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This game wins the championship hands down

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I just got this game yesterday and, without a doubt it is the BEST wrestling game ever put out for the PS2!!! With 300 wrestlers on it to start with, the ability to make 500 more, being able to customize everything including the title belts, you possibilities are endless. The AI is tough at first, but once ya get the hang of the game, which I would recommend setting the AI at the weakest to start with, it will come to ya fairly quick. I could not be happier with this one, for it is so much better than any of the WWE games out there.

Is It Really That Challenging?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS for the Sony PS2 sounds like a wrestling fan's dream: You get to create and play whatever you want. While dozens of gimmick matches that have been made popular in the United States aren't featured in this game, the amount of customization available to the player is unmatched.

Yet, this game has so much debate and mixed reviews that I was too scared to buy it for 20 dollars at my local game store. What if I couldn't "master" it? What if I like "flashy WWE games" too much? Only when I saw it on a K-Mart rack for 10 bucks did I finally just go for it.

I'm beginning this review with this little story because while both lovers and haters have a point, I think the overall tone is misleading.

Yes, this game is unlike most wrestling games in the States.
Yes, it takes longer than usual to get used to the controls.
Yes, the game lacks any form of narrative or single-player incentive.

But, take it from a newbie - FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS is a game that you can learn, and enjoy. You just need to have patience.

The wrestling gameplay is primarily based around the timing of moves. For example, grapples aren't started by one player. Instead, they happen automatically, and whoever enters the button combination first pulls off the move. Escaping from pins and submissions aren't just about button-mashing. The only to get out of a pin is to rapidly press (X), while you have to use the D-Pad to escape holds. Luck and fatigue plays into the counters and reversals more than just the push of a button. In fact, button-mashing penalizes you more than it helps. Landing high-flying moves is difficult if your opponent isn't dazed, but that's logical wrestling, if you ask me.

What's even stranger for a guy who's never played FIRE PRO before is that this PS2 title doesn't just have wrestling matches. There are MMA-style fights where you ground & pound in a cage, and can't win via pinfalls. There's also a K-1 kind of kickboxing mode, where you only use strikes; grapples will often only result in clinches.

However, FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS also includes Cage Matches, Barbed Wire Matches, Battle Royals, and all sorts of Tournament and Team modes. There's even a Deathmatch mode, where after a certain amount of time, bombs go off inside the ring. The more you play this game, the more you realize that FPWR is more than just a "wrestling game"; it's a fighting game, too.

All of these modes work very well, although I'm disappointed that the single-player features (like Competition and Season) only give you points for your success, rather than unlockable characters. Then again, that's also a bonus. Every character is available from the outset, and you can create over a hundred more. I don't recognize any of the 300+ Japanese stars, but they're all fun to use.

The Create Modes are where FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS runs into some problems. You see, while the gameplay and style are a matter of taste, the menu system is pretty un-user-friendly. Putting together a belt, customized ring, and managing factions is pretty easy. Creating a fighter is complex once you start getting to the A.I., but you don't have to manage that part if you don't want to. In other words, making a wrestler is only as complicated as you want it to be. Heck, you can even create a referee! Overall, character customization is a very managable that will please most gamers. While it may take some testing and tweaking, at least you'll be able to accurately design how your favorite wrestler would actually behave once the bell rings.

However, trying to design a logo is an absolute pain in my you-know-what. Rather than using an interface like ANIMAL CROSSING - or Windows Paint - FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS has controls that are horrible. It's bad enough that sometimes one button can do several things in the menus. For example, the [Start] button doesn't always exit a menu; sometimes it's (Triangle). But there several sub-menus in the Logo Design feature, meaning that I still haven't figured what to do. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to exit the thing! I'm sure creating your own art is possible, but I couldn't tell you how to do it.

Other than the customization difficulties, the challenges in FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS are legitimate and beatable. You might have to look at the manual sometimes to learn the gameplay, but it is learnable and very deep once you get the hang of it. The default A.I. difficulty won't slow down for you to learn, but at least I know that FPWR will always have a challenge ahead. There aren't any storyline modes, but the in-ring action is so crisp that the game is fun to WATCH! That's right...the A.I. is so smart that they will put on an excellent show without a controller in your hand. I can't give the A.I. enough praise; the default Level 4 difficulty beat my tail, poured salt on wounds, and told me to go home to mommy.

There's a hundreds of other little details that FIRE PRO WRESTLING RETURNS includes that I don't have time to mention. But if you're still unsure about whether you should buy this game, I have a few suggestions:

* Obviously, rent the game first if you can.

* This might not be as helpful, but go to this PDF website to look at a free strategy guide. You'll be looking at the manual anyway, so this might give you a good idea.
- - - http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/927675/50475 - - -

* Look up this game on YouTube. There are many videos (with excellent created WWE fighters) of matches. As I said before, FPWR is equally fun to watch.

I'll always love the WWE franchises, but there is more than one brand out there. Just like Akira Kurosawa inspired American cinema, this Japanese title has given wrestling gamers a worthy alternative.

I give the game:
"8.0 / 10".

Not for hot-tempered controller throwers

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: March 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

A control system similar to N64's "No Mercy" would have made this an untouchable blockbuster. As is, you are driven to insanity as the computer stomps you with impunity. Intricate and complex and wrestling video game do not mix. If/when Fire Pro Returns again, lets hope for a more player-friendly configuration, and the ability to USE foreign objects laying all around the ring would be nice as well.

