Support NeoGAF

[Retro Edge]

Fire Pro Wrestling (ファイヤープロレスリン&#12464 is a long-running professional wrestling video game series originating from Japan. It started in 1989 by Human Entertainment and is currently developed and owned by Spike Chunsoft. The series is distinguished by its grappling system, which is primarily based on timed button presses and strategy. Another signature feature of the series is its Edit mode, a character creation feature with many options to customize appearances, wrestling moves and A.I. behavior.

• Developer: Spike Chunsoft
• Release Date: Early Access 07/10/2017
• Platforms: PC & PS4 (After EA)
• Price: 19,99$ (Probably higher after EA )
• Trailer
  • Announcement Trailer

• Manual

• Play Online: Organize exhibition matches, tournaments, leagues, championship bouts and battle royals with players from around the world.
  
• Mix Up the Rules: Modes include Deathmatch (steel cage, barbed wire or landmines), MMA rules and no-holds barred Gruesome Fighting.
• Unlimited Customization: Create your dream wrestler from over a thousand devastating moves and even more body parts to battle for custom championship belts. Personalize the ring, mat logos and even the referee! Share your creations over the Steam Workshop and download thousands of wrestlers without any space limitation.
• Realistic Simulation: Give your creations personalities with a robust CPU logic system that defines their every action. Does your wrestler play to the crowd, or play dirty? You provide actors for the ringside drama.

• Match types available at the beginning of early access:
  • Normal Match
  • Cage Deathmatch
  • Barbed Wire Deathmatch
  • Landmine Deathmatch
  • SWA Rules Match
  • Gruesome Fighting (MMA Fight)
  • Tournament
  • Battle Royal

”Customization is a key component in the Fire Pro series. Our initial goal was to recreate the classic gameplay and key editing features. From here we can have users help customize the game!"

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

”A few months, depending on the scope of feedback."

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

”More robust editing tools and additional game modes/match options."

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

”Fully playable with online matchmaking and basic editing tools to create custom wrestlers / belts / referees / rings / logos."

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

”Early Access users will enjoy a lower price. We're still considering the final release price."

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

”Let us know what features you would like to see implemented! Edit Mode can be daunting for new players. We're counting on Fire Pro vets to help the community unlock the full potential of the toolset!"

MINIMUM:

• OS: Windows 7
• Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5
• Memory: 4 GB RAM GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c compatible video card with minimum 512MB of VRAM
• DirectX: Version 9.0
• Storage: 4 GB available space

• Homepage
• Steam Store page
• 1 1/2 hours gameplay with the developer on Twitch
• Twitter

If i try to play a match, it's only CPU vs CPU, how can i control one of the characters?

After you choose a wrestler, move the cursor to the left until it highlights the "CP" text next to your wrestler, then select it and move down to "1P" instead.​

I downloaded some wrestlers from the workshop but i can't find them anywhere, how can i play with them?

You have to move your downloaded wrestlers in the Team Edit from Retired to any other group. If you create an organization you also have to create at least one stable under it to move people into.
​

 

[Mr. Luchador]

Nice gifs and images. Thank you!

Here's to a new era

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Nice OP. Can't wait. First Fire Pro game for me.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Awesome. Looking forward to this.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Super jelly of everyone that'll be playing this in EA, but hopefully the PS4 release is only a few short months away (and will be more feature complete anyway).

Looking forward to see all the CAWs and new moves until then.

 

[Zach]

Aaaah yeeeah.

(What is that Daniel Bryan peace taunt? >_>)

 

[Helznicht]

Ok, I am in. Hope this is fun!!!

Edit: Escape submission by crawling to the ropes? Holds didn't seem like they were on that long to do that, lets see.

 

[ITSMILNER]

Just PC and PS4? I would like to see this on Switch as i had the first GBA game and loved having it portable!

Will this have ladder matches, table matches etc..?

 

[The Elite]

Let's do this!

 

[JavyOO7]

Looks incredible. Nice OT.

 

[Hasney]

Just PC and PS4? I would like to see this on Switch as i had the first GBA game and loved having it portable!

Will this have ladder matches, table matches etc..?

At EA launch, it will have:

Exhibition
League
Tournament
Battle Royal
Mission Mode (Single player challenges)

Exhibition, League and Tournament have the following modes (With up to 4 players on each side for tag teams)

Normal
Cage Deathmatch
Barbed Wire Deathmatch
Landmine Deathmatch
SWA Rules Match (Can't remember what this is?)
Gruesome Fighting (MMA)

The developer did sound open to adding more on the twitch stream.

 

[Jamie OD]

I've waited so long for this!

