WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

"What? No Rock catchphrase this time around?"

Dwayne Johnson, AKA “The Rock”, is well known for his catch phrases in the WWE. He’s made certain words and phrases famous such as “Jabroni” and “Know your role”. His catch phrases have been the source of the sub titles for the previous WWE Smackdown installments. This year is different. The sub title now uses it’s superstar of the moment, The Next Big Thing, Brock Lesnar. So be ready for this installment because Here Comes The Pain!

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay is great. I’m used to the old controls but they have changed them for the better. This gives us gamers more moves to use and easier ways to pull them off with. Many new features have been implemented into Here Comes The Pain (HCTP).

One of the key elements is the new weight factor. Yukes has now worked on the engine to make it so that weaklings such as women and lightweights (I.E. Trish and Mysterio) cannot lift the heavyweights (Big Show). This makes it both frustrating and challenging. It’s frustrating at times when you’re playing Season mode with a cruiserweight and you have to face a heavyweight. This helps make the game feel deeper in a way that it forces the player to think about the moves to perform to inflict damage without lifting the heavyweight. This is definitely a plus.

Another great feature is the body specific damage. If one body part is being attacked throughout the whole match, the damaged wrestler will more than likely tap out to a submission move applied to that specific body part. Also, the worn out victim will grab that body part occasionally during the match which. In addition to the body specific damage, there is a new “Tug Of War” submission system. This is pretty much a button mashing to try and prevent your wrestler from tapping out. The length that you have to mash the button depends on the one executing the move and the victim’s ability points. If a wrestler with weak submission abilities will more than likely tap to one who has a high rating in that area.

Some other great features, which weren’t really needed to be included but would hurt to have, are: Blood, Bra and Panties match, Elimination Chamber and others. There also is a better post match setup to where you can decide to attack, taunt or befriend your opponent. Gameplay-wise this game is great.

Fun Factor: 9/10
The fun factor in the previous Smackdown installments for me were the create modes. This year, I believe that the CAW system is not as good as the previous Smackdown. It’s still pretty much the same, but toned down a little bit. It’s still fun as hell to create a wrestler though. But what this game lacks in the CAW department it definitely makes up in the Season Mode and Gameplay.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics are jaw dropping. Every superstar is recreated to look like his or her real-life counterparts. The arenas look great. The crowds are 3D this time around. The animations are fluid for the most part. There are still some unusual problems when doing certain moves. Wrestlers still flop like a fish but not as much as in Shut Your Mouth. There are some new moves to choose from this time around. Some move animations have been fixed/upgraded for the better. Most of the annoying nuances from SYM have been fixed, such as teeth for CAWs.

Sound: 8/10
Sound-wise, this game is great. It has every official entrance theme for every superstar in the game. The original ones are pretty much the same from that of SYM’s though. The match music has changed. It’s a mix of rock/hip hop instrumentals. It doesn’t really bother me that much since after a while, I just don’t even realize that there’s background music playing.

Replayability: 9/10
This is a wrestling game. Of course there’s going to be a lot of replayability. Well, actually, it all depends on who is playing. If you like wrestling and/or wrestling games in general, then you’ll be playing this game for quite some time. The match types will make you want to play more. The game engine will make you want to actually play matches instead of just creating CAWs after going through season. The CAW is not as great of an improvement from previous years, but it still does the job. I still play and will keep on playing this game for quite some time not for its CAW mode but for its matches, unlike what I have done with previous Smackdown games.

Overall: 9/10
Overall, this game is a buy. Whether you loved SYM or hated it, you need to try this one out. Whether you loved or hated No Mercy, you need to try this game. It’s a little mix of both, but the Smackdown elements overpower that of the No Mercy elements. Which is a great thing, considering, I never really considered No Mercy as “The Best Wrestling Game” ever. So if you like wrestling games or if you are a wrestling fanatic, then you would be crazy to not have this game in your collection. If you’re not into wrestling or the games, then I suggest you go out and rent this game. I guarantee you’ll like this game, because I know I do.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/30/03