WWE Day of Reckoning
Encyclopedia
WWE Day of Reckoning is a professional wrestling
video game released for the Nintendo GameCube
console
in 2004. The game is based on World Wrestling Entertainment and many of the wrestlers who were on the WWE roster at the time of release were included as player character
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
RAW
or SmackDown!. This was also the last WWE game to feature The Rock as a non-legend.
The game was followed by a sequel released in 2005, WWE Day of Reckoning 2
.
wrestling games with weak/strong grappling
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
and Iron Man matches. The game's Story Mode allows players to take a created wrestler from WWE developmental to main event
status by wrestling achieving various goals during matches.
's Evolution
for Raw or the Undertaker's New Ministry
for SmackDown!).
While the created superstar works his way up the roster, the stable leader eventually becomes the show's world champion, then 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
for the championship.
The story is continued in the sequel, WWE Day of Reckoning 2
, though under the assumption that the superstar chose Raw.
'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. However, both sites found fault with the game's limited selection of wrestlers. IGN
scored the game an 8.3 out of 10, while GameSpot gave it an 8.2 out of 10. The game has a Metacritic
score of 79 out of 100 from 47 critic reviews.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
video game released for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
in 2004. The game is based on World Wrestling Entertainment and many of the wrestlers who were on the WWE roster at the time of release were included as player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s. The game also features the option to create wrestlers
Character creation
Character creation is the process of defining a game character or other character. Typically, a character's individual strengths and weaknesses are represented by a set of statistics. Games with a largely fictional setting may include traits such as race and class...
.
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
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
RAW
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
or SmackDown!. This was also the last WWE game to feature The Rock as a non-legend.
The game was followed by a sequel released in 2005, WWE Day of Reckoning 2
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
WWE Day of Reckoning 2 is a video game released on the Nintendo GameCube console by THQ. The sequel to WWE Day of Reckoning, it became a "Player's Choice" game on July 5, 2006...
.
Gameplay
The game features a control system similar to that of AKI's Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
wrestling games with weak/strong grappling
Grappling
Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...
attacks and strikes
Strike (attack)
A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of 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 the Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling cage-based match held in WWE . It features a large roofed steel cage structure or "cell" which encloses the ring and ringside area...
and Iron Man matches. The game's Story Mode allows players to take a created wrestler from WWE developmental to main event
Main Event
Main Event is Australia's only pay-per-view channel. It transmits through Foxtel, Optus Television and Austar, which jointly own the channel...
status by wrestling achieving various goals during matches.
Plot
A created superstar starts off as a new wrestler signed to a WWE developmental contract trying to work his way up to the main roster. After developmental comes a stint on Sunday Night Heat or "Tuesday Night Velocity" (respective to each main brand), before the wrestler finally joins the main roster. Player get to choose which brand the superstar enters (Raw or SmackDown!), which also chooses the stable they will join for the story (Triple HTriple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
's Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
for Raw or the Undertaker's New Ministry
Ministry of Darkness
The Ministry of Darkness was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation during the WWF Attitude Era of the late 1990s...
for SmackDown!).
While the created superstar works his way up the roster, the stable leader eventually becomes the show's world champion, then 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
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
for the championship.
The story is continued in the sequel, WWE Day of Reckoning 2
WWE Day of Reckoning 2
WWE Day of Reckoning 2 is a video game released on the Nintendo GameCube console by THQ. The sequel to WWE Day of Reckoning, it became a "Player's Choice" game on July 5, 2006...
, though under the assumption that the superstar chose Raw.
Reception
GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Alex Navarro lauded the game for its improved story mode and graphics, compared to the WWE's previous GameCube game WWE WrestleMania XIX
WWE WrestleMania XIX
WWE WrestleMania XIX is a video game released for the Nintendo GameCube by THQ in late 2003. It's the second of four annual WWE licensed video games for the console....
, as did IGN. However, both sites found fault with the game's limited selection of wrestlers. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
scored the game an 8.3 out of 10, while GameSpot gave it an 8.2 out of 10. The game has a Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
score of 79 out of 100 from 47 critic reviews.