You can tell the people involved in making this game had one main focus in mind: FUN. I've never had more fun playing a wrestling game than I did with HCTP. Simply an all-time great.
Exactly, this game was pure entertainment, just like the thing it's based on! The wrestling gameplay was just ridiculously fun, and each wrestler felt somewhat different to play - and the royal rumbles were just maximum hype from start to finish! The customisation features were seriously awesome too - my friends and I used to spend hours in create-a-superstar and create-a-stable, the amount of options was really impressive and you could create some truly hilarious wrestlers complete with utterly ridiculous ring entrances 😂. I also really appreciated all the bonus content, if I recall correctly you could unlock the full-length, full-screen introduction videos for every wrestler, and there were some other videos too if I recall, as well as other cool unlockables (one thing a lot of modern games are seriously lacking - unlockables!).
Here Comes the Pain is a landmark in wrestling games. A game that did everything right, hit all the right notes, and left a lasting impression on the genre. THQ outdid themselves with this one
HCTP is a timeless game, 20 years is about to come up for the game next year and it is still better than most of the WWE games now and it has been regarded as the best WWE game of all time for so long now, I have never got bored of the game no matter how long I play it, it's just amazing
This game has no commentary, no Universe mode, create a wrestler where you start with virtually no attritubes, and overpowered power wrestlers... How's that the best?
@@hitek9too255 you clearly weren't around when the game came out. Why are you criticizing a game for not having features that released years later? That makes no sense. Are you saying 2k22 is the best just because it has those features? I'm enjoying 2K22 but it's not even close to being the best wrestling game.
@@hitek9too2551 commentary isnt needed universe mode isnt needed ok third is true but hctp is still the best game cuz its fun to play the current gamed are boring
No Mercy became a hidden novelty gem because most people had a PS1 instead of a N64 so it aged well. People went back to that game and are amazed how good it was for the time it was released. Even so, Here Comes the Pain is a better game for its time than No Mercy was, Smackdown 2 was comparable to No Mercy but nothing was on Here Comes the Pain level
The most lasting thing for me was those ring sounds they were so fking heavy! Everything sounded like a cannon going off! Coupled with some of those outrageous animations *Chefs kiss*
I’m so glad I still have copies of the PS2 Smackdown games. I was 9 when HCTP came out and I was so glad I got to play it as a kid. Never expected it to be this legendary. I really miss that game and wrestling around that time
You're not biased, you're just correct. There's something about these hand animated moves that had impact that we lost when they switched to Mo-Capping. And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that, for obvious safety reasons, the mo-cappers are doing moves in a ring with heavy padding (you see this in behind the scenes videos), so you lose that impact and everything seems so...soft. I think AEW Fight Forever might be a contender again as all their moves are hand animated and look impactful.
Read your comment and I wanted to say this, if you saw gameplay of Kenny Omega Vs Adam Cole that was shown from AEW Fight Forever at Gamescom Evil Uno (AEW Wrestler) said that the games moves are hand animated like SmackDown Here Comes The Pain. Moves in that game have impact like the SmackDown games did.
Hctp will always be one of the best. Not just wrestling games, but games in general. Gameplay was so satisfying. I always remember loving how impactful it felt when stone cold was stomping a mud hole haha.
One aspect I loved was in the season mode, you could actually swap out every real wrestler with created wrestlers. So in your own story you would interact with your very own roster. It was so much fun!
Once again a fantastic retrospective and so incredibly comprehensive. I know from personal experience how long these kinds of videos take and I appreciate it so much bro.
I didn’t get a PS3 until 2010 so I had a lot of time with my favorite PS2 games. This game never got boring and was in my top 5 rotation for those 7 years.
HCTP is hands down my favorite wrestling game of all time. I remember my cousins and friends would spend countless days playing this game. It had us so hyped for the first Smackdown Vs Raw game. SVR was an amazing game, don’t get me wrong..but HCTP was THE GAME for us. Even after SVR came out, we still spent more time on HCTP. For months, I didn’t realize that the “Main Event” option would take you to more matches, especially the Elimination Chamber. I found that out at 9:30pm on a school night lol. I spent all day at school excited to go home and play Elimination Chamber. I couldn’t wait to get home. This game was everything to me as a child. If the upcoming AEW video game is anything like it, these kids nowadays will have an amazing game to finally play. HCTP has a special place in my heart and always will. If I ever have kids, they’ll definitely grow up on this game too. Great review! Your channel is my favorite wrestling related channel on TH-cam! Keep up the great work, my man!
One thing that needs to be stressed here is that if you do use a created superstar in this game for the first time you're making the game harder for yourself. And yes I know there's a way around that but not everyone knows so just wanna say for season mode please be careful when using a created superstar
Great review. I like these hour long detailed reviews from you. It was so well done, it felt like 10 minutes and was sad it was over. Im sure this takes alot of your time, but it is enjoyable.
HCTP is the G.O.A.T! After making CAWs of the rest of the ECW roster and filling in the Cruiserweight Division, it felt like a masterpiece. My best friend and I played it so much we found that you can create your own double-team moves if your timing is right. Also the glitch where you could do top rope diving moves out of the "spinaroony" taunt was always fun. And then getting a CodeBreaker that let you put 2 chairs, 1 or 2 ladders, and 2 to 6 tables into ANY match, made HCTP the ultimate wrestling game to me.
my one gripe is they shouldve added the european title in the game like they did the hardcore title. couldve been a 3rd singles title on smackdown like raw did the hardcore title.
15:59 speaking of undertaker, his tombstone piledriver animation with him doing the thumbs down is in my opinion the best tombstone for his biker attire
One of the happiest single years of my life was the first year after HCTP was released. A good friend of mine and I played it almost every single day for hours and hours on end, listening to the Freddy VS. Jason soundtrack, lol. And we'd watch RAW/SD regularly. He's still alive, but hard living has consumed him, and it makes me so sad, but I'm also so happy I have the memory of that year. It's one of the reasons I made my own gaming channel to ramble about gaming like I'm doing here, lol Awesome, video, dude. Love your channel.
Thanks for sharing the memories. I have similar memories of playing WCW/nWo Revenge with one of my best friends every single day. He got into hard drugs and is now homeless. I don’t even know if he’s alive, it’s crazy. But I have those memories of us as innocent kids not yet ruined by the toxic elements life sometimes brings our way.
@NikateeN Revenge might be my favorite wrestling game ever. A girl I was dating had an older brother and he changed all the wrestlers names to various genitalia and slurs for various groups. Good times lol Thanks again for the content
It's already been said a million times in the comments section, but I'm always excited to see your latest uploads and anything wrestling-related you put out. While you have reviewed the game before, I definitely found myself enjoying this deep dive into this classic. Hopefully those who haven't played or overlooked it will consider giving it a try to see what it's all about first hand.
This Review is definitely the Definitive Video of this Video Game. Thank you for this Just a Few Correction/Tips: 1. Rhyno actually was in SmackDown: JBI so he didn’t really debut in this game 2. You can actually glitch out of the arena in any arena, not just during Elimination Chamber. Just Irish whip you opponent in the barricade and there is one dive move you can do from the apron that can glitch you through your opponent once you do the diving move correctly (Sorry I can’t remember the name of the move). This can also be done up to SVR06 3. During a Bra & Panties Match, you can strip your own clothes if you equip the People’s Elbow as your Finishing Move 4. There is a Post Credits Bonus, John Cena Rapping I would love to see you do a video just like this on the First SVR Game that was released in 2004, the one after SD!: HCTP. I loved that game as much as SD! HCTP Also I’m from Sacramento too, Brother, Respect :)
I love your videos. The way you edit and your humor is top notch. Every time I watch one of them I just feel like I'm hanging out with a best friend or something. I will patiently be waiting for Day Of Reckoning 2 REVISITED!
A brand new hour long Nika video? We're not worthy! This is the game that made me buy a PS2 multitap. I remember the summer before sophomore year of high school showing up at friend's birthday party and being a hero that night when I whipped out a newly purchased multitap and informed everyone that we could all play this game at the SAME TIME. Armageddon 6-man Hell in a Cell and TLC matches...fun was had by all.
2024 situation: S!HCTP is still, hands down, the best wrestling game ever made. I have all the wrestling games 2k24 included but after a week... again, i'm just... replaying HCTP on my PCSX2 emulator. I just can't help myself, it's just better.
Power wrestlers are overpowered in this game, no matter their ratings. A rookie Batista, Albert and Test can easily dominate Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Shawn Micheals, Booker T, The Rock even though their ratings are extremely low.
@@hugosenshida999 Yeah I figured it out, now doing a career with Batista and even tho he is damn weak and can't run for shit his moves hurt a lot since he has 9.5 attack, I found that if you have resistance under 8 you just get clapped so hard by powerful wrestlers, every hard hitting move will make your character bar shake red like when you get hit a a special, you are broken if you have a good attack power
This game is GOAT and this game is the game most Indians play with PCSX2 emulator and on PS2 itself....I don't care but this game gives the chill of matches and real life seasons like Taker vs Brock, Hollywood Rock vs Goldberg......this game is all time prime......it was like a dream for all wrestling fan to have a game like this which was completely like you are watching WWE and controlling the Players and have fun!
This game. This game. It truly is something special. Everything that was worked on ever since the first SmackDown game on the PS1 all the way to this gem to the PS2 was such an amazing journey and seeing each game getting better and better, it’s like the planets aligned for this one. Yuke’s did an AMAZING job with this one as me and my brother to this very day, 20 years later, still play this game to such addicting levels everytime we meet. And whenever our cousins come over, we get so much multiplayer mayhem, it’s so beautiful. I can’t stress how much I love this game. While 2007 is my favorite WWE game, and I love 2006, Shut Your Mouth, and No Mercy as well, HCTP is just something else, man. Truly an all time classic for life!😌👍
Just picked this game up again and I’m so glad someone finally made a video with this much depth about it, there’s so much to talk about Incredible work, and this game kicks ass!
I like that you showed Matt tipping Christian off the ladder to the outside. Christian used to love taking that bump. He did it in most of the original TLC matches I believe.
Thanks for the deep dive on this masterpiece; glad this video came up in the recommends. Excellent job of editing in all the little asides, especially in the audio department, and that Dudley Boyz commercial for Tables matches had me rolling. Gonna have to subscribe now!
Definitely the best PS2 pro wrestling game, and perhaps of that entire generation, IMO only the Day of Reckoning games come close to HCTP but I say that with some bias as I was more a GameCube dood lol The fact that this is perhaps the only game released after 2000 that can challenge No Mercy and Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 as the GOAT is no small feat, very few games can be so timeless
@@waywtc123 I wrote it in, made it before I did the rest of the video and thought about ditching it because it’s just so silly, but I’m glad I left it in, it changes things up during the nearly hour long video.
Love this video! This was my first wrestling game! I like to keep the years going in season mode. Stacey Kiebler has been my woman's champion for 10 in game years!
I thought the last two Smackdown games were going to be revisited but HCTP revisited is always good in my book. I always get bothered with some inaccuraces with entrance music (like RVD, Flair and The Dudleys) due to not having the rights. Also I think the Survivor Series 2002 stage was a custom one since it barley had one in MSG. I now begin to notice the WWE logos on the PPV aprons (except the one that did have it like Bad Blood) that wasn't on the offical apron. Otherwise great game and review.
Can’t wait to watch this later when I’m at work !!! I was actually with my middle school friends last weekend. We spoke about so many memories of this game.
Game was just so ahead of its time. I have to get back into playing it. I really wish we got the earlier builds that had Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior in them. It would have been so awesome. I'd love for someone to interview Cory Ledesma or Bryan Stratton. It would be incredible to find out everything about all the WWE games up to 2K13.
HCTP is the goat! The controls were not so unsophisticated. The roster was packed with superstars. And if anyone chose Brock to play with, it was near to impossible to beat him. Unless you had Goldberg or Triple H then you had a little chance.
Dear God, I remember picking fights with Brock backstage at ppvs while playing as a caw. I'm thankful the game designers let you run on the treadmill to 💪🏿 up.
Shut Your Mouth and Here Comes The Pain are my 2 favourite WWE games. They are perfect together. Altough the gameplay and graphics are better on HCTP, I liked the Season mode on SYM better. These hold a special place in my heart.
Oh hell yeah! Heat is very nostalgic and have nothing but good memories of it. I remember watching it on channel 4 (UK) on a Sunday afternoon when I was young, and it would always hype up a PPV when they were on that week, which made even more minor shows seem important. Not to mention, a lot of really good matches with the lower-mid card guys was a treat. I remember seeing a lot of matches with D'lo Brown and Val Venis, and also me really liking Essa Rios and thinking he would be a future star haha
I fucking hate the submissions in this game. The constant button mashing hurts my fingers and it takes like 20 submissions moves before your enemy actually taps. Most of the time, it doesn;t even feel like my button mashing is having an effect on the game.
4:17 Rhyno was also in JBI and SYM. I remember being so confused at Rhyno’s presence in SYM, my first WWE game, since I didn’t see him at all in 2002 as I got into wrestling right before Judgment Day of that year.
There will never be another wrestling game like HCTP (or any old Smackdown!/SvR games) again because the passion is gone. Developers just care about profits to please their overlords. Gaming in general has plummeted.
me and my friend used to get the new smackdown every year after starting with smackdown 1 on ps1 and its insane how much new stuff got added with each game and how much better it looked and played
It was a really good effort but a few things let it down for me: - 1. Finishers were a bit too overpowered (as crazy as that sounds), there should have been an opportunity for at least one surprise kick out 2. The weapons had no weight behind them, it felt like you were hitting with toys 3. Some of the collision detection was off 4. Striking combination system was a bit ropey 5. The reversal system wasn't in line with the real thing, the arm twist and kick in the stomach got old very quickly But apart from that, the animations were great and there were some really really nice touches like all the ladder match in ring set ups you could do, which were subsequently removed from all the WWE games after that, which sucked.
i remember little me creating a stable RVD+Ultimo Dragon called "5-Stars Dragons" both dressed in light blue were perfection! Or a stable Lesnar+TheHurricane called "F-5 Hurricane" just for laugh or conquering the season mode with Tajiri+Rhyno called "TheMist & TheBeast" ❤ These were good days, days where you could play with a friend a fisrt blood match HBK vs HHH and dueling at the last feint and cancel to trick your friend between pressing R2 or R2+L2 or just L2 😂😂😂❤❤❤ aaaah great days...
I made a mistake, this was not Rhyno’s WWF/WWE video game debut. Im glad so many pointed it out though! 😂
I was born in 84 and I owned that Akklaim WWF wrestling game and I played the crap out of it
I'm happy I was not the only one who was kinda offended back then cause I'm from sac too but it's funny now
Yeah, Rhyno debuted in WWF Just Bring It.
I remember trying to cheapshot
Goldberg an he reversed it.
then he was backstage talking to
another wrestler about it.
the scary part was when Stephanie
big googly eyes were close to the
screen when spinning the wheel
at the beginning.😳
The 2000s playing shut your mouth, here comes the pain and the SVR games. Great memories man. Thank you for all the great content over the years.
Thanks for watching!
I know what you mean, the good old days with no worries and literally EVERYTHING was better
HCTP was iconic
You can tell the people involved in making this game had one main focus in mind: FUN.
I've never had more fun playing a wrestling game than I did with HCTP. Simply an all-time great.
Exactly, this game was pure entertainment, just like the thing it's based on! The wrestling gameplay was just ridiculously fun, and each wrestler felt somewhat different to play - and the royal rumbles were just maximum hype from start to finish! The customisation features were seriously awesome too - my friends and I used to spend hours in create-a-superstar and create-a-stable, the amount of options was really impressive and you could create some truly hilarious wrestlers complete with utterly ridiculous ring entrances 😂.
I also really appreciated all the bonus content, if I recall correctly you could unlock the full-length, full-screen introduction videos for every wrestler, and there were some other videos too if I recall, as well as other cool unlockables (one thing a lot of modern games are seriously lacking - unlockables!).
Here Comes the Pain is a landmark in wrestling games. A game that did everything right, hit all the right notes, and left a lasting impression on the genre. THQ outdid themselves with this one
Nicely said!
Also how easy it is to mod it
Ironic that it came out during a big lull in WWE programming. 💀😂
Not really, it was just the roster. Later Smackdown games were better.
that an defjam ffny.
the only two games that will never
die.
HCTP is a timeless game, 20 years is about to come up for the game next year and it is still better than most of the WWE games now and it has been regarded as the best WWE game of all time for so long now, I have never got bored of the game no matter how long I play it, it's just amazing
This game has no commentary, no Universe mode, create a wrestler where you start with virtually no attritubes, and overpowered power wrestlers... How's that the best?
@@hitek9too255 you clearly weren't around when the game came out. Why are you criticizing a game for not having features that released years later? That makes no sense.
Are you saying 2k22 is the best just because it has those features?
I'm enjoying 2K22 but it's not even close to being the best wrestling game.
@@hitek9too2551 commentary isnt needed universe mode isnt needed ok third is true but hctp is still the best game cuz its fun to play the current gamed are boring
Only people under 30 say that
When the world needed him most, he returned.
Welcome back, King.
@Dave I don't think he did Smackdown yet because I rememeber anticipating that one the most, unless my memory is shot.
@Dave Shit, he did? Fuck me I gotta check it out then
PUPPIES!
You seem gay
HCTP is the GOAT wrestling game. Spare me the tired No Mercy arguments, because this game did everything right.
No Mercy became a hidden novelty gem because most people had a PS1 instead of a N64 so it aged well. People went back to that game and are amazed how good it was for the time it was released. Even so, Here Comes the Pain is a better game for its time than No Mercy was, Smackdown 2 was comparable to No Mercy but nothing was on Here Comes the Pain level
Yes agreed it is the best wrestling game ever
@@DC-YTC Yeah I said smackdown 2 and smackdown shut your mouth was better then no mercy and here comes the pain is better then both
SYM way more fun to play than HCTP
@You're under 19 don't argue yes, because it fucking doesn't
The most lasting thing for me was those ring sounds they were so fking heavy! Everything sounded like a cannon going off! Coupled with some of those outrageous animations *Chefs kiss*
Ah, the good old days. Back when video games were made with the passion.
Yes! Now they’re rushed out to meet unrealistic deadlines, banking on patches to fix things later on down the road.
I think WWE games are still great
@@hunte5748 😕
@@hunte5748 ha ha
@@themost-high898 What? Why did you say "ha ha"?
I’m so glad I still have copies of the PS2 Smackdown games. I was 9 when HCTP came out and I was so glad I got to play it as a kid. Never expected it to be this legendary. I really miss that game and wrestling around that time
I was 12 when WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain came out back in October 27, 2003.
You're not biased, you're just correct. There's something about these hand animated moves that had impact that we lost when they switched to Mo-Capping. And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that, for obvious safety reasons, the mo-cappers are doing moves in a ring with heavy padding (you see this in behind the scenes videos), so you lose that impact and everything seems so...soft. I think AEW Fight Forever might be a contender again as all their moves are hand animated and look impactful.
Read your comment and I wanted to say this, if you saw gameplay of Kenny Omega Vs Adam Cole that was shown from AEW Fight Forever at Gamescom Evil Uno (AEW Wrestler) said that the games moves are hand animated like SmackDown Here Comes The Pain. Moves in that game have impact like the SmackDown games did.
Love the surprise hour long HCTP review. Thank you!
Hctp will always be one of the best. Not just wrestling games, but games in general. Gameplay was so satisfying. I always remember loving how impactful it felt when stone cold was stomping a mud hole haha.
One aspect I loved was in the season mode, you could actually swap out every real wrestler with created wrestlers. So in your own story you would interact with your very own roster. It was so much fun!
I still turn on my ps2 to play this game from time to time hell of a fun game
Still holds up so well, right?
@@NikateeN omg yes the game was so well done I miss these days lol
Once again a fantastic retrospective and so incredibly comprehensive. I know from personal experience how long these kinds of videos take and I appreciate it so much bro.
Thanks man!
I burst out, snort laughing when Stevie Richards kicked the ref, that was unexpectedly hilarious, that sfx
I still play Smackdown Here Comes The Pain on my PS2. I love playing as Sean O'Haire in this game.
Same along with Test RIP Sean O'Haire and Test
Growing up in the 2000s playing SmackDown HCTP and SmackDown Vs Raw 2006, what a great childhood.
I didn’t get a PS3 until 2010 so I had a lot of time with my favorite PS2 games. This game never got boring and was in my top 5 rotation for those 7 years.
HCTP is hands down my favorite wrestling game of all time. I remember my cousins and friends would spend countless days playing this game. It had us so hyped for the first Smackdown Vs Raw game. SVR was an amazing game, don’t get me wrong..but HCTP was THE GAME for us. Even after SVR came out, we still spent more time on HCTP. For months, I didn’t realize that the “Main Event” option would take you to more matches, especially the Elimination Chamber. I found that out at 9:30pm on a school night lol. I spent all day at school excited to go home and play Elimination Chamber. I couldn’t wait to get home. This game was everything to me as a child. If the upcoming AEW video game is anything like it, these kids nowadays will have an amazing game to finally play. HCTP has a special place in my heart and always will. If I ever have kids, they’ll definitely grow up on this game too.
Great review! Your channel is my favorite wrestling related channel on TH-cam! Keep up the great work, my man!
Thank you!!
WWE smackdown here comes the pain is the goat forever and forever greatest wrestling game of all time
Oh I can't wait for this one!
Oh it’s I talk
One thing that needs to be stressed here is that if you do use a created superstar in this game for the first time you're making the game harder for yourself. And yes I know there's a way around that but not everyone knows so just wanna say for season mode please be careful when using a created superstar
as the great Rakiki says "DE KING, HAS RETURNED"
and with the legendary HCTP !
Great review. I like these hour long detailed reviews from you. It was so well done, it felt like 10 minutes and was sad it was over. Im sure this takes alot of your time, but it is enjoyable.
Thanks! Yes, this one took me about 2 months. 😮
HCTP is the G.O.A.T! After making CAWs of the rest of the ECW roster and filling in the Cruiserweight Division, it felt like a masterpiece. My best friend and I played it so much we found that you can create your own double-team moves if your timing is right. Also the glitch where you could do top rope diving moves out of the "spinaroony" taunt was always fun. And then getting a CodeBreaker that let you put 2 chairs, 1 or 2 ladders, and 2 to 6 tables into ANY match, made HCTP the ultimate wrestling game to me.
will never get tired of HCTP reviews
😎
2003 was perhaps the greatest year in gaming
Shut Your Mouth and Here Comes the Pain were such a great one-two punch. The series dipped after this.
I agree! I know the SvsR series is hugely popular but I felt it was never the same after HCTP.
@@NikateeN Yeah I didn’t feel the games although that is probably partly due to the WWE itself declining in quality at that time IMO.
Wrestling in general dipped after this.
Please. Smackdoown 2006, 2007, and 08 were much better.
@@Rschr101 How?
