WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth

WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth
NTSC cover art, featuring (from left to right) Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Booker T The PAL version cover art shows The Rock and Hulk Hogan
Developer(s)	Yuke's
Publisher(s)	THQ (WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth) Yuke's (Exciting Pro Wrestling 4)
Series	SmackDown!
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date(s)	NA October 31, 2002 EU November 15, 2002 JP February 6, 2003
Genre(s)	Professional wrestling, Fighting
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T PEGI: 16+
Media/distribution	DVD

WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth (Known as 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. It is part of the WWE SmackDown! (later renamed WWE SmackDown vs. Raw, now simply WWE) 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 has been lengthened to two in-game years and features the Brand Extension featuring Ric Flair's Raw and Vince McMahon's SmackDown!. For the first time only male wrestlers can participate in season mode. Players compete exclusively on the show they are drafted to for the first few months of year one, consisting of four Raw or four SmackDown! events, plus a monthly pay-per-view event. If the player's character is a created superstar, or if the original superstar has a rating lower than 60, he will instead wrestle on Sunday Night HEAT. Eventually, the player will be booked 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 the released Scott Hall from the original televised storyline.

Like its predecessor WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It, 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 WWE Women's Championship are included in the game: WWE Undisputed, Intercontinental, European, Tag Team, Cruiserweight, and Hardcore championships. Various unlockables such as alternate player attires can be unlocked through Season mode.

Televised and pay-per-view events are televised from the SmackDown! Arena, the exterior of which is based on Madison Square Garden. Although Jim Ross announces a different city at the start of each events, the exteriors remain the same. Notable areas are a New York Subway stop named SmackDown! Station, Times Square, and The World. 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.

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.

Development

Wrestler models 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 title belts are also displayed in the entrances realistically (e.g. The Rock carrying the title belt to the ring and tossing it above his head).

Soundtrack

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. However, Maven and The Hardy Boyz do not have their correct themes, however Maven's Theme is hidden in the game and is hackable. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler provide sporadic commentary while ring announcer Howard Finkel provided his voice for match introductions and wrestler entrances.

Roster

This is the first game to feature wrestlers on different brands, Raw and SmackDown!. In this game, all the wrestlers, including champions are eligible to be drafted on both brands, except for the WWE Undisputed Champion, who is available on both brands, as long as he is the champion. Scott Hall originally appeared as a member of the nWo. However, because of his release a few months earlier he was removed from the game, also Mick Foley and Bret Hart are not in the game but their created faces and features are. Shawn Michaels appears as a playable character in Exhibition mode and also can be used as a special referee but as an NPC for Season Mode. Vince McMahon and Ric Flair and Stephanie McMahon are NPCs but can be played in special match types. This game marks the first appearance of former ECW and WCW wrestlers, as Vince McMahon purchased both companies in 2001. Superstars including Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, Lance Storm, Billy Kidman, Torrie Wilson, Stacy Keibler, Jazz, The Hurricane, Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak. This game also marks the first appearance of Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar as a playable characters. This game is Jeff Hardy's last appearance in any WWE video game until WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008 was released over 5 years later in November 2007. It is also Mark Henry's last appearance in the SmackDown series until WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007.

Champions

WWE Undisputed Champion - The Undertaker

WWE Intercontiental Champion - Rob Van Dam

WWE World Tag Team Champions - The Un-Americans (Lance Storm & Christian)

WWE Hardcore Champion - Bradshaw

WWE Cruiserweight Champion - The Hurricane

WWE European Champion - William Regal

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	83.74%
Metacritic	82/100
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	B
Allgame
Eurogamer	8/10
GameSpot	8.9/10
IGN	8.2/10

The game received favorable reviews from critics. It received aggregate scores of 84% from GameRankings and 82/100 from Metacritic.

GameSpot states how "The gameplay still might be a little too fast-paced for some, but Shut Your Mouth tries to balance it with a more useful grappling, submission, and counter system." IGN stated: "This is the first time there hasn't been an obvious, glaring problem with the series' gameplay, which is cause for some kind of celebration." BBC Sport states how "The arenas are superbly well done, with excellent layout and ultra smooth texturing." GameZone stated: "Control-wise the game has been nicely polished since 'Know Your Role' and 'Just Bring It.'"

However, Electronic Gaming Monthly stated how "Changes to the in-ring gameplay itself are barely noticeable. It's good, but if you're not a hardcore fan, you'll tire of it quickly." While Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stated: "The controls bug me, too. Where's the innovation?"

External links

• WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth at IGN
• WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth at GameSpot
• WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth at GameFAQs
• WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth at MobyGames