WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
| WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art featuring Rey Mysterio, Matt Hardy, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, The Undertaker, and Torrie Wilson | |
| Developer(s) | Yuke's |
| Publisher(s) | THQ |
| Distributor(s) | THQ |
| Series | SmackDown! |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) |
Fighting Wrestling |
| Mode(s) |
Single player Multiplayer |
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 in Japan) is a video game released by WWE on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ on October 27, 2003. It is a sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth and is part of the WWE SmackDown! series based on World Wrestling Entertainment's weekly TV show SmackDown. It was the first SmackDown! game to feature a catchphrase not linked back to The Rock in its title. It was also the final WWE game to solely use the SmackDown! name. It was succeeded by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw.
Gameplay
The game introduced a more complicated grappling system, while retaining the series’ fast gameplay. Also included with this new grappling system were body damage displays, submission meters (for both the person applying the move and the person breaking out of the move), as well as the ability to break the submission hold when touching the ropes, and individual character scales that consisted of statistics (such as strength, endurance and speed). This game marks the first time the Elimination Chamber and the Bra and Panties Match would be featured in a wrestling game.
Much like every WWE game before it, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain features over 50 Superstars who were active members of the WWE roster at the time of the game's release. In addition to the playable (then) current Superstars, for the first time in a SmackDown game, it also featured a variety of legends such as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and The Undertaker (with his 90's gimmick), and more. This would be the final SmackDown!-branded game to feature Brock Lesnar until WWE '12 where he would be included as an unlockable character. Later he returned to WWE in April 2012 and is on current active roster which included him as one of the main roster in WWE '13 and in the following games as well, It is also the final game to include Val Venis, and Rikishi until WWE '13 (Rikishi and Venis were downloadable content), as well as the only WWE licensed game to feature Ultimo Dragon and Sean O'Haire as playable characters. It is also the first game in the SmackDown! series to have John Cena, Batista and Rey Mysterio as playable characters. This also marks the final time that Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock would appear in a SmackDown! game as non-legends until The Rock returned in 2011 and became exclusive downloadable content in WWE '12. This game also marked Goldberg's last appearance in a WWE game, until WWE 2K14. This is the last WWE game to feature Test. This game is the last appearance of Goldust until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010. Also it is the last game to feature Undertaker with his biker gimmick until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 and the first game to depict Kane without his mask.
Season Mode was much like the game before it, starting off with the Backlash Pay Per View and fighting your way through the months, ending with WrestleMania. Instead of being able to roam free around the arena, this version of Season Mode had it so that all of your decisions (such as where you wanted to go and what you wanted to do next) were made on a menu screen in your locker room. In the General Manager's room, you can ask for title shots and brand switches. There are multiple titles to go after depending on if you choose to go to SmackDown or RAW.
Development
The development version featured Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan (along with his alter-ego Mr. America and his 1980s appearance) and The Ultimate Warrior. Hogan and Hardy were removed from the game when they left WWE and Warrior was omitted due to a legal dispute with the company. Data for other omitted wrestlers, including Spike Dudley, Billy Kidman, Billy Gunn, William Regal, Bradshaw, Molly Holly and 3-Minute Warning remains on the final discs, with none of them having any finished character models. The concept of having multiple versions of Hogan in one game was finally included with the release of WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006.
Reception
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The game received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[1]
IGN called the game "one of the best wrestling games we've ever played...With its ultra-improved gameplay mechanics, enhanced visual engine, smarter career mode, and established create-a-character feature, Yuke's and THQ are definitely the track to success."[10] GameSpot said, "What the game lacks in innovation, however, is more than made up for in sheer playability."[7] Eurogamer called it "a superb blend of traditional and wrestling-specific fight mechanics, and there's so much variety here that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you could play this one from now until the next SmackDown without getting bored or running out of things to do."[3] GMR said, "Submission moves finally makes [sic] sense, thanks to a logical location-based damage system, and wrestlers' weights are accurately presented."[12]
Other reviews were more mixed. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine called it "the first game in the series that tries to accommodate both sides by combining quick action with the technical elements of wrestling, and it works -- almost."[11] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40.[4]
Accolades
| Distributor: | Category: | Result: |
|---|---|---|
| 1st British Academy Video Games Awards | Sports Game | Nominated |
| 2003 Spike Video Game Awards | Best Sports Game | |
| Best Fighting Game | Won |
See also
- Rumble Roses - An all-female wrestling game by Konami that uses the same game engine.
References
- 1 2 "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic.
- ↑ EGM staff (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Electronic Gaming Monthly (174): 140.
- 1 2 Bramwell, Tom (November 13, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Eurogamer.
- 1 2 "エキサイティングプロレス5". Famitsu. 789. January 30, 2004.
- ↑ Leeper, Justin (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Game Informer (129): 138. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ↑ DJ Dinobot (October 29, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- 1 2 Navarro, Alex (October 24, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Review". GameSpot. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ↑ Freeman, Matthew (November 15, 2003). "GameSpy: [WWE] Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain". GameSpy. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ↑ Valentino, Nick (December 4, 2003). "WWE Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- 1 2 Dunham, Jeremy (October 24, 2003). "WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain". IGN. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- 1 2 Varanini, Giancarlo (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 132. Archived from the original on March 30, 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ↑ "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". GMR (12): 92. January 2004. Retrieved February 12, 2015.