in unfriendly territory...in a submission match against Chris Jericho! Miz tried to hang in...but tapped out.

In a Falls Count Anywhere main event, Randy Orton welcomed the newest Raw arrival...Alberto Del Rio! Del Rio charged out of his car and attacked Orton...but Orton countered! Del Rio ran away
to the floor...where he caught Orton with an enzuigiri and a crippling release German Suplex on
the floor for the surprising pin!

SUPERSTARS

As Husky Harris waited for his opponents in the ring, Romero Contreras attacked Steve Austin on the floor! This Triple Threat was almost all Romero, and he pinned Austin after a brutal Skull Crushing Finale on a sledgehammer!

Wade Barrett brought up the price of real estate with a visit to Superstars, where he beat Zack Ryder in a competitive match.

The Greatest American Bolo picked up a big win over Heath Slater with the American Revolution!

SMACKDOWN

Jake Roberts dropped Shad with the DDT!

Ziggler stormed the ring and attacked Kofi Kingston! As Kofi rallied back, Dolph caught him with a small package out of nowhere!

New refugees from Raw, The Miz and Daniel Bryan, squared off! Daniel Bryan charged the ring and made the fans forget all about his Nexus past as he beat the crap out of the Miz! Miz was on the defensive until CM Punk of all people hit the ring and took Bryan out, allowing Miz to pick up the win!

In a #1 Contender's Match, CM Punk defeated Undertaker and Drew McIntyre after Jack Swagger stormed the ring and caught Undertaker with the Gutwrench Powerbomb! Punk, who was fighting McIntyre on the floor, slid back in the ring and covered Undertaker for the win!

WEEK 2

RAW

New Raw arrival Chavo Guerrero pinned Tyson Kidd in a competitive match!

In a shocker, David Otunga teamed with Raw newcomer Chris Masters to face Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater in a tables match! It got UGLY...with Husky Harris hitting the ring to clean house on Otunga and Masters, but after he left, Otunga and Gabriel got split wide open and Masters managed to drive Slater through a table with an exploder suplex!

The Big Show and The Greatest American Bolo teamed up for the first time ever, taking on Ted DiBiase and his mystery partner...Joe Cothern! However, Cothern never even got in the ring and Big Show knocked DiBiase out.

The Ultimate Opportunist screwed Wade Barrett out of his rematch by beating him in a ladder match! Edge is the #1 Contender for Santino's WWE Title!

SUPERSTARS

The RVD-Mike Knox feud continued with a hard fought match and an RVD win.

Lex Luger gave it his all, but Shinsuke Nakamura shut him down in a brutal bout.

Romero Contreras ruined what should have been an epic Last Man Standing Match by brutally assaulting rival Steve Austin before the bell. After the match, he brutalized Austin with a steel chair.

SMACKDOWN

John Morrison made his triumphant return to Friday Night Smackdown, pinning Cody Rhodes after a brutal running knee!

In a shocking upset, Smackdown newcomer Yoshi Tatsu and Rey Mysterio upset the Tag Team Champions Drew McIntyre and William Regal!

The Christian Coalition (Christian and Kaval) battled the Powerhouse team of David Otunga and Chris Masters in a ladder match. It was a chaotic war that saw Sting get involved as well, but Christian's ladder match experience proved to be too effective.

CM Punk did, perhaps, the unthinkable when he made Sting submit in a Submission Match! Of course, Luke Gallows did jump Sting before the match...and Sting did make Punk tap once when the referee was knocked out...but Punk still got the final win! Punk brutalized Sting after the match, further softening him up for Backlash!

WEEK 3

RAW

Raw opened with Zack Ryder facing new Raw draftee...Intercontinental Champion Kane! Kofi Kingston, not on the Raw roster, bought a ticket to watch Kane from ringside! Kane seemed unusually vicious, even taking a chair to Ryder at one point before putting him away!

Santino and Kozlov fought off the Straight Edge Society, despite the interference of Alex Riley, who got mugged by Kozlov for interfering!

Alberto Del Rio ambushed David Hart Smith from behind to completely squash him.

New Raw recruit Vance Archer jumped Randy Orton from the crowd and even hit his finisher, but he wanted to hurt Orton to send a message...that cost him and he ate an RKO to debut with a loss.

SUPERSTARS

Husky Harrris looked impressive in a victory over Chris Masters.

Ezekiel Jackson watched on with interest as Sheamus and Mark Henry faced off. The referee was staggered and Sheamus went after Henry with a chair, but the referee saw it anyway and gave the win to Henry.

