Fire Pro Wrestling Returns
| Fire Pro Wrestling Returns | |
|---|---|
 North American box art | |
| Developer(s) | Spike |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Series | Fire Pro Wrestling |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2
|
| Genre(s) | Fighting, Wrestling |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Distribution | DVD, download |
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (ファイプロ・リターンズ) (FPR) is a professional wrestling video game that was released in 2005 in Japan, and was released on November 13, 2007 in North America[3] and February 8, 2008 in Italy. The game is part of the Fire Pro Wrestling series.
As the title suggests, the game marks Spike's return to 2D wrestling games. Some time after Spike released its 3D "King of Colosseum" wrestling game for the PlayStation 2, the publisher announced their 2003 PlayStation 2 title Fire Pro Wrestling Z would be the end of the Fire Pro Wrestling series.
Features
Like other titles in the Fire Pro Wrestling series, Fire Pro Wrestling Returns distinguishes itself from other wrestling games by focusing on timing and complex strategy, as opposed to the button-mashing tactics with which most wrestling gamers are familiar for 2-D games. Agetec released an official North American port of the game on November 13, 2007. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns offers a roster of 327 wrestlers from a variety of real-life wrestling companies. Using a sophisticated design mode, the game also allows players to build and wrestle with or against 500 additional characters. Players can create custom wrestling rings, belts, promotions, and referees. Returns is one of the best-selling Fire Pro Wrestling games in the series.
Character customization
Unlike a number of previous Fire Pro titles, Returns does not imitate rosters of American wrestling companies like World Wrestling Entertainment, although the AWG Organization in the game does have many characters that look just like various known legends from WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA. Also, the game's hefty stockpile of template heads, bodies, clothes and accessories has allowed American wrestling fans to recreate many of their favorite wrestling superstars accurately with the greatest of ease, and make them available for download online. As reported by IGN, Returns supplies new customizing tools, such as a "Face Layer" feature that allows players to create a wrestler's face using multiple objects.[4] Hundreds of wrestler faces are available, including those of many historical wrestlers. Players can add up to two layers of facial accessories, including hair styles, visors, beards, helmets and tattoos. "One example starts with a base face, adds a mohawk... and finishes off with a colorful mask," IGN.com's review stated. Returns provides 1,649 wrestling moves to choose from when customizing a character and the game's engine allows you to give the character complicated logic instructions dictating how an AI version of the character behaves in a variety of situations.
Game Modes
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns has many of the same modes as previous titles with some being changed. The Electrified Cage match from the previous tiles was replaced by a traditional cage match. There is now an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch. "Victory Road" has been removed from Returns and in its place is Match Maker mode. In Match Maker mode you must book shows a number of shows and try to get a good grade on the shows based on crowd reaction. The new mode was met with criticism due to the fact that edits cannot be used.
References
- ↑ Amazon.com: Fire Pro Wrestling Returns: Video Games
- ↑ PlayStation Store Sneak Peek: April 23, 2013 | PSNStores
- ↑ Sinclair, Brendan. "Fire Pro Wrestling Returns to US". GameSpot. July 27, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ↑ Miller, Greg. "Fire Pro Wresting Returns Review". IGN. November 14, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
External links
- Official Japanese website at the Wayback Machine (archived March 12, 2012)
- Official North American website