''WWE Day of Reckoning'' is a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
released for the
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
console
Console may refer to:
Computing and video games
* System console, a physical device to operate a computer
** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device
** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
in 2004. The game is based on
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
and many of the wrestlers who were on the WWE roster at the time of release were included as
player character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
s. The game also features the option to
create wrestlers.
The game's single player mode involves the player guiding a created wrestler through the ranks as a rookie and into main event stardom on either of WWE's
brands
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'' or ''
SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
''.
Gameplay
The game features a control system similar to that of
AKI's
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
wrestling games with weak/strong
grappling
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...
attacks and
strikes. Players are also able to counter their opponents' attacks with a timed button press. One of the game's unique features is the "Momentum Shift" move - a desperation attack that gives a character an instant advantage during the match.
The game's Exhibition mode allows players to wrestle in various match types including
Hell in the Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenc ...
and Iron Man matches.
The game's Story Mode allows players to take a created wrestler from WWE developmental to
main event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
status by achieving various goals during matches.
Plot
The player creates a new WWE developmental superstar and assumes their role for the game. The created superstar starts off as a new wrestler signed to a WWE contract attempting to work his way up to the main roster. After this series of matches and cutscenes, the superstar is allowed to perform on ''
Sunday Night Heat'', before he finally is allowed to join the main roster. There are two different brands to choose from (''Raw'' or ''SmackDown!''), each with their own distinct roster of wrestlers. As an effect, this will also choose which
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
they will join. Choosing Raw results in joining
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...
's
Evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
. Choosing SmackDown! results in joining
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
's New
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
.
The superstar goes on and works his way up the "rungs of the ladder" in a series of matches, ultimately resulting in the acquisition of the show's World Championship. If the player has chosen Raw, the
World Heavyweight Championship will be awarded. If SmackDown! was chosen, the
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
will be awarded.
As the story progresses, Triple H or The Undertaker starts kicking people off the team as they fail him or (as in the case of the created superstar) become a threat to his championship. The final battle is an
Iron Man match at
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the 20th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It featured professional wrestlers from both of the promotion's two brands divisions – Raw and ...
for the championship.
The story is continued in the sequel, ''
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
''WWE Day of Reckoning 2'' is a professional wrestling video game released for the GameCube by THQ. It is the sequel to ''WWE Day of Reckoning''. The soundtrack features music by industrial metal group A Dark Halo, who performed two songs in th ...
'', though under the assumption that the superstar chose ''Raw''.
Reception
''
GameSpot's'' Alex Navarro lauded the game for its improved story mode and graphics compared to the WWE's previous GameCube game ''
WWE WrestleMania XIX'', as did ''
IGN's'' Matt Casamassina. However, both sites found fault with the game's limited selection of wrestlers.
The game itself received "favorable" reviews according to video game
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
In Japan, ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' gave it a score of one eight, one seven, one eight, and one six, for a total of 29 out of 40.
Sequel
The game was followed by a sequel released in 2005, titled ''
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
''WWE Day of Reckoning 2'' is a professional wrestling video game released for the GameCube by THQ. It is the sequel to ''WWE Day of Reckoning''. The soundtrack features music by industrial metal group A Dark Halo, who performed two songs in th ...
''.
See also
*
List of licensed wrestling video games
The following is a list of wrestling video games based on professional wrestling, licensed by promotions such as WWF/WWE, WCW, ECW, NJPW, TNA, and AAA.
Promotion–based games All Elite Wrestling
Video games by professional wrestling promotio ...
*
List of fighting games
Fighting games are characterized by close combat between two fighters or groups of fighters of comparable strength, often broken into rounds or stocks. If multiple players are involved, players generally fight against each other.
Note: Games ar ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2004 video games
GameCube games
GameCube-only games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Sports video games with career mode
Take-Two Interactive franchises
THQ games
Video games developed in Japan
WWE video games
Yuke's games
Professional wrestling games