Wrestling Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: September 15, 2005 (JP)
Publisher: Agetec Inc.
Developer: S-Neo
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Much like how top independent wrestling promotions like CHIKARA and Ring of Honor fly under the radar of most casual wrestling fans, Fire Pro Wrestling Returns flew under the radar of most casual wrestling fan gamers, who flocked to the better-known and better-looking WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games. If you're a fan of independent wrestling or can name the current IWGP champion or think of lucha libre when you hear the term "Octagon" instead of geometry, then Fire Pro Wrestling Returns is the wrestling game for you. The steep learning curve hides a very nice wrestling engine created to simulate a match with a methodical pacing. Taking it even further, the computer AI can be modified to extreme levels, for each individual wrestler (of which you can have over 800 on a single game save), down to how often each move is used, making it a tremendous simulator as well, allowing players to watch dream matches. There really isn't enough space for me to type everything about this game...It looks like it's a couple generations behind graphically...But as far as customization and innovation goes, it's easily a few generations ahead.

Release Date: January 28, 2000 (JP)
Publisher: Asmik Ace Entertainment
Developer: Aki Corp.
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 was basically just a Japanese version of WCW/nWo World Tour, but with a few Japan-exclusive features and modes...Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 is completely its own game and may be my favorite 3D wrestling title that I've ever played. Based off of the All-Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, Virtual Pro Wrestling plays very similar to WWF Wrestlemania 2000 or WWF No Mercy...Except with a Japanese twist. In Japan, professional wrestling and MMA cross over a lot, so there are MMA fighters in this game, and they play totally different than the basic pro wrestlers. Grapples become takedowns, you can do strike combos to damage your opponent, etc. It makes playing as, or against, an MMA fighter a fun and different experience. Toss in a variety of modes, arenas to fight in, and wrestlers to unlock, and you've got one of the best wrestling games that I've ever played. If you like WWF No Mercy, give Virtual Pro Wrestling 2 a try - it's well worth the price to import it.

Release Date: December 23, 1994 (JP)
Publisher: Jaleco
Developer: Jaleco
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

JWP is, quite possibly, in my top 5 wrestling games of all-time. Only the later Fire Pro Wrestling games get in the way of me declaring this my favorite 2D wrestling game ever made. The game is very easy to pick up and play. The wrestling is also surprisingly deep for its time. It's not uncommon to see anywhere from one to five reversals on certain moves. I once went for a german suplex, which was reversed with a back flip, which I then reversed into a victory roll. For a wrestling nerd, such as I, this is a blast to play. Toss in a fun little Mario Party-like board game with wrestling matches instead of mini games, and you've got yourself one of the greatest wrestling games that I've personally ever played.

Release Date: 1991 (NA)
Publisher: Technos
Developer: Technos
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

If you're a wrestling fan and you've never played WWF Wrestlefest, you need to go out of your way and find a cabinet. In 1991, this game was so incredibly deep for a wrestling title. There are reversals, finishing moves, double-team moves...And the controls are so simple and easy to pick-up-and-play that anyone can do the above mentioned features with little effort. The game has the tag team mode returning from WWF Superstars, but the real charm to this game is the Royal Rumble mode, which allows multiple players to participate in the popular timed battle royal. There was a recent re-make of Wrestlefest with the current WWE roster on smartphones, which is good, but it's nowhere near the quality of this gem - one of the best wrestling games ever made.

Release Date: March 1987 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Human Entertainment
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Human Entertainment, the folks behind the Fire Pro Wrestling series, created this magnificent gem on the NES simply known as Pro Wrestling. Pro Wrestling is so simplistic, and yet the gameplay is deeper than it appears to be. Each wrestler has their own unique set of moves and a finisher, there are reversals, top-rope dives, dives from the inside of the ring to the outside, brawling on the outside of the ring...And this is all in a wrestling game from 1987, folks. If this game had more modes than just wrestling on a circuit fighting for, and later to defend, the World title, then I can't imagine this game could have been any better than that. But for what it is, it's still really good and a game that I proudly pop in an play on a regular basis even to this day.

