Im generally not
much of a wrestling fan I catch the occasional bizarre play on Raw is War or
Smackdown!, but since Andre left the biz Ive just been kind of blaise about the
whole thing. Sure, I watched Beyond the Mat and Wrestling With Shadows. I
find the industry fascinating, especially in its current incarnation. Ive played
some decent wrestling games, and I understand that it is a huge genre, and thats why
Im telling you about this. Fire Pro Wrestling on the Game Boy Advance is going to be
a big title, at least until a really good WWF or WCW title comes out, and maybe even
afterward.
Here are the basics: 150 different wrestlers to choose from, over 1,200
different techniques, and customizable costumes and federations. Wow. Those stats alone
sound better than most wrestling games on the market, and its important to have lots
of moves and wrestlers in order to compete with games that usually have somewhere between
20 and 50 wrestlers playable. Sure, the wrestlers of Fire Pro Wrestling arent the
same folks you see every Sunday night on MTV, but they are appealing. Character designs
and costumes vary widely enough to accommodate almost any interest or to imitate almost
any real world wrestler you happen to be infatuated with. You can also create your own
wrestlers and store them for battle against your buddies.
In addition to the customization of individual wrestlers, you can create and
establish your own federation, which ought to provide a good sense of unity between you
and your three closest friends while youre competing in four player tournaments and
championships. Lest you worry too much about settings, Fire Pro Wrestling offers multiple
rings, including the standard squared-circle, the steel cage, and the ubiquitous caged
hexagon a la UFC. And if thats not enough, just take it out of the ring.
So this summer give mom a break and can that backyard wrestling league you were
thinking about starting. Fire Pro Wrestling is much safer and much more fun. Its the
most popular wrestling game on the GBA in Japan right now, and we all know how much the
Japanese love their wrestling. Take a page from their book, and start saving that
lawn-mowing money now. Fire Pro Wrestling is scheduled to hit with the GBA launch.