Pro Wrestling (NES video game)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pro Wrestling | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Nintendo |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Release date(s) | NES version October 21, 1986 (Japan) March, 1987 (USA) September 15, 1987 (Europe) |
Genre(s) | Wrestling |
Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) (Wii)[1] |
Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy, Virtual Console |
Media | Floppy disk, Cartridge |
- There is also a game called Pro Wrestling for the Sega Master System. HAL Wrestling for Game Boy was titled Pro Wrestling in Japan.
Pro Wrestling is a Nintendo Entertainment System game, as well as a Famicom Disk System game for one or two players first released in 1986. The game was the first wrestling game on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay
The player chooses a wrestler with unique skills and presses various combinations of buttons to use different wrestling moves. It is possible to leave the ring; however, a player who leaves the ring for more than 20 seconds forfeits the match.
The game was one of the first wrestling games to feature an in-ring referee. The referee in the game is fairly accurate. For example, whenever a pinfall is attempted, the referee must run to where the two wrestlers are, lay on his stomach, and begin the three count. In effect, if the referee is on the other side of the ring when an opponent initiates a pin, the player will have additional time to try and escape. The game was also the first wrestling title to feature a cameraman at ringside (though he does not interact with the wrestlers).
[edit] Single player
Single player mode consists of two parts. First, the player fights in matches against increasingly difficult CPU opponents. After winning five matches, the player fights King Slender, the Video Wrestling Association (VWA) Champion. If the player has selected King Slender for play, then he will face Giant Panther for the VWA Championship. After winning the VWA Title, the second stage of gameplay begins. As the VWA Champion, the player has to defend the title. Making ten successful title defenses (two against each of the five remaining characters) will result in a title match against the Great Puma, champion of the Video Wrestling Federation. Defeating Puma will make a player the interpromotional VWA/VWF Champion and end the game.
[edit] Two players
The two player mode in Pro Wrestling features essentially the same gameplay as single player, though without the championship quest. Each player selects a wrestler and then proceed directly into the match. The game prevents the same character from being chosen for both players.
[edit] Wrestlers
All information in this section, other than "Other Notes," comes from the instructional booklet. The metric conversions have been added for the benefit of this article and have been rounded to a single decimal.
[edit] Fighter Hayabusa
- Wrestler No. 1: The invincible warrior
- Birthplace: Okinawa, Japan
- Date of Birth: September 18, 1951
- Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
- Weight: 230 lb (104.3 kg)
- Speciality: Back Brain Kick (Enzuigiri)
- Judo expert
- Other Notes: Appears to be based on Antonio Inoki.
[edit] Starman
- Wrestler No. 2: Super space-traveller
- Birthplace: Mazatlán, Mexico (assumed)
- Date of Birth: Unknown
- Height: 6'3" (190.5 cm)
- Weight: 220 lb (99.7 kg)
- Specialities: Somersault Kick; Flying Cross Chop
- Other Notes: Starman appears to be based on Mil Mascaras.
[edit] Kin Corn Karn
- Wrestler No. 3: A living karate tool
- Birthplace: Pusan, Korea
- Date of Birth: August 4, 1942
- Height: 6'1" (185.4 cm)
- Weight: 280 lb (127 kg)
- Specialities: Mongolian Chop; Karate Kick
- Karate expert
- Other notes: Bears a resemblance to Killer Khan.
[edit] Giant Panther
- Wrestler No. 4: The ultimate human weapon
- Birthplace: Texas, United States of America
- Date of Birth: September 5, 1952
- Height: 6'6" (198.1 cm)
- Weight: 320 lb (141.1 kg)
- Specialities: Iron Claw; Head Butt
- Former football star
- Other Notes: Appearance seems to be based on David Von Erich.
[edit] The Amazon
- Wrestler No. 5: Half-piranha, half-man
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Date of Birth: Unknown
- Height: 6'1" (185.4 cm)
- Weight: 230 lb (104.3 kg)
- Specialities: Piranha Bite; Outlaw Choke
- Other Notes: The Amazon makes a cameo appearance in WarioWare: Twisted! for the GBA. Based on hardcore wrestlers like Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik. One of his special moves utilizes a foreign object, after which he declares to the referee that there is nothing in his hands.
[edit] King Slender
- Wrestler No. 6: Cold-blooded warrior, Jr.
- Birthplace: Georgia, United States of America
- Date of Birth: February 9, 1961
- Height: 6'5" (195.6 cm)
- Weight: 280 lb (127 kg)
- Speciality: Back Breaker
- VWA champion
- Other Notes: Appearance may be based on Ric Flair.
[edit] Great Puma
- Wrestler No. 7: The perfect warrior
- Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela (assumed)
- Date of Birth: Unknown
- Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
- Weight: 250 lb (113.4 kg)
- VWF champion
- Other Notes: Great Puma is an unplayable boss character. He is likely based on Tiger Mask. Great Puma also has the ability to use the speciality moves of any other character in the game, as well as one of his own, the jumping neckbreaker drop.
[edit] Engrish
Pro Wrestling is the source of many well-known examples of Engrish. Among them:
- "A winner is you" - displayed after a victorious match in some ROM revisions.
- "Challenge next match" - displayed in between bouts in single player mode.
- "Go fight!" - text under ring apron.
[edit] Trivia
- The line "A Winner Is You." was named the fifth worst game line ever in the January 2002 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
- Ranked 172 on Nintendo Power's Top 200 Nintendo Games Ever.
- The names of the promotions depicted in this game, the Video Wrestling Alliance (VWA) and the Video Wrestling Federation (VWF), were most likely based on the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which were the two biggest U.S. wrestling promotions at the time.
[edit] References
- Laundrie, Evan: Game of the Week, Classicgaming.
[edit] External links
- Seanbaby's Pro Wrestling Page
- Pro Wrestling page located at NES HQ