Software:WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

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Short description: 2003 professional wrestling video game

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
North American cover art featuring Brock Lesnar, Torrie Wilson, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, John Cena and The Undertaker.
Developer(s)Yuke's
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Taka Chihaya
Producer(s)Norifumi Hara
Designer(s)Yasushi Funakoshi
Sensho Mori
Hironobu Kama
Programmer(s)Sumiaki Kawasaki
Writer(s)Kenzy Nakamura
Composer(s)Momo Michishita
SeriesSmackDown!
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: October 27, 2003
  • EU: November 7, 2003
  • JP: January 29, 2004
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 in North America on October 27, 2003, Europe on November 7, 2003, and Japan on January 29, 2004. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth and the fifth and final game in the WWE SmackDown! series based on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Here Comes the Pain received positive reviews.[1] The game would be succeeded by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw in 2004.

Gameplay

The games introduced a more advanced and extensive grappling system, while still retaining the series' fast gameplay.

Alongside a new grappling system, body damage displays and submission meters (for both the person applying the move and the person breaking out of the move), as well as the ability to break the submission hold when grabbing the ropes, and individual character attributes that consisted of statistics (such as strength, endurance, and speed) were all introduced to the series for the first time. Here Comes the Pain also marks the first time the Elimination Chamber and the Bra and Panties Match would be featured in a wrestling game.

Alongside a playable roster of over 50 Superstars who were active members of the WWE roster at the time of the game's release, legends were introduced for the first time in the series, which included wrestlers such as Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, as well as former iterations of current wrestlers, such as The Undertaker with his original "Deadman" gimmick. It also marks the final time that The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin would appear in a WWE game as non-legends, and is the first WWE game to feature future mainstays John Cena, Batista, and Rey Mysterio as playable characters. It is also the first game to depict Kane without his mask.

Additional updates were also made to Season Mode, with decisions being made on a new menu screen in the locker room, while players could enter the General Manager's room to ask for title shots and brand switches, as well as having the opportunity to talk to various wrestlers appear backstage. There are multiple titles to go after depending on if the players go to SmackDown! or Raw.

Development

Early beta versions of the game featured Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan (along with his alter-ego Mr. America and his 1980s appearance) and The Ultimate Warrior. However, Hogan and Hardy were removed from the game when they left WWE, and Warrior was ultimately omitted due to legal issues. Data for other omitted wrestlers, including Al Snow, Spike Dudley, Billy Kidman, Billy Gunn, William Regal, Bradshaw, Molly Holly and 3-Minute Warning remains on the final disc, with none of them having any finished character models. The concept of having multiple versions of Hogan in one game was finally realized with his inclusion in the release of WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic85/100[1]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM7.5/10[2]
Eurogamer9/10[3]
Famitsu29/40[4]
Game Informer8.5/10[5]
GameProStarStarStarStar[6]
GameSpot9/10[7]
GameSpyStarStarStarStar[8]
GameZone9.2/10[9]
IGN9.1/10[10]
OPM (US)StarStarStarHalf star[11]

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[12] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[13]

The game received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[1]

IGN praised gameplay mechanics, graphics, career mode, and create-a-character feature, and called it one of the best games in the wrestler genre.[10] GameSpot was also positive despite saying that it lacks an innovation.[7] Eurogamer said that the game has a "superb" blend of traditional and wrestling-specific fight mechanics.[3] GMR commended the game's submission moves due to its logical location-based damage system and said that the wrestlers are accurately presented.[14]

Other reviews were more mixed. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine commented that the game tried to accommodate both sides by combining quick action with the technical elements of wrestling, but that it almost succeeds in it.[11] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40.[4]

Accolades

Distributor: Category: Result:
1st British Academy Video Games Awards Sports Game Nominated |- 2003 Spike Video Game Awards Best Sports Game
Best Fighting Game Won[15]
7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Console Fighting Game of the Year Nominated[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain for PlayStation 2 Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/wwe-smackdown-here-comes-the-pain/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2. 
  2. ↑ EGM staff (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Electronic Gaming Monthly (174): 140. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bramwell, Tom (November 13, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_wwesmackdown5_ps2. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "エキサイティングプロレス5". Famitsu 789. January 30, 2004. 
  5. ↑ Leeper, Justin (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Game Informer (129): 138. http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/9666571C-0241-4883-B47F-88146A036896.htm. Retrieved February 12, 2015. 
  6. ↑ DJ Dinobot (October 29, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/31524.shtml. Retrieved February 12, 2015. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Navarro, Alex (October 24, 2003). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Review". http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/wwe-smackdown-here-comes-the-pain-review/1900-6077294/. 
  8. ↑ Freeman, Matthew (November 15, 2003). "GameSpy: [WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain"]. GameSpy. http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/wwe-smackdown-here-comes-the-pain/497643p1.html. 
  9. ↑ Valentino, Nick (December 4, 2003). "WWE Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain - PS2 - Review". GameZone. http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/wwe_smackdown_here_comes_the_pain_ps2_review. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Dunham, Jeremy (October 24, 2003). "WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/24/wwe-smackdown-here-comes-the-pain-2. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Varanini, Giancarlo (January 2004). "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 132. http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1488899,00.asp. Retrieved February 12, 2015. 
  12. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3944. 
  13. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  14. ↑ "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". GMR (12): 92. January 2004. http://www.1up.com/reviews/wwe-smackdown-pain. Retrieved February 12, 2015. 
  15. ↑ "Video Game Awards the Results". December 8, 2003. https://megagames.com/news/video-game-awards-results. 
  16. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2004&idGame=269. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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