========================================= FIRE PROWRESTLING Z BEGINNER'S GUIDE v1.3 ========================================= for Sony PlayStation 2 (Japan) by Bill Wood (billwood661@comcast.net) Last modified: 7/08/05 Fire ProWrestling Z (c) 2003 Spike NOTE: This guide views and prints best with a monospace typeface. ===================== ==TABLE OF CONTENTS== ===================== SECTION 1: VERSION HISTORY SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION SECTION 3: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRE PROWRESTLING SECTION 4: BASIC QUESTIONS SECTION 5: GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS SECTION 6: VICTORY ROAD STRATEGY SECTION 7: STORY MODE SECTION 8: FIRE PRO Z LINKS SECTION 9: CLOSING ============================== ==SECTION 1: VERSION HISTORY== ============================== 1.3 - Wow, an update after nearly two years! Umm, yeah. Not much added, fixed the link to RnR's site and a few other things. 1.2 - More links added. Minor corrections and additions. 1.1 - Minor corrections. 1.0 - Initial release of the guide. =========================== ==SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION== =========================== Hello and welcome to the Fire ProWrestling Z Beginner's Guide v1.3! This guide is here to help out those of you who are new to Fire ProWrestling Z (FPZ) for PlayStation 2. In FPZ you can choose from hundreds of wrestlers from different promotions across the world, creating the possibility of endless dream matches. Combine this with an extremely challenging and rewarding gameplay system and you have an excellent wrestling simulation. FPZ is a great game, no doubt, but there's a rather steep learning curve that comes along with it. That's where this guide comes into play, to help newcomers over that curve. Hopefully it serves its purpose. There also concerns among those who already own the Dreamcast game Fire ProWrestling D (FPD) about the amount of upgrades in the game. Hopefully I can address some of those concerns for you. For game conventions, commands, etc., I seriously recommend giving Frank James Chan's FPD Guide a thorough reading first. Although it was written for the Sega Dreamcast version (FPD), these two games are very similar,and most of the conventions from that guide can be applied here. Also, my guide is meant as a sort of companion guide for beginners, not a complete gameplay guide. =================================================== ==SECTION 3: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRE PROWRESTLING== =================================================== Since 1989, HUMAN Entertainment (and now Spike) have produced the unique and highly entertaining Fire Pro series of wrestling videogames for the Japanese market. In Japan, pro wrestling (or puroresu) is taken more seriously as a sport than it is in other regions of the world. It even receives coverage in major newpapers. Fire ProWrestling games are a reflection of this attitude, focusing on simulation and technique as opposed to flashy graphics. For that reason, Fire Pro has developed a loyal following in its native homeland and an ever-growing legion of fans in North America, Europe and other parts of the world. In the last decade, over a dozen Fire ProWrestling titles have appeared on several consoles, including PC Engine, SNES, Saturn, PlayStation, Wonderswan and GameBoy Advance. Some handheld versions have also been released in the U.S. Here's my list of recommended Fire Pro titles: * Super Fire ProWrestling X Premium (SNES/Super Famicom) * Super Fire ProWrestling: Queen's Special (SNES/Super Famicom) * Fire ProWrestling S: 6 Men Scramble (Saturn) * Fire ProWrestling G (PlayStation) * Fire ProWrestling D (Dreamcast) * Fire ProWrestling (GameBoy Advance) * Fire ProWrestling 2 (GameBoy Advance) If you want more details of the story of Fire Pro, read "History of the Fire ProWrestling Series" by the Mysterious Kagura. ============================== ==SECTION 4: BASIC QUESTIONS== ============================== Q: Where can I find FPZ? A: As it as a dated title, FPZ may become increasingly harder to find. Ebay is always a good place to start, and I'm sure that some online retailers should still have a few copies in stock. Q: What do I need to play this on my American PS2? A: Because FPZ is an import title, you will need a flip-top/boot disc combo or a mod chip. I use a flip-top in combination with the Swap Magic boot disc and it works fine. Search the web and you should find several reliable flip-top retailers. The newer (slim) PS2s use something which I believe is called a Ghost Switch or Ghost Clip. And stay away from slide cards. Q: Will you be contributing full character guides for this game like you did with FPD? A: As you may already know, the FPZ character guides have been up at GameFAQs for some time now. And yes, that is the last of them. Q: Is this really the