Release Date: November 21, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Oh, man...The hours that I've spent with this game. Call me crazy, but while everyone was going on and on about WWF No Mercy, I actually preferred the simplicity and fast pace of WWF Smackdown! 2. While the gameplay isn't nearly as deep as WWF No Mercy, the never-ending Season mode helps make up for it in my eyes. I recently just started playing it again and got hooked just like I did a decade and a half ago. If I were to review the games side by side, WWF No Mercy is technically the better game. If I were to just go my preference, which I do on these lists, I'm that crazy guy that puts this ahead of the N64 classic. It's not a perfect wrestling game, but it's still dang good.

Release Date: November 17, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki Corp.
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

A lot of folks still consider this to be the best wrestling game ever created, which is saying quite a bit since it came out back in 2000. I wouldn't say that it's the best, personally, but it's good enough to be close to the best. The story modes, match types, and in-ring action are all fun and very well done...The only real knock I have on it is a poor create-a-wrestler mode, which pales in comparison to other wrestling games that had come out years prior. But, everything else is top notch and a shining example of why people are still modding this with updated rosters and for different promotions like TNA and ECW. It's a wrestling game that has definitely stood the test of time...and stood it well.

Release Date: March 30, 1994 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I LOVE THIS GAME. Yes, I yelled that. I screamed it at the top of my lungs, standing outside Slam Masters' bedroom window while I hold a boombox over my head that's playing some sappy song by Michael Bolton or Anthrax or something. Saturday Night Slam Masters, in my opinion, is the perfect blend of fighting games and wrestling games, giving you great, fluid action that you'd expect from the Street Fighter series mixed with the mayhem you'd expect in a pro wrestling match like weapons and top-rope dives. The end result is a wrestling game that is extremely fun for both wrestling fans and non fans alike. This is easily the best 16-bit wrestling game released in North America, and in my opinion, one of the best wrestling games period.

Release Date: March 1, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Spike
Developer: S-Neo
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Fire Pro Wrestling D, until Fire Pro Wrestling R was made on the PS2, was the ultimate Fire Pro Wrestling game. Scratch that. It may have been the ultimate wrestling game regardless of game series. Like the previous game in the franchise on the Saturn, Fire Pro D offers the player several match types, including MMA-style shoot fights, and a plethora of wrestlers to play as. Like most games in the series, there's definitely a learning curve to overcome here, but once you overcome it, you would have been very hard pressed to find a deeper wrestling game for its time.

Release Date: October 27, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

While I prefer Smackdown! 2 to Here Comes the Pain, it's only slightly so...and my preference aside, Here Comes the Pain is very much the better game. It was the last great game in the WWE franchise, in my opinion, and the only recent game that has come even close to matching it was WWE 13. It just gets everything right...And the Season mode, much like the one in Smackdown! 2, just keeps going. Taking Ultimo Dragon to the World title is also an added plus. You can also make John Cena humble like in the screenshot above, if you so desire. If you want a WWE game for your Playstation 2, this is the one to get by far.

Release Date: April 8, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Club
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

What do you get when the folks behind the Fire Pro games make a 3D wrestling game? Zen-Nippon Pro Wrestling: Ouja no Kon, the game that pretty much laid the groundwork for the excellent King of Colosseum games that would be released a few years later. Before you even get into a match, the ring introductions are amazing with licensed music of your favorite AJPW stars, the ring announcer doing his thing, and the crowd yelling and chanting for their favorites. Once in the ring, the in-ring action is slightly different from what you may be used to with the R1 button being needed to hold down in a combination with another button for a lock-up move. There are also spheres that almost act like finishers in the modern WWE games, except they're not limited to finishing moves - you can use them to escape holds and pinfalls as well, which often results in a fantastic match with wrestlers kicking out when you think they're done or reversing out of a hold to start making a dramatic comeback. Whether you're battling the computer, a friend, or just watching the computer battle each other, the in-ring action is always a blast. Non-gameplay related, this game also sports one of my favorite cover arts for a wrestling game with the Triple Crown title gracing the cover. Overall, this is a very solid wrestling game and well worth importing both if you're into playing wrestling game and/or if you just like to watch wrestling - have the computer battle each other and you'll often be treated to an entertaining match. Regardless of your preference, this is a wonderful wrestling game for wrestling fans.

