WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

"Very Well Done Yukes"

Smackdown has always been a stellar wrestling game series. WWE Smackdown : Here Comes the Pain is one of those stellar games. There is no game out now that can compare to this fine game.

Gameplay: This game handles beautifully. Yukes has gotten rid of the old reverse system and replaced it with a new, better system composed of two buttons instead of one. A lot more moves can also be countered now then in previous games. The game also has a new grappling system, where wrestlers now have 16 different grapple moves to dish out the pain. There is also a new submission system, which requires each person involved in the submission to hit buttons repeatedly to try and make the other one either submit or stop using the submission move. To beginners, this game may be a bit difficult to get used to right off the bat. Even on the easiest difficulty computers counter a lot of what you do. You will eventually get the hang of it. A new aspect to season mode has also been added. Wrestlers can start with ''clean slates'' which means they have terrible stats that you have to gain exp and work on, or you can use the original season stats each wrestler has. The Create-A-Wrestler system (CAW) is pretty much identical to that of Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth with the loss of some original entrances and a few other minor things. CAWs do have a problem however, they wont be strong until the end of the first season due to lack of exp. This can be frustrating at times. The most notable aspect of gameplay would have to be the backstage arena, which is so massive and interactive that you'll spend tons of time looking for all of the things you can do back there. Another added feature in the game is the damage system. You can now see specific limbs that wrestlers have damaged. This goes hand in hand with the new blood feature, which results in doing a ''B'' (bloodying) move when the opponents head region is in red. This obviously makes the opponent bleed, which is a new feature to Here Comes the Pain.

Story: The Smackdown series have always had great storylines. This game has actually storylines thought up by the WWE writers themselves, to add an even more realistic feel to the game. Sadly, the season mode lasts only 1 year, as opposed to Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth's 2 year season mode. However, this does not cause a big problem, because the storylines are not always the same as in Smackdown: Shut Your Mouth. Playing through the game multiple times will no doubt give you more and more storylines that will get you quite excited. Despite the one year limit, it'll feel like season mode was quite a bit more than a year long. You can also talk with wrestlers backstage if they're available, and you engage in some great dialogue with them, that could result in a fight, an alliance, or mutual respect.

Graphics/Sound: The graphics in this game, while not as good as RAW 2's, are superb. The wrestlers animations are very smooth and the wrestlers themselves are quite detailed. The only bad thing in the game graphicwise would be the crowd. Some members of the crowd look like little mishapen people with signs. It still is great however to see the crowd cheer and lift up their signs when you taunt. The sound is great. Although Here Comes the Pain lacks J.R. and The King as announcers, you quickly get over it. The sound of the crowd cheering is fantastic and realistic. You also hear the realism of the slams, slaps, punches, weapon beatings, etc that make the Smackdown series a great one. Here Comes the Pain also lacks the wrestlers being announced in the entrances, but thats really no big deal in the grand scope of things.

Playtime/Replayability: This one could definitely last you a long time. There are quite a few items to unlock, including legendary wrestlers and movesets. Season mode has many surprises and to see them all you'll definitely have to play the mode many many times. The new EXP addition for your CAWs definitely adds replay value, because your CAWs will be destroyed by everyone until they get their stats raised. Of course, this game allows you to hook up and play with friends, not to mention there are lots of great modes you can play in. Creating a wrestler could take anywhere from 15 minutes to more than an hour. This game will definitely last anyone awhile.

Suggestion: Scrounge up the money and buy this game. You'll definitely get your moneys worth and then some. Yukes did an amazing job on this game. If you rent it, you're guarenteed to never want to return it. Its just that darn good.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/13/03