Ah, professional wrestling, the one true sport. Is there anything better than having a big fake fight? Of course not, which is why kids have play-fights all the time. And, just like wrestling, sometimes those fights become all-too-real when someone works themselves into a shoot.
Wrestling, of course, has quite the storied history not just in The World, but on Nintendo, too. So we’ve decided to brave the squared circle and unleash twelve of the best, most important and most interesting wrestling games in Nintendo history all over your candy asses. And, if you disagree with the list, just pretend it’s a Russo-style swerve!
WCW Wrestling (NES, 1989)
Still the only game officially licensed with the NWA, WCW Wrestling is a standout showing for grap fans on the NES. Its original Japanese release was called Superstar Pro Wrestling, but for the western debut it was rebuilt with WCW wrestlers, including the likes of Sting, Ric Flair, “Dr Death” Steve Williams and – interestingly – the Road Warriors, who, uniquely, also appear in the Superstar Pro Wrestling version. It’s rather forward thinking, too, in allowing the player to customise their chosen wrestler’s moveset prior to a match.
Granted, there aren’t that many moves – eight to choose from per wrestler – but this feature combined with the fun pick-up-and-play gameplay itself made for an early winner.
Tecmo World Wrestling (NES, 1989)
Fascinatingly, this is the first grap-game ever to feature a full play-by-play announcer. No, of course it’s not full sampled speech – the accurately-named Tom Talker offers his colour commentary in the form of pop-up speech bubbles. Indeed, if that were all the game had to offer it’d almost be enough to justify its place on the list, but each of the ten imaginary wrestlers here have over 20 moves apiece – a stunning number considered how limited the games that came before could be.
Brilliantly, Ninja Gaiden-style “theatre” sequences are used in action replays, in order to display the impact of particularly devastating moves.
Super Fire Pro Wrestling (Super Famicom, 1991)
The iconic Fire Pro Wrestling series got its start on PC Engine, but it made the leap to Nintendo here for the first of seven (!) entries on Nintendo systems. What makes Fire Pro so beloved and unique is its focus on timing – not just the fact that button-mashing won’t get the player anywhere thanks to a fastidious grapple/counter system, but also in terms of its adherence to the rhythms and momentum of a real wrestling match, in which the action sees peaks and troughs before coming to a head with a spectacular finisher and dramatic kick-outs.
Saturday Night Slam Masters (SNES, 1994)
This big, bombastic coin-op conversion is best known for its inclusion of Final Fight’s esteemed mayor of Metro City, one Mike Haggar. Despite utilising some attack movements from the popular Street Fighter 2, the controls are overall more simple, with only punch, kick and jump buttons available – though wrestlers can venture outside the ring to plunder weapons from the crowd. The SNES version packs both the Single and Team Battle modes from the arcade game, allowing four players with the use of a multitap.
Amusingly, the game’s Western localisation makes the rather dubious claim that wrestler Gunloc is Street Fighter Guile’s brother – something that remains resolutely non-canon.
Funaki Masakatsu Hybrid Wrestler: Tougi Denshou (Super Famicom, 1994)
The titular Funaki Masakatsu co-founded the MMA organisation Pancrase, predating the UFC and offering up future WWF Attitude Era star Ken Shamrock. Prior to his glittering MMA career, however, he was a pro wrestler for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and it’s this aspect of his life and work that the next entry in our list focuses on.
The most notable feature here is the create-a-wrestler mode, that allows you to, well, create a wrestler and then watch their life play out on screen, including marriage and the birth of their child, who can themselves be trained as a wrestler and become playable at 18 years old. Brilliant.
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game (SNES, 1995)
If Slam Masters took a leaf from Street Fighter’s book, then WWF: Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game does the same for Midway’s Mortal Kombat series. This digitised scrapper is as cartoonish and exaggerated as the WWF product was at the time of its release, seeing The Undertaker throwing fireballs all over the ring. There’s little in the way of pinning strategy, here – simply empty your enemy’s health bar to go for the pin.
It’s not the best version of the game – indeed, the Mega Drive version is (whisper it) superior – but it’s still enormous fun to this day, hence its inclusion in our list.
