The ladder match. Pyrotechnics. War Games. Hell in a Cell. The annals of wrestling history are laden with innovation and risk-taking. Many who pull off these new feats with skill are etched into the memory of wrestling fans for decades and become synonymous with the innovation. Many who try and fail are given no points for effort and are instead ridiculed until they fade away.

The same goes for wrestling video games. In anticipation of the upcoming WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, here are some of the greatest wrestling game innovations of all time.

Create-A-Wrestler

The ever-popular CAW feature has added to the replayability of wrestling games more than any other of these innovations. Born in the early '90s in the Super Fire Pro Wrestling series as a simple editing feature, fans began to customize the characters to their own individual tastes. It was not until 1998's WWF War Zone that users could begin to build their own wrestlers, a feature that was expanded on quite a bit in the following couple of years. Over the last half-decade or so, the incredibly-detailed CAW system in the Smackdown vs. Raw series has given way to CAW federations.

Backstage Areas

Honestly, it's a wonder it took until 2000's WCW Mayhem to debut playable backstage arenas. Most likely heavily influenced by the raging hardcore wrestling scene in the mid-late '90s, this expanded the gameplay to parking lots, kitchens, bars and other seedy places where you can bash in an opponent's head. Not too long after its inception, the environments became very interactive and match types were specifically created for the areas, such as bar-room brawls.

Announcers

Announcing is perhaps the best innovation to be suffering the greatest decline right now. Nevertheless, commentating in a wrestling game added some true authenticity. Even in its earliest incarnations -- it was introduced to us in text-bubble format in 1989's Tecmo World Wrestling -- it served as a distraction from the terrible electronic music. As it evolved into audible speech, it hit the nail on the head. Who does not watch wrestling without listening to two or three screaming loonies trying to call the match? In recent years, however, the commentating has become so canned and recycled that it has become more of a burden than an enjoyable experience. With the Road To WrestleMania addition in the Smackdown vs. Raw series, the announcers have at least served up some fresh lines in promoting and advancing the storyline.

Text-Sim

This may be more of a different genre rather than an innovation of wrestling games. Regardless, these rock. The level of customization, depth and control in games such as Total Extreme Wrestling (to name the top option out now) is unparalleled when put up against a traditional console game. Of course there is that little problem of no actual wrestling going on, but having the opportunity to become a booker, agent, media relations man or any other number of jobs simultaneously while being solely responsible for the rise or fall or your promotion is all a geek could want.

GM Mode

Whether it is presented in a season, career or franchise mode, this gives yours truly the greatest amount of joy when it comes to wrestling games. Unfortunately, this mode has gone drastically downhill since Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain, an all-encompassing, decision-based storyline that had enough replayability and depth to put the game at the very top of many fans' lists. The GM mode given to us a few years ago in Smackdown vs. Raw was a very nice addition, but it was immediately toned down and ultimately removed in favor of last year's mode where you could create your own storylines, which was actually a step in the right direction. This year we'll be getting a new mode called WWE Universe, but time will tell if it will be a new innovation or just another jobber.


So what are you favorite wrestling game features and innovations? What could the current generation of wrestling games benefit from? Let us know!