Virtual Pro Wrestling

Virtual Pro Wrestling was developed by Asmik Ace Ent., Released in 1996

Take your pick from one of 52 wrestlers and tackle the different divisions in the League Challenge. Or play the Best of Seven, where you can win a championship you name and wager with friends. Exhibition matches against a friend or the computer are also possible. There is also the 5-on-5 elimination match, with two rule sets. A Tournament and League mode with up to eight participants. And the Double Title mode, where you and a friend compete for the titles found in the memory cards. Each wrestler is equipped with over 30 to 40 moves.

Other Informations:

Game ID: SLPS-00449

Players: 2
Control: 8-Way Standard Controller (Digital Controller compatible only)
Buttons: 8
=> [X] Strike, [Circle] Grapple, [Square] Block, [Triangle] Run, [L1] Leapfrog, [L2] Crowd appeal, [R1] Dodge, [R2] Strong Strike

Released in Japan in September 13, 1996.

This is the first game developed by The Man Breeze, who would later become AKI Corporation and is today known as syn Sophia, Inc.

In 1995, Syuji Yoshida became the director of Fire Pro Wrestling: Iron Slam ’96, the first Fire Pro videogame in full 3D. When not met with the success he wanted, and growing frustrated over HUMAN’s lack of support to develop further 3D Fire Pro videogames, Yoshida left the company, taking character designer SHINSUKU, planning director GETA-SAN and program designer and developer SHIKA to form The Man Breeze, which was a company initially planning on developing wrestling games, and together, they started forming an engine that would enable pro wrestling action in full 3D.

The game features six wrestling promotions with a number of characters each, these are based on real wrestlers, but were given different aliases due to the lack of a promotion’s license. The following is a list of the promotions with the wrestlers featured:

Neo Strong Wrestling is based on New Japan Pro Wrestling and features the following characters based on these wrestlers:

Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Wild Pegasus
Black Tiger II
Tatsumi Fujinami
Riki Choshu
Keiji Mutoh
Shinya Hashimoto
Hiroshi Hase
Kensuke Sasaki
Masahiro Chono
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Shiro Koshinaka
Scott Norton

Empire Wrestling Federation is based on All Japan Pro Wrestling and includes these characters based on the following:

Mitsuharu Misawa
Toshiaki Kawada
Kenta Kobashi
Giant Baba (with his own theme song based on the AJPW theme heard on TV)
Jumbo Tsuruta
Akira Taue
Stan Hansen
Gary Albright
Steve Williams

Wrestle of Universe features these characters based on the following shootfighters:

Akira Maeda (Fighting Network RINGS)
Masakatsu Funaki (Pancrase)
Yoji Anjoh (Union of Wrestling Forces International)
Minoru Suzuki (Pancrase)
Volk Han (Fighting Network RINGS)
Ken Shamrock (Pancrase)
Kazuo Yamazaki (Union of Wrestling Forces International)
Yoshiaki Fujiwara (Pro Wrestling Fujiwara-Gumi)
Nobuhiko Takada (Union of Wrestling Forces International)
Bas Rutten (Pancrase)

Dead or Alive has characters based on wrestlers from mostly independent promotions:

Atsushi Onita (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
Tarzan Goto (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
Hayabusa (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
Sabu (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
Genichiro Tenryu (Wrestle and Romance)
Koji Kitao (Wrestle and Romance)

Independence Local Wrestling has these characters based on wrestlers from Michinoku Pro Wrestling:

The Great Sasuke
Super Delfin
TAKA Michinoku
Jinsei Shinzaki
Ultimo Dragon

Finally, International American Wrestling Federation includes characters based on American wrestling performers, mostly World Championship Wrestling:

Hulk Hogan
Sting
Ric Flair
The Great Muta
Power Warrior
Hawk
Vader
Rick Steiner
Scott Steiner