 

[Dinjoralo]

A lot of what I've read about the game has me... Kinda confused? Like, apparently the engine they're using doesn't even support music that isn't midi yet, which is kind of weird. And the way those intros work with the sprites is kind of... Bad. But I'd be damned if I didn't say the gameplay looked really freaking good. I'll keep an eye on this.

 

[SomedayTheFire]

A lot of what I've read about the game has me... Kinda confused? Like, apparently the engine they're using doesn't even support music that isn't midi yet, which is kind of weird. And the way those intros work with the sprites is kind of... Bad. But I'd be damned if I didn't say the gameplay looked really freaking good. I'll keep an eye on this.

MP3 support is coming later in the early access


On that note should the title have Early Access in it?

 

[CGriffiths86]

I haven't watched wrestling in 10 years but have always had an interest in the series through word of mouth. Are these just generally fun to play or would I need to still be into wrestling to get anything out of it?
Also, is it more than 2 players online? Voice chat?

 

[DynamicG]

A lot of what I've read about the game has me... Kinda confused? Like, apparently the engine they're using doesn't even support music that isn't midi yet, which is kind of weird. And the way those intros work with the sprites is kind of... Bad. But I'd be damned if I didn't say the gameplay looked really freaking good. I'll keep an eye on this.

For games like Fire Pro ( and older Japanese games like King of Colosseum) you are going to have to overlook some production jank because that's just not the focus. It's all about gameplay with tons of well animated moves and sweet sweet 8 man elimination tags with wrestlers from around the world. The intros are literally a sprite walking out over a movie. I usually turn them off, but I do have a strong affinity for the knock off theme songs.

 

[mrlion]

I'm really interested in this game I've never played Fire Pro but I have played top-down view brawlers and this one is up my alley. Looking forward to it.

 

[Hasney]

I haven't watched wrestling in 10 years but have always had an interest in the series through word of mouth. Are these just generally fun to play or would I need to still be into wrestling to get anything out of it?
Also, is it more than 2 players online? Voice chat?

Yeah, it's fun. 4 players online for Early Access which may increase depending on how the netcode does. Not sure on voice chat, but I have to assume it has some as it won't work on the "put on a good match" online mode otherwise.

 

[jon bones]

cool OP man

will pick this up for sure

 

[SeeNoWeevil]

How is the game for people who don't care about replicating licensed fighters/events? Is there a lot of depth on the simming front that say, a fighting game playing would enjoy digging into?

 

[Retro Edge]

At EA launch, it will have:

Exhibition
League
Tournament
Battle Royal
Mission Mode (Single player challenges)

Exhibition, League and Tournament have the following modes (With up to 4 players on each side for tag teams)

Normal
Cage Deathmatch
Barbed Wire Deathmatch
Landmine Deathmatch
SWA Rules Match (Can't remember what this is?)
Gruesome Fighting (MMA)

The developer did sound open to adding more on the twitch stream.

Yes, added the match types to the OT.

Thanks for all the praise so far. It's my first OT here and i will improve it over time.

 

[Hasney]

How is the game for people who don't care about replicating licensed fighters/events? Is there a lot of depth on the simming front that say, a fighting game playing would enjoy digging into?

The AI behaviour is so customisable for each created wrestler it's insane. I don't think any game does it better.

 

[sibarraz]

I read that this game will not have logo edit, does this means that we couldn't customize the rings?

 

[atomsk]

 

[Retro Edge]

On that note should the title have Early Access in it?

Good question, i don't know. Is it standard that EA games have "early access" in the title?
If i need to do that should i name it "Fire Pro Wrestling World - Early Access [OT] Fire Pro Wrestling Returns"?

 

[Hasney]

May as well keep it as is and just keep the OT for beyond the EA phase. The OT specifies it's early access, so people will just have to read.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

Picking this up tomorrow and cannot wait!

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Yay Fire Pro OT!

Hopefully a logo maker will be added during EA.

MP3 support is coming later in the early access


On that note should the title have Early Access in it?

Maybe a banner in the OP would be good.

 

[FDC1]

Damn that's 3AM for me. Well, it'll wait tomorrow

 

[Retro Edge]

I read that this game will not have logo edit, does this means that we couldn't customize the rings?

You can, but only colors and some objects (I think?) for now. No logo editor yet no, but could get added later. Remember, it's just the start of the early access.

 

[Majukun]

still on the fence about the gameplay of this game..looked at some video and it loooked boring and plain.

the fact that everyone praises this game more for the fact that you can create real wrestler than how much fun it is to play doesn't help either

 

[The Elite]

still on the fence about the gameplay of this game..looked at some video and it loooked boring and plain.

the fact that everyone praises this game more for the fact that you can create real wrestler than how much fun it is to play doesn't help either

People praise it more for the gameplay and animations than anything else. The CAW is good but it's not the sole highlight at all.

