WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth

Infobox VG| title = WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth


caption = NTSC cover art, featuring Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Triple H (pointing), Chris Jericho, and Booker T, inset.
developer = YUKE's Future Media Creators
publisher = THQ (WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth)
YUKE's Future Media Creators (Exciting Pro Wrestling 4)
designer =
engine =
series = "WWE SmackDown" series
released = flagicon|United States November 13, 2002
genre = Professional wrestling, Fighting
modes = Single-player, multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: Teen PEGI: 16+
platforms = PlayStation 2
media = DVD
requirements =
input = DualShock 2

"WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth" ("Exciting Pro Wrestling 4" in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ and developed by YUKE's Future Media Creators. It is part of the "WWE SmackDown" video game series based on the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This game was the sequel to "WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It" and was succeeded by "WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain". It was the first game not to have The Rock on the cover, although he appeared on the cover of the PAL version along with Hulk Hogan.

Gameplay

Season mode was relengthened to two game years, as opposed to the abbreviated season mode in its predecessor. It was the first game to feature the Brand Extension featuring Ric Flair's RAW and Vince McMahon's SmackDown! Players compete exclusively on the show they are drafted to for the first few months of year 1, consisting of four RAW or four SmackDown! events, plus a pay-per-view event per month. If the superstar is a created superstar, or if the original superstar is below a rating of 60, he will start (or be demoted) to wrestle on "Sunday Night HEAT". Eventually, the player will have the freedom to fight on the two major TV shows, appearing on two RAW and two SmackDown! shows and the PPV event, even if he did not hold the Undisputed Championship. One of the major angles featured is based on a nWo storyline featured in early 2002 that included Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and X-Pac, who replaced Scott Hall from the original televised storyline, after Hall was released for his problems arising from his alcohol-related actions.

Unlike its predecessor "" and Nintendo 64's "WWF No Mercy", "Shut Your Mouth's" championships cannot be contended for in Exhibition mode and can only be defended in season mode. All of the major titles of the time, except for the Women's are included in the game: Undisputed, Intercontinental, European, Tag Team, Cruiserweight, and Hardcore championships.

Televised and pay-per-view events are televised from the "SmackDown! Arena", which is based on Madison Square Garden, as seen from outside the arena and within the main foyer. Though each week, each event takes place from a different city (as announced by Jim Ross at the start of the events), the areas outside of the arenas remain in Manhattan, New York. Notable areas are a New York Subway stop (named "SmackDown! Station"), "Times Square", and WWE's restaurant, The World. Although this game was seen as a vast improvement over "Just Bring It", it still had several problems and limitations, many of which are corrected by its successor, WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain. The game features several arenas that WWE held events at in 2001 and 2002. There are also arenas based on each WWE television show. In certain arenas, players could make their wrestlers scale the TitanTron and jump off it. In addition, The Undertaker's motorcycle could be ridden in some matches.

In terms of graphics, some wrestlers were greatly improved, and included realistic facial features. Fully animated entrances for each character are featured, with their entrance video playing on the TitanTron, and their respective themes playing in the arena. The only exception is Maven, who instead was given the SmackDown! theme (although his real theme, as well as others, can be unclocked with a cheat device). The title belts are also displayed in the entrances realistically (i.e. if The Rock held the title, he would carry it to the ring and toss it above his head in his salute to the people, as opposed to wearing the belt on his shoulder or around his waist). The belts move according to natural physics, as well.

For wrestler entrances, most of the themes used in the televised and house shows were incorporated into the game. Along with the in-house music from Jim Johnston, remakes of Johnston's originals from bands such as Breaking Point (for Rob Van Dam), Our Lady Peace (for Chris Benoit), and Saliva (for The Dudley Boyz) were featured. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler provide sporadic commentary. Some calls of big moves are missed, as well. However, ring announcer Howard Finkel returned to provide his voice for match introductions and wrestler entrances.

Create-A-Superstar mode gives the freedom to manipulate any part of the superstar's body. It also offers over 58 move sets from a combination of wrestlers in WWE not featured in the game or working in different promotions. A gripe, however, is that it is impossible to give CAW's teeth. Rey Mysterio's mask is unlockable in the game. This game also has his entrance.

In Create-An-Animation, if you go under winning move and look at the turnbuckle you can see the WWF Branding. The game was going to be a WWF game, but the WWF went under the new WWE branding.

Featured wrestlers

*Al Snow
*Albert
*The Big Show
*The Big Valbowski (Val Venis)
*Billy
*Billy Kidman
*Booker T
*Bradshaw
*Brock Lesnar
*Bubba Ray Dudley
*Chris Benoit
*Chris Jericho
*Christian
*Chuck
*DDP
*Eddie Guerrero
*Edge
*Farooq
*Goldust
*Hardcore Holly
*Hollywood Hulk Hogan²
*The Hurricane
*Ivory¹
*Jazz¹
*Jeff Hardy
*Kane
*Kevin Nash²
*Kurt Angle
*Lance Storm
*Lita¹
*Mark Henry
*Matt Hardy
*Maven
*Molly Holly¹
*Randy Orton
*Raven
*Reverend D-Von
*Rhyno
*Ric Flair¹
*Rico
*Rikishi
*Rob Van Dam
*The Rock
*Scotty 2 Hotty
*Shawn Michaels¹
*Shawn Stasiak
*Spike Dudley
*Stacy Keibler¹
*Stephanie McMahon¹
*Stone Cold Steve Austin
*Stevie Richards
*Shane McMahon
*Tajiri
*Tazz
*Test
*Torrie Wilson¹
*Triple H
*Trish Stratus¹
*The Undertaker
*Vince McMahon¹
*William Regal
*X-Pac²

¹ These wrestlers are unplayable for season mode.
² These wrestlers must be unlocked.

Non-playable characters

*Debra - Backstage manager for Steve Austin
*Jerry Lawler - Color commentator
*Jim Ross - Play-by-play commentator
*Linda McMahon - WWE CEO
*Michael Cole - Backstage interviewer

External links

* [http://ps2.ign.com/objects/482/482002.html "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth"] at IGN
* [http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/wwesmackdownshutyourmouth/index.html "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth"] at GameSpot
* [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/data/561262.html "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth"] at GameFAQs
*moby game|id=/wwe-smackdown-shut-your-mouth