Mike Knox, RVD, Jimmy Snuka, Shelton Benjamin, Terry Funk and Ricky Steamboat met in a battle royal! Funk and Benjamin ganged up on Snuka, while RVD dumped Steamboat. RVD next eliminated his friend Terry Funk! RVD punted his rival Knox off the apron, and then went at it with Benjamin! Shelton ultimately dumped RVD for the win!

SMACKDOWN

Kaval welcomed new Smackdown arrival Chris Jericho...who gave him a Codebreaker for his troubles!

RVD picked up an impressive win over MVP!

HBK ambushed The Undertaker from the crowd and laid him out with multiple Superkicks and put him through a table to win their tables match in his Smackdown debut!

The Miz jumped Raven before their match and the brawl was on! Miz swooped in for the win, but Daniel Bryan got involved, causing a distraction that allowed Raven to hit the Evenflow for the pin! Mike Knox ambushed Raven from behind with a lead pipe!

WEEK 4

RAW

Batista came to the ring not even prepared to wrestle...and lost the Million Dollar Title in shocking fashion to Zack Ryder!

New Raw draft pick Dolph Ziggler teamed with Ted DiBiase and Joe Cothern against The Big Show, The Greatest American Bolo and Shinsuke Nakamura! Ziggler looked particularly impressive, pinning The Big Show after the Zig Zag.

Next up was new Raw pick-up...Terry Funk! He was ambushed on his way to the ring by Wade Barrett, who spiked him with the Wasteland in a squash!

Sheamus demolished Edge as he came to the ring, and hit the High Cross on the floor. Edge fought back, but the damage was too severe, and Sheamus prevailed over the #1 Contender!

SUPERSTARS

Superstars opened with an explosive debut: Booker T! Shad stormed the ring to spoil his return...but Booker tore him down and hit the Ax Kick for the win!

Skip Sheffield made his shocking return...and dominated Mark Henry! Sheffield's return has made Nexus stronger than ever!

In the main event, Vladimir Kozlov, Romero Contreras, Alex Riley, Husky Harris, Chris Masters and Chavo Guerrero faced off in a battle royal! Romero and Chavo worked Kozlov out, while Masters dumped Harris! Romero sent Chavo over the top moments later. Romero threw Riley out, and then he and Masters struggled with each other. Finally, a wicked Exploder over the top rope sent Masters to the floor!

SMACKDOWN

Kofi Kingston opened the show by pinning William Regal with the SOS to become the #1 Contender to the Intercontinental Title!

The Great Muta got some long awaited revenge on Matt Hardy!

Newest Smackdown draftee John Cena came to the ring! Drew McIntyre's music hit...but he jumped Cena from the crowd! Cena rallied back and went for the Attitude Adjustment...but William Regal hit the ring! Cena met him on the floor and they went at it, when Kofi Kingston ran out and ran Regal off! Kofi stood guard as Cena locked on the STF and made Regal tap!

In the main event, World Champion Sting faced off with new Smackdown arrival...Batista! Batista bullied Sting right off, but Sting would not back down! Batista got the upperhand and hit the Batista Bomb...but Sting fired up on him! Batista tried to leave the arena, but Sting caught him on the ramp and they brawled. Batista took out the referee and wiped out Sting with a sledgehammer before hitting him with another Batista Bomb for the pin! After the match, he grabbed a chair and tried to hurt Sting further...when EDGE of all people hit the ring and backed Batista off!

BACKLASH

Kofi Kingston came to the ring to challenge Kane...who jumped him from the crowd! Kane hit a Choke Slam and Kofi BARELY kicked out! Kofi struggled to stay in it...and even got caught with another Choke Slam! However, it was a desperation pin out of nowhere that put Kane down and put the Intercontinental title back on Smackdown!

Ezekiel Jackson ambushed Evan Bourne from behind, hitting the Book of Ezekiel on the US Champion! Bourne somehow managed to stay in it and fought back, but Jackson dominated him!

Bourne changed the complexion of things with a springboard huracanrana and took control, hitting a standing moonsault and the Air Bourne to retain the US Title!

The Greatest Bolo and The Big Show challenged Drew McIntyre and William Regal for the Tag Team Titles, and kept Regal on the defensive most of the match...so it was little surprise when Regal blasted Bolo with a chair, drawing a DQ.

Nexus sent Heath Slater to take the Million Dollar Title from Zack Ryder...and though it was a
good match, Slater was sent back to Nexus a bloody mess!

