Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Console, handheld and computer games, retro and modern.
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LEGENOARYNINLIA
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Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Console or arcade, doesn't matter. Please, just elaborate why you would recommend a game.

So, I have a thing for pro wrestling. I like some of it, but in general it annoys me. I subscribed to NJPW-World for two months some time ago and ended up cancelling the subscription because after watching a two to three "match" videos I grew sick of that dumb ****. But despite that I would like to play some good wresting video games. Are there any experts around? I know this is a sensitive subject. I'm basically coming out of the closet for admitting I've watched that crap.. :awe:

Yesterday I tried Champion Wrestler (1989) on the Taito Memories collection (PS2) and was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was. There are only two buttons, punch and kick, but you can pull off all kinds of stuff with them and you don't feel limited by the amount of moves the characters have. Because of the very simple control scheme I'd even go as far as to say it's the most fun casual "fighting game" I've encountered. The matches are not over too soon but they don't drag on either. The mechanics manage to keep the tension high all the way through a match when playing against another person. The detailed winning and losing portraits are also a great touch that add extra character to the atmosphere of the game. Zuntata made the soundtrack and the title tune sounds like something straight out of Rastan. I really dislike using the word epic but I can't think of a better one to describe it. Just now, listening to that track made me realise that for a "fighting game" that came out before SF2 the game has surprising amounts of personality! It is definitely worth checking out.



All in all I think this is a game that manages to hit all the right spots when it comes to pro wrestling and avoids the lame ones. There is a PC Engine port which I have no exprience of, unfortunately. The PS1 game with the same title is more like Fire Pro which isn't really up my alley, but I still want to try it out at some point.
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Rossyra
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by Rossyra »

Epyx Championship Wrestling.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champio ... ideo_game)

I played it on the Atari ST. As above, simple controls, great graphics, great sound and a sense of humour.

Plus, dat box art.
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by gray117 »

ha ... I've got a super soft spot for wrestling - at least the stuff back in the day - not the bland-charactered-pampered-soap-operas which it seems to have de-evolved into. But I'm pretty hazy on most of it other than a couple of the likely suspects - wrestlefest and couple of the fire pros.

When I was younger Tag Team Wrestling seemed like the pinnacle of gaming... unfortunately not so much now I'm older than 6... Although box art still looks ace to me.
http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/sca ... stling.jpg
I've been meaning to check out an english hack of fire pro g which by all accounts has a fairly interesting campaign (one of the strange omissions from fire pro returns).
^^ just gave this another google - not sure if this actually exists :(

I would love some more recommendations like Champion Wrestler [which I've never seen before, and will definitely be giving a go].
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by landisama »

I liked a lot Wrestlemania by Midway in arcades. It had gorgeous graphics for its time, a fast gameplay, very addictive endurance mode and veeery cool commentaries that stuck into your head. in our arcade hall, the machine sound was very loud and that added to the coolness of playing it.
However the home consoles are average. On PC, Saturn, Playstation the gameplay and commentaries were translated well, but the graphics were sdowngraded.
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

I forgot about this thread. :oops: Anyway, I eventually decided to put all my eggs into one basket with Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 on the N64. It's pretty ace -- It's 3D, you can pull off all kinds of stuff, the controls are not too simple nor too complicated, etc.. but it's still a wrestling game, which makes it more like a party game. So it's for wrestling fans only.

Edit: I really need to try Wrestlemania since it has an endurance mode.
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by SuperPang »

WCW VS NWO is the one to own on N64.
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 has taken that engine further with better features. It even lets you mix in MMA stuff.
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Re: Pro wrestling game recommendations?

Post by LEGENOARYNINLIA »

Champion Wrestler is coming out on Arcade Archives next month, and I've stopped playing Virtua Pro Wrestling 2 aaages ago. :awe:
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