I got into why Fire Pro Wrestling is the godfather of modern wrestling games. Now, you’re going to learn how to play the recent Fire Pro Wrestling World.
Everyone approaches the game differently to get the same end result and many who have played the game since the Western releases for GameBoy Advance and PlayStation 2 or pretty much learned the game from the Japanese SNES, Dreamcast, and GBA games.
Timing Fundamentals
Pay close attention to your control setup. I play with a keyboard and tend to forget what button is for a pinfall. As a result, I end up trying to figure out what pinning moves—if any—my selected wrestler has. Remember how you set it up or learn the defaults.
“That’s basic stuff, Swift.” Alright, how about we crank it up a bit, then? Timing and distance are important here and serve as the base for matches in the game. Getting the drop on a grapple and being quick on the input is key.
Grapples are initiated automatically once the two wrestlers touch. You’ll notice that both wrestlers lean back with their arms up before grappling and you’ll hear a soft slap sound.
Here’s where timing comes into play. You don’t want to start button mashing or anything. This isn’t that kind of game. As soon as the wrestlers touch and before they grapple, already have your directional arrow pressed and ready. Once you hear the slap, press your chosen strike/grapple button or key.
So, touch, hold down your direction, once you hear the slap: press your button/key. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ve basically got it. Also, when an opponent is downed and too close to the ropes, use the 3D button/key to drag them away. The referees are very particular about the ropes if rope break is on in the rules.
Distance Is Important
Strikes rely on distance. You want the right amount of distance or either the attack with undershoot or go through your opponent. A rule of thumb I use is that after I knock down an opponent after I pick them up one or two steps back is good for strikes with less animation. For example, a jab doesn’t need as much distance as say a rolling lariat.
On that note, some lighter strikes might require more distance such as the middle kick. This is something you might want to try out yourself but I tend to go with one or two steps back from picking an opponent up for most strikes or weapon attacks.
And Now The Basics of Fire Pro Wrestling World
Fire Pro Wrestling World is a Japanese wrestling game, so match build and the like is built around Japanese pro wrestling. This will come into play in part two but for now, just remember that you have to build your match. Strikes and grapples have three levels: light, medium, and strong.
You want to progress through these levels as an opponent will reverse medium and strong grapples and strikes early in the match. Occasionally, you can squeak in a stronger attack but that depends on a few factors such as your wrestler’s fight (attack) style, the opponent’s return or (defending) style, and what points are applied to what attributes.
Never mind that for now or else this will go on forever. Just know you have to work up from light, then beat up your opponent with some medium attacks, then really do them in with strong attacks.
Also, pay attention to how much you’ve been on the offense. Your wrestler has both health and stamina determined by the CAW creator. Grapples and strike use up some stamina so be sure to take a breather when you can. Luckily, you can toss wrestlers out of the ring or knock them down long enough to get a lung full.
If you end up running too low on stamina, your wrestler will stop to catch what little they can. Also, they can end up staying down longer from attacks.
Countering and Escaping
As far as countering goes, be quick on the draw with your button/key once they attempt an attack from an advantage (behind, while you’re on the ground, etc). I tend to use the light grapple key in a heated match but countering in Fire Pro Wrestling World is harder to explain as it depends on a lot of factors in the creation of custom wrestlers.
Escaping submissions is much easier. Just wiggle the analog stick or quickly tap your directional keys rapidly. If you’re flat on the mat and about to be pinned, use the light strike/grapple button. It can also be held down but that’s for part two.
Both escaping and countering are determined by how much stamina and health you have left, as you’d expect.
Next Time
When we dive back into Fire Pro Wrestling World, you’re going to learn how to deliver a high-rated match!
