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Post by Shadow Master on Jun 30, 2022 3:53:31 GMT
Continuing over from yesterday's look at Bad Dudes, are you guys ready for another Beat 'Em Up with Pro-Wrestler knockoffs? Of course you are!  Vendetta/Crime Fighters 2 is a Beat Em Up that was released in arcades by Konami back in 1991.  Former Professional Wrestler Hawk is based off of Hulk Hogan while Sledge bears a strong resemblance to Mr. T. Around this time, both Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. were featured in several action TV shows and movies. In fact, Mr. T. himself filmed an episode of T and T in my neighbourhood (Episode 9, Season 2 "Hostage" which was filmed primarily at Elmhurst Plaza in 1988)!  The boss Missing Link is based off of Bruiser Brody. Not only does Missing Link bark and carry chains like Brody, but he also performs a similar leg drop, too! |
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Post by jameshilliv on Jun 30, 2022 4:32:34 GMT
I think the guy on the bottom left might be based off of Ray Charles. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jun 30, 2022 5:00:59 GMT
I think the guy on the bottom left might be based off of Ray Charles.  You could very well be right. Myself (and I have a strong feeling that I'm wrong here), but I see Mike and Joe from Street Fighter 1. |
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Post by jameshilliv on Jun 30, 2022 6:47:00 GMT
My comment about Ray Charles was a bad joke. He was blind and putting a blind person in a game would be odd. You are right in saying they look like Mike and Joe.
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Post by BakFu on Jun 30, 2022 10:54:12 GMT
So, maybe this is out of place here, but I found it interesting to find in what would seem as completely separate a game genre from pro wrestling as possible, a rouge like deck building game, multiple references to pro wrestling. The game is Slay the Spire, and I suppose the terms used could apply to anything, but I found it curious that there are so many terms commonly used in pro wrestling all grouped into the types of cards you build your deck with. Must be some wrestling fans amongst the developers!
Some of the card names include,
Body slam, compile driver, clothesline, headbutt, heel hook, drop kick, dramatic entrance, finisher, signature move
I’m half expecting Ric Flair or someone to be an Unlockable character. This is a fun game by the way, I don’t usually like anything “deck building”, but this is very well executed, lots of “just one more round” with this one! 🙂
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Post by Shadow Master on Jun 30, 2022 17:09:46 GMT
So, maybe this is out of place here, but I found it interesting to find in what would seem as completely separate a game genre from pro wrestling as possible, a rouge like deck building game, multiple references to pro wrestling. The game is Slay the Spire, and I suppose the terms used could apply to anything, but I found it curious that there are so many terms commonly used in pro wrestling all grouped into the types of cards you build your deck with. Must be some wrestling fans amongst the developers! Some of the card names include, Body slam, compile driver, clothesline, headbutt, heel hook, drop kick, dramatic entrance, finisher, signature move I’m half expecting Ric Flair or someone to be an Unlockable character. This is a fun game by the way, I don’t usually like anything “deck building”, but this is very well executed, lots of “just one more round” with this one! 🙂 No worries. Just to keep this thread active, I've gone against my own rules a time or two by featuring board games here. For example, the fan-made, D & D-inspired Whisper City Wrestling. Speaking of which, I have another exciting addition you may appreciate, BakFu: All Time Wrestling (card game):
All Time Wrestling is a recently crowdfunded Pro-Wrestling card game released by Cation Arts. The game features a roster of officially licensed Wrestlers along with lookalikes of the Wrestlers who didn't secure licensing agreements.    Right off the bat, the "signs with", "All Or Nothing" and ATW acronym are a reference to All Elite Wrestling. If he were still alive, do you think Andre The Giant would sign with AEW?   The comic style artwork is always appreciated. Rey Jaguar is based on Rey Mysterio Jr.  All Time Wrestling is a traditional card game with physical cards, game pieces and player-specific game mats.   Jax Felix is based on Kenny Omega. The game's artist even used #NJPW hashtags when promoting this specific card art. The second character has the following as his profile: "Mukundi Shumba, can be translated into the “lion”. Here, the lion applies his finishing move, the bear hug. It is the most lethal move of any competitor in ATW, dealing 6 damage.
That is because of Shumba’s incredible power. His bear hug will crack a few ribs, perhaps breaking an opponent’s back in two!"