Release Date: October 12, 1999 (EU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWF Wrestlemania 2000 was, at the time, the biggest WWF game ever made. It nearly included the entire roster at the time along with several modes and match types and a so-so create-a-wrestler option, allowing players to put themselves (or wrestlers from rival promotions) in the game. It was a great wrestling title that was the continued, upward evolution of the previous WCW Aki-developed games.

Release Date: December 27, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Entertainment
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Fire Pro Wrestling S was THE wrestling game to own if you were a wrestling fanatic back in 1996. It wasn't until Fire Pro Wrestling D was released a few years later on the Dreamcast that this game was surpassed. It was so ahead of its time with so many of its features, including an MMA-style match, complete with a caged octagon ring, years before the UFC and MMA as a whole gained a whole lot of popularity around the world. Later Fire Pro games have surpassed this title, but for its time, you couldn't have found a better wrestling title anywhere. Period.

Release Date: July 20, 2006 (JP)
Publisher: Yuke's
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

When Yuke's released Wrestling Kingdom on the Playstation 2, they basically took the WWE Day of Reckoning engine, removed some of the arcadey aspects, added a few more realistic aspects, and created a very entertaining wrestling game. There are plenty of game modes to enjoy, including a mode where you're a young boy working your way up the New Japan roster with Masa Chono guiding you along the way. It looks wonderful graphically and it plays nice and smooth. A few minor issues prevent it from being part of the top, elite wrestling games, but it's still very much a worthwhile import for any wrestling fan looking for something a little different from when we're used to getting here in North America.

Release Date: October 1998 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

The second Aki-developed N64 wrestling game improved vastly on the first, eliminating the generic wrestlers (most of which were based off of Japanese wrestlers) from WCW vs. NWO: World Tour, and replacing them with more members of the actual WCW roster. As someone who was a fan of WCW, I actually re-visit this N64 wrestling title over the WWF ones most of the time due to the game's roster. I prefer the WWF games to this one in regards to overall experience, but sometimes you want to play a match with Jim Neidhart vs. Fit Finlay at the Starrcade arena, know what I mean?

Release Date: March 26, 1998 (JP)
Publisher: Tomy Corporation
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

The third entry into the Toukon Retsuden series was the best in the franchise at the time of its release. With an expanded, updated roster and more tweaks to the gameplay, Toukon Retsuden 3 quickly established itself as one of the best wrestling games available on the Playstation. Entrances with official theme music also make their debut in this entry of the Toukon Retsuden series, which is a very welcome addition. The end result is one of the best licensed wrestling games that you could find for its time. This is well worth importing if you're into wrestling games, or if you just want to see what a match between a young Antonio Inoki vs. a young Keiji Mutoh would look like.

Release Date: August 30, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

With WWE Day of Reckoning, the Gamecube FINALLY got a good WWE wrestling game. Getting rid of the horrible brawler/platformer/wrestling hybrid main game mode, Day of Reckoning instead replaced it with a fantastic (albeit short) story mode. The same, solid gameplay mechanics from Wrestlemania XIX carry over here, creating a fantastic overall wrestling game that any wrestling fan will likely enjoy.

Release Date: October 30, 2012 (AU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: THQ
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWE '12 was supposed to be a big deal...And it wasn't bad, but it did feel like a step backwards. WWE '13 gets the franchise back on track, and is one of the better WWE games to come out for this generation of consoles, but it's not quite the "revolution" that it claims to be. However, there are a lot more customization options than in the past, which is great, and the addition of the Attitude era wrestlers, arenas, and storylines is a great bit of nostalgia for fans, like myself, that remember that time fondly. There are better wrestling games out there, but WWE '13 is still one of the best wrestling titles to come out in years.

Release Date: June 24, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Scarab
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

All Japan's game on the Saturn included a few characters from Virtua Fighter to fight alongside or against various AJPW wrestlers like Giant Baba, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Kenta Kobashi. Giant Gram does that again with a larger roster and slightly improved in-ring action. The only thing that really holds this back from being a truly great wrestling game are the controls which feel like they lag at times. By no means does it break the game, but it does feel annoying at times. It's still a decent wrestling experience, and worth checking out...Especially if you're a fan of the 90's All Japan product, like I am.