Santino came to the ring to defend the WWE Title for the first time...against Wade Barrett, Edge and Sheamus in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match! There were no favorites played and all four men dished out tons of damage to anyone and everyone...but it was Barrett who struck first, pinning Santino with The Wasteland! Sheamus hit the Irish Curse on Edge...but Barrett completely blindsided him for the pin! Edge split Barrett wide open with the WWE Title belt, and Barrett returned the favor with his bare knuckles! With each man a bloody, bloody mess, Edge hit the Spear, but Barrett somehow kicked out! Barrett smacked Edge with the title belt and grabbed some steel chairs, looking to take Edge out with his old classic...when Edge hit another Spear and pinned Barrett to win the WWE Title!

CM Punk jumped Sting from behind before their match, a tactic that failed with Kane and Ezekiel Jackson before him. He fared no better as Sting got revenge for their submission match, making Punk submit to the Scorpion Deathlock!

Draft Summary:


WEEK 1 DRAFT
SD to RAW
Alberto Del Rio
The Big Show

RAW to SD
The Miz
Daniel Bryan

WEEK 2 DRAFT
SD to RAW
Chris Masters
Chavo Guerrero

RAW to SD
John Morrison
Yoshi Tatsu


WEEK 3 DRAFT
SD to RAW
Vance Archer
Kane

RAW to SD
Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels

WEEK 4 DRAFT
SD to RAW
Terry Funk
Dolph Ziggler

RAW to SD
John Cena
Batista

Trades
Raw to SD
Goldust
Alex Riley
Mark Henry
David Hart Smith

SD to Raw
Great Muta
JTG
Shad
Matt Hardy


RAW

1. John Cena (default)
2. Sheamus (Backlash)
3. Triple H (The Bash)
4. Wade Barrett (Royal Rumble)
5. Santino Marella (WrestleMania)
WWE Champion: Edge (Backlash)
1. The Miz (default)
2. R-Truth (Backlash)
3. The Miz (Extreme Rules)
4. Zack Ryder (The Bash)
5. Ted DiBiase (Night of Champions)
6. Sheamus (Summerslam)
US Champion: Evan Bourne (TLC)
1. Ted DiBiase (default)
2. The Greatest American Bolo (Feb. Week 3 Year 1 Raw)
3. Batista (Elimination Chamber)
Million Dollar Champion: Zack Ryder (Apr. Week 4 Year 2 Raw)

Smackdown

1. Rey Mysterio (default)
2. Jack Swagger (Backlash)
World Champion: Sting (TLC)
1. Dolph Ziggler (default)
2. Luke Gallows (Extreme Rules)
3. Christian (The Bash)
4. Kofi Kingston (Night of Champions)
5. Drew McIntyre (Summerslam)
6. Todo Americano (Hell in a Cell)
7. Dolph Ziggler (Nov. Week 4 Year 1 SD)
8. Kane (Elimination Chamber)
Intercontinental Champion: Kofi Kingston (Backlash)
1. Raven (Dec. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
2. MVP (TLC)
3. Kane (Jan. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
Hardcore Champion: Kofi Kingston (Mar. Week 1 Year 1 SD)

1. The Hart Dynasty (Default)
2. John Morrison & R-Truth (The Bash)
3. The Hart Dynasty (Summerslam)
4. John Morrison & R-Truth (Hell in a Cell)
5. Straight Edge Society (Bragging Rights)
Unified Tag Team Champions: William Regal & Drew McIntyre (Elimination Chamber)

[My WWE Universe] WrestleMania!

My Universe So Far
Summerslam
Hell in a Cell
Bragging Rights
Survivor Series
TLC
Royal Rumble
Elimination Chamber

Caught up?


ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA

WEEK 1

RAW

A prematch assault by Sheamus allowed him to wipe Triple H out!

Miz and Alex Riley attacked Sting and Kaval before the match, but Sting and Kaval fought back, beating them in a Falls Count Anywhere match. After the match, CM Punk and Luke Gallows stormed the ring, with Punk taking Sting down and Gallows attacking Kaval!

John Cena and Shawn Michaels had a tremendous match that ended with the Attitude Adjustment on HBK!

Edge stormed the ring against Batista, hit the Implant DDT and the Spear! Edge is the #1 Contender to Wade Barrett's title at WrestleMania!

SUPERSTARS

Goldust and Kozlov had an EPIC opening match that ended with the Final Cut. Kozlov refused a post match handshake.

Husky Harris attacked Romero before his match with Daniel Bryan! Romero still took Bryan to school in a hard hitting match...when Justin Gabriel ran in! Romero went nuts on him and Bryan, and pinned Bryan with the Kool Aid Krunch!

Shelton Benjamin and Chris Masters beat Mike Knox and Shad when Masters put Knox out with the Masterlock!