last Fire Pro game as announced by Spike? A: No! Much to the delight of Fire Pro fans everywhere, Spike has announced the release of Fire ProWrestling R (as in "Returns") for release in September of 2005! Q: What about an X-Box/Gamecube version of Fire Pro? A: Highly unlikely at this point. I could go into a detailed explanation about the Fire Pro/Gamecube rumors, but let's just say it won't be coming out anytime soon. Q: C'mon, seriously, just how different is this game from the previous (Fire Pro D for Sega Dreamcast)? Is it worth a new purchase? A: This is a tough one. Although improvements have been made, it's hard for me to say whether these improvements are enough to warrant a whole new purchase. I suppose it depends on how much of a Fire Pro fan you are, and how much you enjoyed FPD (if you have it). Below I'll list a few of the improvements (and a few downgrades as well): a) GROUND COUNTERS are new in FPZ. Although they were in the GBA versions, they were absent from FPD. Ground counters add a whole new element of gameplay, as those pesky "opponent down" submissions are no longer a guaranteed thing! b) UPDATED ROSTER with NEW PROMOTIONS such as Zero-One and World Japan. There are a lot more Japanese wrestlers in the game this time around (see below about the WWE wrestlers), and for the most part they are very accurate. Some are still annoyingly inaccurate though. c) NEW MOVES. From the F-5 to the Deja Vu to a true 5-Star Frog Splash, FPZ has quite a few new moves to hold your interest. d) DIFFERENT WEAPON STRIKES. There are now three different weapon strikes, although I honestly can't tell how much of a difference they make (other than their appearance). ([]) is a jab to the stomach, (X) is a side swipe, and (O) is the good old-fashioned noggin bashing. I still use the heavy (O) strike every time. e) SOUND has been _severely_ downgraded. I mean, it's BAD, "turn down your TV, turn up the stereo" type bad. And after a few large damage moves, an annoying crowd noise kicks in that may drive you absolutely nuts. It's so bad that some Fire Pro vets thought their copies of FPZ were defective! f) FPD "ADD-ON" MOVES are defaults in FPZ. Except for the fictional exaggerated moves, they're all here, which is good news for anyone who spent countless hours managing 4 VMUs in FPD just to get all the add-on moves in the game. g) Wrestler SPRITES are smaller than they were in FPD. But on the upside, the clarity and definition seems to be improved, which can be seen with the use of an S-Video cable with your PS2. h) STORY MODE! Yes, it's back in all its glory! See "Section 7: Story Mode" for more details. NOTE: This is by no means a definitive list of changes in FPZ, but hopefully it will give you a good picture of what's been modified. (UPDATE: Since FPR is just around the corner -- or may in fact be available by the time you're reading this -- I'd seriously suggest holding out for the newer version, the improvements are shaping up to be quite impressive!) And here comes the big one... Q: I heard there are no WWE wrestlers in the game! Why not? A: Spike has removed the WWE wrestlers from Fire Pro roster this time around, which appears to be due to legal concerns. The reason I say this is because I've also noticed that several "trademark" WWE moves have been renamed (i.e. "Rock Bottom" is now called "Bottom Drop"). The WWE heads and bodies are there in Edit Mode (albeit discolored like the American Game Boy Advance versions). There are also several "newer" edit models such as the Hardy Boys and Brock Lesnar. But with all of the fuss and bother over no WWE wrestlers in FPZ, I have come to the conclusion that no WWE wrestlers in FPZ is actually a _good_ thing. Why? Because with 216 edit slots to fill, you can create your own perfect versions of each and every WWE superstar. And let's face it, some of the American guys in FPD needed some major retooling. Also note that I've written FPD character guides for many American wrestlers. Those guides can be used as a reference for movesets when recreating WWE wrestlers. Q: Can I still download other people's edit packs like I did in FPD? A: Yes, with the help of a Sharkport, X-Port or Max Drive. Q: I've seen pictures of this game and it looks like a SNES game to me. Are you sure it's that good? A: Two words; old school. Fire Pro _was_ an SNES game (actually there are several SNES versions) and it was great even back then. The gameplay is unique and has only improved with every incarnation. It's nothing like other wrestling games out there (obviously, they're all 3D), but once you get the hang of it, it's a blast, and extremely difficult at higher levels! Q: But isn't the whole game in Japanese? A: Yes and no. The menus, options, etc. are all in Japanese and you can't change them. But a little memorization and Frank James Chan's FPD guide will have you navigating Japanese menus in no time. You _can_ rename all of the wrestlers and their federations to their real English names. (UPDATE: Follow the link below to see Frank's guide updated for FPZ: http://www.geocities.com/fireprowrestlingz/firepro_wrestling_Z.txt) There is also a beginner's website for Fire Pro D, listed at the end of this section, which contains on-screen translations for all of the in-game menus for that game. If you find the task of deciphering Japanese from a guide a bit much, you may find this website to be a tremendous help. Q: I heard there's an English patch for FPZ!!! Where do I get it? A: http://pw-wild.com/deibu/ Q: HELP! I can't get the patch to work! A: Read this carefully... FIGURE IT OUT. If you can't, then don't use it. Don't bother Dave about it, and don't bother the board about it. If I can figure out how to use it through Windows without even owning a PC (I'm on a Mac), surely you can muster up the knowledge from somewhere. A little initiative will work wonders for you, trust me. Q: Is there an official guide for this game? A: Yes there is, and a very high quality one at that. Problem is it's all in Japanese (what did you expect from a Japanese game?). The title of the guide is "Fire ProWrestling Z: The Complete" and it is produced by Softbank Publishing of Japan (ISBN4-7973-2446-5). It's a nice collector's item for fans of the game, even if you can't read a lick! Q: Can I play FPZ online against a friend or do I have to live in Japan to do that? A: You can't play online, even if you move to Tokyo. Q: Can you give me a list of all the edit bodies in the game? A: db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/fire_pro_wrestling_z_heads.txt Q: What about newer American wrestling moves such as the F-5? A: Yep, it's in there, along with the Spinaroonie, the RVD thumbs pose, the Tajiri finishing kick and a few others. No 619 though. =( (UPDATE: The 619 is confirmed for FPR, along with a slew of great new moves. Another reason to consider purchasing the newer game.) Q: Can I create my own fed? A: Yes, you can create a total of five extra feds. You can even customize your own logo to go with your fed. The first thing I did when I got the game was resurrect WWE in FPZ! Q: Do the wrestlers bleed in FPZ? A: Yes. Not a lot, but they do bleed. Q: How do I reorder the wrestlers in their promotions? For example, I want to put Satoshi Kojima above Keiji Mutoh on the All Japan roster. A: Unfortunately you can't. You _can_ send wrestlers to different promotions though (i.e. move Kenzo SUzuki to WWE, although that's a bad idea since they recently released him!). Q: Is the infamous "Ganso Bomb" in the game? A: There _is_ a move called the ganso bomb in the game, but it's not the move Toshiaki Kawada used against Mitsuharu Misawa. (In case you didn't know, the incident occured when Kawada reversed a Misawa huracanrana and dropped Misawa on his head. It's considered one of the more brutal spots in pro wrestling history.) Q: Every wrestling game nowadays has a Create-A-Wrestler (CAW) Mode. How does FPZ's Edit Mode stack up? A: Quite nicely. With all of the moves and body parts available, it's possible to create a 90% likeness/moveset for just about anybody you can think of, including all of the missing WWE guys. Plus you can create a total of 216 wrestler edits! But the best feature of Fire Pro's Edit Mode -- and one that has not been included in any American wrestling game to date -- is the ability to fully customize CPU logic. If you want to control how reckless your wrestler is when controlled by the CPU, you can do that here. If you want to control how often he attempts a certain move at a certain point in the match, you can do that as well. Most Fire Pro fans will agree this feature is one of the main selling points of this game, especially when it comes to "simming" matches for e-feds. Q: How many outfits can my edit have? A: Only one outfit per wrestler edit. :P Q: How do I choose my edit's specialty moves and/or finisher? A: When choosing your wrestler's moves, pay attention to the two columns to the left of the movelist. The first column is where you select your wrestler's voice to accompany a move. If a voice is selected, it will say (kanji) 1 or (kanji) 2 in that 1st column. Press (/\) to preview the move. NOTE: Unfortunately the ability to preview your wrestler's voice along with the move has been removed in FPZ. The 2nd column is where you can designate the move as a finisher. Blue kanji in that column means the move is a specialty move, red kanji means the move is a finisher. You can have 4 specialty moves and 1 finisher per wrestler. In order to select a move as a finisher, you first must deselect any move already chosen as a finisher. The (O) button does this, ([]) chooses specialty moves. So, to recap, from the move selection menu: Green Kanji, 1st column = voice assignment Blue kanji, 2nd column = specialty assignment (4 max) Red kanji, 2nd column = finisher assignment (1 max) Q: How can I update the moves of the default wrestlers? A: You want to make a copy of the wrestler first. This is the top option on the Wrestler Make screen (Select Wrestler Model). Once you do this, you may reassign his moves however you wish. Remember though, you also have to reassign all of his skill points (Punch, Kick, Instant-P, etc.) They will all reset to zero by default. If you don't have the Japanese Player's Guide handy, this will be tough, unless someone posts complete FPZ wrestler stats on an English language website. (UPDATE: Jason Blackhart has graciously transcribed this info for us, which I believe is available at his website.) Once you have your creation tweaked to perfection, you can hide the old default version of him by sending him to "hide" on the Wrestler Group Affiliation menu. At that menu, "hide" is the bottom option. Note that when you create an edit of an existing wrestler, he is treated like any other edit and therefore will not have his original four outfits to choose from. Before we enter the next section of the guide, I'd like to mention the FPD beginner's site. It's a great site with visuals for those of you having troubles navigating through the game. Again. the site was authored with the Dreamcast version in mind, but you still may find it helpful. Here's the url: http://fpwd2k.gswf.org/ ================================= ==SECTION 5: GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS== ================================= Q: I'm just getting started and can't do anything! Help! A: Start off with learning the grappling system. This is a pretty tough learning curve for beginners. Regular kicks and punches aren't going to do a whole lot of damage, and they can be even more difficult to time than grapples. Q: OK, I'm trying to learn the grapple system and I lose every single time! What gives? A: It's time to learn the "Golden Rule of Fire Pro" - thou shalt not button mash. Unlike other games where you can do this with a moderate degree of success, in FPZ you will be punished for hammering on buttons trying to pull off a move. The timing is like this: when the wrestlers are close enough together, they will automatically go into a "lock-up" where their arms lock up for a grapple. As soon as their arms meet, enter the desired command (Up + [], Down + O, etc.). Again, enter it once and only once, otherwise you will lose the grapple. If you entered your command before the opponent entered his, you'll see your wrestler execute the desired move. If you're still having troubles, you can do one of two things: a) Set the difficulty to 1. You should have no trouble at this level. b) Practice against a "dead" opponent. Set the other wrestler to 2P and leave the 2P controller alone. Remember, patience is a virtue! Q: My grapple timing is now impeccable. Problem is, every move I attempt gets reversed! A: You must first wear the opponent down with weak ([] button) grapples, then work your way up to the stronger (X), (O) and ([] + O) moves. Attempting stronger moves early in a match almost always results in a reversal. Q: I can't seem to hit my opponent. My moves whiff every time! A: In FPZ, strikes are all about timing and distance. Sometimes you have to be lined up on a horizontal plane with your opponent to connect, although this is not an absolute rule. You can always use the "dead opponent" tactic to practice your timing and distance, but I much prefer practicing against a live opponent, simply because it's harder to connect when the opponent is constantly moving around. Q: How do I do my wrestler's finisher? A: It depends on the wrestler's real life finisher. For example, Keiji Mutoh's Shining Wizard is done from a front grapple, and Dragon Kid's Dragonrana is done from the top turnbuckle. Q: How do I win a Test of Strength? A: A "Test of Strength" is when two wrestlers enter a grapple command at the same time. You'll see them lock hands in an attempt to overpower each other. The player who enters the most d-pad commands wins. This can be done by wiggling the d-pad back and forth or by rotating the d-pad in a circular motion. Tests of Strength are the absolute worst part of any Fire Pro game. Not only does it wear down the controller and your thumb, the CPU becomes ridiculously difficult after Level 5. My advice here is to give up on Tests of Strength and focus on better grapple timing. (Your thumb will thank you.) Q: How do I escape a pin attempt? A: Simply hold down the (X) button. You do not need to move the d-pad at all to escape a pin (trust me, I've been all the way through Victory Road and Story Mode using this method). If your wrestler has enough strength left, he will kick out. NOTE: It has been brought to my attention on the FPZ board that repeatedly pressing the (X) button will help recuperate Spirit Energy as you attempt to kick