Fire Pro Wrestling 2

"The Sequel Has LESS Than the Original?"

Okay, I've finally played Fire Pro Wrestling 2 for the Gameboy Advance. The game, like the first one, is just fine in and of itself. However, it ends up having less than the first game had.

Graphics (6/10)
The graphics are basically the same as the last game. The characters are small and details are fairly hard to see on the small GBA screen. However, the characters don't look God-awful, so it isn't that bad. On a larger screen, the look is a bit better, but nothing great. Than again, the GBA can only do so much, and graphics shouldn't be the main issue in any game.

Sounds (5/10)
Sounds are also the same as last game. The crowd as louder and quieter depending how well the match is going. There's also the loud boom on a near-fall. The crowd cheers and boos also sound the same as the last game, which isn't really a bad thing.

Game Play (8/10)
The game still plays the same. Attacks are done pressing B, A, or B+A. Pressing a direction and a button does different grapple throws and holds. Controls are responsive and I never have trouble pulling off holds or anything. The only problem is sometimes it can be hard to pull of A+B moves, but that's more an issue with the button placement of the GBA, not the game itself.

Play Options (2/10)
This is where the game really falters. You start with 10 WPA (WWE) wrestlers out of 200. You then have to enter Ironman Mode and wrestle random characters until all 190 others are unlocked. In the end, the WWE, WCW, ECW, UFC, NOAH, NJPW, and other feds are represented by fake wrestlers representing their real counterparts. In FPW1, you had the options of League, Tournament, Team, and Survival modes. These are all gone. It's either Training, Ironman, or Exhibition. This seriously cuts down on any replay value. The only way I've been playing this game is through an Edit league with my friends. That's it. The only addition is the extra faces, outfits, and moves that this game brings.

Overall (5/10)
This game could have been an awesome sequel to a sweet wrestling game, but it fell short with lack of options. It would have been worth losing the play options if the Management Mode from the Japanese version was left in, but the Ironman Mode just does not cut it. However, if you can't find FPW1 anywhere and this is all you can find, it is still a better wrestling game than Road to WrestleMania (either of them).

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/03, Updated 01/28/03