WWE Day of Reckoning
A 2004 WWE wrestling game for GameCube.
WWE Day of Reckoning is a professional wrestling video game from 2004, developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the GameCube. It is based on World Wrestling Entertainment and includes many wrestlers active in the WWE at the time, plus a create-a-wrestler feature. The single-player campaign follows a created rookie as they rise through the ranks to main event status on either the Raw or SmackDown! brand. The game was well received by critics, and its storyline was picked up in a 2005 sequel, WWE Day of Reckoning 2.
The gameplay uses a control scheme similar to AKI's Nintendo 64 wrestling titles, with weak and strong grappling and strikes, and a timed counter system. A unique feature is the "Momentum Shift" move, a desperation attack that gives the user an instant edge. Exhibition mode includes match types such as Hell in a Cell, but does not include Iron Man matches. In Story Mode, the player guides a created wrestler from developmental to main event status by completing specific goals during matches.
The story begins with the created superstar signed to a developmental contract, working house shows against other newcomers. After a series of matches and cutscenes, they move to Sunday Night Heat and eventually join the main roster. Choosing Raw places the superstar in Triple H's Evolution, while choosing SmackDown! puts them in The Undertaker's New Ministry. The goal is to climb the ranks and win the brand's world championship—the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw or the WWE Championship on SmackDown!. As the story progresses, Triple H or The Undertaker begins expelling members who fail or become threats, culminating in a standard match at WrestleMania XX for the title. The sequel assumes the superstar chose Raw.
Reception was favorable. GameSpot's Alex Navarro and IGN's Matt Casamassina praised the improved story mode and graphics over the previous GameCube WWE game, WWE WrestleMania XIX, though both criticized the limited wrestler selection. Metacritic categorized reviews as "favorable." In Japan, Famitsu gave scores of 8, 7, 8, and 6, for a total of 29 out of 40.
A sequel, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, was released in 2005. Unlike most other WWE games, it directly continues the story from the first game.
- Developer
- Yuke's
- Publisher
- THQ
- Platform
- GameCube
- Release year
- 2004
- Genre
- Professional wrestling video game
- Metacritic rating
- Favorable
Lore & Background
The game's single-player mode involves the player guiding a created wrestler from rookie status to main event stardom on either WWE's Raw or SmackDown! brand. The control system is similar to AKI's Nintendo 64 wrestling games, featuring weak/strong grappling attacks, strikes, and a timed counter system. A unique feature is the 'Momentum Shift' move, a desperation attack that gives an instant advantage during a match. Exhibition mode includes match types such as Hell in a Cell, but does not include Iron Man matches.
Reader's Guide
The plot follows a created developmental superstar who works through non-televised house shows, then Sunday Night Heat, before joining the main roster. Choosing Raw leads to joining Triple H's Evolution, while SmackDown! leads to The Undertaker's New Ministry. The superstar pursues the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw or the WWE Championship on SmackDown!. The final battle is an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XX for the championship. The story continues in the sequel under the assumption the superstar chose Raw. Reception was favorable according to Metacritic, with GameSpot and IGN praising the improved story mode and graphics but noting a limited wrestler selection. Famitsu scored it 29 out of 40.
Did You Know?
- The game features a 'Momentum Shift' move that gives an instant advantage during a match.
- The story mode allows players to take a created wrestler from WWE developmental to main event status.
- The final battle in story mode is a standard match at WrestleMania XX.
- The sequel, WWE Day of Reckoning 2, continues the story mode plotline of this game.
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