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Post by scarlettbordeaux12 on Oct 15, 2023 4:52:33 GMT
I know what we think the characters were but back in 1986 I thought that the Machine was Giant Machine and Ricky was Rick Martel . Both were my favorite wrestlers at the time . What did I know I was in the seventh grade at the time Martel was AWA champion in the magazines . We didn’t have cable so all I knew was him from what I saw . Andre was dressed as a Machine and that was who I saw him as . So it was like two of my wrestling heroes were in a game really cool .
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Post by Shadow Master on Oct 15, 2023 15:02:36 GMT
I know what we think the characters were but back in 1986 I thought that the Machine was Giant Machine and Ricky was Rick Martel . Both were my favorite wrestlers at the time . What did I know I was in the seventh grade at the time Martel was AWA champion in the magazines . We didn’t have cable so all I knew was him from what I saw . Andre was dressed as a Machine and that was who I saw him as . So it was like two of my wrestling heroes were in a game really cool . The closest thing we ever got to Giant Machine was the final boss in WCW on the NES. The boss was a palette swap of Andre The Giant, who appeared as the hidden boss of the Japanese version Superstar Pro-Wrestling on the Famicom. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Oct 15, 2023 18:10:57 GMT
5 years before Fire Pro-Wrestling hit the scene, we had a dice rolling game by the name of Pro-Wrestling Superstar Game. Superstar Pro-Wrestling Game Year: 1984 Publisher: Superstar Game Co. Inc. Platform: Tabletop  The cover art features (who appear to be) Dusty Rhodes taking on Terry Funk. I don't think the Wrestler inclusions found within Superstar Pro-Wrestling were official endorsed by the NWA, WCW, WWF, etc.  Wrestlers are organized by Action Cards. There are a total of 60 different Wrestlers/Action Cards, each of which featuring different moves/stats based on the real-life Wrestler's performance in the ring. The above Action Card is for Ric Flair.  An updated version also exists for MAC and Windows with a modernized roster of 700+ Wrestlers. A game that still continues to grow with an active community.  A 1985 magazine clipping advertising Superstar Pro-Wrestling. It's worth noting that one of Superstar's selling points in this ad is the ability to book or manage your own Wrestlers, which could possibly make Superstar the world's first Pro-Wrestling booking simulator video game.
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 3, 2023 1:42:44 GMT
It's been a while since we updated this thread. Myself, I spent the last two months reprising my role as Doctor Frankenstein for a second run here in Toronto:  Two runs, multiple looks ....all the same guy.  I was also given the role as the host for this year's shows, which was a lot of fun. Not pictured here, but on Halloween night, I styled my facepaint to look like The Great Muta.   Anyways, back on topic. This pachinko magazine advertises the pachinko version of APPOOOH! - one of the earliest arcade wrestling games, which was originally released in arcades back in 1984. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 5, 2023 3:30:13 GMT
Beat 'Em Up and old school WWF fans rejoice! The fan-made game Double Dragon Reloaded has come out of retirement!  There are now five brand new characters to play as including: Honky Tonk Man Ted Dibiase Marion Kunio Kun and Hacksaw Jim Duggan! New enemies have also been added to the various game modes, making for the most challenging build yet. You can download the game for free here: magggas.itch.io/double-dragon-reloaded-alternate#google_vignette
More screens from the Appoooh! Pachinko game from 2003:  Similar to the Inoki Pachinko game, the 2003 version of Appoooh is centered around Giant Baba.  The game seemed to feature an official (albeit, posthumous) license of the late Giant Baba. The cutscenes even allude to Baba's formative years as a Baseball player.  From the scant footage I found online, I couldn't find any other Wrestler likenesses in the game, save for these generic Wrestler masks that were used in a slots minigame. The golden mask on the far right looks quite similar to The Destroyer, one of Giant Baba's long-time adversaries in AJPW. You can watch a small clip of the Appoooh! Giant Baba Pachinko game below: |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 5, 2023 20:01:56 GMT
While looking up information for the 2003 Pachinko version of Appoooh!, I discovered another questionable Wrestling oddity: The Giant Baba NukiKnown in Japan as: ジャイアントババ抜きPlatform: Card game Released by: Nomura Toy  Nuki is the Japanese name for the classic card game Old Maid. Giant Baba's version includes a mini ring, ring bell and mallet. Giant Baba's version of old maid decided to include fictional Wrestlers on the card fronts. In all my years of researching, I can safely say that quite a few of these designs are some of the weirdest Wrestler depictions I have ever come across. There's just something about the art style that makes me feel uncomfortable.