Would Shumba be Leo Rush?   With his sideburns, I thought our next Wrestler (pictured on the right applying a modified Octopus Hold) was Don Leo Jonathan. That was, until I read a part of the character's profile:
"Fans quickly took to him, inspired by his redemption story. But despite his enormous popularity and incredible success as a 7-time world champion, Oda was not able to establish his
legacy as the best wrestler of his generation, let alone the best wrestler of all time. For he was unlucky enough to wrestle during the reign of the “Great Okada”. For years he worked
day and night to outperform his rival, but he was never able to transcend his shadow."Oda Tsurugi – The Sword of Japan ...is based on 7 time IWGP champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 1, 2022 7:12:52 GMT
In the early 90's, Jushin Liger was a keen supporter of Pro-Wrestlers being featured in video games under their real names. Thanks to Critical Club user Kiano, here's part of an interview scanned from a Japanese Famitsu magazine from November of 1993. The two pages feature a sit down interview with Jushin Thunder Liger who lists his top five favourite video games. I provided a rough translation of the games and Liger's comments below. Jushin Thunder Liger's Top 5 games:
1. Shin Nippon Pro-Wrestling/NJPW Chou Senshi In Tokyo DomeLiger praises the ability to play as the NJPW roster under their real names. Being employed by NJPW, Liger feels the game is a personal affair and can't help but get emotional while playing it. Liger comments that Chou Senshi allows fans to play out their NJPW dream matches and adds that the size of the character sprites was the game's best feature. 2. Super Street Fighter II TurboLiger says his favourite character to play as is Chun-Li. "Chun-Li! I just love her. The live action commercial is also good." Besides naming off moves, Liger mentions that the Shooting Star Press was lifted from the Nanto Suichō Ken technique from the manga/anime Fist of North Star. "I thought it would be great if this could be done in real life".
3. All Japan Pro-Wrestling"I like the fact that the players' names are registered in the game. It is also good that it is another organization, so there are no personal feelings mixed in. I think this is just what I need to enjoy. Giant Baba's moves are a must-see."
4. Super Fire Pro-Wrestling 2Liger mentions the sprites are hard to see but acknowledges the series' enthusiastic fanbase and hardcore players who enjoy the seemingly steep learning curve. Liger adds that Super Fire Pro-Wrestling 2 was apparently the first Wrestling game he played/owned.
5. Pro-WrestlingLiger also comments that it's hard to see the sprites in Pro-Wrestling (I'm starting to think Liger needs glasses) but forgives the game for being "very old". Liger then adds that Pro-Wrestling was a "great game at the time" and that the original Nintendo was the most popular console in the world during the 80's. So, there you have it. Liger's top five games for 1993. It seems Liger preferred style over substance. Big, colourful sprites, loud noises and special effects above all else. Liger was also keen on having Pro-Wrestlers represented under their real names when appearing in video games. Seeing as there aren't any Arcade games on the list, I wonder what Liger thought of WWF WrestleFest? Judging by his above comments, I'd imagine the large, detailed sprites of WrestleFest and the game's easy to pick up arcade action would have been a big hit with him. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 3, 2022 2:05:54 GMT
Looking back through this thread, it seems we found the most Wrestler appearances in the Beat Em Up genre. So, why don't we try to review every single Beat Em Up ever made? Speaking of which:
Big Fight
Big Fight: Big Trouble In The Atlantic is a 1992 Arcade Beat Em Up released by Tatsumi.  Big Fight is one of the earliest Final Fight clones that features three playable characters each with their own specific playstyle. You have Zill: the agile fighter with great speed but low defence. Gear: the slow power type. And Kevin: the Ryu-looking all rounder.  All-rounder Kevin and regular thug Spia look like they were lifted directly from Mad Max and Kenshiro from Fist of North Star. Nota bene: Fist of North Star itself was inspired by the original Mad Max film.  One of the standard enemies (named J.J.) is your typical Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger knockoff. It seems just about every Beat Em Up at the time had a tribute to these iconic slashers.  The boss of the Japanese stage is a Kabuki-clad Sumo named Gonza. Clearly inspired by Street Fighter's E. Honda.  Another standard enemy named "B.B." looks similar to Final Fight thug Bill Bull.  I'm not sure of the influence for slow power type "Gear". Gear's size, blonde hair and use of a bodyslam make me think of Hulk Hogan, but that could be a coincidence. Some of you might also add Corporal Kirchner, Jesse Ventura or Sgt. Slaughter.  Final Boss Doctor D. (is the "D" short for "Dr. Death" by any chance?) is a clown dressed in a ring leaders outfit that also wields two SYRINGES as weapons! Doctor's hair may scream Street Fighter's Guile, but to me, I see Clown from Fighter's History and Ivan Dragon from Rocky IV. It's worth noting that Fighter's History was released a year later. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 3, 2022 4:34:02 GMT
D.D. Crew
D.D. Crew (which stands for "Dynamite Demolitions") is an Arcade Beat Em Up that was released by SEGA in 1991.  This obese standard enemy bears a strong resemblance to Macho Man Randy Savage. Even more so, the enemy does a finger point taunt before unleashing his signature attack: a maneuver that looks like Macho's Diving Elbow Drop!   The boss of the cable car stage is none other than an obligatory Bruce Lee clone. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 3, 2022 19:11:22 GMT
A wacky Beat Em Up with Pro-Wrestler and Pop Culture references that no one seems to talk about? Sign me up!
KNUCKLE BASH
Platform: Arcade Year: 1993 Developer: Toaplan  Three characters to choose from. An Elvis impersonator that's also dressed like Evil Knievel, an early 90's Sting look-alike and a masked Wrestler that looks a lot like The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart). Blue Blazer made his WWF debut in 1988.   The sub boss of Stage 1 brings to mind Road Warrior Hawk. How many Beat Em Ups allows you to perform a German Suplex with an Elvis impersonator?  The boss fight of Stage one is a 2-on-1 affair. The Muay Thai fighter reminds me of 90's Swiss K-1 Star Andy Hug while the burly Wrestler type looks a lot like an unmasked Road Warrior Animal. The overalls also scream Hillbilly Jim, but I have my doubts.  The next batch of standard enemies look awfully similar to another Road Warrior influence: Power Warrior (Kensuke Sasaki). The Hellraisers would make their high-profile debut in NJPW a year earlier in 1992.  After beating the Power Warrior clones, the player is then confronted with the crate they were guarding. The boss of Stage 3 looks like a dead ringer for Street Fighter's Blanka (with a bit of King Kong thrown in).   One of the thugs of Stage 4 reminds me of Dory Funk Jr. . In the early 90's Dory even had a full beard. Another thug found in Stage 4 is an enemy that wields two butcher's knives. His red hair, black attire and torn sleeves reminds me of a young Undertaker. Though, the character may be closer to slasher films icon Chucky.  Our hero then proceeds to an arena that looks like the Budokan. A venue All Japan Pro-Wrestling regularly sold out in the 90's.  The next sub boss fight is with a pair of Luchadors. Despite the blue trunks palette looking like a 90's Atsushi Onita, I think it's safe to say that this duo is based on Mil Mascaras and Dos Caras.   The Road Warrior-esque sub boss from Stage 1 returns again as the boss of stage 6. This time recoloured and looking closer to Luna Vachon. Though, this is just a coincidence since Knuckle Bash was released one month before Luna made her WWF debut in April of 1993. The mat does say "BULL". Perhaps, a male Bull Nakano (in 1980's attire) reference this time around?  Next up are the bosses of Stage 7. Since Knuckle Bash was released in the early 90's, the American Football teams could be references to the Los Angeles Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. Both of which were quite popular in the early 90's with the help of Bo Jackson and Joe Montannah.   After beating the Football players, a trap door appears in the middle of the field and the player plunges down into a Arabian-inspired arena. Surrounded by barbed wire, flames and a Tiger, the stage definitely brings to mind Japan's love of Hardcore Wrestling in the early 90's. More so, I believe the boss for this stage is a reference to The Sheik or Tiger Jeet Singh.  The boss of stage 9 is a Kabuki who dons a green Hannya mask.  I'd like to think this enemy is based on The Great Kabuki's classic entrance attire.  Two All Japan Pro-Wrestling references in one: winning the match results in a closeup of the boss' face ...who looks just like Giant Baba!  The final boss is pure nightmare fuel. The stitched-on pig mask reminds me of Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The attire and gloves looks like a cross between Big Van Vader or Earthquake (Natural Disasters era). |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 4, 2022 17:28:23 GMT
Say your prayers and eat your vitamins, cos the Beat Em Up marathon continues with even more Pro-Wrestler knockoffs! Burning Fight
Platform: Arcade Year: 1991 Developer: SNK  The sub boss of stage 2 is Tom Anderson; a character that closely resembles Hulk Hogan.  Tom's taunt and Axe Bomber attack are a nod to Hulk Hogan's early 80's run in Japan. Tom even shouts "ICHIBAN" during his taunt. For those that don't know, the Axe Bomber (a modified Lariat) was Hulk Hogan's finisher in Japan.  The standard biker thug Thomas Hayes may be a nod to Michael P.S. Hayes - leader of legendary tag team the Fabulous Freebirds.  In exchange for The Western Lariat, the burly enemy "Duffy" uses a running palm strike rush to plow through players. Duffy is clearly based on Stan "The Lariat" Hansen.  The next sub boss is a palette swap of the Hulk Hogan clone "Tom Anderson". This version is named Gary Powell and looks like Mr. T.  One of the three playable characters "Ryu Saeba" is basically a clone of Guy from Final Fight. The name Saeba does bring to mind Akira Saeba (the Fire Pro rename of Akira Maeda - but this may be a coincidence).  Towards the end of the game where the obligatory boss rush ensues, the player comes face to face with a third palette swap of the Hulk Hogan clone. This one is listed as "Mad Dilly". |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 6, 2022 8:20:38 GMT