Comments 61
Kinda sad if the best Wrestling game is the one you rated 6/10.
@iLikeUrAttitude it's in chronological order
@iLikeUrAttitude I believe these are based on order of release but empire has improved a great deal since release. They’ve added so much since then.
Some real good ones on here. I've played a good chunk of them too. Tecmo world wrestling was a gem on the nes that I recall getting for either Xmas or bday at a young age.
I still find myself going back to Pro Wrestling on the NES.
I am surprised it is not even mentioned on this Nintendo list.
Starman 4 life
How can you forget the "Legends of Wrestling" series on GameCube?!? So much fun. Also, visually, they're still great to look at with its stylized wrestlers. Kinda wish that they'd make a 3rd.
RetroMania Wrestling?
For the limitations of the console the first WWF game on the Gameboy was a great little game.
@Orokosaki Definitely. One of the very few good LJN games; They were mostly known for cash grab shovelware like "Uncanny X-Men" on NES. Only a few standout games to come from them.
WWF No Mercy is the GOAT.
Oh how I would love an HD remaster with the same roster.
@Hikingguy Pro Wrestling is great, and this list would be improved by adding it.
Lack of Day of Reckoning 2 is pretty headtilting.
Either way the highlights are definitely the DoR games and the AKI games. Though shout out to Wrestling Empire, it's crazy fun.
Get Wrestlemania Arcade Game off there, RAW or Royal Rumble so much better!
It's interesting that the N64 lacked 1v1 fighting games almost entirely and that it happens to be when wrestling games arguably reached their zenith, an uncanny clean swap between the genres to capitalize on the analog stick.
Mat Mania is on the Switch, via Arcade Archives, and while it is downright primitive by modern standards, it controls well and moves very fluidly. I would easily place it on this list above World Championship Wrestling, which has a lot more moves and character choices but gameplay is very slow and stiff by comparison.
Tecmo World Wrestling is the best wrestling game of the 8 bit era. Period.
Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium should be the SNES representative for that particular series and it's probably the best wrestling game of the 16 bit console era. There is a learning curve, as Fire Pro controls take a little getting used to to get the timing down right. That being said, there are better, more recent entries in this series that aren't on Nintendo hardware. I really wish the Switch could get a port of Fire Pro Wrestling World, but Spike seems to have no interest for whatever reason.
Virtua Pro Wrestling 2 for the N64 uses the same basic engine as the other AKI wrestling games, but it has it's own quirks that set it apart from the WWF and WCW entries. In certain ways, I like it better than it's NA counterparts.
I wouldn't really bother with any of the post-No Mercy games on this list.
Retromania is a much better arcade-style wrestling game than WrestleMania: The Arcade Game. I do wish we could get genuine ports of WWF Superstars or WrestleFest, but the licensing isn't likely to happen.
WCW/nWo Revenge: One of the best N64 games, and by far the best wrestling game I’ve ever played.
Pro Wrestling on NES should have made this list.
@StuartGipp Wrestlemania 2000 remains my favorite.
@cookepuss I think they did make a third. Showdown: Legends of Wrestling.
WWE All Stars and Wrestling Empire are so much fun; the former is still a multiplayer staple in my family to this day, and the latter is an utterly expansive experience. I just can’t for the life of me get into the retro stuff though; maybe the N64 and GameCube era stuff will be enjoyable to me?
@TheCrabMan
I was going to argue with you, but then I realized that the only time I enjoy wrestling games are when they resemble fighting games or have loads of weapons or jank in them. Wrestling itself is extraordinarily hard to make into video games I guess?
A friend of mine owned Saturday Night Slam Masters when we were kids and I remember us having so much fun playing team mode.
I’m guessing this list excluded some games for a little more variety or wrestlemania 2000, virtual pro 2, every AKI wrestling game reigns supreme. DOR 2 I liked better than 1 as well. I actually liked Yukes’ wrestlemania 19 the best for the goofy revenge mode. Fighting atop a suspended 2 tiered cage over the Atlantic surrounded by barge ships chock full of wrestling Tees was about as high stakes as it gets! Your objective was to slam your opponents thru the cage to the ocean or throw them off the side to their death with a blood curdling scream from your opponent, it was insane. I also liked the gba fire pro games pretty well but they were tough as Nailz. Speaking of Nailz it had a create a wrestler, so if you wanted a Nailz in a orange jumpsuit you could add him right in.
