I can't say enough good things about this game. If I talked about all the features of this game that made it great, this would be pages and pages long, and so I'll try to keep it short. The engine is very solid. The game play is so nice...it is timing based which isn't very often you see that. Getting the timing down is imperative while learning the game. Barbed wire, exploding cages, florescent lights, and ultimate fighting-like submission rings give this game some nice replay value. The create a wrestler is so simple, yet gives you the ability to make just about anyone. Many details are in the profiling of the character that we just don't have here in the US. They don't matter much to the game play, but they're just nice to have. Did I mention 50 CAWs per memory card...keeping in mind that the DC holds up to 8? You do the math. The moves...probably the heart and soul of Fire Pro... A ridiculous array of moves is available to the players, and wrestlers can't just be made with all great moves. Depending on your character, a move will have varying levels of affect, something that hasn't really reached the West yet it seems. The graphics, although 2D, are terrific. The animations and sprites are very impressive, they don't have to be however, the graphics aren't very important compared to game play, and should always be secondary. There's a nice variety of music, both theme music and background. What's nice about the create a wrestler is that they have MANY sounds for your wrestler to make, and implementing them to moves and taunts is a nice addition. There are 10 different categories of voice. I believe 4 American males, 3 girls, and 3 Japanese males. Then each of them has a list of about 100 or so sounds or words. From "S*ck It" to "Oooh Yeah!" to "E-C-F*ckin W!" ... this makes for even stronger customization. Now, what's great about this game, is it's UPGRADABLE! That's right! Pending an internet connection compatible with the DC, you can sign on to the game's website (or other websites made by just fans like you and me) and download newer moves to keep up with the changing times. You can download logos, moves, other people's created wrestlers, and name patches/translations for the American names of the wrestlers, which come stock as the Japanese names. This game provides limitless fun when you have several people lighting up the boards in multi-player modes. There are so many match types and variations of match types, and more than likely, any wrestler you can think of is in the game. They have wrestlers from very many organizations; all made very well and closely resembling their real-life counter-parts. I urge anyone whose a die-hard wrestling fan/gamer to find this game and find a means of playing it. The Game Boy version does not do it justice. I would have to say that this game is tied with No Mercy ... almost not comparable based on the very different mechanics, but hey, they are more than welcome to co-exist in my world.
an endless supply of wrestlers a move list that was weekly updated through an internet download ( without having to pay for the privilage ) solid animation gameplay tuned to perfection Fire Pro D had it all .. with one e... Read Full Review
--