Going through this thread, we have covered about 152 different games so far. From obscure handhelds, to classic Arcade games. To lesser known Famicom ports all the way up to modern mobile apps. If we were to include each franchise's sequels (Tekken 1, 2, 3, 4, etc) we'd have over 300 entries for sure, if not more. I can't think of a better way to celebrate this milestone than to keep adding on to this thread. So, for today's entry, I present for everyone's approval: 64th Street: A Detective Story Platform: Arcade Developer: Jaleco Year: 1991  64th Street is a clone of Capcom's Final Fight. The main character is clearly modelled after Mike Haggar.  There's even a boss fight with two Andre The Giant-inspired characters. Similar to the boss fight in the original Final Fight inside a cage with two Andore brothers.   Two standard thugs. One looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The other looks like yet another clone of Bill Bull from the Final Fight series. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 8, 2022 18:00:53 GMT
While browsing through Jaleco's list of games, I discovered another mobile game featuring Antonio Inoki. Antonio Inoki VS Jaleco(known in Japan as アントニオ猪木VSジャレコ) Platform: Mobile Year: 2004 Developer: Jaleco   Antonio Inoki VS Jaleco is a fighting game where the player assumes the rule of Antonio Inoki. Inoki must face off against characters from Jaleco games such as Formation Z, Burning! Professional Baseball and Ninja Jajamarukun. Jaleco claims that the game is "an unbelievable and astonishing battle that unfolds on a cell phone". Stages include parks, towns and even Jaleco's own headquarters. Interestingly, there was also a contest at the time called the Score Attack Tournament (held from March 1st to 31st, 2004). Players with the highest scores were eligible to win original jackets and other prizes from Masahiro Chono's ARISTRIST clothing line! Denjin Makai
Platform: Arcade Year: 1994 Developer: Winkysoft Back to arcade Beat 'Em Ups, Denjin Makai (also known as "Ghost Chaser Densei" on the Super Famicom) contains a few knockoff references.  For one thing, the Mad-Max looking protagonist fires Hadoukens and Shoryukens akin to Street Fighter's Ryu.  When it comes to movie knockoffs in video games, we're usually stuck with Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger or Arnold Schwarzenegger clones. So, having a stage boss who's based off of The Predator was a nice touch.  If you manage to reach the final boss, you may notice the theme that plays in the background is a nearly identical knockoff of "Eye of The Tiger", just sped up. |
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Post by BakFu on Jul 14, 2022 15:58:28 GMT
I wonder if all of the bad guys line up for a slap in the face from Inoki as the credits roll at the end of the game? 😁
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Post by Shadow Master on Jul 14, 2022 23:14:27 GMT
I wonder if all of the bad guys line up for a slap in the face from Inoki as the credits roll at the end of the game? 😁 I can't seem to find mobile footage of this game, but we can pretend that does happen at the end of the game! Or ....if you have an extra $2,300 USD laying around, you could own your own fighting spirit slap!  Moulded from the hand of the man himself. This hand print is made of gold leaf and is limited to just 60 pieces worldwide. Fighting Spirit Way of Inoki DX
(Known in Japan as 闘魂猪木道DX) Platform: Mobile Year: 2004 Developer: Jaleco  Fighting Spirit Way of Inoki DX is a mobile port of a PS2 game we already talked about in this thread (Fighting Spirit Way of Inoki Puzzle De Daaaaa!).  Just like the PS2 port, Fighting Spirit is a puzzle game where Inoki is pitted against a roster of fictitious Manga characters created by popular artist Kazuhiko Shimamoto. Fun fact: Wrestler Minoru Tanaka would create a Wrestling gimmick inspired by one of the game's characters called "Heat". |
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