So Fire Pro R is back

[Steviekick 0]

I've never purchased a video game on its release date, but I think this will be the first.

 

I can't wait to book my Chikara vs. TNA invasion.

[AndrewTS 0]

Silly IGN--there were 2 US Fire Pro games, although they were on GBA.

[The Flamboyance 0]

Any news on that Chikara edit? I can't wait for this. I've been playing the first GBA game on my DS a lot lately and killing people with my Nigel McGuinnes and CIMA. It's so much fun.

[dubq 0]

Silly IGN--there were 2 US Fire Pro games, although they were on GBA.

 

Yah there was a huge shitfest over that one little detail on the FPC board (it's honestly getting as bad as GameFAQs over there).

[AndrewTS 0]

Silly IGN--there were 2 US Fire Pro games, although they were on GBA.

 

Yah there was a huge shitfest over that one little detail on the FPC board (it's honestly getting as bad as GameFAQs over there).

 

Silly FPC--expecting accuracy and fact-checking from IGN.

[dubq 0]

Silly IGN--there were 2 US Fire Pro games, although they were on GBA.

 

Yah there was a huge shitfest over that one little detail on the FPC board (it's honestly getting as bad as GameFAQs over there).

 

Silly FPC--expecting accuracy and fact-checking from IGN.

 

 

Well, I what I actually meant was that a lot of the FPC is against calling it Fire Pro Returns because the other two games weren't on the same system. Stupid, I know.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

From the wikipedia entry:

 

Edit Slots: On top of the game's roster of 327 pre-made wrestlers from real-life wrestling promotions, players are allowed to build and store up to 500 highly-customizable wrestler edits at a time. That's compared to the 216 edit slots made available in Fire Pro Wrestling D and Fire Pro Wrestling Z. So, in Returns, you can have up to 827 wrestlers to choose from

 

oh my god.

 

I have to own this. An over 800 person roster is insane.

[dubq 0]

Hell yeah! Add a MAX Drive to the mix and hopefully we can all get some edit swapping goodness going on here at TSM.

[Danville_Wrestling 0]

From the wikipedia entry:

 

Edit Slots: On top of the game's roster of 327 pre-made wrestlers from real-life wrestling promotions, players are allowed to build and store up to 500 highly-customizable wrestler edits at a time. That's compared to the 216 edit slots made available in Fire Pro Wrestling D and Fire Pro Wrestling Z. So, in Returns, you can have up to 827 wrestlers to choose from

 

oh my god.

 

I have to own this. An over 800 person roster is insane.

 

Yea, when I saw the amount of customizable wrestler edits I was like "wow."

[Steviekick 0]

Does anyone know when the release date is?

[dubq 0]

November 27th - Amazon.com is selling it for $14.99 or something really low like that.

[Steviekick 0]

That's amazing. I guess this means I'll be spending Thanksgiving making the Chikara roster.

[Ginger Snaps 0]

November 27th - Amazon.com is selling it for $14.99 or something really low like that.

 

Confirmed.

[Downhome 0]

Holy shit. How can anyone with even the most basic interest in wrestling games not buy this one?

[KingPK 0]

I did a double take when I saw that price. CD Universe has the release date as November 15th, so it's probably either the Tuesday before or after Thanksgiving.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm buying it, but I can see how the casual "nu-gen" fans would be turned off by the graphics.

[Ced 0]

Went to GameCrazy and paid for the whole thing in full including tax.

 

Fire Pro for $16 and change? Sexy.

[LooseCannon25 0]

I'm definitely picking this bad boy up when it comes out. I have a PS3 and will be playing it non-stop.

 

I still have Fire Pro D for the Dreamcast, and Fire Pro Six Man Scramble for the Saturn. They're the only reason why I still have those systems, and have kept them in mint condition.

[EricMM 0]

So wait, is this going to have any kind of online mode? What about on the PS3?

[Steviekick 0]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't have an online mode.

[dubq 0]

So wait, is this going to have any kind of online mode? What about on the PS3?

 

No and no. This is strictly a translation job/port.

