Just got it this week, and I ALREADY think of it as LIGHT-YEARS ahead of the SmackDown series (graphics aside). The nostalgia factor alone of using the FP1 and FPX title themes for the Main and Data menus made me shout "YES!!!!" for about a whole minute straight, and the boon of LAYERS in the intricate FPW wrestler creation system? SWEET! Awesome mark-worthy moves never-before seen in a mass-released US wrestling game? Even sweeter! Hell, I even got one of my suggestions (made on the Fire Pro Club board) in the game (I made the suggestion of renaming "Saming" to "Thumbing" as it's supposed to be...minor, but it went through!)!
Only issues I had/have were minor: many of the new wrestler names are REALLY weird, some minor typo issues with move and staff credit names (my brother is REALLY being a turd about the Japanese dudes with "tsu"/"tu" in their names), the plate assortment for the 8 Create-a-Belts are limited to 10 of the more popular-across-the-world styles, and some of the layered pieces (Cap 1 and Cap 2) don't look good with some of the heads I wanted to use in CAW mode. And the rest of the issues are the same issues that have prevailed in the Fire Pro series since Fire Pro X and Fire Pro Queen's Special on the SNES.
At least the custom wrestlers look like they belong with the real ones, and the music is HILARIOUS!
I got my copy today and haven't gotten to do a whole lot with it.
I've been doing some work for the entire community, like making sure that JPN saves can be converted and used with the US game, so that you can get those thousands of edits and ring logos that have already been made for the import version.
Making sure that when using those types of saves any bugs you may run into can be fixed.
Getting some of the more popular saves that have been done converted so they can be downloaded....then getting them converted to PS3 so people can use them as well, even though I do NOT even have a PS3.
On the other hand, I did book a card in Match Maker Mode for the first time, so THAT was especially cool.
I don't know, I don't like the grapple system, so the matches don't look that great to me on youtube. I try watching matches, but it seems to be grapple>random slam>grapple>random slam>repeat.
[quote][cite] killerb:[/cite]I didn't even know the game was out yet. When did it come out? I want to go get now lol[/quote]
The game shipped from Agetec last Tuesday.
However since it is a budget title on the PS2, it is not a major priority of game stores, so most do not even know if they are getting copies or what the game is. Most game stores distribution centers now have the game, but the local stores could be waiting until Monday or Tuesday to recieve a shipment of them from teh distribution centers.
Wal-Mart and Target will not be getting the game, as per the VP of the company they didn't order any.
Best Buy, Gamestop, EB Games, and even K-Mart WILL be getting the game or have it already.
Lots of Mom & Pop stores have also already received their copies.
[quote][cite] dratsab:[/cite]I don't know, I don't like the grapple system, so the matches don't look that great to me on youtube. I try watching matches, but it seems to be grapple>random slam>grapple>random slam>repeat.[/quote]
You are either watching videos of bad edits in action, a sim that was done at much faster than 100% speed, or both. I know I sim for YouTube at 125% speed, to try to keep it under a 10 minute file.
There is much more to Firepro matches than grapples, although that IS the bulk of any wrestling game. There are tons of strikes, ground moves, corner moves, flying moves, etc.
The only game that outshines Firepro in the A.I. department, is KOC, and that is because it is made by the same company and they expanded on Firepro A.I.
KOC is the only game I can think of that has more moves than Firepro as well.
Oh, scrolling through the moves today during my edit of my second CAW (yeah guys, it's THAT deep), I also noticed another of my local-renaming suggestions in action: "Bottom Drop" (the VPW2 name) as the FPW name of the Rock Bottom instead of "Body Clutch Slam". I squealed and totally pwned my brother's ears for a full minute afterward. :D
I'm still disappointed, though, at the limited assortment of belt plates, though the specific plates they HAVE are quite excellent in and of themselves. Used all 8 slots on my first card (I bought a 32mb card JUST to have a third available set of saved stuff in the near future).
The Gamestop (recently converted from EBGames) and GameCrazy in my area (Southern PA) didn't have it today so I bought it online from Amazon. It should arrive on Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving to me!!!
I have an awesome jpn save state. I really hope I can convert it to an american save. or better yet, convert it and use it on my ps3 - although that's probably wishful thinking.
Guess I'll have to do some research on firepro club.
I know that you can convert JPN saves to work in the US game. As long as you don't use it for the base save, it works fine. I have a step by step guide on how to do written in a post on the FPC.