Release Date: December 16, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: Grey Dog Software
Developer: Grey Dog Software
Genre: Wrestling - Simulation

Ever want to take control of the WWE and take it to new heights? How about taking control of promotions like CHIKARA, ROH, NJPW, or AAA and having them overtake the WWE as the top promotion in the world? How about going back in time and booking WCW in attempt to prevent it from being sold to Vince McMahon? Or even going back to the territory days of the early 80's and see if you can fight off the WWF from taking over your territory and going national? You can do all of that in TEW 2013. I booked promotions from 1970 to 2017 and loved all 47 years of it. If a wrestling simulator that has you in charge of hiring and firing talent, making television deals, booking shows, etc. sounds interesting to you, then get Total Extreme Wrestling 2013 - you'll very likely fall in love with it like I did.

Release Date: February 16, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Taito
Developer: Taito
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Of all the import wrestling games I've played, this is one that I'd heard the least about prior to playing, and it's surprising because it's actually quite good. It's your standard off-brand Japanese wrestling game of the time, with a roster full of real people, but with changed names to avoid copyrights. The learning curve may be a little steep for some, especially if you're a button-masher, but once you get the hang of it, this is a very solid wrestling game. If you take the time to actually learn and understand how to play the game, and there's an in-game training mode that should help, this very well could become one of your favorite wrestling titles on the original Playstation.

Release Date: June 24, 1999 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: S-Neo
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Fire Pro Wrestling G is a good entry in the Fire Pro Wrestling series, but it's not really a step up from Fire Pro Wrestling S on the Saturn, which was released a few years earlier, by any means, so it loses a few points with me as far as being ranked in this list. It's also not nearly as good as Fire Pro Wrestling D, which would be released on Dreamcast a few years later...So, it's a great, solid wrestling game sandwiched between two really outstanding, stand-out entries in the franchise...As a result, it kind of gets lost in the shuffle. But still, if Fire Pro G is the only game you can access from the series, it's still a great wrestling title, far deeper than any other wrestling title available on Playstation at the time.

Release Date: December 14, 2000 (JP)
Publisher: D3 Publisher
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I liked The Pro Wrestling - a generic clone of WWF Smackdown. I love The Pro Wrestling 2, which clones some aspects of WWF Smackdown 2, but has a bunch of its own content as well to make it feel like more than a simple clone. The most notable of that content is the ability to play deathmatches...barbed wire, electrified barbed wire, fire death matches, cage matches...After playing through the ECW games and wanting some quality hardcore wrestling, I finally found it here. The only downside is a lack of blood, which seems like something that would naturally be in a game with these brutal match types. Also new are some female grapplers added into the roster of generic wrestlers. While this game is not on par with WWF Smackdown 2, it does a good job of establishing itself as its own title using the WWF Smackdown 2 engine. If you want to play some FMW-style deathmatches with the Smackdown game engine, then look no further than this seemingly unknown gem.

Release Date: March 31, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I'm not a fan of hip-hop in the slightest. So when I saw that there was a wrestling game coming out featuring rappers, I rolled my eyes. However, once I began to play it, I really started to enjoy it. The game feels like an arcadey-version of the N64 Aki wrestling titles and it works quite well. I honestly don't remember a whole lot about the story, but I do remember absolutely loving every minute that I spent playing this game. If you like wrestling titles, this is definitely a game that you shouldn't overlook.

Release Date: October 23, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Scarab
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

All Japan Pro Wrestling featuring Virtua is a arcade-style wrestling game based off of the All-Japan promotion in Japan, where many legendary grapplers called their home at one time or another. From Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Stan Hansen to the late Steve Williams, Giant Baba, and Mitsuharu Misawa to even Johnny Ace (John Laurinaitis to viewers of the current WWE product) the top stars of All Japan at the time are in this game. And, like the title hints, Wolf Hawkfield and Jeffrey McWild from the Virtua Fighter series are also on the roster of folks to choose from. But anyway, this is a pretty fun wrestling title with a very arcadey feel, but it still maintains the realistic wrestling you'd see on an AJPW card. Considering I'm a bit of a mark for All Japan footage from this time period, I do kind of squeal like a school girl every time I pull this game out and start giving folks lariats with Stan Hansen or tiger bombs with Mitsuharu Misawa. It's just plain fun.