 

[Hasney]

still on the fence about the gameplay of this game..looked at some video and it loooked boring and plain.

the fact that everyone praises this game more for the fact that you can create real wrestler than how much fun it is to play doesn't help either

Don't get it twisted, being able to have every single wrestler ever is great, but before the creation suite was brilliant, the gameplay is what made the series popular.

I'd be buying this even if it had no creation tools.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

still on the fence about the gameplay of this game..looked at some video and it loooked boring and plain.

the fact that everyone praises this game more for the fact that you can create real wrestler than how much fun it is to play doesn't help either

Not sure what you're watching. Not only is Fire Pro the most fun wrestling game to watch because the AI tendencies and move strings are the best around, but to experience that while playing is even more fun. Some of the best matches I've ever had in a wrestling game have been from Fire Pro. Sure the game doesn't have the wacky side of things you can get from the older Yukes games, but in terms of match build and consistent + realistic wrestler logic, Fire Pro can't be beat.

 

[Retro Edge]

Maybe a banner in the OP would be good.

Changed the logo a little bit.

 

[added_time]

So 9pm EST then? I'm ready!

 

[Brinbe]

Finally, the master has returned. Makes me wanna bust out some Fire Pro Advanced.

 

[Helznicht]

Just from videos (and no experience) here is what I will be requesting during the Early Access as additional features:

* Submissions need to be held longer
* Ladder Matches
* Table Matches
* 4th model size for giants (Big Show, Andre, I know how hard this would be)
* Illegal moves that cause disqualification
* Managers

 

[Burai]

Dirt Rally is the only EA game I've ever taken a risk on.

I think I might jump in on this one too.

 

[Snakethesniper]

Never played any game of the series and just discovering it now.
Seems I nice game, but how does it work in the gameplay department?
Like, difficulty curve like 2d fighting games or less?
From the videos I can't understand, since all I see is people grappling each other

 

[The Elite]

Is the tutorial in yet?

 

[Brian_FETO]

Never played any game of the series and just discovering it now.
Seems I nice game, but how does it work in the gameplay department?
Like, difficulty curve like 2d fighting games or less?
From the videos I can't understand, since all I see is people grappling each other

The grappling is the main gameplay mechanic

Right as they lock up you press a button and a direction to do a move. Whoever has the better timing wins the lockup and gets their move

There are normal strikes outside of that

 

[GillianSeed79]

Never played any game of the series and just discovering it now.
Seems I nice game, but how does it work in the gameplay department?
Like, difficulty curve like 2d fighting games or less?
From the videos I can't understand, since all I see is people grappling each other

If you've never played a Fire Pro game before, it can be kind of daunting/frustrating at first since the game plays completely opposite of what most wrestling games play like. If you button mash in this game you will be destroyed. One of the things they should add in early access is a tutorial since the game mechanics will be so foreign to most people.

 

[Retro Edge]

Is the tutorial in yet?

Yes, the mission mode.

 

[Hasney]

Never played any game of the series and just discovering it now.
Seems I nice game, but how does it work in the gameplay department?
Like, difficulty curve like 2d fighting games or less?
From the videos I can't understand, since all I see is people grappling each other

So it works like this:

Strikes (including running strikes) need to be methodical and hit their hitbox perfectly
Grapples are based on timing. As soon as both people touch, you hit your input
Grapples and Strikes have different strengths: Weak, Medium, Strong and Special. The stronger the move, the more likely the opponent will automatically reverse it until they've been worn down with weaker moves.

 

[doctorblurg]

I know my laptop can probably run this just fine and I want to play it so bad... but I know PS4 is where I'd play it the most so it's gonna be a struggle to wait

 

[derFeef]

So it works like this:

Strikes (including running strikes) need to be methodical and hit their hitbox perfectly
Grapples are based on timing. As soon as both people touch, you hit your input
Grapples and Strikes have different strengths: Weak, Medium, Strong and Special. The stronger the move, the more likely the opponent will automatically reverse it until they've been worn down with weaker moves.

Nice overview, thanks

 

[Rhaknar]

sister abigail

 

[Krooner]

Excited for this, but Sony's handling of console game mods has me worried about CAW on console. Will theyballow us to use custom music? Non licensed characters?? I'm waiting and seeing...

 

[Brian_FETO]

I know my laptop can probably run this just fine and I want to play it so bad... but I know PS4 is where I'd play it the most so it's gonna be a struggle to wait

It sucks because I'd much rather play it on PS4, I'll certainly grab it on both, but PC is probably going to be way better as far as creation goes