Ok. Here is a step by step guide on converting JPN saves for use with the new English version of Firepro Returns.
You will need a few things in order to do this conversion, and use the saves.
1) PS2 Save Builder (http://www.ps2savetools.com/) 2) A Gamesave transfer device a) Max Drive (Action Replay Max EVO) b) Codebreaker (version 8.0 and up) c) Sharkport d) X-Port The first two devices use a thumb/flash drive to go between the PC and your PS2, the last two items have a cable that connects your PS2 to your PC. I strongly suggest either the codebreaker or max drive, with the codebreaker being the cheapest option. 3) A second memory card to put a converted save on.
Step 1. Download save to your PC. Remember where you put this save.
Step 2. Open PS2 Save Builder
Step 3. Click On File, Open, then open the save you just downloaded.
Step 4. In the ROOT/ID section change the name of the region id from BISLPM-66082 to BASLUS-21702
Step 5. Under File Name, Right Click on BISLPM-66082 and Extract (Remember where this file is being saved to)
Step 6. Go to the location you just ectracted BISLPM-66082 to and rename it to BASLUS-21702
Step 7. Under File Name, Richt Click on BISLPM-66082 and Delete.
Step 8. Right click under file name and Add File. Add BASLUS-21702 from where you put it before.
Step 9. Click On File, Save As. Now you can save your file under whatever name you want it, such as Senators JPN Save, or TNA Greatest Hits, whatever. In the Save As type, make sure you choose to save as the type of file your individual game save device can use.
That's it. The file is converted and can now be used. I would suggest that you NOT use a JPN save as a base save as there may be some formatting issues. However there should be no problems with transfering edits or logos from JPN saves to the English language game.
Have a good time!
As far as getting it to the PS3, that is possible too, although you have to have both a PS2, a Game save device, and one of those memory card readers for the PS3. You basically convert the save, put it on a PS2 memory card, then use the memroy card reader to transfer it to your PS3.
[quote][cite] dratsab:[/cite]I don't know, I don't like the grapple system, so the matches don't look that great to me on youtube. I try watching matches, but it seems to be grapple>random slam>grapple>random slam>repeat.[/quote]
Guys, this game is like heroine... Once you try it, it just sucks you in! Lol... I'm serious, play it and give it like a real week of playing and then you will know why we are all hooked!
I'm gonna order Swap Magic and import FPR. It sucks that the release date for australia (and pretty much for europe, too) is in february. It really pisses me off that the rest of the world is so fucked with this game. And guess what will hapen after I paid like 50 bucks to play FPR on my PS2? There'll be a message that it'll be released the next week right there, everywhere in europe, including my hillbilly-village! HA!
Game play is probably the best thing about the Firepro series, at least to me. It does have a learning curve, but once you get it, it becomes almost a thing of beauty.
The other big BIG thing is the A.I. It's smart, it's logical, it's fully customizable for anyone you create.
Ask no more questions if you should buy it!!! Seriously buy it! Play it! But give yourself a week or two to learn it and then it will be the best wrestling game next to virtual pro and no mercy! I give you my word, but do not play it for an hour and hate it because i did too back in the day and then i sat with it and it is truly a thing of beauty!!!!!!
Playing FPR in English gives me a whole new appreciation of how fantastic this games is, not only as a wrestling title, but also as a general combat sport game.
Lately, I've been playing MMA, K-1 and Pancrase style matchups as much, if not more, than Pro-Wrestling matches. Also, I'm grateful beyond words to be getting my hands dirty on the Match Maker mode, something I never dared touched in the Japanese release.
Fire pro has the same critical flaws in realism that it did back in 1989. I've never paid for a game by human/spike and don't intend to do so in the future.
Its a great game in terms of depth, but they have kept the foundations the same for, well, ever. They count so much on people putting up with the learning curve and playing it a certain way. Its a very, very interesting game that has a lot to offer, but the basic game play just doesn't pull you in with its fun factor. Its very much a game where you have to do certain things in a certain order, and you have to do those things in a very precise way. For me personally, that limits the games freedom and thus the fun I have. In my opinion it gets a ton right and is worth buying as something interesting, but if your low on cash like me you might regret how not fun it can be. It ends up that having English menus doesn't make a huge difference doing anything takes forever anyways and its not a huge upgrade from Z in my opinion.
