WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 in Japan) is a video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ on October 27, 2003. It is a sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth and is part of the WWE SmackDown! (later renamed WWE SmackDown vs. Raw, now simply WWE) series based on World Wrestling Entertainment's weekly TV show of the same name. It was the first SmackDown! game to feature a catchphrase not linked back to The Rock in its title. It was also the final WWE game under the SmackDown! name and it was succeeded by WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw.
Features
The game introduced a more traditional grappling system while retaining the series’ fast gameplay. In this new grappling system also included were body damage meters, individual character scales that consisted of stats such as strength, endurance and speed, 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 being close to the ropes.
In addition, the game does away with the audio commentary feature that was used in its predecessors WWE SmackDown! Just Bring It and WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth as well as eliminate ring announcers. The only in-game voice featured is the ref's voice, which is the same for both Earl Hebner and Mike Chioda. It would be the last game to not feature voice-over of any kind until it was fully implemented in its successor WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw.
This would be the final SmackDown! game that featured Brock Lesnar (until WWE 12), Val Venis, and Rikishi, as well as the only WWE licensed game to feature Ultimo Dragon and Sean O'Haire as playable characters. It is also the first game in the SmackDown! series to have John Cena, Batista, Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio as playable characters. This also marks the final time that Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock would appear in a SmackDown! game as non-legends, as well as the first and only game in the series to show The Rock's new tattoo until WWE '12..Aside from the Smackdown! series, The Rock does sport his tattoo in WWE WrestleMania XIX and WWE Day of Reckoning for the Nintendo GameCube, As well as WWE RAW 2 for the Xbox. This is also the only game of the SmackDown! series to have Goldberg as a playable character due to his contract expiration. Also it is the last game to have Undertaker with his biker gimmick (the attire was downloadable content in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011, though the entrance and music were not), and his brother Kane without his mask for the first time in the series.
The development version, though, featured Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan (along with his alter-ego Mr. America) and Ultimate Warrior. Hardy was removed when he left WWE for TNA. Hogan and his Mr. America character were also deleted when he left the company. Warrior was removed after he threatened the WWE with a lawsuit. The game also had a few other wrestlers who were supposed to be in the game but were removed as well. The most notable being: Spike Dudley, Billy Kidman, Billy Gunn, William Regal, Bradshaw, and Three Minute Warning just to name a few. Although they can be found in certain wrestler's entrance video's making brief cameos.
Reception
The game received favourable reviews and high scores from the critics. It gained an aggregate score of 86.46% from GameRankings based on 50 reviews, and an aggregate score of 85/100 from Metacritic based on 27 critics.
IGN rated the game a 9.1/10, calling it: "One of the best wrestling games we've ever played...With its ultra-improved gameplay mechanics, enhanced visual engine, smarter career mode, and established create-a-character feature, Yukes and THQ are definitely the track to success."GameSpot rated it a 9/10, stating: "What the game lacks in innovation, however, is more than made up for in sheer playability."Eurogamer gave the game a rating of 9/10, calling it: "A superb blend of traditional and wrestling-specific fight mechanics, and there's so much variety here that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you could play this one from now until the next SmackDown without getting bored or running out of things to do."1UP.com gave the game a B+ grade, stating: "The total package is solid, and while it's not the holy grail fans have hoped for since the N64's "No Mercy," it's light-years beyond what THQ used to try and sell under the SmackDown! name."
However, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine called it: "The first game in the series that tries to accommodate both sides by combining quick action with the technical elements of wrestling, and it works -- almost."
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