Release Date: December 22, 1994 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Club
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special is the fourth game in the series to hit the Super Famicom (but not the last by a long shot) and it was easily the best game in the series at its time of release. Everything looks and plays smoother, more moves and wrestlers have been added, and just simply booking a computer vs. computer match is a blast to watch with improved AI that often puts on an entertaining show when pitted against itself. I really wish that we had gotten games like this in North America during the Super NES days, as I'm totally convinced that 90% of my time playing video games would have involved this game in the system. It's fantastic.

Release Date: January 2008 (NA)
Publisher: MPire Mall
Developer: MDickie
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

TWC4 Fight! is mostly the same game as Wrestling Mpire 2008, but with a fancier coat of paint and a roster of real wrestlers rather than generic ones. There are minor differences, like in weapon types (nothing beats using Hornswoggle as a weapon and hearing him shriek in horror when you do so) but it's largely the same game - good and bad. If you're a wrestling nut, like me, you'll probably enjoy this game even with its flaws. However, if you're not a fan of wrestling games, you'll likely wonder why anyone would enjoy this. With a plethora of match types, and with more options you could ever hope for, you can make just about any match you could imagine a reality here. It also allows for dream matches between folks in the WWE, TNA, and ROH promotions. It's a free game, so if you're interested, it can be found here.

Release Date: November 11, 2005 (EU)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I feel like THQ slipped a bit when Smackdown vs. Raw came out. It was a very obvious step backwards from Here Comes the Pain. With WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006, the franchise started to take steps forward again. While not as good as Here Comes the Pain, SvR 2006 does introduce Buried Alive and Fulfill Your Fantasy matches as well as the first variation of GM Mode, which is a fun mode for the fantasy bookers among us, but it's very flawed. Overall, this is a decent addition to the WWE franchise, but a more polished GM Mode would have likely made me bump this game up the list a little bit higher.

Release Date: 1989 (NA)
Publisher: Technos
Developer: Technos
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

A lot of arcade-playing wrestling fans fondly remember WWF Wrestlefest, but not many seem to remember the game that laid the groundwork for that classic - WWF Superstars. Taking a tag team to the gold is the goal here, and the final challenges before getting gold around your waist are the Mega Bucks; Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant. Andre is near invincible and DiBiase is a wrestling machine...Making this one of the most difficult boss fights I've played in any game...I literally spent about an hour and a half of continuing before finally outsmarting the duo by getting Andre counted out. But anyway, the wrestling action here is very solid and fun to play. Some difficulty issues with the unforgiving computer (mostly only against the Bucks) may make some folks shy away after playing a few matches, though. WWF Wrestlefest tweaks everything found here and improves upon it, but Superstars ain't no slouch, either.

Release Date: October 31, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Shut Your Mouth was a big step up from Just Bring It in the Smackdown franchise. Not only was the action all improved, but the season mode aspect was a major step up from the one found in Just Bring It. Also, a plethora of new talent invade this game, making potential match-ups feel very fresh. While it's not quite as good as Smackdown 2, in my opinion, Shut Your Mouth was easily the second best game in the franchise when it came out and the best wrestling game on the PS2 until Here Comes the Pain came out.

Release Date: March 2, 2000 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

After WWF Attitude was released, the WWF ended their relationship with Acclaim and partnered up with THQ. The result was WWF Smackdown! a huge step-up in terms of gameplay from the Acclaim games, resulting in a much smoother execution of moves. The season mode was also tremendously done...In fact, everything in Smackdown! was done really well with the sole exception being a very, very limited create-a-player mode. But that aside, this was a very impressive debut for the WWF Smackdown! series.

