WWE Smack Down! Here Comes The Pain - Reception

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."

Other reviews were more mixed. 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." The 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."

Won best fighting game at the 2003 Spike Video Game Awards beating: Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home, Bloody Roar 4, Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO, Def Jam Vendetta, Pride FC, Soulcalibur II, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution & WWE Wrestlemania XIX