1 post tagged “ps2”
I've always enjoyed wrestling titles; they're a great multiplayer experience for the most part. Nothing like smashing your friend with a chair, or knocking them off a ladder only to crash through a table. In recent years though, the genre as gone in a very arcade-ish style of gameplay, devoid of tactics or even challenging gameplay. While a fresh coat of paint on Smackdown vs RAW might appeal to some folks, I've grown tired of the same game being released with broken game mechanics each year - so I started looking for new titles to fill the gap.
In my search I stumbled upon Fire Pro Wrestling; buried deep inside a bargain bin I pulled it up between copies of Madden 05 and The Bible Game. I had heard of the series before, a Game Boy Advance version had been released for North America but it didn't take off with consumers, much like the other WWE games at the time. So I put down my $15 and went home with a copy of FPR for my Playstation 2.
The first thing you'll notice is that this isn't your standard wrestling game. In fact, this looks like it belongs back in 1995 with the SNES. Don't let this deter you though, the game has a fairly deep control system and even watching your grappler get suplexed and beat up is entertaining to watch. There is a lot of character in these pixelated wrestlers and it shows in every match. They wear down of course, holding their ribs, gasping for air, even their stance will change from fast paced or strong to a more methodical pose - with no HUD/Health Bar the game keeps players informed of their character's status through animations. Grapples are initiated by walking into the other wrestlers, then timing a move correctly (mapped to O, X, Square) to perform a suplex or other devastating move. A quirky setup at first, timing comes naturally after a few matches and you'll be drop kicking and moonsaulting in no time.
The second thing anyone will notice about Fire Pro games is that they are decidedly oriented around Japenese wrestling federations. NOAH, Zero-1, All Japan and more are included in the game, with a Mixed Martial Arts division, Female division and a handful of American legends and popular wrestlers. Mexico's lucha-libre stars are included as well. Without a proper liscense, these characters are all renamed - AJ Styles is Andy Spirals! - but you can rename them in the edit system. There are several places online where you can find rename guides and more.
Game modes include the standard gamut of matches you would see in a wrestling title; some interesting additions include Exploding Death Matches, Barbed Wire matches and Light Tube matches. Sadly there are no 'over the exploding pool' matches as seen on Youtube.
The Create modes include Wrestlers, Belts, Rings, Logos - enough features to build your own federation of characters and a unique place for them to fight in. While the edit mode has a great deal of potential, it is daunting at first and will take users a long while to figure out the system. With an Action Replay and 2 memory cards you can download save files through the internet to get packs of wrestlers and premade rings and logos. Highly recommended for the serious wrestling simmer.
Overall FPR stands out in my mind as one of the last great titles to come out for the Playstation 2. Realistically I think it will be the last unique wrestling title to come out for the last generation console; none the less it's a great addition to any wrestling fan's collection. Definately worth the bargain bin price, buy this instead of renting it!
Overall Score: 80%
Pros: Simulation Wrestling at its Best. Large variety of wrestlers. Lots of edit options
Cons: Not for everyone, dated graphics will definately turn some players.
