SNK continues to make its Neo Geo Pocket Color games available on Nintendo Switch with Big Bang Pro Wrestling being the latest installment in that series. Originally releasing in November 2000, the professional wrestling title never found its way outside of Japan as the handheld was already dead in the water overseas. However, it did launch fully in English, so there is no language barrier to overcome here. And even though it’s bound by its narrow control scheme, this port is a welcome release for nostalgic wrestling fans.
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What there is to overcome, or at least get used to, is the grappling game’s control scheme. There are only two buttons on the Neo Geo Pocket Color, so that means all of your moves are done by pressing the A or B buttons. There is a lot that can be done in professional wrestling, from Irish whips to slams and taunts, and all of that is doable here. But, with just two buttons and context-sensitive controls, it can be a bit confusing on how to pull off the cooler maneuvers unless you spend a lot of time scouring the included instruction manual.
While there is quite a learning curve, the actual amount of moves and techniques you can pull off in Big Bang Pro Wrestling is quite impressive. It might not be as thorough as Fire Pro Wrestling is today, but you can have full-on matches that come across as quite skillful. Each character also has a finishing move that can be done once their name starts flashing by pressing both the A and B buttons together, which isn’t a guaranteed win but is your best bet at getting a pinfall victory. The action is fast and varied enough that it is simply fun letting the attract screen continue and watching two A.I.-controlled characters wrestle against one another as they are pretty skilled and show the game’s mechanics off well.
There’s also an impressive amount of match types for a handheld pro wrestling game. Beyond regular and no disqualification bouts, players can also participate in pole and coffin matches. These gimmick matches are quite rare now, which makes the SNK title even more of a fun relic from a past age in pro wrestling when Vince Russo was booking “leather jacket on a pole” matches and The Undertaker was making his opponents rest in peace by stuffing them in a coffin. The feature set, which also features a tournament and arcade ladder mode that sees you looking to win the IEW Championship, is nostalgic in all of the best of ways, as it gives players a comfortable peek into the past.
Speaking of nostalgia, many of the characters are clearly based on WWE stars of the late ’90s and early 2000s, which was surprising as, given the territory, it’s easier to expect more homages to Japanese pro wrestling (although there is a mist-blowing Great Kabuki character at least). While they don’t look like the real-life WWE Superstars due to copyright laws, there are characters moves that are clearly inspired by Goldberg, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, The Rock, and even the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. The roster is just eight characters at first with two being unlockable, including one female wrestler, but they all have enough personality to shine.
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Big Bang Pro Wrestling also features all the bells and whistles that past titles in the NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection line have had, such as being able to rewind a match in case a mistake lost you a close match. With a surprisingly American focus toward its incarnation of pro wrestling, it’s very accessible to the North American audience and WWE fans will get a real kick out of the roster and the various tributes it pays to pro wrestling legends that have since retired. It’s still a bit difficult to get into at times due to its limited control scheme, but it more than pulls its weight considering the technical limitations at play.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
