Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (PS2) Review

Posted by Sean McCabe on 01.04.2008

Vitals

Genre	Wrestling
System	PS2
Release Date	09/15/2005

Have you ever been inside a flame?
Did you ever play a burning game?
Would you do what I won’t live to do?
Do you like the way I’m burning you?




Title: Fire Pro Wrestling Returns
Publisher: Agetec
Type: Wrestling
Players: 1-8

Yeah, I’m opening a wrestling game review with Xandria lyrics, specifically from Firestorm, on their newest album, but they seemed so appropriate somehow, and it seemed less obvious than This Fire Burns by Killswitch Engage.

But what is it about fire that entrances people? Perhaps the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time, Kenta Kobashi, the two finishers which he is most know for are the Burning Hammer and the Burning Lariat. Or how about Kane, who’s known for all the “Through fire and brimstone” stuff. Definitely, fire is an important metaphor in Puroresu, and of course there’s those Inferno matches where things get literal.

But perhaps the most important use of the word Fire in Pro Wrestling is, well, in Fire Pro Wrestling. The longest running consistent series of wrestling games of all time, Fire Pro has been around since the SNES, and was Spike’s lovechild. It was also where Mr. Killer7-and-other-fucked-up-shit Suda51 cut his teeth in videogames development, being a huge wrestling fan himself. The series would deliver with great entries on the Saturn, the PSX, the Dreamcast and the GBA. You can find further information on the series’ history as well as information on how you can obtain it and play it legally at the Fire Pro Club, but for now we will be focusing purely on the newest, possibly last, entry into the series, and it is truly a formidable last hurrah.

Graphics:

This will always be the stumbling block for many people. For those of us who have experienced this game, we know it offers a greater wrestling experience than the Smackdown games ever even get close to providing, but people who have not been initiated will just be confused. “It’s 2D!” they cry and because the wrestling games that were released in the West on 16 bit systems were so limited (with a couple of honourable exceptions like WWF Royal Rumble on the SNES) it’s understandable to hear that reaction. The SNES Fire Pro games did offer much more depth but were obviously never released outside of Japan and importing was a lot less common in those days.



So anyway, as you can see above, this game is pure, unadulterated 2D outside of the fancy 3D stage areas. It is very crisp 2D with nice, big sprites that are quite detailed. The game’s appearance edit is fairly robust, so long as you prepared to accept that you’ll be creating approximations of people rather than perfect likenesses. With simple graphics like this, basic likeness is all you really need. You don’t need to get Chris Hero’s CH logo perfect to enjoy kicking his teeth in. And yeah, Ari, if you read this, you may let him know of that last comment. Of course, as I lectured in my KoF XI review, the real bread and butter of quality 2D graphics is in the animation, and Fire Pro R delivers in vast amounts. My only complaint is that a few moves do look a little odd because of automatic reorientation caused by the game’s strict isometric camera, the Fall Away Slam, Samoan Drop and Samoan roll spring to mind, but apart from that, moves are very well animated, look nasty and there are so many complex submissions in this game, yet the holds are accurate down to the specific body parts being held in the right, or wrong, if you want to put it like way, position. On the whole, play this game enough and honestly, you forget it’s even 2D.

Gameplay:

Oho, now here we go. Fire Pro is a vastly complex wrestling game, which is heavy on stats and meticulous AI logic. One of the really interesting aspects of the game is that it’s engine can be, and is used in the game for more than just Pro Wrestling matches. It also doubles as an MMA/UFC game, and even has some fighters as part of the selectable roster, and the Octagonal cage to go with them. That would mean there must be a more shoot style ground grappling system in the game, and there is. There are a few takedown maneuvers, and from there, fighters trade hold for hold, counter for counter in a very realistic manner. What’s pretty cool is you can still adapt this system for pro wrestlers, and so the end result is you have a game that encapsulates many fighting styles and lets you put together whatever kind of match you wish. You want to put Tito Ortiz versus Brock Lesnar, with some of Brock’s WWE arsenal available to you? Not a problem. If you get sick of all those takedowns and grinding punched, you can break out the F5. Now I’m sure that would liven up an MMA match.

To be more specific about the game’s controls and mechanics, the game employs a scaling button system. It works like that you use the Square button for weak attacks, X for stronger, Circle for stronger still, and Square and X together for the strongest attacks. Triangle is the run/Irish whip button. There is no grapple button, grapples are initiated when two combatants close in on each other, much like old school 2D brawlers. There’s no reversal buttons either, although L1 will sometimes help duck an attack while running. Reversals are decided by remaining stamina, and the earlier a strong attack is attempted, the more likely it is to be reversed. This necessitates then that, *gasp*, psychology is needed in fighting a match. You want to start from relatively weak attacks, and build up to hit that all-important finisher. Of course, there’s always the chance of a Critical, or instant knockout. Those are totally random, but when they happen, well, it means you killed your opponent dead, seriously.



