Fire Pro Wrestling (2001 video game)
First Fire Pro game in English and on a portable system.
Fire Pro Wrestling, known in Japan as Fire Pro Wrestling A, is a professional wrestling video game released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. It was the first entry in the Fire Pro Wrestling series to receive an official English translation and the first to be released on a portable system. A direct sequel, Fire Pro Wrestling 2, followed in 2002.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Spike
- Publisher
- Spike (JP)
- NA/EU
- BAM! Entertainment
- Released
- March 21, 2001 (JP)
- June 11, 2001 (NA)
- June 22, 2001 (EU)
- Genre
- Fighting, wrestling
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Game Boy Advance
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Fire Pro Wrestling is not licensed by any major professional wrestling promotions, instead using likenesses of existing wrestlers with fake names; for example, The Bionic Man Steve Majors is a fictionalized version of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Wraith Mystery Man is a fictionalized version of Rey Mysterio. MMA is featured in the game, with fighters from Pride and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The game includes over a hundred characters. Players use the A and B buttons for striking and grappling, and must play with strategy. Modes include tournaments and leagues against up to 15 or 63 opponents, exhibition matches with adjustable rules and music, and a create-a-wrestler mode with more than 1,200 techniques and hundreds of body parts. Unique to Fire Pro Wrestling is an audience mode where the goal is to please the crowd by breaking out of pinfall attempts at the last second, defeating opponents after a finisher, or taunting. Success depends on the league; for instance, a luchador-styled league gains greater audience reception from high-flying moves.
Reception
Critics gave Fire Pro Wrestling a generally positive reception, scoring an average of 80 out of 100 across ten reviews on Metacritic. GameSpot's Gerald Villoria praised the game's smooth localization, its deep create-a-wrestler feature, and controls he called "absolutely flawless," also highlighting the variety of modes, especially the audience match. NextGen offered a mixed take, arguing the high difficulty would alienate newcomers. Famitsu in Japan rated it 27 out of 40. GamePro's Bad Hare advised fans to forgive its flaws for the sake of depth. Nintendo Power was harsher, criticizing choppy animation, sluggish controls, and graphics that felt more suited to the Game Boy Color than the GBA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed Fire Pro Wrestling (2001 video game)?
Fire Pro Wrestling was developed by Spike.
When was Fire Pro Wrestling (2001 video game) released?
Fire Pro Wrestling was released on March 21, 2001 in Japan, on June 11, 2001 in North America and on June 22, 2001 in Europe.
More in Game Boy Advance Game Library of the 2000s
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