SMACKDOWN

Luke Gallows jumped Christian before the bell, and fought off his offense, scoring a big win.

Alberto Del Rio got a warmup against Sting by beating Terry Funk!

Kofi Kingston escaped Dolph Ziggler, Kane and Rey Mysterio to win the Hardcore Title!

Undertaker spiked CM Punk in the main event! After the match, Jack Swagger beat Undertaker down with a lead pipe!

WEEK 2

RAW

Sheamus jumped Ezekiel Jackson before their Triple Threat with The Greatest American Bolo, weakening him dramatically! The match was mostly Bolo vs Sheamus, but when Bolo hit the American Revolution on Big Zeke, Sheamus tossed him out of the ring and pinned Jackson! Sheamus is the #1 Contender to the US Title!

Triple H and David Otunga squared off...and as Hunter had the upperhand, Husky Harris ran in! Triple H prepared to fight...but Harris wiped out Otunga! Triple H was handed the win! Wade Barrett and Nexus informed Otunga that he was out...and that Barrett was back in charge!

Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater triumphed over Alex Riley and The Miz in a Ladder Match!

Wade Barrett called down a steel cage...to take on...the Conquistador? The Conquistador held his until he caught Barrett out of nowhere with a spear! And then a second one! Then he went to the corner and hunkered down, calling for Barrett to stand up...as the crowd chanted Spear! He nailed Barrett and pinned the WWE Champion! He unmasked to reveal EDGE!

Superstars

Mike Knox jumped former partner Raven before their extreme rules match...but we got a bit of an extreme revolution when RVD ran in and helped Raven take Knox out!

Santino, Daniel Bryan and Vladimir Kozlov wrestled a GREAT match...until WWE Champion Wade Barrett hit the ring to help out his Nexus stablemate, hitting Wastelands on Santino and Kozlov! He probably left too early, as Santino and Kozlov ultimately joined forces and laid out Bryan, with Santino pinning Bryan after the Cobra!

Keeping the "extreme" theme of the night, Kofi Kingston put the Hardcore Title on the line in an Extreme Rules match against Cody Rhodes, Christian and Luke Gallows! Gallows kicked it off quickly, jumping Rhodes from the crowd! Rhodes, however, seemed to blame his partner Christian! As they came to blows, Kofi took advantage and blasted Rhodes with Trouble in Paradise for a quick elimination! As Christian taunted Cody, he turned around into a suplex by Kofi for the pin! Kofi and Gallows went to the floor, and Kofi hit the SOS for the pin! After the match, Kofi offered his hand to Christian...but Christian shockingly slapped it away!

SMACKDOWN

Shad Gaspard jumped The Rock before their match began, but Rock beat him down and put him away with the People's Elbow!

Thanks to a prematch assault from the crowd, Vance Archer was able to take down Chavo Guerrero.

Despite a prematch attack, Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov shocked William Regal and Drew McIntyre by beating them in a non title match via submission!

Christian showed a newfound aggression as he fought Sting in a non-title match...even drawing first blood! Sting fired back up as Kaval hit the ring...and wiped out Sting!! Sting still tried to hang on...but ate the Killswitch as Christian picked up possibly the biggest win of his career!

Week 3

RAW

Miz cheated his way to victory over Mark Henry, with Ezekiel Jackson watching from the crowd.

John Morrison and Joe Cothern awaited R-Truth and his mystery partner...and seemed to take it in stride when he came out with David Hart Smith! Morrison demolished his former partner.

#1 Contenders collided as Edge faced Alberto Del Rio in a submission match! Del Rio took out the referee and took a sledgehammer to Edge, but Sting ran down and woke the referee up in time to see Del Rio attacking Edge, getting Del Rio DQed!

Shawn Michaels defeated Triple H in a brutal, career threatening Hell in a Cell match!

SUPERSTARS

RVD pinned Mike Knox in an Extreme Rules match!

Santino and Kozlov pulled it out once more, toppling the Straight Edge Society!

Kofi Kingston, Kane and Drew McIntyre faced off, but William Regal ran in and turned it almost into a tag match. However, once Regal took off, Kofi took advantage and pinned McIntyre!

SMACKDOWN

Luke Gallows ambushed Cody Rhodes during his match with MVP (accompanied by Alberto Del Rio), allowing MVP to pick up the win after a sneak attack!

William Regal shanghaied The Big Show, but still got crushed by the big man!

Santino and Kozlov managed to defeat Alex Riley and The Miz in a Falls Count Anywhere match!

The Rock defeated Vance Archer in a fairly dominant performance.

