WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

"Smackdown returns..again."

WWE Smackdown!:Here Comes the Pain

What can I say? It's the Smackdown! series, an unforgettable series which gave everyone the feel of the few that only a few good wrestling games around gave. It started with 'WWF Smackdown!' in late '99, the following was 'WWF Smackdown!: Know Your Role' towards the Millenium, both for the PSone, then in 2001 WWF Smackdown! jumped to the PS2 with 'Just Bring It', the next game was in late 2002, 'WWE Smackdown!: Shut Your Mouth', the end of Rock phrases came with the latest one, 'WWE Smackdown!: Here Comes the Pain', let me illustrate you the game.

Graphics: 9.5/10. Bullseye, as usual and the only one in the whole game. This is the backbone of the game and always has been a point to admire in Smackdown, the blood is realistic, yes sometimes you do get a hand coming out of the other side of a person's body (usually with CAWs) and yes the hair doesn't actually fly behind you, it's more like a wig with hairs stuck to the poor wrestler's face, when they walk out from the backstage and taunt the crowd, The Rock doesn't raises his eyebrow when he already threw his elbow pad off, but changes elbow.

Gameplay/Controls: 7/10. As usual, Smackdown games have gameplay that makes you wish that your mother hadn't bothered giving you birth, do you have to pray to god that when you're trying to grab someones foot that you don't give your partner a back suplex? The gameplay isn't that bad, the new grappling system (though totally un needed) works well. You have the same number of grapples as the groggy state gives you the same old grapples. If you press circle and up, you will do the grapple for power moves, then pressing circle and another direction you will do a specific power grapple, left is signature, down is submission and right is quick moves, a good but un needed addition. The submission system was a waste of time, why waste time killing your thumb to get the computer to submit if you're wrestler's rated 1 in submission and the computer's Kurt Angle? Completely useless. The weight system is a good idea, but why can a lightweight pick Big Show up if the last ride's their finisher but not a regular move? And what happened. Another good adition is the body specific system. One of the few decent new additions. If you hit someone with an F-5 and put a leg lock on them they won't tap out as easily as if you put a standing crossface on them. When a body part is blue it's in good conditions, if it's yellow, it's a bit hurt, if it's red it's been hurt alot and therefor can be subject to a submission. Match aditions are first blood, elimination chamber and bra and pannies. First blood is first to bleed, nothing much and bra and pannies is just useless, take a girl's shirt off, well da lee da someone get me some champagne, Elimination Chamber is a decent match however and isn't a perverted waste of space. Why is it that when you're facing someone they become momentarily invisible when you come to the ring? And why are referees still semi-invisible blocks? Why do they have 100 technique skills? They should run for their lives when the Undertaker tries to hit them instead of blocking and hitting him in the stomach.Controls are good, new controls are l2 blocks strikes, r2 blocks grapples and both together block special moves. Square is now the r1 button, it's used to get in and out of the ring, pick up weapons and such. Circle throws weapons now, up/down plus x does a weapon used grapple. It could be improved.

Audio/Sound: 8/10. The audio is audio, it's got nearly all the music and when someone hits the mat you can hear it. Commentary in previous games was terrible and Yukes just took it away which isn't that good as some decent commentary is quite rare these days (apart from EA games). The crowd chant and boo well, so yeah I think this section is quite good.

Artificial Intelligence/Season Mode: 9/10. This rating is a mix between the Season Mode (10) and the good AI (8). The Season Mode is probably the best Season Mode there has been for wrestling games, fueds exist for the first time ever and the 'original storylines written by WWE writers' are good, even though they've already been done. Factions? Done. Referee Strike? Done. The list goes on even though the storyline is good, you can't walk around anymore, you can 'warp' to wherever which is good, you can talk with people even though it's a waste of time, you can talk to the GM which is good if you want a title shot, you can also watch the inexistant fued between you and your opponent at a ppv, sometimes you've never touched your opponent before the match, it looks good but it gets boring after a bit. You also earn points for winning and they add to your SP also EXP points are used to make your attibutes betrer. The AI is good, if you hit a finisher on someone, hit the tag partner from the canvas so he falls and pin the person the partner stands up and goes back to apron with few exeptions. They do stupid things like climbing up the chamber and jumping off for no reason and throwing their tag partner off a ladder if you're on it too.

Miscellaneous: 7/10. Unlockables are good, you can unlock legends, arenas, attires and loading screens which is good, the create a wrestler's awesome as usual even though I don't use it, the game's fun and you'll be playing it for months.

Rent or Buy?: It's a great game and many people like it, but to find out if you do, rent it first and then buy it, it's a great game even if I make it sound like I don't like it.

Overall: 8/10. Could be better, but still a great game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/28/04