@Thomystic
Ahhh, the N64 has
Fighter's Destiny
Mace: The Dark Age
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mortal Kombat 4
Rakuga Kids
WCW v NWO
WCW v NWO Revenge
WWF Attitude
WWF No Mercy
Dark Rift
Dual Heroes
Clay Fighter 63 1/3
Xena Warrior Princess
Killer Instinct Gold
Bio Freaks
War God's
Flying Dragon
G.A.S.P Fighters Nextream
ECW Hardcore
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
WWF Warzone
Sure not all of them are good but it definitely has a heap of 1 v 1 fighters.
How about fire pro world or even returns port? Or heck, give us the game boy advance fire pros! ANYTHING!!
How do you come up with an extensive list and fail to include the best Pro-Wrestling game which is virtua Pro-Wrestling II. Also fire pro wrestling (Japanese version) on GBA.
The booker mode was amazing!
I am honestly baffled how that happens.
@zbinks there is no doubt that Virtua Pro-Wrestling II is better than the WWE games on N64
Old school black box NES Pro Wrestling. I was surprised at how good of a wrestling game that was, especially in comparison to the other wrestling games that came to the console. Getting to the Great Puma and taking him down was a true badge of honor.
Are there more than 12 overall? I wasn't fully aware there was even one wrestling game on Switch. Apparently I subconsciously block them out.
Hammerlock and natsume championship wrestling on the snes were pretty great. Also WWF monday night raw. And like someone else said, retromania on the switch.
@KindofaBigDeal No Mercy really was the goat. I'm hoping it possibly shows up on NSO.
@Hikingguy no kidding! Played so much Pro Wrestling.
I mean this respectfully but it's really really difficult not to note the glaring omissions of Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 and Fire Pro X Premium, both of which are widely considered to be among the best wrestling games ever published on any platform.
@zbinks @kobashi100
Glad to see a couple folks mentioned these before I did. This is a nice feature of wrestling games, and a couple are quite obscure, but to call these the twelve best wrestling games on Nintendo systems while overlooking historic fan favorites is a big swing and a miss imo.
@TheCrabMan Musou trumps both.
My favorite is still WCW vs. nWo World Tour, great memories playing that over Christmas break 1997.
What about Pro Wrestling? It was the first and best NES wrestling game.
I seem to recall SNES Wrestlemania had a sequel, Royal Rumble, and that was really good. I still have Tecmo WW on NES and fondly recall the No Mercy days. Typically after a Mario Kart session, there'd be a No Mercy one. I have Wrestlemania 19 on GC too, which was good. I got it primarily because Torrie Wilson was in it and would often use her to beat up Hulk Hogan. Not to ignore my very first NES game was Wrestlemania. I got it with the system for Christmas. While I played it extensively, in hindsight it was quite average.
@HalBailman I agree, I think Royal Rumble was the best SNES wrestling game.
At 2nd glance, War zone was actually pretty great when you got the hang of it. I still remember how amped me and my neighbor were to play as stone cold. If memory serves, it was the first time he was playable? I may be mistaken on that, but that's what he told me back then and I took his word for it lol. Still remember his finisher to this day and I'll never forget it. LEFT LEFT UP DOWN C LEFT C at the same time hahha.
Also, wcw/nwo revenge and world tour + WM2000 are the best hands down.
Day Of Reckoning 2 is my personal favorite wrestling game of all time. Especially with 3 or 4 people, incredible.
WWF No mercy n64. Greatest game everrrr
If we could include handheld entries, Fire Pro Wrestling 2 on GBA is the best 2D wrestling games ever whereas WWE Day of Reckoning 2 is the best modern 3D wrestling game ever whereas Saturday Night Slam Master for Super NES is the best arcade style wrestling game ever being the closest to a home entry of Wrestlefest we will ever get whereas WWF No Mercy is the best classic 3D wrestling game ever made.