The game’s edit system is the best of it’s kind. Although you have a starting roster of 327 wrestlers/fighters (yes, 327), including some very recognisable American names. To name a few who are legitimately in this game’s roster without needing to touch the Edit options, American Dragon Bryan Danielson, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarret, Sting, The Road Warriors, Bret Hart, Karl Gotch, The Dynamite Kid, Lou Thesz, and Curry Man. Of course, despite such a huge roster, there’s still many more missing, and so the developer saw fit to include 500 (yes, 500) edit slots. Potentially, the game can have a roster of 827 wrestlers. Compare that with I don’t know, 70 max for a Smackdown game. Truly astounding really. Also you can edit your own referees, title belts, factions, and even ring and ring logo. The game doesn’t have a story mode per ce, and the Managerial mode of the game has too much of a language barrier to really be enjoyed by anybody who can’t read Japanese. Just as well the barrier isn’t too strong anywhere else in the game, and you can name anything in English. The other thing I should mention of course is when your at Fire Pro Club, pay attention to the Menu Translation FAQs. Helps a hell of a lot, but the game is really not hard to play after just a little while.

Sound:

Well, the game has 60+ wrestler themes. They kinda suck really, as does the background menu music. There’ s plenty of music in the game, it’s just all pretty old fashioned icky MIDI music that just doesn’t cut it these days. Fortunately the sound effects and crowd ambience during matches is spot on, and the voice effects that you can choose from have a certain charm. Only thing I really want to hear that’s missing is a “Please Don’t Tap” chant for when Bryan Danielson is dicking out a jobber before he kills them with the Cattle Mutilation (yes, that’s in the game)

Lasting Appeal:



Forever. Seriously. As long as your creative and genuinely enjoy the creative aspects of wrestling games, you will never, ever, ever get bored of this game. It’s complex gameplay system is more in depth than the Blue Meanie’s waistline. This game is more immortal than Hulk Hogan. It’s finer than Scott Steiner, and has more fighting spirit than even the great Kenta Kobashi… well I’m sure you get the gist.

Fun Factor:



Well, let’s say you’re at the tail end of a 20 minute match against either a strong AI opponent or a skilled friend, and really it’s before long before someone gives. So you go for that last spot, that finishing move you believe will end the match. But will they avoid it, or counter it? Like what happens if it’s a Tombstone Piledriver you go for, only for them to counter it into their own? Real sweat forms on your forehead playing this game. The frustration of losing is only equalled by the satisfaction of winning. The game can be played by up to 8 players, and there’s everything available from classic survivor series matches to Exploding Barbed Wire death matches. The worst excesses of Pro Wrestling are married with the purity of shoot fighting all so seamlessly in the one game, and heck there’s even a few joke moves in there like the real Kinniku Buster and a DBZ like flurry of strikes, and the game’s near limitless custom options allows for any and all kinds of fantasy booking. Only thing missing really is some moves from the moveslist, but no game is ever going to have all the wrestling moves in the world. But still, no Kudo Driver/Vertabreaker? Only true letdown in the whole entire game, especially as the game includes Megumi Kudo’s likeness and most of her other moves. However, be it you want to create mainstream WWE superstars such as The Rock, Undertaker and Stone Cold, or if you like your indy wrestling and want to create a Samoa Joe, Roderick Strong or Chris Hero, this game has you covered, in all bases.

The 411:

This game is a True Wrestling fan’s wrestling game. Smackdown is watered down by WWE’s Sportz Entertainment kool aid, and No Mercy is showing signs of age that not even custom mods can really hide, but Fire Pro, is a flame that burns eternally, and in this game, burns brightest. The only problem is how do I score it. Therefore, when looking at the score below, understand, that the score that I am about to give this game is what it deserves for being as good a wrestling game as it is. Sure this game isn’t going to be for everybody, but I always believed that a game should be scored on it’s own merits within it’s own genre anyways.

Graphics	8.5	Serviceable in quality, with great and convincing animation.
Gameplay	9.5	A true Bible in how to create great wrestling games.
Sound	7.5	Music is less than perfect, but the sound effects are meaty.
Lasting Appeal	10.0	I’ll be playing this in 10 years, unless a new Fire pro with the Vertabreaker included is released in that timeframe.
Fun Factor	9.5	Criminally fun and enticing for anybody who takes wrestling games seriously.
Overall	9.7   [  Amazing ]

Screenshots
All 9 Fire Pro Wrestling Returns Screenshots