In February 28, 1997, Virtual Pro Wrestling saw an American release in the form of WCW Vs. The World. WCW Vs. The World is identical to Virtual Pro Wrestling aside for the characters. The Neo Strong Wrestling characters were replaced with 13 WCW wrestlers including Hulk Hogan, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Lex Luger, Sting, Ric Flair, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Dean Malenko, Ultimo Dragon, Lord Steven Regal and Masahiro Chono, Jeff Jarrett (hidden character) and The Giant (hidden character using the Andre The Giant character model). There is a character called The Unknown in there who’s just a renamed Super Delfin. Below are the name changes that occurred, with the real name of the wrestler listed to the right:

Empire Wrestling Federation (All Japan Pro Wrestling)

Wu Fang = Mitsuharu Misawa
Kapuna = Toshiaki Kawada
Sam Song = Kenta Kobashi
Samoa = Giant Baba
Mongrel = Jumbo Tsuruta
Fujigami = Tatsumi Fujinami (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
The Count = Stan Hansen
Bear Breath = Gary Albright
Siberia = Steve Williams

Samurai Wrestling Federation (Shootfighting)

Akira = Akira Maeda
Uraki = Masakatsu Funaki
200 Wins = Yoji Anjoh
Sherlock = Ken Shamrock (portrait was altered)
Konaka = Shiro Koshinaka (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
Billy Gaijin = Scott Norton (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
Yamagiwa = Kazuo Yamazaki
Kaiji = Yoshiaki Fujiwara
Moma = Nobuhiko Takada
Thunder Dome = Bas Rutten

Dead or Alive (Garbage and Independent promotions)

Puchteca = Atsushi Onita
Heart = Tarzan Goto
Habanero = Hayabusa
David Harley = Sabu
Saladin = Genichiro Tenryu
Kim Chee = Koji Kitao

Independent Union (Michinoku Pro Wrestling)

The Black Ninja = The Great Sasuke
Mukluk = Kensuke Sazaki (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
Black Belt = TAKA Michinoku
Shaolin = Jinsei Shinzaki
El Bolador = Hiroyoshi Tenzan (New Japan Pro Wrestling)

Neo Strong Wrestling (New Japan Pro Wrestling)

Abispa = Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Mad Oahu = Riki Choshu
Mongol = Keiji Mutoh
Bad Blood = The Great Muta
Bolt Jamison = Power Warrior
Overdose = Hawk
The Turk = The Dynamite Kid’s character model using Vader’s moveset
Dojo = Shinya Hashimoto
Dakota = Hiroshi Hase

Hidden Characters

Steel Talon = Antonio Inoki (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
Grizz Lee = Bruiser Brody (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
Shanghai = Karl Gotch (National Wrestling Alliance)
Major Tom = Terry Funk (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling)
El Masquerade = Mil Mascaras (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
Jaguar = Tiger Mask (New Japan Pro Wrestling)

– TIPS AND TRICKS –

Unlock these hidden characters by finishing a promotion on the League Challenge mode:

Neo Strong Wrestling = Unlock wrestler based on Antonio Inoki
Empire Wrestling Federation = Unlock wrestler based on Bruiser Brody
Wrestle of Universe = Unlock wrestler based on Karl Gotch
Dead or Alive = Unlock wrestler based on Terry Funk
Independence Local Wrestling = Unlock wrestler based on Mil Mascaras
International American Wrestling Federation = Unlock wrestler based on The Dynamite Kid

To unlock a wrestler based on Tiger Mask, you must complete each of the League Challenge promotions using the same Junior Heavyweight (cruiserweight) wrestler each time to unlock a new Super Jr. course. Complete this course to unlock the new wrestler.

To unlock a wrestler based on Andre The Giant, you must complete each of the League Challenge promotions using the same Heavyweight wrestler each time to unlock a new Super Heavy course. Complete this course to unlock the new wrestler.

– SERIES –

1. Virtual Pro Wrestling (1996, Playstation)
2. Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 (1997, Nintendo 64)
3. Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 – Oudou Keishou (2000, Nintendo 64)

Virtual Pro Wrestling