Release Date: November 22, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Made before Def Jame Vendetta, Ultimate Muscle has even more over-the-top action. It's also more of a fighting game than a wrestling game, as your goal is to knock your opponent out rather than go for a three count. With about 20 playable characters, and each one being unique and with a different moveset, and a different story, there's plenty of replay value to be found here. It's got enough wrestling action to appeal to wrestling fans, and it's enough like a non-wrestling fighting game to appeal to fans of fighting games...It's right in that sweet spot, making it a game that fans of both genres should try.

Release Date: November 30, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WCW vs. NWO: World Tour was kind of like a wake-up call to most North American, wrestling-fan gamers. Most wrestling games appearing in North America up to this point weren't exactly must-have titles. World Tour changed that just as the wrestling boom was starting to hit in the mid-to-late 90's. Aki's wrestling title pretty much laid the ground work for most 3D wrestling games that followed. Later Aki-developed games improved on just about every aspect of this gem, but even today, the original is still fun to play.

Release Date: July 31, 1999 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Acclaim
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWF Attitude may not have aged all that well in terms of gameplay, but for its time, in North America, it was amazing. The Create-A-Wrestler from WWF Warzone returned and was much, much larger and more impressive. Several new match types were added, giving more variety to the gameplay. The roster was expanded to over 40 grapplers, and a career mode was tossed in as well, making this not only a fun game to play, but a game that had plenty of replayability. This is the best wrestling game that Acclaim has ever put out, in my opinion.

Release Date: September 29, 1995 (JP)
Publisher: Tomy Corporation
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

If I'm not mistaken, I do believe that Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden is the first 3D wrestling game that was ever made. If that is the case, then 3D wrestling games started off on the right foot. In Toukon Retsuden, you can choose from several NJPW stars and battle it out against the computer, a friend, or just watch the computer duke it out. If you just finished watching or competing in an entertaining match, there's an option to save that match to a memory card so you can watch it again at your leisure. That along with the standard "road to the title" mode where you go for the gold results in a very solid wrestling game and one well worth playing for folks that want to see where 3D wrestling games got their start. The game was modified a hair and given a North American release as Power Move Pro Wrestling, but Toukon Retsuden is slightly superior to the English clone of this game.

Release Date: December 28, 1993 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Club
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Super Fire Pro Wrestling III continued on with the in-game improvements and inched ever-so-closer to the kind of wrestling game that diehard wrestling fans would go out of their way to import in order to experience the deep wrestling engine. Final Bout also allows players to create their own grapplers to go toe-to-toe with the in-game legends like Antonio Inoki, Hulk Hogan, Stan Hansen, Mitsuharu Misawa, etc. Later games in the series overshadow this game, but Final Bout was amazing for its time.

Release Date: February 4, 1994 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Club
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I haven't put as much time into Easy Type as I have Final Bout...Mostly due to the title - I like a challenge. The only difference in Easy Type (aside from a lowered difficulty) that I can see is that the ability to create a wrestler seems to have disappeared and in its place are various legends like Dory Funk Jr., Tiger Mask, Terry Funk, and Rikidozan. I'm not ashamed to admit that I "marked out" while watching a simulated match between Dory Funk Jr. and Rikidozan in this game...It's a dream match that I would have loved to have seen, and one that this game gave me a visual simulation for.

Release Date: February 28, 1997 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Aki Corporation
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

While not quite as deep as the N64 WCW wrestling titles that Aki was developing, WCW vs. The World was still a very solid wrestling game for Playstation owners and the only real good WCW game that supporters of Sony's system ever got. The only thing holding this game back is a lack of modes, but fortunately the in-ring action is fun enough where many wrestling fans will still find plenty of fun in just wrestling in exhibitions against the computer or friends. It's one of the best early PSOne wrestling games, and it still holds up pretty well, in terms of gameplay, today.

Release Date: February 23, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Natsume
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Well, this was quite a pleasant surprise. I honestly did not expect much from Royal Pro Wrestling. It looked so basic and boring...It's anything but that once the action starts. The game has little details that made me fall in love with it. The generic version of the Undertaker in the game (The Underdise Morgan) actually has a Paul Bearer-like manager lurking around at ringside during his matches...And you can attack said manager if you wish. The gameplay is fairly basic, but still enjoyable and it has some very, very minor play-by-play which was a nice novelty for its time. There's also enough content here to keep most wrestling fans busy for quite a while. If you're a wrestling fan and you own a 3DO, you can't go wrong by importing this gem from Japan.

