WWE SmackDown
submit your opinion
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Rated:
"WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain"
[submitted by theGodfather ] Without a shadow of a doubt, the newest addition to
the Yukes/THQ�s Smackdown! Series is definitely the
best wrestling game there is. The game speed has been
slowed down by a little and it now plays more like a
simulation-type of game. Here comes the pain simply
blows the competition out of the water. Lets face it-
JBI wasn�t exactly that great and though SYM was
pretty good, it looked rather cartoony and their
season modes weren�t the best either. HCTP takes the
good stuff out of SYM, and improves on it a whole lot
to ensure hours of fun, be it playing with yourself or
with a friend.
Controls : 4/5
The controls have been slightly altered for the
better. The reversal buttons are L2 and R2 to counter
striking moves and grapples respectively, and the
Square button is now sort of a �use� button to pick up
weapons, get in/out of the ring, like R1 for the
previous games. People who have been faithfully
started playing from the earlier Smackdown games might
take quite a while to get really used to the controls.
But trust me, once you get used to it you�ll never
want go back to the old-fashioned way of countering.
Gameplay : 5/5
The AI in this game is simply GREAT. Don�t
underestimate your opponent
whom you could beat senseless in previous games as
they are now a lot smarter. So, don�t worry if you get
trashed when you�ve just started. The opponent also
attempts a pin on you after a devastating move now,
instead of just standing around like a fool.
With the implementation of the Weight System, Gone are
the days which you can win any match you wanted with
lets say, Trish Stratus. Smaller wrestlers are now
unable to lift opponents way bigger than them.
Instead, they have to depend on their speed and Even,
so �weaker� wrestlers can also prove to be a challenge
at harder levels.
Another great addition is the new grapple system.
Front grapples now include the Powerful, Quick,
Signature and Submission grapples. Using this new
system, each wrestler now has 16 front grapples which
are added to his/her arsenal of moves.
Yet another addition is the submission system which is
the tug-of-war button mashing fun. To get out of a
submission maneuver, you have to repeatly ( and
quickly ) press a button and vice versa for performing
one of your own. This time around, the wrestlers
actually reach for the ropes and there is a bar
showing you how close your victim is to tapping out ,
reaching for the ropes and escaping. Of course, to
maximise damage you have to first work on a specific
part of your opponents body, made possible by the
fantastic new damage system. So, if you want to
perform a sharpshooter, you might want to work on the
opponent�s legs first.
Graphics : 5/5
Just�wow. Is it Monday night already, or is it just
the INCREDIBLE graphics of this game?? Wrestlers look
almost exactly like their real life counterparts and
are look simply great. Even the tattoos in this game
are pretty much accurate. The pyros have been
improved, and the entrances look even better this time
around. However, entrances seem to have been
shortened. The beautiful arenas and moves which have
been reanimated ( most of them ) and add to the
eye-candy. Move�s like the new Pedigree and F5 look
wonderful. Excessive beatings can lead to wrestlers
bleeding if focus on his head. Blood is a little
disappointing, though. All it does is stay on his/her
face and occasionally it�ll fly everywhere. It won�t
stain the ring or anything, though. The front row
crowds are in 3d and seem just a little hyperactive.
^_^
Sound : 4.5/5
The BGM is much better and less irritating than
before, and I don�t have many complaints about the
sound. The crowd is a whole lot better than the dead
crowd in SYM now, and there are dozens of new chants
like �Jericho sucks!�, �HLA!� and the infamous �We
want tables!�. The crowd chants last for only quite a
while. I just wish it would be longer to add
excitement to the match. Commentary and ring
announcing are gone. I don�t mind commentary being
taken out, since it was terrible in both JBI and SYM.
However, I�m not very happy that they took out ring
announcing, as it added spice to the entrances. Most
wrestlers have their actual entrance theme music,
while others like the Dudley Boys, RVD, unfortunately,
don�t. The sounds of moves, etc etc are better than
before. Another downside to this game is the absence
of voice acting.
Story/Season : 4/5
Better storylines by �WWE writers� will have you
addicted to it for a looong time. Each match will earn
you Superstar Points ( which is pretty much your
ranking ), Shopzone Dollars (to unlock goodies like
alternate costumes, arenas, legends and even different
bra and panties colours for the respective female
divas) I hated moving around backstage in SYM and
thankfully it has been replaced with a better
alternative. From your locker , you can choose to
visit places like the carpark or the GM�s room, use
your Shopzone Dollars, edit Stables, check up on other
wrestlers� stats and even build up your attributes.
Fun Factor : 5/5
New matches including Elimination Chamber, Bra &
Panties and First Blood will have you hooked for hours
on end. Try out the Last Man Standing match, it�ll be
a heck of a fight. What�s more, tables now can be
broken when you perform particular moves beside a
table (for example, Undertaker�s Last Ride)! Feeling
nostalgic? Why not use some Legends like Hawk and Old
School Undertaker? I�m not very sure how Hillbilly Jim
got it, though.
Create-A-Wrestler : 4/5
Not much has changed from SYM. Just some stuff were
put in. Not exactly a bad thing, but I wish more there
were more improvements to this. CAWs now have teeth,
but they don�t look very good. The CAW still looks
horrible compared to the superstars.
Overall : 5/5
A very fun game that can last you for quite a while.
Forget about Raw 2 and Wrestlemania XIX. Whether or
not you�re a fan of the Smackdown! Series or No Mercy,
what are you waiting for? Go get it now!! You won�t
regret it.
A Second Opinion:
