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Here we go with another new week and another new strip. It’s funny how it always seems to work out that way.

So now that the initial hype over the GBA has cooled down a bit, we can all concentrate on the more important business of actually playing with the damn things. I’ve been putting in some serious time with Castlevania (now that I have a decent light), and Fire Pro Wrestling. Yep, Fire Pro Wrestling.

Although this launch title was lost among the excitement over all the big name games that came out last week, it’s easily one of the best wrestling games I’ve ever played — on any console. It should be said upfront that unless you’re a wrestling fan, Fire Pro probably won’t have much to offer you. But if you are a wrestling fan, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice by not owning this game. It may not have a big name license like Smackdown, but Fire Pro is a legendary name in Japan and for good reason.

This one little cartridge packs in no less than 150 different wrestlers, 6 game modes, 4 match types, more moves than any other wrestling game combined (including all the signature moves we know an love), and one of the most detailed create a wrestler modes I’ve ever seen. You can even create your own federation and save up to 73(!) homemade wrestlers. I’ve already created 6 perfect pocket-sized versions of my WWF favs, and watching them go at it is like having a Pay Per View in my pants.

Fire Pro is not the flashiest of the GBA launch titles, and it’s got a rather steep learning curve, but once you master the timing this game has nearly endless replay value. Battle Royale on the bus anyone?

Until Wednesday,

-JBE