[dubq 0]

FYI - Agetec has a video of the game posted on their site:

http://www.agetec.com/catalog/product_info...products_id=119

 

Not sure if they used the original game or if this is actual footage from the translated copy. Though I'm pretty sure they're using edits since Tiger Mask & Bruiser Brody are doing moves I've never seen them do in the Japanese version (Abdullah Fork & Muta Mist respectively).

[Dobbs 3K 0]

As someone who already has the import version of FPR, this isn't that exciting, other than having the game in English. It's basically going to be the same game with the same modes, but easier to navigate, and probably some messed up versions of the default wrestlers (see Brody using the Muta mist). I'm sure I'll still have to buy it, though, if only to prove to companies that Japanese wrestling games are popular in America.

[dubq 0]

Same here. I have no real reason to buy the game other than I'm a huge "collector" of the Firepro series and I'd also like to see the game succeed as far as sales go in North America.

 

EDIT: Oh, and also I'm hoping that the English translation can give me some insight as far as the logo editor goes. *headache*

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I have the Game Boy Advanced version that was released here. I am very interested in buying this game and creating 100's of wrestlers.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

I've played every Fire Pro with the exception of Six Man Scramble, because I never got a Saturn.

 

I'll buy this, if only for the insane price, but if you already own the game in Japanese there isn't much incentive, there's even an english patch for the Japanese verison...and if it's true they've messed with the movesets of the defaults then there is even less reason.

 

As long as they don't yank out entire modes like they did for the bastardized Final Fire Pro port, it'll be alright.

[Ced 0]

FYI - Agetec has a video of the game posted on their site:

http://www.agetec.com/catalog/product_info...products_id=119

 

Don't know how I feel about that cover with the masked luchador about to deliver a flying crotch attack. Would've been happier with original cover with the wrestler silhouette, but hey, I gotta support my niche games.

[Steviekick 0]

The cover kind of sucks.

[dubq 0]

The cover art isn't great, but it gives me a nostalgic feeling. It feels like a throwback/tribute to wrestling game covers of the past:

 

Like these...

 

Natsume Championship Wrestling

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/mediac/400_0/med...01/IMG_3942.JPG

 

Tag Team Wrestling

http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/sma...84695582-00.jpg

 

Tecmo World Wrestling

http://images.vmhsales.com/images/covers/i...6077/607794.jpg

[dubq 0]

Hands-on impressions + new screens and videos from IGN: http://ps2.ign.com/articles/823/823281p1.html

 

Fire Pro Returns Hands-on

We have four words for you: electrified barbed wire ropes.

by Greg Miller

 

September 26, 2007 - Sixty-nine pages. We just got Fire Pro Wrestling, and the "complete guide" from the PR folks comes in at a whopping 69 pages. That's 13 pages of moves, 18 pages of match types and 17 pages of who, what and how to edit in the game.

 

Obsessive wrestling fans, say hello to your newest friend.

 

If you're loco for luchadores, the name Fire Pro should be pretty familiar. Since 1989, the series has been pumping out unique titles that feature a level of customization and Japanese wrestling antics that have gone largely unmatched in squared-circle videogames.

 

Fire Pro Returns continues that tradition. We've only put a few hours into the build we just got -- it's only 75 percent translated -- but we've already had florescent light bulbs smashed over our heads, been tossed into electrified barbed wire and seen the ref roll around in the fetal position after the ring exploded.

 

Now, this is extreme.

 

If you're an outsider and have no idea what the pro wrestling scene is like in Japan, this game's faithful representation of it should clue you in: wrestling in Japan is frickin' insane. This is the place where Cactus Jack and Terry Funk rolled in barbed wire and nearly blew themselves up on a number of occasions. This is the place where high fliers defy the laws of gravity in ways most of the U.S. pro wrestling scene can only dream of. This is the place where fans still applaud wresting moves and not lame catch phrases.

 

This is what Fire Pro Returns is all about.

 

The title packs more than 325 wrestlers -- and gives you the option to create 500 more --who are fictional in name only. See, a majority of the superstars are based on real wrestlers but have their names switched around to avoid copyright complications. So, Kerry Texan and his Texas Jab is a dead ringer for Terry Funk and Abdullah Danger's scarred forehead sure reminds us of Abdullah the Butcher. Cycle through the AWG roster -- there are 18 separate lists of talent -- and you'll spot Scott Hall, Andre the Giant, the Road Warriors, Sting and more to remind you of the good ol'USA. If you're up on international superstars, you'll find them spread throughout the other rosters.

 

If you're in the mood just to fool around in an exhibition contest, you'll have seven match types to choose from. "Normal Match" has you and a competitor face off in the arena of your choosing but push it beyond a ho-hum match with a set of options that pertain to every other match as well -- you can choose the ref, if you want DQs, which ring you'd like ring and more. "Cage Deathmatch" tosses you and an opponent into a ring surrounded by steel -- before the match begins you can choose if you want the winner to be decided by escape, pinfall, submission as well as the number of weapons you'd like to see in the ring.

 

When we fired up our cage match, some wondered what a cage deathmatch was in comparison to a regular cage match. We took "Kerry" up against Abdullah. The two DDT'd each other, tossed one another off the ropes and brought the pain, but it wasn't until Abdullah whipped out a fork, drove it into "Kerry's" head and blood poured down the Texan's forehead that everyone understood what a cage deathmatch was.

 

Then, they broke out the barbed wire baseball bats.

 

A "Barbed Wire Deathmatch" is better known to fans as an electrified barbed wire ropes exploding deathmatch. Strung around the ring in place of traditional ropes are spools of barbed wire packing one hell of a current. Whip your opponent into the mess of metal and a small pop will go off and they're likely to be busted open. Before the match, you can set a timed explosive to go off and leave you, your opponent and the ref sprawled out on the mat.

 

However, the match that stole everyone's heart this afternoon was "Landmine Deathmatch." Here, "Kerry" and "Tattoo" -- see: Sabu -- entered into one of the craziest matches Fire Pro and Japan has to offer. In a ring where the corners are stacked with florescent light bulbs -- you can change these to beds of barbed wire -- the floor surrounding the ring is covered in barbed wire boards. Toss your opponent over the top rope and to the floor, the board will explode, and your enemy will have to deal with coming back from the brink of nothingness.

 

As "Kerry," we did our best to punish "Tattoo." We threw strikes -- square and a direction on the d-pad are weak attacks, X and a direction are medium attacks, and circle and a direction are strong attacks -- and attempted to master the grapple system -- you need to move toward an opponent to initiate a grapple and then choose your face button attack when the foes step into the lockup -- but "Tattoo's" skill was far beyond our own. He forced us into a crimson mask after slamming a light bulb into our face, taunted us -- wiggle the left analog stick -- flying from the ropes and back flipping onto our bloodied body.

 

It was awesome.

 

The final three match types honor specific promotions. The "SWA Rules Match" is a no-DQ, no-leaving-the-ring battle; "S-1 Rules Match" is a striking only fight; and "Gruesome Fighting" is an MMA competition in an octagon-like structure where the pins don't count and knockouts reign.

 

Beyond fighting in the ring, "Match Maker" puts you behind the curtain and has you book 12 events with the goal of promoting "lucrative and fun" matches. You'll work within a budget to balance costs with revenues as you pick wrestlers, match types and more. As awesome as all this sounds, we couldn't get too into it today. Remember how we said this game was only 75 percent translated? This is part of that other 25 percent.

 

Even with everything Fire Pro Has going for it in terms of matches, edit options and modes, the controls are going to put a lot of wrestling fans off. Movement is governed by the d-pad and has a steep learning curve that we're still trying to master. This is a game of timing, and if you mistime it or button mash, you're screwed. Whereas other wrestling games on the market have you hit run and head toward your opponent, Fire Pro leaves aiming your run up to you. That might not sound like much, but as you get used to the switch, expect to run yourself into a barbed wire mess more than once.

 

Still, for those who are ready to stick out the different system and to avoid button mashing Fire Pro Returns looks like it's got enough content -- tournaments, leagues, team matches, battle royals, created titles and more -- to keep fans busy when it ships in November.

 

Screens: http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/745/745588/imgs_1.html

 

Videos: http://media.ps2.ign.com/media/745/745588/vids_1.html