The PlayStation 2 is home to some of the most beloved WWE games ever, starting with 2001's WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It and ending with 2011's WWE All Stars. The sixth-generation console featured wrestling gems exclusive to PS2, such as 2003's WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain and 2002's SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth. World Wrestling Entertainment released a decade's worth of PS2 content, but its influence on gamers and wrestling fans alike was felt long after the SmackDown series concluded.
WWE licensed 12 video games on the Sony PlayStation 2. The PS2 carries the entire SmackDown vs. RAW series, beginning with the initial 2004 release and ending with 2010's WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011. Their last official game on PS2 is WWE All Stars, which hit the market in North America on March 29, 2011.
Wrestling icons Triple H and the erstwhile Edge have appeared as playable characters in every single WWE game released on the second generation of PlayStation, including an obscure Twisted Metal clone known as WWE Crush Hour. But what about the wrestlers who have only appeared in one PS2 game released with the branding of the world's most famous Sports Entertainment powerhouse?
Without further ado, let's look at six former superstars who only appeared once on the number one top-selling video game home console:
#6. Tough Enough winner Maven (WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth)
Long before he became a YouTube sensation, Maven was a WWE Superstar and the inaugural co-winner of the Tough Enough competition. He had a four-year stint with the Sports Entertainment giant from 2001 to July 2005.
He was a babyface for the majority of his wrestling career. During the latter part of 2004, it appeared as if Maven was on his way to the main event, considering his storyline with Evolution and his prominent spot in that year's Survivor Series PLE. However, the former three-time Hardcore Champion's in-ring career took a downturn following what appeared to be a promising push on Monday Night RAW. Toward the tail-end of his time with the company, Maven attempted a run as a heel wrestler, but it was too little too late for the Tennessee native.
Maven is perhaps most remembered for his shocking elimination of The Undertaker during the 2002 Royal Rumble Match. Later that same year, the former in-ring rookie made his video game debut in WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth. The PS2-exclusive title was released in the United States on November 13, 2002. That would become Maven's only foray into the world of video games as an official playable character.
#5. Sean O'Haire (WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain)
Two decades before Karrion Kross became the red brand's devil's advocate, Sean O'Haire was portraying a similar character, saying, "I'm not telling you anything you don't already know." O'Haire was featured in vignettes, telling people to give into their vices, cheat on their spouse, drink, smoke, eat what they want, and evade taxes. 2003 was the year when the former Natural Born Thriller had a complete reboot in WWE, but unfortunately, O'Haire wasn't able to experience a sustained push that would carry him through the year.
The former three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion was paired with WWE legend "Rowdy" Roddy Piper for a couple of months before Hot Rod was fired following an HBO interview in which he spoke about the dark side of pro wrestling. As part of O'Haire's push, he gained pinfall wins over Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Rikishi. Sean defeated the former Headshrinker at Backlash 2003, his only singles match at a WWE PLE. He also scored a count-out win over Mr. America (Hulk Hogan in a mask) during an episode of SmackDown, resulting in his opponent being obligated to take a lie detector test.
Without the iconic Hot Rod by his side, O'Haire became a mainstay of Velocity and house shows. He competed at Vengeance's APA Invitational Bar Room Brawl in his final appearance at a WWE PLE. Both Sean and Roddy Piper were playable characters in the PS2-exclusive SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain. The game was released in North America on October 27, 2003.
O'Haire was let go by WWE in April 2004, leaving behind a once-promising career that unfortunately didn't live up to its potential.
#4. Muhammad Hassan (WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2006)
Muhammad Hassan was once one of the most hated wrestlers in WWE, drawing nuclear heat for his aggressively self-righteous heel character, who rebuked his fellow wrestlers and the citizens of the United States, accusing them of expressing anti-Arab sentiments following 9/11. Hassan represented an Arab-American fed up with the alleged prejudice of his fellow countrymen as well as the American military's combat operations in the Middle East.
Hassan appeared destined for greatness, rumored to be Batista's originally planned opponent for SummerSlam 2005 in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, the controversy surrounding his persona and the tragedy of a real-life terror attack led to Hassan's permanent removal from television. During the same date as the July 2005 London bombings, WWE aired a segment on SmackDown that featured The Undertaker being attacked by a group of masked men led by Hassan, ending with the defeated Daivari being carried away as a martyr.