WEEK 4

RAW

Batista defended the Million Dollar title with a crushing win over Zack Ryder!

John Morrison stormed the ring and beat down Goldust, pinning him with the Moonlight Drive.

The Straight Edge Society beat The Brothers of Destruction to win the #1 Contender's Spot for the Tag Team Titles!

As Sting prepared to face Wade Barrett in an epic Champion vs Champion match, Justin Gabriel attacked Sting and rammed him into the ringsteps! Sting fought back, but Barrett reduced him to a bloody mess and scored a huge pinfall!

SUPERSTARS

Zack Ryder fended off Joe Cothern's interference to pin Ted DiBiase!

Mike Knox was accompanied by Alberto Del Rio as he took on Rob Van Dam, who had Raven in his corner! After Raven was ejected, Knox took advantage and pinned Van Dam!

Santino and Vladimir Kozlov were jumped by William Regal and CM Punk for some reason, but STILL beat Alex Riley and The Miz!

SMACKDOWN

Sting assisted Cody Rhodes as Cody battled Luke Gallows...fending off CM Punk so Rhodes could pick up the win!

Ricky Steamboat triumphed in a great match with The Great Muta!

Kofi Kingston battled Kane one more time, picking up the win after Trouble in Paradise, though no titles were on the line.

Sting and Edge teamed up for the first time ever to battle Wade Barrett and Alberto Del Rio...and Batista came down to get in Edge's face! Sting and Batista came to blows, and Edge pinned Barrett after the spear!

WRESTLEMANIA

Santino Marella got his WrestleMania moment by beating Ezekiel Jackson, David Otunga, MVP, Rob Van Dam and Vance Archer in order to become Mr. Money in the Bank!

William Regal and Drew McIntyre outlasted the Straight Edge Society to retain the Unified Tag Team Titles!

Evan Bourne bloodied rival Sheamus in a Last Man Standing Match before crushing him with the Air Bourne to retain the US Title! After the match, Ezekiel Jackson came out to threaten Bourne!

Wade Barrett triumphed over Edge...only to be greeted by Santino and his Money in the Bank briefcase!! Santino cashed in and beat Barrett with the Cobra!!

Jack Swagger came to the ring to break...THE STREAK. The Undertaker's full theatrics began...but he stormed the ring and laid into Swagger! He went for the Tombstone, but Swagger slipped out and unloaded on him until he walked into the Choke Slam! The Last Ride followed, putting Swagger down! The Streak lives!

Alberto Del Rio jumped Sting from the crowd and locked on the Flying Armbar, but Sting was in the ropes! Del Rio had a counter for everything at first, but Sting's years of experience kicked in! He wore Del Rio down and locked him in the Scorpion Death Lock, making Del Rio tap!! As Sting celebrated, the Straight Edge Society hit the ring and dismantled him, leaving the World Champion laying!

RAW
1. John Cena (default)
2. Sheamus (Backlash)
3. Triple H (The Bash)
4. Wade Barrett (Royal Rumble)
WWE Champion: Santino Marella (WrestleMania)
1. The Miz (default)
2. R-Truth (Backlash)
3. The Miz (Extreme Rules)
4. Zack Ryder (The Bash)
5. Ted DiBiase (Night of Champions)
6. Sheamus (Summerslam)
US Champion: Evan Bourne (TLC)
1. Ted DiBiase (default)
2. The Greatest American Bolo (Feb. Week 3 Year 1 Raw)
Million Dollar Champion: Batista (Elimination Chamber)

Smackdown

1. Rey Mysterio (default)
2. Jack Swagger (Backlash)
World Champion: Sting (TLC)
1. Dolph Ziggler (default)
2. Luke Gallows (Extreme Rules)
3. Christian (The Bash)
4. Kofi Kingston (Night of Champions)
5. Drew McIntyre (Summerslam)
6. Todo Americano (Hell in a Cell)
7. Dolph Ziggler (Nov. Week 4 Year 1 SD)
Intercontinental Champion: Kane (Elimination Chamber)
1. Raven (Dec. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
2. MVP (TLC)
3. Kane (Jan. Week 2 Year 1 SD)
Hardcore Champion: Kofi Kingston (Mar. Week 1 Year 1 SD)

1. The Hart Dynasty (Default)
2. John Morrison & R-Truth (The Bash)
3. The Hart Dynasty (Summerslam)
4. John Morrison & R-Truth (Hell in a Cell)
5. Straight Edge Society (Bragging Rights)
Unified Tag Team Champions: William Regal & Drew McIntyre (Elimination Chamber)