Only thing I didn't like was not being able to have both undertakers in season mode at the same time.
my one gripe is they shouldve added the european title in the game like they did the hardcore title. couldve been a 3rd singles title on smackdown like raw did the hardcore title.
15:59 speaking of undertaker, his tombstone piledriver animation with him doing the thumbs down is in my opinion the best tombstone for his biker attire
I can tell the creator put a lot of work into this review and it shows...I respect the hell outta that
Thanks man!
@@NikateeN it's all love bro
One of the happiest single years of my life was the first year after HCTP was released. A good friend of mine and I played it almost every single day for hours and hours on end, listening to the Freddy VS. Jason soundtrack, lol. And we'd watch RAW/SD regularly. He's still alive, but hard living has consumed him, and it makes me so sad, but I'm also so happy I have the memory of that year. It's one of the reasons I made my own gaming channel to ramble about gaming like I'm doing here, lol
Awesome, video, dude. Love your channel.
Thanks for sharing the memories. I have similar memories of playing WCW/nWo Revenge with one of my best friends every single day. He got into hard drugs and is now homeless. I don’t even know if he’s alive, it’s crazy. But I have those memories of us as innocent kids not yet ruined by the toxic elements life sometimes brings our way.
@NikateeN Revenge might be my favorite wrestling game ever. A girl I was dating had an older brother and he changed all the wrestlers names to various genitalia and slurs for various groups. Good times lol
Thanks again for the content
Another pro is that the season mode doesn't get harder as it's progresses.
I still remember the first tag team I created in this game. It was The Rock and Rey Mysterio. I called them "The Masked Rocks" 🤦
Nice
It's already been said a million times in the comments section, but I'm always excited to see your latest uploads and anything wrestling-related you put out. While you have reviewed the game before, I definitely found myself enjoying this deep dive into this classic. Hopefully those who haven't played or overlooked it will consider giving it a try to see what it's all about first hand.
STILL the best wrestling game. Made a bunch of super-accurate CAWs, too, like Vader, Bam Bam and Hollywood Hogan.
This Review is definitely the Definitive Video of this Video Game. Thank you for this
Just a Few Correction/Tips:
1. Rhyno actually was in SmackDown: JBI so he didn’t really debut in this game
2. You can actually glitch out of the arena in any arena, not just during Elimination Chamber. Just Irish whip you opponent in the barricade and there is one dive move you can do from the apron that can glitch you through your opponent once you do the diving move correctly (Sorry I can’t remember the name of the move). This can also be done up to SVR06
3. During a Bra & Panties Match, you can strip your own clothes if you equip the People’s Elbow as your Finishing Move
4. There is a Post Credits Bonus, John Cena Rapping
I would love to see you do a video just like this on the First SVR Game that was released in 2004, the one after SD!: HCTP. I loved that game as much as SD! HCTP
Also I’m from Sacramento too, Brother, Respect :)
The most dangerous environment to ever surround a WWE ring.
The WWE universe. 😂 😆
I love your videos. The way you edit and your humor is top notch. Every time I watch one of them I just feel like I'm hanging out with a best friend or something. I will patiently be waiting for Day Of Reckoning 2 REVISITED!
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. I can’t wait to revisit those titles, I had a lot of fun with those!
what an awesome nostalgia trip!thanks for the video NikateeN!greetings from Greece!
Best wrestling game ever! I can jump right back into this game and get lost in it like it was 2003 all over again
A brand new hour long Nika video? We're not worthy!
This is the game that made me buy a PS2 multitap. I remember the summer before sophomore year of high school showing up at friend's birthday party and being a hero that night when I whipped out a newly purchased multitap and informed everyone that we could all play this game at the SAME TIME. Armageddon 6-man Hell in a Cell and TLC matches...fun was had by all.
Similar memories here! Such a great time.
2024 situation: S!HCTP is still, hands down, the best wrestling game ever made. I have all the wrestling games 2k24 included but after a week... again, i'm just... replaying HCTP on my PCSX2 emulator. I just can't help myself, it's just better.
What a fantastic job. Long form videos are the shit! Keep doing a great job
Thanks a lot!
Longer Nika videos are always a good thing.
I died from laughter when C*** B***** was censored.
Power wrestlers are overpowered in this game, no matter their ratings. A rookie Batista, Albert and Test can easily dominate Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Shawn Micheals, Booker T, The Rock even though their ratings are extremely low.
What does power wrestlers really mean? Which are considered like this in the game?
no they can't you just suck
@@mihailcirlig8187characters mostly focused on strenght
@@hugosenshida999 Yeah I figured it out, now doing a career with Batista and even tho he is damn weak and can't run for shit his moves hurt a lot since he has 9.5 attack, I found that if you have resistance under 8 you just get clapped so hard by powerful wrestlers, every hard hitting move will make your character bar shake red like when you get hit a a special, you are broken if you have a good attack power
This video was great.