Really I see FPR as being very close to reaching as high as a wrestling game can on that type of foundation. However, the foundation has its flaws. Great game on paper, great game if you really want to make yourself play it, but it does not have that fun pick up and play quality that gets me really into something. It's good for variety if nothing else.
Weak punch/Kick Repeat for a bit Weak grapple repeat for 3 minutes medium kick/punch a few times Medium grapple get reversed Weak grapple medium kick repeat strong punch, miss Medium kick hit Strong grapple
If I was going to take one game, cut out as many flaws as I could and use its strengths as a foundation, it would be Smack Down Shut Your Mouth. Its not as fun as No Mercy or as deep as Fire Pro but if I think its one one the funnest wrestling games for the first hour or so. It has a great foundation, its very intuitive, and the controls let you focus on the match. With Fire Pro I immediately have to focus on that game engine rather than immersing myself into a wrestling fantasy. Take out the finisher system, entertainment moves, and crappy predictable overdone selling animations from SYM and you'd be left with a damn fun game to start with.
I guess my point here is that PWX can not just look at what games are good and emulate them. Games like Fire Pro R and No Mercy are good largely do to the fact that they never did anything different enough to upset anyone and they built upon a long line of predecessors. PWX has no predecessors shoulders to stand on. No Mercy is great, it will always be fun. However, by emulating games that are popular you will miss out on a lot of good ideas. Many wrestling games that have not been fun or are not still talked about are games that were ruined by bad features or lack of development of their good features.
Shut Your Mouth was, in my opinion, the best SmackDOWN! ever had to offer, and despite the largely unsuccessful attempt to institute the Strong Grapples (which were later refined), made Here Comes the Pain a pretty solid (though less fun, because they still took out stuff) successor.
Anyone who really wants to take a trip back down memory lane in this game might want to keep an eye out for Captain Howdy's 16-Bit Mania pack which he is releasing tonight.
Shut Your Mouth, for what it was, was definitely a fun game to play. It's true that PWX has a clean slate to start from and the potential for innovation is wide open. But we learned the hard way that there is a TON of really basic stuff that needs to be nailed down before we can play around with crazy new ideas. Something as simple as delivering a basic arm drag took months of R&D. We gotta walk before we can run and it's been a bitter pill to swallow.
[quote][cite] PWX_Dave:[/cite]Shut Your Mouth, for what it was, was definitely a fun game to play.[/quote]
If you were to slow down the pace of the matches in SYM, fix the submissions and do the things PunkDraco mentioned, you would have a firm foundation for a game everyone could enjoy.
As an AKI anti-fan I'm prone to saying things like this.
[quote][cite] PunkDraco:[/cite]Just to make people think I am a dumb ass...
If I was going to take one game, cut out as many flaws as I could and use its strengths as a foundation, it would be Smack Down Shut Your Mouth. Its not as fun as No Mercy or as deep as Fire Pro but if I think its one one the funnest wrestling games for the first hour or so. It has a great foundation, its very intuitive, and the controls let you focus on the match. With Fire Pro I immediately have to focus on that game engine rather than immersing myself into a wrestling fantasy. Take out the finisher system, entertainment moves, and crappy predictable overdone selling animations from SYM and you'd be left with a damn fun game to start with.
I guess my point here is that PWX can not just look at what games are good and emulate them. Games like Fire Pro R and No Mercy are good largely do to the fact that they never did anything different enough to upset anyone and they built upon a long line of predecessors. PWX has no predecessors shoulders to stand on. No Mercy is great, it will always be fun. However, by emulating games that are popular you will miss out on a lot of good ideas. Many wrestling games that have not been fun or are not still talked about are games that were ruined by bad features or lack of development of their good features.
Ok, sorry about going way off topic with that one[/quote]
I dunno if I would use any of the Smackdown games like that. Personally I always thought the Legends Of Wrestling games (The first two) had an interesting premise for move situations. Almost a KOC lite feel.
Totally. We've gotten to know a few people who were on the Legends of Wrestling development team and it's no fault of their's that the publisher rushed those unfinished games to market. Those guys really wanted to do something special but they were never allowed the time to finish anything.
1 question. Is there a way that you know of to have two saves? for instance load in both this 16-bit save as well as say the senator's or that corey's save? nothing shows if I creat a second memory card on the ps3.
by all means if there's a link to direct me, that's cool. I just didn't know what to search for on the site.