Muhammad Hassan wasn't even on the main roster for a full year, yet he was involved in high-profile PLE showdowns with legends such as Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, and The Undertaker. He lost his final WWE match to The Deadman at The Great American Bash in July 2005.
Although his on-screen character would be scrapped in the summer of '05, Muhammad Hassan was featured as a playable character in the game WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2006, which was released on PS2 in North America on November 14, 2005. He'd also appear in the PSP version that was released the following month. Gamers can also play as Hassan in the Nintendo GameCube-exclusive WWE Day of Reckoning 2, a game initially released on August 29, 2005.
#3. Dean Malenko (SmackDown! Just Bring It)
The Iceman was a critically acclaimed performer for World Championship Wrestling, becoming a multi-time champion, securing multiple reigns as Cruiserweight Champion and a reign apiece as United States Heavyweight Champion and WCW World Tag Team Champion. His in-ring career began to wind down in the now-former World Wrestling Federation. Consequently, Malenko's presence on Sony's second home console would be short-lived.
Malenko made his WWE debut in February 2000 as part of the faction known as The Radicalz, alongside WCW alumni Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Perry Saturn. The Iceman would have two reigns as WWF Light Heavyweight Champion before quietly retiring from the ring in 2001. That year, he made his final appearance in a video game as an official playable character in WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It. The Greatest Hits release of the game would have a slightly different name, reflecting the company's change to WWE in 2002.
Although he appeared in only one game on PS2, Malenko can be found in multiple titles on the original PlayStation. All members of The Radicalz are playable in WWF SmackDown 2: Know Your Role for Sony's PS1 and WWF No Mercy for the Nintendo 64.
Malenko appeared in many more gaming titles for World Championship Wrestling, being featured as a playable character in WCW vs. The World (PlayStation), WCW vs. nWo World Tour (Nintendo 64), WCW Nitro (PS1, N64, Microsoft Windows), WCW/nWo Thunder (PS1), WCW/nWo Revenge (N64), and WCW Mayhem (PS1, N64).
#2. Vance Archer (WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2011)
A decade before he was known as "The Murderhawk Monster" Lance Archer in All Elite Wrestling, he was known as "Vance Archer" and appeared on WWE shows like ECW and SmackDown. After spending a few months in the company's Land of Extreme, Archer moved to the blue brand and joined Curt Hawkins in the tag team, The Gatecrashers.
The two stars tried their best to make an impact, defeating names like Matt Hardy, Christian, MVP, and JTG. However, their act failed to catch on with the WWE Universe and backstage decision-makers, as they never received a televised title shot at the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. After performing as a tag team for roughly five months, the pair broke up on the October 7, 2010, edition of Superstars.
Unlike his gatecrashing tag partner, Vance Archer is featured as a playable character in the final entry of the SmackDown vs. RAW series. The game was released across multiple platforms in North America on October 26, 2010. He's playable on PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii. The future Murderhawk Monster left the company shortly after the game's release. WWE terminated his contract on November 19, 2010.
#1. Ultimo Dragon (SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain)
Ultimo Dragon built up a respectable wrestling legacy years before embarking on a journey to WWE. At one point, Dragon held almost a dozen titles simultaneously during his time in World Championship Wrestling, a feat that has never been replicated. During his first reign as WCW Cruiserweight Champion, the Japanese lucha libre sensation was also the reigning NWA World Middleweight Champion and the J-Crown Champion. Notably, J-Crown was formed by unifying eight distinct titles from different promotions.
During his time in WCW, Ultimo Dragon gained two reigns apiece with the Cruiserweight Title and the World Television Championship. In late June 2003, he made his televised in-ring WWE debut at Madison Square Garden. Dragon was a former WWF Light Heavyweight Champion when that title was defended in Japanese promotions in 1996. However, the former multi-time champion failed to win a title during his stint on SmackDown in 2003 and 2004. He also had an unsuccessful outing at WrestleMania XX's Cruiserweight Open.
Ultimo Dragon was featured in SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain, despite debuting in the Stamford-based company roughly four months before the game's release. He left WWE in late April 2004 and quickly returned to in-ring action in Japan.
Dragon also appeared in several video games for World Championship Wrestling, being featured as a selectable character in WCW vs. nWo World Tour, WCW vs. The World, WCW/nWo Thunder, WCW Nitro, and WCW/nWo Revenge. He'd also be playable in the Japanese-exclusive video game Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 for the Nintendo 64.
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