Game #1221: WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

  Do not pursue Brock Lesnar!

 While I had played a few wrestling games before, WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain was the first one I really enjoyed. It was a blast, it was fun to play and the season mode was brilliant, I remember I quickly developed hatred towards Brock Lesnard, as he was always up for a tussle and he was a pain in the butt to fight as Rey Mysterio. But it was thanks to this mode and the story that could be told that the game became so memorable for me.

 One of the best things about the game is just how many types of matches it has. Tag Team, Cage Match, Ladder Match, Table Match, Elimination, First Blood, Survival, etc... as well as the, um, exciting bra & panties match in which two divas have to undress each other. But then there's THE best part about the game, Season mode. Here you follow the career of whichever wrestler you pick. In this mode you go from dumb storyline to dumb storyline, full of betrayal and ridiculously cheesy, but endearing, moments. You even get to make choices from time to time. This mode is a lot of fun, I didn't even reload when I lost some matches because it added flavor to whatever story I was a part of. This mode was incredibly addictive, I just couldn't put the controller down. And you also gain XP after matches, letting you level up your stats.

 Gameplay is a bit clunkier than I remember, mostly in the movement department, but it gets the job done. You get a button to perform strikes with and another one to pull off grabs, depending on the direction you use on the analog stick you'll produce different strikes and grabs. You can damage individual parts of an opponent's body, slowly weakening them. There's also a super move, that you build up by laying the smackdown on your rivals. L1 and L2 can be used to counter strikes or grabs, and I'd lie if I said that I knew the timing, so I just mashed. If there's one thing I didn't like is that there are weight divisions, and characters such as Rey Mysterio can't lift a few wrestlers, which was very annoying as it limited my moveset.

 WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain was very well received at the time of its release.... and I agree. I had never cared about wrestling until this game. And while some parts of it have aged a bit, the pure cheese and charm this game offers still makes it a fun time. 

 8.5