Overrated, but overall FPWR can be fun....Somewhat.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 6
Date: March 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Overall FPWR is a decent attempt at a wrestling game. It would need major updating, graphics and audio wise, and a little re-working of the fighting engine to become a very good wrestling game, but it can be fun, for the most part...If you can get past the Sega Genesis era audio and graphics. I mean c'mon, 2D wrestling in 2005? (when the game came out in Japan) is simply ridiculous!

The MAJOR CONS in FPWR are: Navigating through the menus can be painful. The audio and graphics are from Sega Genesis era, and I'm not joking. An 8 player battle royal can be painful being that it will be hard to see your player sometimes during the match. No life gauge too see how bad your wrestler is hurt or how much damage he is taking, no grapple button, you simply run into your opponent to grapple which takes away from strategy a bit, and the other big flaw is no indicator bar to see when you can do your finisher on someone. The customization is great but the graphics take away from all that. While making wrestlers, I was like "Why in the hell am I wasting time creating 2D wrestlers when I could make near realistic human looking models with SvsR2008"?

This game deserves 3 stars, no more, no less. Simply put, even though the graphics date back to 1992, it can be a fun game, but in small doses. I get tired of this game after 30 min. of play. Customization and match types are its strength, and gameplay, while lacking a few major things, is all about timing, and less of a brainless button masher. FPWR, gameplay wise, is almost a sheer clone of 1991's WWF Wrestlefest arcade game.

In closing, FPWR can be fun at times and is a fresh change from SvsR2008, but I do think SvsR2008 blows this game away in every way. Make FPW 3D, add a finisher and life bar (keep it optional though, to where I can turn them off or on), add a grapple button then when grappled have a power meter, (kinda like what those old WWF wrestling games for Sega Genesis had) and keep all of the customization but add custom entrances and make a better story mode, improve the audio majorly, and you would have a perfect game. Basically mix SvsR with FPW and you have perfection.

P.S. I have completely stopped playing this game since I got SvsR 2008.

Falls short of the brand name

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 39
Date: November 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R18R6D1UFJ2QJY I first played Fire Pro wrestling in the mid 1990's on my Playstation 1. I was lucky enough to have one of the very first playstations released that allowed users to play foriegn games, and I have to say that "Fire Pro Iron Slam 1996" was one of the most incredible wrestling games I ever played.

Knowing the reputation of "Fire Pro" games, and my own experience, I had no problem pre-ordering this title for the PS2. I was shocked when I looked at the back of the box and noticed that the graphics looked only
slightly better then the Game boy advance games. I still gave it a chance, but the controls were horrible. Even at a bargain price, this game is an insult to the brand name and gamers. I don't even consider this a real Fire Pro game. The real Fire Pro games were revolutionary and had good graphics, and great control. I'm truly insulted that they would release a Fire Pro game that is worse (in every way) then the version I played over ten years ago on my PS1.

graphics=2 stars out of 5
control=2 stars out of 5
fun factor= 1 star out of 5
sound=1 star out of 5

Wow, I can't believe all the positive reviews for this game. The has to be alot of people with brain damage. Saying that this is better then Smackdown is really stupid. THQ puts so much work into making smackdown the most lifelike wrestling video game experience ever. This game is just a cheap copy of the game boy advance games. The graphics suck, the movement is choppy, and the controls are horrid. I have no problem with 2-D wrestling games. My problem is with bad games (this is one of them).

The "Perfect" Wrestling Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: November 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Finally Fire Pro Wrestling has "Returned" to the United States!
I'm going to make this short and sweet, 327 in game wrestlers, 500 edit slots, belt edit, team edit, referee edit, logo edit, ring edit and
Match Maker mode! All of this awaits you in the best wrestling game I've played in 6 years! Well worth the $14.99 price tag this is truly a gem
to have in you PS2 library. If you enjoy wrestling as much as I do then you'll enjoy this game!

Good for any wrestling fan

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game delivers great wrestling action for any fan, but it really shines for those who either have a creative spark or a working knowledge of puroresu. It's fun and challenging either way and it is definitely the best value you'll ever see in a wrestling title.

Don't beleive the naysayers...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've been playing Fire pro since importing the Fire pro-X for the SNES and playing it via Game Genie. Fire Pro Returns along with Fire Pro Wrestling-D (for the Dreamcast) are throwbacks to the 2-D era. This game and the controls are near flawless and the amount of options are unparalled. If you want button-mashing or 3-D graphics, then please go purchase a Smackdown/Raw game. This game is all about timing, finesse, and most importantly.. Strategy. Look past the 2-D presentation and get into the gameplay and you Won't be dissapointed.

The price itself makes it a steal! When you add in the fact that you can create your own wrestlers and have them compete under pro-wrestling or even MMA rules, you CAN'T go wrong. If you're a fan of wrestling or MMA, this is your dream match wating to happen. There are also pre-made characters you can download via the internet if you want even more variation and accuracy. Great game, Great price!

Loved The Game!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: January 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Hi,

I purchased this game for my son who is a huge wrestling fan. He has all the other wrestling games. He loved this game. The adults also had fun playing it. He would recommend this game to all wrestling fans.

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is great its everything iv been looking for. If your a diehard wrestling fan its a must have. Up to 800 wrestlers creat your own promotions what more can you ask. The only down fall which the next one should fix is it should at least be 3d like n64's No mercy(at the very least), Im not complaning but there should be more options with creating belts and creating matches,but in all this is a must have esp for the price its going for. i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

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