Let's take a look at the roster (left to right - top row):
1. Star Haws (an alien wearing The Destroyer's mask).
2. Rubber Claw (most-likely based on Fritz Von Erich, who used the Iron Claw as his finisher).
3. Abdullah Kasabudara (a mixture of Abdullah The Butcher and Tiger Jeet Singh).
4. Ganimata Yarimocha (this tribal warrior could be a very loose representation of Kamala).
5. Banku Brothers (The Funks).
6. Don Yasan (looks like Antonio Inoki, but his name is closer to former AJPW star Don Leo Jonathan).
 Second row (left to right): 7. Chan Chanko (this Asian-inspired character's look and name bears a similar resemblance to Killer Khan). 8. Ukibara Hikaru (the token female Wrestler. Looks like Megumi Kudo or a younger Devil Masami from the 1980's). 9. Iitomo Dutcher (this Native warrior has a similar last name to Abdullah The Butcher, but his appearance looks closer to Chief Wahoo McDaniel or the Youngblood's). 10. Stone Broker (from his name and moustache, I'm guessing this Wrestler is based on Stan Hansen). 11. Shimokawa Kabanosuke (Japanese Hippopotamus - his name sounds close to AJPW legend Umanosuke Ueda). 12. Basher Suisan (his name sounds close to Rusher Kimura - but he looks nothing like the legend). 13. Stamina Daikonsky (this is another odd one. A vegetable-carrying combatant with a Russian name). |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 8, 2023 0:16:21 GMT
Besides regularly claiming my admiration for legends such as Antonio Inoki, Andre The Giant, Tiger Mask and Abdullah The Butcher, I've also been a big fan of legendary maskman The Destroyer. Mat-based Wrestling skills, a rough, gravel-tone voice that taunted opponents left and right, and of
course, the iconic mask all made for many entertaining feuds whenever the 'sensational, intelligent' Destroyer stepped into the ring.
While The Destroyer's inclusions are fewer in numbers when compared to other legends from the above list, I always get a kick out spotting the masked legend in the world of video games.
In the PS2 game God Hand, there exists a boss character with two personas. Gorilla Mask and Gorilla Mask Tiger:  Gorilla Mask is based on The Destroyer, while Gorilla Mask Tiger is based on Tiger Mask. |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 8, 2023 2:37:43 GMT
Today, I'm continuing part 2 of translating the Wild Rings roster: The formula goes "RENAME", "NICKNAME", "REAL NAME", "REAL NICKNAME"  21. Mask of the God of War Nickname: Minji Bad Boy Mask Real name: Kendo Kashin 22. Hiromichi Kagemaru Nickname: The Air Real name: Naomichi Marufuji 23. Eiji Kanazaki Nickname: Fighting Man of Jr. Real name: Koji Kanemoto 24. Minoru Sato Nickname: Young Bull in the Heisei era Real name: Minoru Tanaka 25. Hammer Nickname: Steel Warrior Real name: Big Van Vader 26. Samoan Kay Nickname: Tropical Star Real name: Taiyo Kea 27. Death Wilhelm Nickname: The Rock Man Real name: Steve Williams 28. Wild Python Nickname: Texas Buffalo Real name: Stan Hansen 29. Jet Kameoka Nickname: Natural Power Real name: Jumbo Tsuruta 30. Teppei Royal Road Nickname: Great Giant Real name: Giant Baba 31. Fighter Genki Nickname: Ring Fighter Real name: Antonio Inoki ____________________________ 32. Max Star Nickname: Feat of The Soul Real name: The Rock 33. Shuffle Raise Nickname: Ruler of The Ring Real name: Triple H 34. Death Bringer Nickname: Executioner Real name: The Undertaker 