I always enjoy hearing someone talk about the good ole days of Pro Wrestling and video games.
This game is GOAT and this game is the game most Indians play with PCSX2 emulator and on PS2 itself....I don't care but this game gives the chill of matches and real life seasons like Taker vs Brock, Hollywood Rock vs Goldberg......this game is all time prime......it was like a dream for all wrestling fan to have a game like this which was completely like you are watching WWE and controlling the Players and have fun!
This game. This game. It truly is something special. Everything that was worked on ever since the first SmackDown game on the PS1 all the way to this gem to the PS2 was such an amazing journey and seeing each game getting better and better, it’s like the planets aligned for this one. Yuke’s did an AMAZING job with this one as me and my brother to this very day, 20 years later, still play this game to such addicting levels everytime we meet. And whenever our cousins come over, we get so much multiplayer mayhem, it’s so beautiful. I can’t stress how much I love this game. While 2007 is my favorite WWE game, and I love 2006, Shut Your Mouth, and No Mercy as well, HCTP is just something else, man. Truly an all time classic for life!😌👍
Just picked this game up again and I’m so glad someone finally made a video with this much depth about it, there’s so much to talk about
Incredible work, and this game kicks ass!
Thanks a lot! Enjoy it, there’s so much fun to be had.
knocked it out the park again. I hope this gets picked up by the algorithm and brings the eyes it deserves
Thanks Ben!
This game was forged by gods, can't wait for the svr games to be reviewed again
I like that you showed Matt tipping Christian off the ladder to the outside. Christian used to love taking that bump. He did it in most of the original TLC matches I believe.
Phenomenal review and editing. Well done
Thanks a lot Marc!
"And I'll be sure to come back when the Lakers beat the Kings in May."
LMFAO 🤣
😡
Bra and panties match is a man’s right of passage 😂
Thanks for the deep dive on this masterpiece; glad this video came up in the recommends. Excellent job of editing in all the little asides, especially in the audio department, and that Dudley Boyz commercial for Tables matches had me rolling. Gonna have to subscribe now!
Thanks so much!!
Any doubt this is the greatest wrestling video game of all time?
You can't get my full opinion probably ever because I don't have a PS2 but it does seem like the greatest wrestling game but I don't know
Oh boy have I been waiting for this. Christmas has come early this year. Keep up the fabulous work my man.
Definitely the best PS2 pro wrestling game, and perhaps of that entire generation, IMO only the Day of Reckoning games come close to HCTP but I say that with some bias as I was more a GameCube dood lol
The fact that this is perhaps the only game released after 2000 that can challenge No Mercy and Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 as the GOAT is no small feat, very few games can be so timeless
Did they ever use the Alkaline Trio song 'Armageddon' for the PPV of the same name? If not, what a missed opportunity!
Really love this documentary/retrospective style vid, my man. Great stuff!
This was really well made. Great job. HCTP is my all time favorite. So many fun memories from that game.
Thanks!!
HCTP is a banger game, and I've always enjoyed your wrestling game reviews, so this already looks like a awesome vid right off the bat!
It’s a BIG one! Hope you enjoy it. 😎
@@NikateeN I most certainly did! That commercial segment was definitely one of your best bits haha
@@waywtc123 I wrote it in, made it before I did the rest of the video and thought about ditching it because it’s just so silly, but I’m glad I left it in, it changes things up during the nearly hour long video.
Ahahahaha that home improvement sound was amazing 🤣🤣🤣
Best wrestling game of all time imo. There is still a community of us playing this on the speedrun website if anyone wants to get involved.
That's when you know a game is great, when people are still playing it in 2022 lol
BY GAWD! IT CAN'T BE! THAT'S NIKATEEN'S MUSIC! BY GAWD BY GAWD IT'S HIM! NIKATEEN NIKATEEN NIKATEEN!
I’ve been watching you for years ever since your first few wrestling game reviews. And the editing on this one is amazing..
Thanks a lot, much appreciated!
Love this video! This was my first wrestling game! I like to keep the years going in season mode. Stacey Kiebler has been my woman's champion for 10 in game years!
29:07 this commercial was so funny and creative😂
I thought the last two Smackdown games were going to be revisited but HCTP revisited is always good in my book.
I always get bothered with some inaccuraces with entrance music (like RVD, Flair and The Dudleys) due to not having the rights.
Also I think the Survivor Series 2002 stage was a custom one since it barley had one in MSG.
I now begin to notice the WWE logos on the PPV aprons (except the one that did have it like Bad Blood) that wasn't on the offical apron.
Otherwise great game and review.