Release Date: December 20, 1996 (JP)
Publisher: Tomy Corporation
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Toukon Retsuden 2 is basically more of the same from the first Toukon Retsuden game, but with an updated roster and some tweaked controls. That's not a bad thing, either, since the first game was made so well. Like the cover art implies, Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki and his giant, trademark chin also makes his debut for the series, which is pretty notable if you're a fan of Japanese professional wrestling. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one, too. Just be prepared - if you can't read Japanese, the menus are a little more difficult to navigate than the previous game. Once you learn to navigate them, though, you'll be enjoying the same quality wrestling from the previous game, but with a new, minor coat of paint.

Release Date: 1997 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Future Amusement
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Power Move Pro Wrestling is actually a Westernized version of Shin Nippon Pro Wrestling: Toukon Retsuden, a New Japan Pro Wrestling game. Once you know that, you can look at the characters and movesets in Power Move Pro Wrestling and say, oh yeah...that's supposed to be Scott Norton, that's supposed to be Masa Chono, etc. Anyway, a lot of stuff was redone in this game and a few features taken out from the Japanese version making this inferior to the game it was cloned from, but it's still a solid wrestling game...Plus if you choose Malibu Mike Swanson, you get to hear the ring announcer refer to him as, "Power Move Pro Wrestling's all-time deeeeewd" and that, my friends, is worth the price of this game all on its own.

Release Date: July 23, 1998 (JP)
Publisher: TEN
Developer: GW
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Zen-Nippon Onna Pro Wrestling: Joou Densetsu is a wrestling game based off of the now-defunct All Japan Women wrestling promotion in Japan. Several well known names from Joshi can be found here like Akira Hokuto, Manami Toyota, Aja Kong, Kyoko Inoue, Kaoru Ito, Mayumi Ozaki, and Yumi Fukawa to name a few. The game itself is fun, but not particularly great. The modes are limited to going after the WWWA title, fighting your way up to the number one contender spot or simply having an exhibition. There are better wrestling titles on the Playstation, but this is still pretty good. Wrestling fans may consider importing it just for the novelty of having an All Japan Women game in their library.

Release Date: November 26, 2012 (NA)
Publisher: MDickie
Developer: MDickie
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

With the success of Wrestling Revolution Pay Per View, MDickie decided to port over his Wrestling MPire PC game to 2D and with touch controls for smartphones. The end result is quite possibly the best wrestling game available on iTunes or the Android's Google Play market. There are over 300 wrestlers available, which MDickie incorrectly boasts is the largest roster in a wrestling game ever (see Fire Pro Wrestling Returns' 500+ roster for that title) but it's impressive nonetheless. Most of them are parodies of real wrestlers...Slam Dunk is CM Punk, Machine Miuri is Mitsuharu Misawa, Upside Frown is Bad News Brown, etc. And with the ability to edit and re-name every character in the game, it wouldn't be hard for players to give the grapplers their real names. It's not perfect - the touch controls are difficult to work with when not using an iPad (but a touch controller option is there, which helps), kicking out of moves seems to be based on luck rather than mashing buttons, the computer kicks out illogically (Hit your finisher? Kick out. Land a punch? Three count.), and the career mode puts you in WAAAAY too many matches that aren't one-on-one or two-on-two...but despite those flaws, wrestling fans will likely fall in love with this game, which may be the best wrestling title on smartphones, flaws and all.

Release Date: July 14, 1998 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Acclaim
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

WWF Warzone, for its time, was a very, very good wrestling game...Well, as far as wrestling titles released in North America go. I like to compare its fighting engine to the original Mortal Kombat games; good for its time, but it hasn't aged well. Better, more simplified, and smoother-playing wrestling games have come along in North America since then, but WWF Warzone (and its deep Create-A-Wrestler, which hadn't been seen to that level on a North American-released wrestling game up until that point) was very good for its time...It's a shame that the gameplay doesn't hold up so well today.