35. Karl Anthem Nickname: Ultimate Comic Book Hero Real name: Kurt Angle 36. Sheriff Bronco Nickname: The Lion's Roar Real name: Chris Jericho 37. Grap Benet Nickname: Rigid Beast From Hell Real name: Chris Benoit 38. Hard Rocker B Nickname: Jet-black Tornado Warning Real name: Booker T. 39. Stefan Gold Nickname: Texas Assassin Real name: Steve Austin 40. Madre Higante Nickname: The impregnable Fortress Real name: Andre The Giant 41. Ark Legend Nickname: An American Icon Real name: Hulk Hogan 42. Luke Clever Nickname: Blond Schemer Real name: Ric Flair |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 8, 2023 7:49:27 GMT
The Wild Rings roster translation part 3:  43. Mistel Cuervos Nickname: Mysterious Big Bird Real name: Mil Mascaras 44. Grande Halcon Nickname: Combat Falcon Real name: Ultimo Dragon 45. Sangre Cuervos Nickname: Bird Burial Mask Real name: Dos Caras 46. Walder Junio Nickname: 2nd Vice Doctor Real name: Dr. Wagner Jr. 47. Sangre Cuervos Jr. Nickname: Bird Burial Mask II Real name: Dos Caras Jr. _____________________________________________________ 48. Nobuyushi Okada Nickname: Fastest Real name: Nobuhiko Takada 49. Koki Fujioka Nickname: Torture Articulator Real name: Yoshiaki Fujiwara 50. Takashi Tanabe Nickname: Lone Shooter Real name: Kiyoshi Tamura 51. Maikusa Ken Nickname: Martial Arts Heretic Real name: Akira Maeda _______________________________________________________ 52. Gou Fujii Nickname: Gorilla Man of Steel Real name: Kazuyuki Fujita 53. Shinya Koga Nickname: Runaway Train Real name: Naoya Ogawa 54. Takeshi Kousaka Nickname: Octagon Warrior Real name: Tsuyoshi Kosaka 55. Masuo Matsuda Nickname: Fighting Gambler Real name: Tadao Yasuda 56. Kazuki Murazai Nickname: The Most Ferocious Wrestler In Japan Real name: Kazunari Murakami 57. Kaneyama Michi Nickname: Kicking Strike Soldier Real name: Hiromitsu Kanehara 58. Hurricane Cry Nickname: Ultimate Fist Real name: Don Frye 59. Ricardo Ortega Nickname: Magical Bull King Real name: Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira 60. Dickson Clayton Nickname: Undefeated Myth Real name: Rickson Gracie 61. Darris Clayton Nickname: The man who makes the legend of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu fighter Real name: Royce Gracie 62. Heat Boarding Nickname: Bad Boy of Texas Real name: Heath Herring |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 8, 2023 16:01:32 GMT
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the NWO invaded Street Fighter II? With every post here, it's getting harder and harder to find Wrestlers in older games. For example, here's a defunct Java-based RPG hack from Japan called Body Bear:    Body Bear is essentially a hack of RPG cult classic Earthbound. The titular character and the above opponent to the right are clearly based on Tiger Mask.  Even the cover art copies Tiger Mask's signature pose. |
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Post by Staubhold on Nov 8, 2023 20:28:44 GMT
Besides regularly claiming my admiration for legends such as Antonio Inoki, Andre The Giant, Tiger Mask and Abdullah The Butcher, I've also been a big fan of legendary maskman The Destroyer. Mat-based Wrestling skills, a rough, gravel-tone voice that taunted opponents left and right, and of
course, the iconic mask all made for many entertaining feuds whenever the 'sensational, intelligent' Destroyer stepped into the ring.