Can’t wait to watch this later when I’m at work !!! I was actually with my middle school friends last weekend. We spoke about so many memories of this game.
"Making your opponent smell your butt" 🤣
Still hasn't been beat. We are in 2022.
Game was just so ahead of its time. I have to get back into playing it. I really wish we got the earlier builds that had Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior in them. It would have been so awesome. I'd love for someone to interview Cory Ledesma or Bryan Stratton. It would be incredible to find out everything about all the WWE games up to 2K13.
XD You always make the silliest CAWS ever!
HCTP is the goat! The controls were not so unsophisticated. The roster was packed with superstars. And if anyone chose Brock to play with, it was near to impossible to beat him. Unless you had Goldberg or Triple H then you had a little chance.
Dear God, I remember picking fights with Brock backstage at ppvs while playing as a caw. I'm thankful the game designers let you run on the treadmill to 💪🏿 up.
Shut Your Mouth and Here Comes The Pain are my 2 favourite WWE games. They are perfect together. Altough the gameplay and graphics are better on HCTP, I liked the Season mode on SYM better. These hold a special place in my heart.
Thank you for taking the time to make such an in-depth review. Your passion really came through. Subbed.
Thanks a lot!
Oh hell yeah! Heat is very nostalgic and have nothing but good memories of it. I remember watching it on channel 4 (UK) on a Sunday afternoon when I was young, and it would always hype up a PPV when they were on that week, which made even more minor shows seem important. Not to mention, a lot of really good matches with the lower-mid card guys was a treat. I remember seeing a lot of matches with D'lo Brown and Val Venis, and also me really liking Essa Rios and thinking he would be a future star haha
39:34 It took them until 2k18 to have entrances for elimination chamber. Also this was a great video 👍
Thanks!
That "ohhhhhhh!" cracked me up :p
😂
@@NikateeN Hey btw, are you keeping an eye on aew fight forever? Looks alot like the n64 aki games
@@moogibeans9822 I haven’t seen the latest footage, but I’ve been meaning to check it out!
My favorite wrestling game of all time. Great video, enjoyed watching the whole thing
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I fucking hate the submissions in this game. The constant button mashing hurts my fingers and it takes like 20 submissions moves before your enemy actually taps. Most of the time, it doesn;t even feel like my button mashing is having an effect on the game.
I finally got the game a few days ago. I've been playing it non stop. It really is that damn good.
Is it your first time playing it?
@@NikateeN yep.
4:17 Rhyno was also in JBI and SYM. I remember being so confused at Rhyno’s presence in SYM, my first WWE game, since I didn’t see him at all in 2002 as I got into wrestling right before Judgment Day of that year.
i always liked how you could stack ladders on top of tables, making a high platform and five star frog splashing onto the announcers table was awesome
14:44 that Goldberg spear is so awesome. They still can't replicate that impact in the 2K games.
I was gonna buy it in 2003 and then I was like "nah, lemme wait 19 years for the definitive review"
This is one of the best games of all time same with SmackDown shut Your Mouth. Thanks for the content man keep up the good work!
There will never be another wrestling game like HCTP (or any old Smackdown!/SvR games) again because the passion is gone. Developers just care about profits to please their overlords. Gaming in general has plummeted.
Hell yes! I think I’m going to make this a PPV order a pizza get some cheescake and watch this twice!!!!!!!
me and my friend used to get the new smackdown every year after starting with smackdown 1 on ps1 and its insane how much new stuff got added with each game and how much better it looked and played
cool to see you back
Brilliantly made video, well spoken and well edited
Not having Jeff killed me with this game. Still the best game out but damn it needed Jeff
It was a really good effort but a few things let it down for me: -
1. Finishers were a bit too overpowered (as crazy as that sounds), there should have been an opportunity for at least one surprise kick out
2. The weapons had no weight behind them, it felt like you were hitting with toys
3. Some of the collision detection was off
4. Striking combination system was a bit ropey
5. The reversal system wasn't in line with the real thing, the arm twist and kick in the stomach got old very quickly
But apart from that, the animations were great and there were some really really nice touches like all the ladder match in ring set ups you could do, which were subsequently removed from all the WWE games after that, which sucked.
Woah! Was not expecting a Here Comes the Pain review. This is awesome! Great game. :)
i remember little me creating a stable RVD+Ultimo Dragon called "5-Stars Dragons" both dressed in light blue were perfection! Or a stable Lesnar+TheHurricane called "F-5 Hurricane" just for laugh or conquering the season mode with Tajiri+Rhyno called "TheMist & TheBeast" ❤ These were good days, days where you could play with a friend a fisrt blood match HBK vs HHH and dueling at the last feint and cancel to trick your friend between pressing R2 or R2+L2 or just L2 😂😂😂❤❤❤ aaaah great days...