Fire Pro Wrestling

"Still the best wrestling game available on any format"

The Fire Pro Wrestling series has been going for years in Japan, all the way back to the SNES days, but it wasn't until 2001 that North America and Europe got their hands on a version in the form of the GBA's Fire Pro Wrestling. The series has long been considered the best and most realistic wrestling sim available by its fans, but why? What makes it so special? Why is it better than games such as WWE SmackDown vs. Raw and WWF No Mercy? Basically, because it offers the most complete wrestling experience you can get in a game. Lets go into a little more detail, shall we?

Graphically the game isn't what you would call stunning. While it isn't the worst looking game to hit the GBA it certainly isn't the best. Matches take place from an isometric view point which allows you to see the whole ring and the outside nicely. The arenas and rings themselves are modelled on Japanese federations such as NOAH and New Japan and look pretty authentic. You can also choose your mat so it will look like the federation ring you want. The fighters are 2D sprites that are quite detailed for their size and the frame rate never falters even when there are four grapplers in the ring at once. The animation for the vast majority of the moves performed is superb, however moves such as small packages and cradles look a little distorted due to the fact they are in 2D rather than 3D. The graphics of the game don't test the GBA like Mario Kart Super Circuit or Sonic Advance 3 but the get the job done and don't spoil the enjoyment of the overall experience.

The sound is pretty good and offers some nice little touches. The crowd cheer when you perform a taunt or hit a special manoeuvre, a woman will scream anytime that a fighter starts bleeding and there is a loud roar from the crowd when you hit your finishing move. You will also be able to hear the referee counting during pin falls and asking if you give up during submissions. The crowd will even join in the referees count after several unsuccessful pin fall attempts. This in itself is a great touch which adds a lot more tension and excitement to matches. The themes within the game are pretty good and some are very catchy and memorable.

The gameplay is why Fire Pro Wrestling is so revered amongst many. Compared to most wrestling titles Fire Pro's fighting system is very different. It requires precise timing to complete a move instead of the usual button mashing you will find in a lot of wrestling games. For instance in most wrestling games there is usually a grappling button. With Fire Pro to start a grapple you simply walk into your opponent. The system is also very strategic in that while it allow you to hit your most powerful moves right from the start they will more than likely be countered meaning that you have to wear your opponent down before you can hit the big moves.
The strategic side of the gameplay doesn't end there. For example, say you want to beat your opponent using the Figure Four Leglock, you won't make him submit if you have been working on beating his head, instead you will need to weaken the legs first with other moves that hurt that specific body part before you can get your opponent to submit.

The game engine is very flexible and can perform any sort of match you want. Whether you want a WWE style match, a highflying Luchadore match, a hardcore match, a UFC style match or a long drawn out exciting match - NOAH style, Fire Pro can comfortably perform all of these and their responding moves.

Despite the incredible amount of moves that you have at your disposal they are never complicated to pull off and you will only have to press a button or two along with the D-Pad to hit the move you desire. The control system won't be easy though if you have never played a Fire Pro game before. It can sometimes take several matches to get to grips with the control system and how to perform grappling moves. But once you do you will find the controls work well and you will be hooked.

The amounts of options within Fire Pro Wrestling are simply incredible for a handheld wrestling game. There are many different match types. There is the usual one on one, tag team, handicap and battle royal affairs that you will find in every wrestling game but there are also a couple of unique matches. The first of these is the Gruesome match which is basically a UFC match. The competitors are in an octagon ring surrounded by a steel cage and the only way to win is by knockout or submission. Fans of UFC/Shoot fighting will love this mode. The other match that is unique to Fire Pro Wrestling is the Deathmatch. At first this just looks like a steel cage match, but it has a couple of twists. The first is that the cage is electrified and you will notice that when you whip your opponent into the cage he will be electrocuted and fall to the canvas slightly damaged. The other is that the ring is surrounded by explosives that are set by a time limit (which you choose prior to the match beginning), if you don't beat you opponent by the time set an explosion will occur with both fighters being damaged.

But that's not all there is also a League mode which up to 64 wrestlers can compete in, a Tournament mode (similar to the WWE's King Of The Ring tournament), a Survival mode (like a gauntlet mode) and most intriguingly an Audience mode.

In the Audience mode you choose from one of several styles and then compete in a series of matches, the only way you get to the next match is by reaching the correct audience criteria. For example, say that you choose the Showman style. To pass the criteria you would have to taunt a lot and hit plenty of special moves and finishers. Once you have finished all the matches in a certain style, you will unlock more wrestlers to the roster.

Ah, the roster. The roster is big. Not big like a fat man but big like Africa. Initially who have 150 fighters from around the world at your disposal. But that's not all, after you complete all the audience mode styles, you will have 200 different wrestlers to select from. That is an incredible amount of people to choose from. Yet it gets better. Using the edit mode you can add another 77 fighters to the roster, taking the total to a huge 277.

The edit mode is without a doubt the most addictive mode in Fire Pro Wrestling and the one you will spend most of your time in. The edit mode in this game is easily the most comprehensive I have come across in any wrestling game. You can select from hundreds of heads, body parts and attires and custom your creation to exactly how you want. You can then select their wrestling style and choose their moves from the 1200 available. You can also edit their CPU logic for every different situation in the ring. This part is very in-depth especially when compared with other wrestling games.

As you may have gathered by now, I like Fire Pro Wrestling a lot. It offers the most complete wrestling experience available and if you are a wrestling fan then this game is an absolutely essential purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/05