out of a pin. My apologies for not remembering the name of the individual who provided the info. Q: How do I escape a submission hold? A: Move the d-pad around. I prefer wiggling it back and forth, but you can rotate it as well. Button mashing may actually help here as well. Q: How do I do top rope moves? I always miss with my flying attacks! A: Just like regular strikes, high-flying moves require your opponent to be in a certain location in order to be successful. For example, a frog splash may whiff if the opponent is in the center of the ring, yet a flying headbutt may go the distance. Also note that your wrestler's offensive style dictates how effective he will be with flying attacks. Obviously a luchador will have more effectiveness using high-flying moves than, say, a grappler. Here's another tip for all you potential luchadors: when the opponent begins to tire, use an (X) grapple move to knock him down, then climb the turnbuckle. Your can now perform your "top rope - opponent down" attack. If you use a (O) grapple move and climb the turnbuckle, the opponent will stand up dazed. You can now pull off "top rope - opponent standing" attacks (i.e. Dragonrana). Q: How do I do MMA/shootfighting in this game? A: MMA-style shootfighting, which involves ground techniques such as mount grapples, was first introduced in Fire Pro D. It can be very challenging to learn at first. If you're completely new to Fire Pro, I seriously suggest sticking to pro wrestling basics until you have that aspect of the game mastered, then move on to shootfighting. Once you feel you're up to the task, please read my "Fire Pro D: Kazushi Sakuraba" Character Guide, which contains a section devoted to the basic principle and timing of Fire Pro shootfighting. The same rules also apply to Fire Pro Z, so it works perfectly in this game. Q: My wrestler is walking around with his shoulders slumped, gasping for air! What should I do? A: Breathe, man, breathe! [see next question] Q: How often should I breathe? A: Breathing is done by holding down the L1 trigger, and there is no definitive answer as to how often you should do it. It depends on several factors (your wrestler's attributes, attacks used, etc.). As a rule, I try to breathe at least every 2 minutes of FPZ time. Q: How do I grab the back of my opponent's head and ram it into the turnbuckle? I see the CPU do it all the time and it looks cool! A: The move you're referring to is a corner setup move. Here's how it's done: When in a grapple, press d-pad in the direction of the corner you're closest to + (/\). For example, let's say you're both on the left side of the ring. Grapple, then left + (/\) to do the move. The only time this doesn't work is when you're close to the center of the ring or near the top or bottom turnbuckle. If you press the d-pad in the opposite direction, you'll Irish whip the opponent into the opposite corner. For example, using the last scenario, press right + (/\) instead of left + (/\). Either move will set you up for a corner move (i.e. top rope Frankensteiner) if the opponent is worn down enough. Also note that you can only use the left and right posts for corner moves, not the top and bottom posts. Q: How do I execute a grapple or ground reversal? A: You don't have to press a button to pull off a reversal (ala No Mercy and SmackDown). Grapple/ground reversals happen automatically depending on the circumstances. For example, if you're Gran Naniwa and you try to suplex Andre the Giant, you will more than likely get your move reversed. Q: How do I pick up weapons? My wrestler just starts running! A: Picking up weapons can be tricky because you have to use the (/\) button (Run) to pick them up (bad idea Spike). A little practice will get you there though, and it's _much_ easier than it was in FPD. Q: Do moves outside the ring do more damage than moves done on the mat? A: Yes, even more so when the outside is lined with barbed wire! Q: Do moves onto weapons (i.e. piledriver onto a chair) do extra damage? A: No, it just looks really good. =) Q: How do I get up off the mat quicker? A: I usually wiggle the d-pad when I'm down, but I don't think this really helps (more of a nervous habit). However, you can stay down on the mat longer by simply holding down the (X) button. I have no idea why you would want to do this, unless you really like selling your opponent's moves! Also, when lying on the mat, you can roll up and rise by tapping Up on the d-pad, or roll down by tapping Down on the d-pad. This is great when you're getting clobbered and are close enough to the ropes to roll out of the ring and grab a breather. Q: How do I throw my opponent to the apron so I can do apron moves? A: With your back to the ropes, grapple the opponent and press down + the R1 trigger if you're against the southernmost ropes, or press up + the R1 trigger if you're against the northernmost ropes. You will throw the opponent to the apron. From there, grapple, then ([]) (X) or (O) to do your apron grapple move. Q: How do I tag my partner in a tag match? A: Just press the L1 Trigger + d-pad towards your partner in your corner. Q: How do I get my partner to come in for the save during a tag match? A: You partner will automatically enter the ring to break up a pin or submission hold when he thinks you might be in trouble. In other words, don't expect your partner to break up a pin early in the match because you can probably kick out anyway. Inversely, your partner will likely enter the ring to protect you if you're trying to pin your opponent and he's sufficiently worn down. Q: What is "CRITICAL!"