WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain Beginner Tips

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is a PlayStation 2 wrestling game developed by Yuke’s and published by THQ. This guide covers that original PS2 release only. The controls are straightforward to map, but the game adds more to manage through varied match types, special objectives, and low-stat Season starts.

Essential Tips

1. Build your first match around the control map

Start in a singles Exhibition match and make the button layout automatic. Triangle runs, X strikes, and Circle with a direction begins a grapple. The most important defensive split is L2 for a strike reversal and R2 for a grapple reversal. That distinction is the foundation of the entire match: recognize whether the opponent is throwing a hit or beginning a lockup, then press the appropriate reversal button instead of reacting with a single panic input.

Use X deliberately before you chase elaborate moves. A standing opponent can take a short X-button combo, and the space after it is often cleaner than trying to force a grapple immediately. Running is useful for closing distance, but sprinting constantly turns a controlled exchange into a collision you have not read. Take a few matches to practice approaching, striking, reversing, and re-centering before you load a ladder, cage, or multiplayer brawl.

2. Choose a grapple type for the situation

Here Comes the Pain does not treat every grapple as the same command. Up plus Circle starts a power grapple, down plus Circle starts a submission grapple, left plus Circle starts a signature grapple, and right plus Circle starts a quick grapple. After the lockup begins, follow with another directional Circle input to select the actual move.

That two-step structure rewards intent. Use a quick grapple when you want to keep the pace moving or create a simple positional change. Use a power grapple when you have an opening and want heavier offense. Use a submission grapple after working a body part, rather than picking it only because a hold looks impressive. Signature grapples are another way to keep a wrestler’s offense recognizable without relying on one repeated command.

Do not try to memorize every wrestler’s full move list on day one. Pick one favorite, test the four entrances to the grapple system, and notice where each option leaves the opponent. Once you know which moves put someone down, move them toward ropes, or leave them vulnerable, the rest of the roster becomes easier to learn.

3. Let the damage display choose your target

The body display is more than decoration. It tracks damage to the head, torso, arms, and legs, changing color as a location takes more punishment. Make it your decision tool. If the legs are showing the most damage, keep using attacks that make sense for that target rather than starting a brand-new plan on the head. If you want a submission, work toward the hold through the matching area instead of applying it at random.

This also improves your defense. When your own limbs are showing serious damage, avoid giving the opponent the same easy setup repeatedly. Create space, reverse an expected attack, or change the pace with a quick grapple. You do not need a perfect simulation of a real wrestling match; you need to stop giving the opponent an obvious route to the body part they have already softened up.

4. Treat reversals as timing practice, not a rescue button

The game gives strikes and grapples different reversal buttons because it expects you to identify the incoming action. Spend an Exhibition match doing almost nothing except watching for those two attack types. Reverse a few strikes with L2, then let the opponent attempt grapples and answer with R2. The goal is to learn the visual rhythm, not to win quickly.

Once you can separate the inputs, use a reversal to begin your own sequence. A common beginner mistake is reversing, then backing away until the opponent restarts the same pressure. Instead, take the opening: use a strike, choose the grapple category that matches your plan, and direct the action toward a useful part of the ring. That is how a defensive moment becomes control of the match.

5. Earn the SmackDown move, then set it up

Offense and right-stick taunts raise the SmackDown meter. When it is ready, a dazed opponent and the required meter icon let you use L1 for a SmackDown move. The meter is valuable, but it is not a reason to press L1 before those conditions are in place.

Taunting can help build the meter, but offense raises it too. Treat taunts as one option rather than the whole plan, and keep working toward the dazed-opponent setup the move requires.

6. Learn special matches one objective at a time

The Exhibition menu offers a huge range of match types, from singles and tag to hardcore, Royal Rumble, survival, and main-event rules. The main-event group includes objective-heavy formats such as TLC, cage, Hell in a Cell, Ironman, Elimination Chamber, and Three Stages of Hell. Those are better after the basic ring game is stable.

Start with singles, then tag or handicap matches. Singles isolates the controls; tag teaches awareness of another wrestler; handicap teaches you to prevent interruptions and avoid fighting every opponent equally. Only then move into rules that ask you to manage weapons, an escape route, a time limit, or multiple active opponents. When a special match goes badly, identify whether you lost because of the objective or because your grapples and reversals fell apart. Fix the simpler problem first.

7. Use Season mode as a long-term training ground

Season mode places a WWE superstar or a created wrestler on Raw or SmackDown! for a year running from April through March. It is a single-player mode with storylines, a locker-room hub, fighting areas, ShopZone, and stat growth. Wins produce cash for ShopZone unlocks, while match experience can improve Strength, Submission, Endurance, Technique, and Speed.

For a gentler first season, choose a wrestler with strong original statistics. A low-stat start is a legitimate long-term challenge, but it asks you to earn upgrades while facing the same ring fundamentals. Think about the five attributes as a plan: Strength supports damage, Submission helps with holds and escapes, Endurance helps absorb damage, Technique supports counters, and Speed affects movement, running, and climbing.

Do not expect every run to unfold identically. Storyline order can change and repeat across playthroughs, so treat each season as a chance to learn the mode’s systems rather than a fixed checklist. Keep one wrestler long enough to understand their moves and stat growth before starting over with a new concept.

8. Spend early progress on understanding, not completion pressure

ShopZone unlocks, character improvement, and the large match list make it tempting to turn every session into a grind. Resist that pressure at first. Use your early wins to explore the parts of the game you can already control, then add complexity once your reversals and grapples are reliable. A player who knows a wrestler’s power, submission, signature, and quick options will get more from an unlock than a player who is still guessing at the controls.

The same principle applies to a created wrestler in Season mode. A lower-stat custom start asks you to earn improvements while learning the same grapple, reversal, damage, and attribute systems, so begin that longer project after the basic ring exchange makes sense.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Mashing one reversal button against every attack - Read strikes and grapples separately so L2 and R2 have a purpose.
2. Using the same grapple category for every opening - Pick quick, power, submission, or signature grapples for the position you want.
3. Ignoring damaged body parts - Keep pressure on the area already showing the most damage before attempting a matching submission.
4. Using taunts as your only meter plan - Regular offense also raises the SmackDown meter.
5. Pressing L1 without a dazed opponent or the required meter icon - Set up the SmackDown move instead of wasting the opening.
6. Starting with objective-heavy special matches - Learn the ring system in singles before adding ladders, cages, clocks, or crowded eliminations.
7. Beginning Season with a low-stat wrestler before learning counters - Use a stronger original wrestler until the basic exchange feels natural.
8. Restarting Season after every different storyline - Continue the year and adapt to the changing order instead of chasing one expected path.

Quick Summary

Category	Top Tip
Controls	Use L2 for strike reversals and R2 for grapple reversals.
Grapples	Select power, submission, signature, or quick based on your next goal.
Damage	Attack the body part already showing the most damage.
SmackDown meter	Save L1 for a dazed opponent with the required meter icon.
Special matches	Learn objective-heavy formats after singles fundamentals.
Season mode	Start with a strong original wrestler, then grow a custom or low-stat run.
Attributes	Match upgrades to your plan for damage, submissions, endurance, counters, and speed.