With gameplay taken from the
popular (and rightfully so) Fire Pro Wrestling series, Big Bang Pro Wrestling
is a success on every level. Its variety is impressive for the console, and the graphics
are gorgeous. It's held back slightly by the two-button limitation, but besides that, this
is a bright spot in a strong library of games. With a wide variety of wrestlers, Big Bang is even great in a single match. There is the usual championship mode where you'll take hold of your favorite brawler and go for the world title. You can also take part in a basic tournament.
That's not anything truly special. There are a few different match types, including the ever popular coffin match, and a spin-off of the ladder bouts. They do change the way you'll need to play and create needed variety where you wouldn't even expect it.
The in-ring action is simple to grasp. Grappling is based on skill, not just the luck of mashing buttons. You'll need to time each tie-up properly or end up on the mat. The attacks here are different for each wrestler, and when done in conjunction with the d-pad, you'll rarely be tired of seeing the same moves.
With only two face buttons though, striking is severely limited.
Only one button is used for standing attacks. The other button is wasted on taunting. The
game could have opened up if there were a few more options, maybe even splitting them into
strong and light attacks. Instead, for those moves that do require the B button, you'll
occasionally taunt. That's critical, and it would hardly be surprising if you lost a few
matches before you know where you need to be for the game to register the move. Wrestling fans will be pleased to see the usual wrestling necessities like trash talk and ring entrances capture too. Every wrestler has a brief theme and pyrotechnics when they walk to the ring, and when you challenge for the belt, each match will feature text dialogue. It's wrapped around a nicely constructed graphics engine that's appealing and bright on the non-backlit NGP screen.
While it's the only wrestling game available for the console, it's hard to be disappointed. Besides the few control annoyances, Big Bang is a success. It's easy to pick up for a quick game on the road, yet still offers depth for those longer sessions. This is a highly recommended piece of portable software.