? A: "CRITICAL!" is what happens when a wrestler is critically injured by an opponent's move and is unable to continue. It usually happens with finishers, but can also happen with regular strikes and holds, depending on the wrestler's attributes. Pretty much the equivalent of a KO, which doesn't really happen in professional wrestling, but it's cool to see nonetheless. You can force a "CRITICAL!"ed opponent to continue a match by picking him up from the mat before the ref notices the "CRITICAL!". By doing this it is possible to score multiple "CRITICAL!"s on an opponent. Q: Why can't I ever get a "CRITICAL!" on my opponent when I want to? A: Oh no, a question I can't answer! Seriously, you could write another complete guide focusing solely on the frequency of "CRITICAL!"s, it's that complex. I will tell you, however, there is absolutely no way to guarantee a "CRITICAL!". Even if you create a wrestler with colossal "CRITICAL!" stats, it's still a matter of percentages. Q: How do I unlock the hidden wrestlers? A: I did it by beating Story Mode once. There may be other methods though. Beating Story Mode is fairly quick, taking between 1 and 2 hours to complete a path depending on how good you are. Q: How do I unlock all the edit points for my edits? A: First off, you start with 150 edit points to assign your edit. This is more than enough to create a decent mid-carder if you're savvy. I believe you need to win three Victory Road paths and three Story Mode paths to unlock all 300 edit points. This is how I did it but there may be other methods. Q: What about the extra heads/costumes? A: See the above answer. Like I said, it worked for me. Q: That seems like a lot of work. Isn't there just a simple cheat code? A: Not as of this writing. The old FPD code doesn't seem to work. Q: Are there any Gameshark codes or hacks that will create different match types (ala No Mercy and SmackDown)? A: No. Remember we're talking sprites (2D) vs. polygons (3D), a lot of those hacks just aren't possible with this type of game. ==================================== ==SECTION 6: VICTORY ROAD STRATEGY== ==================================== Victory Road is a grueling challenge if there ever was one, especially if you choose the path of Heavyweight Title. Completing all Title Challenges could very well end up taking 40+ hours! Fortunately for you most lower level opponents are more than willing to "do the job", knowing what lies in store later down your path to glory. Level 9 and 10 opponents can be extremely tough. Your grappling skills need to be near perfect and even then it's hard. However, there are a few "tricks" you can use to help you along the way: USE STRIKES - Believe it or not, against tougher opponents is where weak and medium strikes come in handy. If you can use them regularly during the match, you will eventually wear the opponent down. Also note that strikes, if used consistently, will slow your opponent's walking and (as far as I can tell) grappling speed. This can give you a needed advantage. My own rule of thumb is this: the higher the difficulty, the higher the percentage of strikes used (as opposed to grapples). USE WEAPONS - Sometimes weak strikes won't get the job done. In this case you need to break out the heavy artillery! Use ([]) or (O) to exit the ring, then against the ring + (/\) to pick up a weapon from under the apron. Reenter the ring and wreak some havoc! And remember, you can have more than one weapon at a time in the ring, so feel free to litter! Guys like Jumbo Tsuruta can give you nightmares on Victory Road. Best to pick up the old steel chair and dish out a few shots to the cranium. When the opponent begins to fall to the mat from the blows, switch to using submission holds and stretches. This will soon end the match. RING OUT (cheap!) - If you're _really_ frustrated, you can always go for the ring out. Just get the opponent outside the ring and try to keep him there for the 20 count. This usually means pulling off a grapple move somewhere around the 16 count, then rolling back inside the ring. Like I said, cheap! DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE! - Not really a trick, but helpful nonetheless. Even