Original Release: TOMY, 1999, Wonderswan
Released very early in the Wonderswan’s life, this New Japan title is simple and recalls much older arcade wrestling games
Shin Nihon Pro Wrestling (Wonderswan, TOMY, 1999)
Where to Buy: Play-Asia
How to Emulate: coming soon!
Review by: C. M0use
Representing the promotion more commonly known as New Japan in the West, this Shin Nihon/Nippon game is a simplified (you could even say “demake”) 2D port of an earlier 3D PlayStation title. That one was developed by Yukes and was more like their WWF stuff of the period, this one more resembles 80s arcade titles like WWF Superstars.
The roster is reduced to six of what I presume were New Japan’s biggest names of the time. I don’t follow the league but even I recognize some of these guys from appearances on AEW, such as Jushin Thunder Lyger and the Great Mutoh. The main gameplay mode is pretty much the same as NES Pro Wrestling: beat the other five dudes, then defend your title in an endless loop. Other than that you have a “G1 Climax” tournament mode that honestly seemed barely different from the main mode, and then what seem to be practice and time attack modes. No leagues, no real “story mode,” no advanced stuff.
It really does feel like an arcade game, with tons of basic strikes/generic grapples and matches generally over in about two minutes. The whole thing feels a little haphazard as there are no health indicators, grapples just kinda “stick” randomly sometimes, and I’m still not even sure how to pin (one button kicks the dude in the head while on the ground, the other launches into your one Give ‘Em Up, which seems to be the choice way to win matches).
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