Wrestle Kingdom
Being from the American Mid-West, I am genetically predisposed toward watching professional wrestling. In spite of its absurd storytelling, mindless simulated violence, and predictable booking, there's something magnetic that at the very least keeps me checking in with news and rumors whether I'm interested in the current product or not. Hulkamania ran wild through my childhood. Fortunately, wrestling video games have had a proud tradition of taking wrestling's theatrics and putting them in your hands, sometimes tremendously, like Fire Pro or Aki's N64 games, and others, like Kinnikuman: Dirty Challenger can make your brain implode. Wrestle Kingdom for Xbox 360 (it's also on PS2, but I only have it for 360) takes the top 3 Japanese companies in puroresu, Pro Wrestling Noah, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling together in a game named for their annual combined Tokyo Dome Supercard. So, where does it fall in the quality spectrum?
Engine-wise, Wrestle Kingdom runs on basically the same engine as the Gamecube's Wrestlemania 19, itself a descendant of Toukon Retsuden. The controls are not unlike Aki's N64 offerings, utilizing strike and grapple buttons, with post-grapple inputs for move execution and timed button presses for reversal attempts. A similar spirit meter is employed as well, which when fully powered, can allow finishing moves when activated by a taunt. If you've played any of those Toukon or Aki games, you know how to play this.
Camera-wise, the game has a tendency to focus on a horizontal ringside view, which can get old after years of being spoiled by games like Wrestlemania 2000 for variety. The controls feel okay, but there are awkward moments due to the smooth animation being interrupted by move inputs and some slidey-floaty movement animation. The character models look good and are recognizeable for the most part, and the roster is huge. Pretty much anybody worth a damn in 2005 is represented along with a few legends. For me, this just means I get to kick the crap out of snotty up and comers like KENTA (NXT's Hideo Itami) and Hiroshi Tanahashi (Japan's John Cena) with Keiji Mutoh.
There are the modes you'd expect from modern wrestling games, such as editing wrestlers, exhibition matches, and drama mode, which is your career mode here, complete with training minigames. Compared to WWE games, there's more of a sports presentation to this mode than entertainment, which is a nice change of pace and reflects the difference in how the product is presented regionally.
Honestly, if you've played modern wrestling games, there's nothing systematically here to make it worthwhile. Wrestle Kingdom is really only relevant to puroresu fans, specifically those interested in the wrestlers who were popular during what was a tumultuous, transitional time in the Japanese industry. I can't recommend it to just a video game importer. Wrestle Kingdom is a game for puro die hards and no one else, as it doesn't offer new modes or gameplay, and it's not region free.
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