if you're not getting hit, simply using your offense consumes energy. Every now and then, throw your opponent to the mat and hold the L1 trigger to catch your breath. If you're _really_ getting the tar beat out of you, simply exit the ring. Depending on your opponent, he may choose to wait for you to return while the ref counts. This is a perfect opportunity to breathe! Just remember, your opponent can catch his breath as well! Also, you may lose Spirit Energy by exiting the ring. COMBO WHENEVER POSSIBLE - Sure, a basic scoop slam will do damage, but it's always more devastating when followed with a few stomps to the groin and a sleeper hold! Always take advantage of your opponent being down to mount an offense. LEARN TO FOCUS - "Focusing" is my term for concentrating all of your attacks on a certain body part (arm, leg, neck). Submission holds are good for this. Keep applying submission holds to one area of the body and the opponent will eventually have to give up the match. KEEP IT SIMPLE! - Don't try fancy corner moves or Irish whip moves, higher level opponents tend to reverse these moves often. One simple strategy is to constantly use weak grapple moves to knock down your opponent, then use strikes and holds from there. USE CPU AI - Think of this as a last resort. You could just let the CPU control your wrestler and set the speed to 800%. This is done at the pre-match options screen. Eventually your wrestler will win the match, then you can move on. NEVER (EEEVEER) GRAPPLE VS. GIANT STYLE! - OK, maybe you can a little, but keep it to a minimum! Andre the Giant and Giant Baba (see the word 'giant' in their names?) are two good examples. They can reverse even your weakest grapples, frustrating to say the least. Their weakness? Man, these guys are slower than molasses! That means you can run circles around them, poking with weak and medium strikes all day long. Some veteran players have also suggested that repeated Irish whips can wear down a bigger wrestler, which would make sense as they would tire from having to do so much running around the ring. I haven't proven this theory, but it sounds plausible. ========================= ==SECTION 7: STORY MODE== ========================= Story Mode makes its grand return to Fire Pro in FPZ! Absent from FPD, this is an excellent mode that follows the career of an up-and-coming grappler in the grueling Japanese wrestling circuit. Initially you have four choices: * Mitsuharu Misawa (Mitsuhide Hikawa) * Keiji Mutoh (Ken Shundo) * Masahiro Chono (Violence Kohno) * Shinya Hashimoto (Crusher Hatamoto) Of course, as with all Fire Pro games, the wrestlers are fictional, but it's quite obvious who's who, and your encounters in Story Mode will somewhat resemble the real-life wrestler's career encounters, depending on your success (or lack thereof). In Story Mode, you will face several _very_ tough opponents (Nobuhiko Takada comes to mind), but never fear. You need not win all the battles to finish your wrestler's story. It may simply change the outcome of his career. NOTE: Finish all four Story Mode paths and you may find something special waiting for you! =============================== ==SECTION 8: FIRE PRO Z LINKS== =============================== http://og-fpd.freeservers.com (awesome site!) http://www.purogamer.com http://s1.cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=28522 http://www.fireproclub.com http://www.gswf.org http://fpwd2k.gswf.org/ http://kocaccess.gswf.org http://www.geocities.com/fireprowrestlingz/ Do you have a Fire Pro Z related website you'd like to share? E-mail me at billwood661@comcast.net and it will be added to this section in future revisions! (UPDATE: If you have a Fire Pro related site that you would like to see included in the FPR Beginner's Guide [oh yes, it's coming], e-mail it to me and it will be included.) ====================== ==SECTION 9: CLOSING== ====================== I sincerely hope you found this guide useful. In closing, I would like to thank the following: * CJayC and GameFAQs.com for hosting this guide. * Frank James Chan for writing the original FPD Guide, which without most of us would still be clueless. * All the experts on the GameFAQs, FPC and Monitor boards. Thanks to those who share their knowledge of this game on these boards, I still find myself learning new things about Fire Pro all the time! * The Mysterious Kagura for his "History of the Fire ProWrestling Series" document. Definitely recommended reading for Fire Pro enthusiasts (if you can find it, good luck!). * higher power and the Fire Pro Club (www.fireproclub.com) for giving us a community to discuss this excellent game. Special thanks to Jim Freeman as well. * Jeff Scott and www.gswf.org for giving us access to tons of cool FPD stuff. Even if you only own FPZ, you'll definitely want to check out this site. Fire ProWrestling Z Beginner's Guide (c) 2003 Bill Wood