
The recent confirmation that WWE 2K18 is coming to Switch has wrestling fans salivating in expectation, but that title could be joined by another legendary video gaming property, Fire Pro Wrestling.
Created by Human Entertainment back in the early '90s, the Fire Pro series has been a firm favourite in Japan thanks to its tight controls, technical depth and complex customisation options. The series has fallen out of favour of late, with creator Masato Masuda passing away in 2014 and Human ceasing to exist as a company, but it's finally getting a timely revival. The franchise is now owned by Spike Chunsoft, which has just released Fire Pro Wrestling World on Steam Early Access.
A PlayStation 4 release is also planned but it would seem that Tomoyuki Matsumoto - a former Human employee who is now in charge of Fire Pro - is an avid Switch fan. In an interview with Retronauts, Matsumoto revealed that he's keen to get the new game on Nintendo's hardware:
Retronauts: Would you look at other platforms beyond Steam and PS4 for Fire Pro World? Mobile, Xbox, Switch or something along those lines?
Matsumoto: Speaking for me personally, I would love to put the game on Switch.
Retronauts: It seems like a good fit. The Switch audience seems to be really tuned into sort of the retro style experience that Fire Pro offers.
Fire Pro Wrestling is a very different beast to WWE 2K18, as you can see from the screenshot above. It deliberately avoids using realistic 3D models and instead employs 2D visuals and an isometric viewpoint which has been central to the series for decades. Still, the series is well respected with "true" wrestling fans - so would you like to see it come to Switch? Let us know with a comment.
[source retronauts.com]
Comments 32
This has to happen! Don't let the 2D sprites foll you: There is a reason why the series is considered the very best 2D wrestling game ever produced: the gameplay and the incredibly deep "Create a Wrestler" feature.
PS: 8 player local LAN support!
Yes please!!! Love 2d wrestling games
This looks much more appealing to me than any WWE game ever could.
Ugh... wrestling again ?
I want cute 2D Kickboxing like K-1 GP Pocket GBA.
Welp come on guys, buy WWE 2K18 and prove to them there is a wrestling crowd among the Switch owners.
I'm on this before WWE. Bring it!
If Suda51 is involved then I'm definitely interested.
Fire Pro Returns is in my top 3 fav games of all-time. It's the hands down #1 "dream game" I'd love to see brought to Switch. I had about 100 created wrestlers on it. It needs to be on switch or 3ds desperately.
I would definitely get it. I havent played the fire pro series since PS2. It was a cool game, created a bunch of wrestlers and made some good matches. The one on steam looks good, with having the community workshop opening up the customization possiblities even better.
I would be all over this
Insta-buy !
I'd say with this and WWE, they definitely help revive wrestling games a bit.
yes please, this looks really fun!
@Anti-Matter K-1 just not popular like it use to be dude. No Japanese publisher will support a K-1 game. Same with MMA also. It's taken years to get a Japanese pro-wrestling game back on the market.
Least fire pro does give you the option of playing under K-1 rules. It's not a great kickboxing game but there is the option.
@Anti-Matter
Fire pro wrestling on ps2 had k1 and pride FC fighters. You could also do matches with MMA and kickboxing rules.
Would buy day one without question😁
@Chamillion205
Me too, I really hope they make one.
Yes, please. I'd love to buy this in addition to WWE 2K18.
My god yes. Playing this on the go would be amazing. The ps2 version was the only backward compatible game i brought for my fat ps3.
like Fire Pro for the Xbox 360? yes!!!!!
I've been on the Fire Pro bandwagon since late 1996 with Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium for the Super Famicom and then Fire Pro Wrestling S: 6 Men Scramble on the Saturn shortly after. Fantastic games. The more platforms they bring the new one to, the better.
Heck yeah, really enjoyed Fire Pro on the GBA, but there's never been an NLife page for me to add it to my collection. I'd buy 2K18 over this if I could only buy one, but I would definitely buy both.
I would buy this with a Switch in a heartbeat. I love the customization options.
@MyNameIsRandy @kobashi100
Eh... sorry, guys.
Not interested at all with k-1 inside a Wrestling games.
I had checked from Google and sorry... no dice.
I prefer PURE Kickboxing / Boxing games, semi realistic or Cartoonish.
NO UFC, NO Wrestling, NO MMA at all.
I just want like on K-1 PS2 / Animal Boxing NDS / Hilarious like Pocket Fighter PS1.
Yeah, I'd like to see it. And play with it😶
Not a wrestling fan but I loved the THQ games on N64. Wish they'd make one in that style.
Make it happen! I just hope this game is more like Fire Pro Wrestling Returns on the PS2 than Fire Pro Wrestling on the Xbox 360. Luckily it looks from the screenshots like it is a return to the earlier style. Fingers crossed.
@BionicDodo MS had the ability to have spike develop an amazing pro-wrestling game on 360 and instead they asked for that avatar garbage.
MS seriously screwed up!
I've never heard of this series until today, sadly, I'd definitely get this day one if it launched on the switch.
Also it kinda reminds me of that weird Saturday night slam masters game by Capcom during the Snes Era. Are they related?
@BionicDodo your username is awesome lol
Just got for PC (Came out 11th) love the series, Switch version would be greatly accepted!
@Anti-Matter I'm not sure about this one but older games in the series had an MMA mode. I believe (but don't quote be on this) that one have even had a boxer vs wrestler option. If this game has those features then you could play it for years without ever playing an actual wrestling match.
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