Honorable Mention: Fire Pro Wrestling (GBA, 2001)
The Japanese Fire Pro series, the longest-running wrestling game franchise, doesn’t get much love in the U.S. mostly because of its limited release and the dominance of the WWF/WWE and WCW brands. To most gamers who have (sort of) heard about it, Fire Pro Wrestling is that oddball isometric brawler with 2D sprites that looks strange and cheesy. But for hardcore players, its options, features, and roster of wrestlers (though unlicensed) is unmatched.
For the GBA, Fire Pro Wrestling packs 150 wrestlers, which includes palette-swap adaptations of superstars from Pride, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ultimate Fighting (it even had an octagon ring), and the WWF. Not to mention the countless number of created wrestlers you can make from the hundreds upon hundreds of parts – techniques, A.I. control, offensive and defensive techniques, and skills.
Button mashers aren’t rewarded, either; defeating the opponent requires precise timing, and you can’t just go for the kill early on or you’ll just get countered. Of course, you can just go for bloodshed and cause an instant “give up” (nothing like a itty-bitty blood to make a muscle man cry). The game also features a challenging audience match mode, where you have to impress the crowd by defeating the opponent fast, furiously, or however they want you to. Above all, how Spike and BAM! Entertainment crammed this all into a little cartridge, and for the handheld no less, is mind-boggling.
