Reviewed: December 14, 2003
Reviewed by: Daniel Sayre
Publisher
THQ
Developer
Yuke's
Released: November 12, 2002
Genre: Sports
Players: 6
ESRB: Teen
10
9
6
8
9.0
Supported Features:
The Smackdown! series has quite the, pardon the expression, “pedigree” when it comes to wrestling games. While exclusive to the PlayStation series of consoles, with outings on both the PS1 and PS2, it is also one of the longest running wrestling franchises around today. As with most WWE wrestling games, WWW Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (HCTP for short) attempts to portray the sports entertainment mayhem that is displayed weekly by the WWE.
Similar to the Madden series, a “franchise” athlete is usually present on the cover. In this case, it’s Brock Lesner (whose catchphrase adorns the title.) If you don’t particularly care for Mr.Lesner, you still have 64 other characters you can use to destroy, injure, or mutilate the competition.
Coming to us once more by Yuke's, known almost exclusively for their wrestling offerings, but they have some experience with action titles as well, with Sword of the Berzerk Guts’ rage for the Dreamcast and Eve of Extinction for the PS2. As the fifth Smackdown! game, this has quite the legacy to fulfill.
If but a single world were used to describe HCTP, it would “staggering.” Everything about this game is gloriously overdone. The superstars, the match types, everything is presenting in abundance. First, let’s take a look at season mode. Season mode allows a weekly progression of your chosen superstar through all the trials and tribulation associated with a career in professional wrestling.
The characters are accurately modeled after their real life counterparts, as there are 65 of them in all, such graphical equality is quite an achievement. Yuke's even managed to have realistic females that don’t quite look like toothpick versions of the standard male model.
A great nod to the past of the WWE is presented by selectable “legends” of the sport. These legends are grapplers that saw their limelight during the wrestling heyday of the nineteen-eighties; wrestlers like The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Yuke's put the same care into the legends, so they greatly complement the main cast and are a very welcome addition. The absence of the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan, both men being giants of the sport, is unfortunate, but the excellent CAW (along with the ability to almost rectify this) goes a long way towards fixing this little pothole.
Before starting a season, you are allowed to set some parameters that will dictate, to a degree, who and what transpires (excluding certain superstars if you wish.) Throughout the season you participate in a wide variety of matches, everything from Hell in the Cell to TLC (tables, ladders, and chairs.) Between matches you are offered several options, be it upgrading your attributes, talking or fighting backstage to earn respect, or using money to unlock stages, characters, and costumes.
Attributes can affect wrestlers in several ways, increasing evasions, strength, endurance, or speed. The more matches you fight, the more points you get to raise them. It is very helpful to max these out, as they greatly benefit your wrestler. With the forces arrayed against you, you’ll need all the help you can get.
The cinematic flair of season mode is readily apparent, even going so far as to copy several greats moments from actual storylines in the real WWE. You get several opportunities to affect change with other people and, depending on how you play, the story can also be subtly altered. The only real drawback is the complete lack of vocals of any sort, but more on that below in the sound section.
Exhibition mode allows you to choose from all the match types present in the game and what a line up it is. Pretty much every kind of match that has been shown in the WWE is presented for your enjoyment. Now, to be fair, the list does not contain EVERY match that has ever been done.
For instance, buried alive, casket, and inferno matches are not in the game, nor are tuxedo matches (the male equivalent of the included “bra and panties” match type.) Regardless, the match lineup is very impressive and you could go weeks without exhausting every match type and option.
The CAW is deep, very deep. Unfortunately, it’s missing two very cool things. One, the ability for pixel-by-pixel editing (present in “Wrestlemania XiX” for Gamecube) and a real in-depth entrance editor (like the one found in “Raw 2” on the Xbox.) For such a great CAW program to force you back into almost “WWF Attitude” level entrance editing is a travesty. It seems like THQ had the greatest CAW package ever and then, for some reason, decided to split it between three different games.
The controls are very responsive. Buttons placement, once you get used to it, is perfectly capable and well thought out. The only real problem I have, is the amount of time it takes you to get up from an attack. It seems way to slow, even if you aren’t heavily injured. The opponent has ample time to pick you up and get in several attacks before you can raise your groggy wrestler. While fair, as you have the same opportunities to do this to them, it still drags down the pace of the otherwise fast paced wrestling experience.
HCTP shows some eerily lifelike movements and graphics. It is a far cry from the blocky, disproportioned, textured faced wrestlers in No Mercy and the crude digitized sprites from games like “WWF In Your House.” It even goes so far as to include the little flourishes like the Rock removing, and throwing, the elbow pad before he does the peoples elbow.
The CAW system also has decent graphical abilities. While the CAW bodies do end up looking pretty identical in the end, there is so much stuff to throw on them; they tend to be very visually distinct. There are sliders for body shape, muscles, chin, etc. Clothes and the like have the same visual quality as the regular game so CAW’s blend well with the regular wrestlers.
Wisely, Yuke's has included many things to help you craft the perfect wrestler, even including “similar” move sets for two “legends” that didn’t make it past the licensing department. Not to mention move sets for several other wrestlers they couldn’t include.
Clipping still remains a problem with both CAW and regular wrestler alike however; hands go through bodies, clothes, and ropes. It’s one of the worst repeat offenders in this area too.
The arenas, match types, and backstage areas are all well rendered. There is a lot to do backstage, and numerous items to hit, bludgeon, or drag your opponent with. Fireworks and stage designs were also ported with precise accuracy from the shows and PPV‘s that inspired them.
The weapons look like they do in real-life, with both accurate textures and models. Animations are also above reproach. When a wrestler has a particularly strong move done to them, a clothesline or spear for example, you can almost feel the bone-jarring impact. Slowdown is noticeable, mostly in cage matches between four or more people, but not a real deterrent to the action.
While we’ve had a generally positive review up to this point, this is where the sidewalk ends as it were. Sound presents a steep drop off in terms of care and quality. The only sounds you’re apt to hear from this game are theme songs and the menu song, which is repeated very, very often. On the plus side, the themes are well done, clear, and free of any major audio defects.
There is NO GAME DIALOG. No commentating, and mere text when conversations are shown in season mode. Kind of like a 2-D 16-bit RPG, only with CD quality sound and 128MB graphics.
Very jarring, and it does subtract from the overall experience. Now, I understand that it would be unfeasible for full spoken roles, but the season hits on several themes and events that could’ve been read by an announcer with little or no difficulty.
The season mode is where a lot of your single player time will be spent. There are numerous other exhibition matches that are fun, but playing those will not allow you to unlock other stages, characters and outfits, like season mode will. The season is fairly long and generally free from repetitiveness.
The CAW is the other place where the game will prove to be long and rewarding, you could literally spend hours fine-tuning the perfect wrestler. You can alter body shape, size, height, clothing, moves, text; it’s heaven for a customization freak. The game also has great legs as a party game, just get a few friends who enjoy wrestling over and play to your heart’s content.
I had not played a “Smackdown!” game since “Smackdown!” for the PS1. Stepping into the ring with WWW Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain was a severe, albeit pleasant, shock to system. The game has grabbed me in a way that only “No Mercy” has ever topped. While there were a few “quibbles” that I could have done without, the package is much more then the some of its parts.
It actually feels like you’re controlling the program, the graphics, the presentation, all exemplary. The cast, arenas, options, are incredibly expansive. It’s a very solid title and if you are even slightly interested in wrestling, you owe this game a rental. One of my top three wrestling games ever and, looking beyond the genre, a fine game in its own right; if you like wrestling and the WWE, you must get this game.