Easily the best game of the SmackDown series and a must-buy for the PS2..............
After the success of SmackDown: Shut Your Mouth, Yukes literally overhauled the game's mechanism into something brand new and rather addictive at the same time. New additions to the controls now are separate buttons for countering the A.I. (L2 for reversing strikes, R2 for reversing grapples, L2+R2 for reversing finishers) as opposed to guessing with one-button reversing.
Roster wise, it's definitely the biggest out of the 10 SmackDown games out right now. And quite possibly the most accurate around that timeframe. This game is also the first one to feature WWE Legends such as The Iron Sheik, Jimmy Snuka, Ted Dibiase, etc.
The gameplay is top notch and the controls are rather easy to get used to. Matches are fast-paced, faster than any of its successors so you're really gonna be having to be on your toes with the A.I who is also a major pain at times if you attack them on the higher difficulties.
Another thing about this game I love is the huge amount of customisation that comes with it during Season Mode, that being the ability to control which show you want to wrestle on, which wrestlers you want on that specific show, their alignments, rivalries, etc. Also the wrestler you choose interacts with everyone backstage via dialogue and an option that could easily make or break your career, so be careful.
New mechanisms added to Here Comes The Pain would be the weight engine and limb meter. No longer can you lift Big Show with Stacy Keibler anymore or else you'll get hurt easily while the limb meter pinpoints which part of your opponent's body you have been working on throughout the match (very useful for making someone bleed or quick submission wins).
Favorable matches such as Hardcore and Last Man Standing matches are extremely fun. For Hardcore matches, you can literally fight ANYWHERE. That meaning, like Shut Your Mouth, head towards the pointer in any area of the arena and pressing "X" sends you and your opponents to a brand new area to brawl. P.S: 6-man Hardcore Time Limit are the bomb at times. LMS are challenging as hell too cause it takes a lot to keep the A.I down for a 10-count. Sometimes whatever you ditch out just isn't enough to keep them down too, which adds to the challenge and fun of the game.
The final saving grace? Unlike the SmackDown Vs Raw series, the game has no limits to their match types, meaning ANYONE (even the divas) can participate in the more sadistic gimmick matches such as Hell In A Cell (but not First Blood matches obviously).
All in all, SmackDown: Here Comes The Pain is without a doubt the best game of the SmackDown series and a must-buy from Amazon if you get the chance.
Also, while people praise this game as the best wrestling game ever, I consider it one of the best ones in the North American market in the last 15 years or so. Because I am pretty sure they are other games (mostly from Japan) that are many times better than this particular one.