I love The Destroyer. Such a greatly skilled old school classic wrestler! ...and he wears a mask. Always a plus for me if a wrestlers has a mask, face paint or a combination of both! In the PS2 game God Hand, there exists a boss character with two personas. Gorilla Mask and Gorilla Mask Tiger: Gorilla Mask is based on The Destroyer, while Gorilla Mask Tiger is based on Tiger Mask. Gorilla Mask Gorilla Mask Tiger
BTW... Gorilla Mask (and his alter ego) has a giant zipper on the back. He is a Specter (elite enemies in the game) who is presumably disguised as a human underneath the gorilla costume. ...as Gorilla Mask, he seems to take on the role of a Baby Face-like wrestler, meaning he acts as a popular and heroic wrestler who is meant to be cheered for by the audiences, and as Gorilla Mask Tiger, he plays the role of a Heel wrestler, and starts using dirty tricks such as wielding foreign objects, and is notably booed instead of being cheered by an unseen audience. Kinda strange, since The Destroyer was a heel in his early years in japan and Tiger Mask was always a face. With every post here, it's getting harder and harder to find Wrestlers in older games. So true! |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 9, 2023 8:42:20 GMT
To this day, The Destroyer's first fight with Rikidozan remains one of Japan's most-watched television segments. There were several foreign menaces that took on the father of Puroresu beforehand, but none had the star power nor ring chemistry as much as The Destroyer had. To go off-topic for a moment, I'm happy to announce that The Destroyer will finally get his first action figure:  The unpainted prototype and packaging design. Australian toymaker Junkshopdog is currently designing Destroyer's first-ever figure, with packaging and a design style reminiscent of the vintage Japanese sofubi Wrestling figures of the early 80's. Wrestling With Emotions
Wrestling with Emotions is a comical dating simulator that has been around for a number of years now. I remember first playing a version of Emotions on my web browser quite some time back, and was instantly drawn to the game's cheesy humour, overly-exaggerated art style, and subtle nods to Wrestling greats of yesteryear. Wrestler likenesses such as:  King Pretty Guy - Ric Flair Radical Ray - P.N. News Matsuri - Tiger Mask Irresistible Steve - Johnny B. Badd Outburst - Road Warrior Animal Freakshow - Toxie from The Toxic Avenger Arms - The Ultimate Warrior  Major Malfunction pays tribute to Sgt. Slaughter.  Mr. Piggy is based on The Big Boss Man.  Mc Manny McMan is clearly based on Vince McMahon.  Gorilla Baboon is based on legendary Wrestler and commentator Gorilla Monsoon, while the unnamed co-host to the side looks like Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan. What with having a large brain for a head and all!  Judging by the year given in the above text (1994), I'm guessing Kim Bonito is based on Luna Vachon, who made her WWF debut at WrestleMania IX in 1993.  The promo art pays tribute to vintage Wrestling posters from around the world.  The poster on the far-left is reminiscent of the Japanese Wrestling Alliance (JWA) posters from the 1960's, while the poster next to it on the right pays tribute to the original WrestleMania, which featured Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. on the cover.
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 11, 2023 21:54:13 GMT
The Wild Rings roster translation part 4:  63. Gregory Coolidge Nickname: Slash Commander Real name: Gary Goodridge 64. George Goldman
Nickname: The Complete Grappler
Real name: Mark Goldman
65. Sergey Lobpakkin
Nickname: King of The Northern Fists
Real name: Igor Bobchanchin
66. Jim Draco
Nickname: Beast of Oceania
Real name: Sam Greco
67. Seam Shutzgard
Nickname: Giant Fighter with an Iron Fist
Real name: Semmy Schilt
68. College Ozmain Nickname: Unleashed Mad Dog Real name: Wallid Ismail 69. Victor Bayfoot Nickname: New Jiu-Jitsu Warrior Real name: Victor Beaufort
70. Kazushi Umehara
Nickname: Unparalleled Strategist
Real name: Kazushi Sakuraba
71. Hidemitsu Ishitani
Nickname: Dual-Personality with a Fighting Spirit
Real name: Tokimitsu Ishizawa (Kendo Kashin unmasked)
72. Kikuchi Steam
Nickname: Ground Master
Real name: Sanae Kikuta
73. Gray Da Porba
Nickname: Beast of South America
Real name: Wanderlei Silva
74. Mulan Chinobi
Nickname: Secret Weapon of Jiu-Jitsu World
Real name: Murilo Ninja
_______________________________________________________________
75. Hiroshi Shinoda
Nickname: The Tragic Champion
Real name: Shinichi Shinohara
