The Chamber debuts
The Elimination Chamber made its video game debut here: six competitors, pods that open on a timer and absolutely nowhere to run.
Home / Match 02
Here Comes
The Pain
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain arrived on PlayStation 2 in 2003 and never really left. Twenty years on, it's still the game many fans name as the greatest WWE game ever made.
- DeveloperYuke's
- PublisherTHQ
- Released2003
- PlatformPlayStation 2
The move set
Why it rules
Fast, crunchy grappling, a stacked roster and match types that fans still argue no later game has matched.
Weight detection
Size finally mattered. Smaller superstars can't just suplex a giant, so you have to pick a move set that suits the matchup.
Ruthless Aggression
Brock Lesnar on the cover and an era packed with names like Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero and The Undertaker.
Season mode, reloaded
A storyline-driven season of feuds, alliances and turning points that kept you playing "just one more show" until 2am.
Create-A-Superstar
A deep creation suite that fans used to fill memory cards with legends, rookies and wild originals of their own.
Sleepover main event
Grab your friends and a multitap. Tag matches, ladders, cages and Hell in a Cell made it a permanent fixture of PS2 game nights.
Our scorecard
Fan ratings
Totally biased, totally unofficial. Rated out of 10 by people who still own a scratched copy and a slightly sticky controller.
Rookie tips
Before your first bell
Dusting off the PS2? Here's how to stay off your back.
- Vary your grapplesDifferent grapple directions and holds unlock different moves. Experiment instead of spamming the same suplex.
- Respect the size gapWith weight detection, a cruiserweight has to wear down a big man before going for the heavy lifting.
- Reversals win matchesLearn the timing on counters. Mashing gets you planted; reading your opponent gets you the win.
- Build your momentumHit moves and taunt to fill your special, then save the finisher for when it will actually end the match.
- Patience in the ChamberLet the others beat each other up while you wait in your pod, then arrive fresh and clean house.
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