Release Date: December 25, 1992 (JP)
Publisher: Human Entertainment
Developer: Human Club
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

The Christmas of 1992 was a glorious Christmas day for the wrestling fans of Japan, for that was the day that Super Fire Pro Wrestling 2 appeared on store shelves. An improvement on the first Super Fire Pro Wrestling game in nearly every way, SFPW 2 was a big step towards the Fire Pro franchise being the professional wrestling game juggernaut that it eventually became.

Release Date: 1986 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Body Slam was, I believe, the first all-woman’s wrestling game ever made. The game was based off of the All-Japan Women’s promotion in Japan, but changed around for the North American audience. In fact, only Dump Matsumoto’s name remains intact, with the rest of the roster like Bull Nakano and the Crush Gals getting generic names. The gameplay is very simple, yet still fun...And I personally enjoy how the smaller girls bounce right off of the bigger girls unless they hit a move, and how sometimes after even connecting with a move, the bigger girls don’t react. It adds some challenge to the game if you feel like being an underdog. It’s also worth noting that the matches are exclusively tag team matches with three-minute time limits, which sounds limiting, but it works pretty well here as it provides a challenge. But anyway, this is simplistic wrestling fun....And it may also be the first wrestling game to include a kendo stick as a weapon to use.

Release Date: July 20, 1986 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

In Europe and North America, this game is simply a mildly fun wrestling game with generic male wrestlers battling it out. In Japan, Pro Wrestling is actually a joshi (female wrestling) game starring Dump Matsumoto and featuring Matsumoto, Bull Nakano, Chigusa Nagayo, and Lioness Asuka on the cover. Just a fun fact. Anyway, Pro Wrestling is a passable wrestling game that's fun for a few minutes, but it won't take very long before you've had your fill...Especially after you've beaten the Orient Express four times in a row eventhough there are other teams on the game that you should be moving onto. But, it's decent fun and the best wrestling game available on the Master System.

Release Date: December 9, 1989 (JP)
Publisher: Pony Canyon
Developer: Nichibutsu
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

A few months before World Championship Wrestling released here in North America on the NES, Super Star Pro Wrestling released in Japan on the Famicom. It's the same game, but with different wrestlers, aside from the Road Warriors - they're in both games. Basically, you pick the wrestler you want, then select the moves that you want to perform, and then beat the snot out of your opponent with said moves. Play through the game and eventually, you'll get in a surprise final battle with Andre the Giant, so that's pretty neat. Plus, as a fan of Japanese wrestling, being able to have Genichiro Tenryu face Abdullah the Butcher in 8-bits is pretty nifty as well.

Release Date: June 27, 1997 (JP)
Publisher: KSS
Developer: Dream Japan
Genre: Strategy - Wrestling

Pro Wrestling Sengokuden is on this list with potential to move around or my opinion to change on it as I spend more time with it. I'm not fluent in Japanese, and this is a game very heavy on Japanese text, but as far as I can tell, this is a strategy game where you book matches and then watch the results play out with computer vs. computer bouts. I'm fairly certain that I've explored every mode, and I never found an option to control one of the wrestlers - which may be for the best as the matches I watched looked kind of clunky, but fun to watch nonetheless. I'm a fan of booking matches and watching them play out, so the concept here is very interesting to me. I enjoyed my time playing and watching my booking decisions play out. As I spend more time with this game (and I will) I may find that there's more to it than just booking, but 'til then, this is a decent booking simulator that's pretty fun if you're not intimidated by working through lots of Japanese text to get there.

Release Date: June 1994 (NA)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Natsume
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Natsume Championship Wrestling is basically a port of one of the All-Japan Pro Wrestling Super Famicom games over to the North American market with generic wrestlers replacing the AJPW roster. That said, if you're a button masher, you're probably going to hate this game. This is a wrestling title that is more about precise timing of your button presses than it is about how many times you can press that button in a span of five seconds. Its somewhat steep learning curve may turn some folks away, but if you stick with it, you'll find a much deeper wrestling experience than any of the WWF or WCW Super NES games have to offer.