76. Taiji Yamaguchi
Nickname: Legendary Man of The Indiscriminate Weight Class
Real name: Yasuhiro Yamashita
77. Yasumasa Inoryu
Nickname: Success of the Heisei Era
Real name: Kosei Inoue
_____________________________________________________________________
78. Alek Gagarin
Nickname: Monster of Siberia
Real name: Alexander Karelin
79. Warren Gardner
Nickname: Last Hero of The 20th Century
Real name: Rulon Gardner
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80. Washinoumi
Nickname: Rough Lion of The Ring
Real name: Takanohana Kōji
81. Mount Shinano
Nickname: Mountains In Motion
Real name: Musashimaru Kōyō
______________________________________________________________________
82. Sasatake Masato
Nickname: Mysterious Soul Ascension
Real name: Masaaki Satake
83. Hien
Nickname: Japanese Fortress
Real name: Musashi
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 12, 2023 3:07:48 GMT
If you love RPG's and Pro-Wrestling, then perhaps the following title may interest some of you:   Like the last homebrew mentioned on the list, 8-Bit Pocket Wrestler is a free-roaming RPG created in the style of Earthbound.  Recognizable Wrestlers are featured throughout the game - just with different names. B.C. Punk is clearly C M Punk, while Wouquishi is a renaming of Rikishi.  Every RPG needs a kingdom to explore, and in 8-Bit Pocket Wrestler, players can finally visit the kingdom of Jerry 'The King' Lawler. Funny. I thought there'd be more puppies in King Jerry's throne room....  The wallpaper of the official website for 8-Bit Pocket Wrestler contains a sneak peak at some of the Wrestler avatars featured in the game. The Wrestlers are based on (top to bottom): Hulk Hogan, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tommy Dreamer The Youngbucks, Triple H, Big Show, Bret Hart, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry. As players progress through Pocket's story, they can collect recognizable WWE Superstars and Legends to use as playable characters.
8-Bit Pocket Wrestler can be played as a browser-based game, and also as downloadable app. Browser version: dom83xyz.itch.io/8bit-pocket-wrestlersApp version (Smartphone): play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dom83.xyz.a8bit_pocket_wrestlers |
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Post by Shadow Master on Nov 12, 2023 20:24:23 GMT
Crypto currency, NFT's and recognizable Wrestlers all come together in this brand new Wrestling game:  Blockchain Brawlers is a digital card game where players collect and battle Wrestler cards in an online format.  The game models are intentionally designed to resemble the classic WWF Hasbro figures of the early 90's.  Wrestlers can be purchased using real-world currency as NFT (non-fungible Tokens). The pricing for brawlers depends on their scarcity. Common brawlers can be purchased for an average $1.00. Though, there are some insanely-expensive brawlers, too:  While the common Ric Flair will set you back a good $400 to purchase for in-game use, this special retirement robe version of Ric Flair (limited to just 7 copies in the world) will cost close to 15 grand! As far as Stylin' and Profilin' goes, Ric isn't even the most expensive brawler to purchase!  That distinction currently goes to Crocodile Dundalk - an elusive 1 of 1 brawler card based off of Crocodile Dundee, that goes for ninety-five thousand dollars! All for one single Wrestling character! Granted, these market prices are set by the users selling the specific cards. Y et, these expensive cards apparently are selling! Different variants of certain brawlers come with additional edit pieces. The brawler on the left is made using pieces that resemble the Road Warriors and Big Van Vader, for example.  Recognizable edit pieces for The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage and Papa Shango are all available.NFT's have been around for a few years now, and there is indeed investment potential to be found in certain products in this medium. Yet, spending hundreds of dollars on cards for a digital Wrestling game not officially-endorsed by a major Wrestling promotion? I draw the line there. For gamers' sake, I do hope there is a more affordable means of collecting superstars (be it through digital card parks, grinding, etc). If you want to do some window shopping yourself, you can check out the rest of the brawlers available for purchase here: wax.atomichub.io/market?collection_name=bcbrawlers&order=desc&schema_name=series1&sort=created&symbol=WAX |
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