Nobody agrees with this list.
@kal_el_07241 It won't due to licensing issue, a majority of those wrestlers are either dead, retired, or work for other promotions outside of WWE atm.
Missing Ultimate Muscle for GameCube
WWE Allstars is still my favorite. Its like playing with your favorite wrestling action figures. Wrestling Empire for Switch is on my wishlist, just waiting for another 50% off sale. I love this list, and I do think that Tecmo is the best NES wrestling game, better than Pro Wrestling. I am curious why WWF the Arcade game is better on the Megadrive though...,
No Mercy was the GOAT if you’re a WWE fan but the preceding game, WCW/NWO Revenge, was the best if you were a fan of the Turner brand, and it was the first of the AKI wrestling games to implement finishers that opponents actually sold on (prior to Revenge, wrestlers would jump back up after being hit by a finishing move).
Fire Pro Returns is also great and has actually usurped the AKI games for me. Didn’t like the game at first but once you get used to the engine and the insane customization there’s no going back. Seriously. Take a few days to learn it and to play with the customizations, then all other wrestling games will seem basic.
@Clash81 The Sega Genesis version of WWF WrestleMania Arcade had a much smoother gameplay despite having smaller wrestlers. Also it includes both Bam Bam Bigelow and Yokozuna in the roster whereas the Super NES version did not though if you use a cheat device like Game Genie or Action Replay you could still play prototype version of Yokozuna and Bam Bam Bigelow on the Super NES version. My guess is that Acclaim had reach their deadline and didn't had enough time to complete Yokozuna and Bam Bam Bigelow for the Super NES version.
Ummm notably & egregiously missing… Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight for NY & Ultimate Muscle?
But yes, WWE No Mercy was the goat. I made Rikishi Stink Face his way to every belt, even the Women’s Belt.
@Serpenterror damn that is unfortunate. Bam Bam and Yokozuna were great, sad that acclaim did them dirty like that.
N64 wrestling games are my favorite
@Nintendosbooger if your not a fan of either of the soap opera American companies than Virtual Pro-Wrestling 2 smokes them both.
No Mercy os the best, followed by every other N64 wrestling game ever made.
The ones on the PS2 were decent too, also 2k14 was actually quite solid as well.
@NintendoByNature I believe the box art on either the PSone or N64 made a point of featuring Stone Cold, so I think that’s indeed right.
@Darthroseman not to mention that it was graphically stunning for the time too.
Def Jam Vendetta and the NES Pro Wrestling are glaring omissions in my opinion.
HYBRID WRESTLER IS MAZING! and the closest thing to the WWF arcade titles by technos. An incredibly deep move set and each characters is different. Street fights, balcony fights, scaffold. Absolutely the best 16-bit wrestler out there.
It's down to WWF No Mercy or Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 for me. Sadly, the game save battery in my Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 cartridge has died.
@Hikingguy this guy speaks truth. Nes pro wrestling is the best wrestling game for all Nintendo. /End wwanything can get huffed.
@YANDMAN Actually, Technos Japan’s worked on a couple WWF games, WWF Superstars and WWF Wrestlefest for arcades. They also developed
Tag Team Wrestling, Mat Mania, and Hybrid Wrestler, which is a phenomenal game I’m surprised got a nod here.
I am disappointed that Toukon Club failed to get a mention.
It’s a fun Jaleco wrestler for the Famicom that should have at least made it in past WCW, an okayish NES wrestling game that I’d say isn’t even better than Pro Wrestling. Also, the lack of Toukon Retsuden 4 and Giant Gram 2000 is felt. Hell, King of Colosseum should have made it in over something here. But I get it, some wrestling games are scarce and hard to get ahold of. I’m still just mesmerized Hybrid Wrestler made the cut.
@Lawman Actually, what? I said, "it's the closest thing to the WWF arcade titles". You then ACTUALLY decided to tell me about games that they worked on that, I had just referenced. Try reading before preaching, you'll look less silly.
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