Fire Pro Wrestling D Guide

The Game

The main menu: eleven mode buttons and a help line — The main menu. The line at the bottom describes the highlighted mode.

Fire Pro Wrestling D (ファイヤープロレスリングＤ) is a wrestling game by Spike for the Sega Dreamcast, released in Japan in 2001. It was never released outside Japan. Like the rest of the Fire Pro series, it is a 2D wrestling simulation: matches are won by wearing an opponent down with the right moves at the right time, not by button mashing, and its 220 wrestlers are thinly disguised versions of real ones from Japan, America and Mexico.

What sets the game apart:

A huge roster and move list. 220 wrestlers in 18 promotions, about 1,000 moves, and a full Edit Mode that builds new wrestlers from the ground up: looks, 78 move slots, stats, and the CPU's fighting style.
Every way to wrestle. Singles, tag, six- and eight-man tags, tournaments, round-robin leagues, 5-on-5 elimination matches, battle royals, deathmatches with exploding cages and barbed wire, and a mixed-martial-arts cage (Modes).
Victory Road Kai. A one-player campaign: conquer every promotion to unify six titles, and unlock more of the game on the way (Victory Road Kai).
Downloadable moves. In 2001-2002 players downloaded new moves through the Dreamcast's modem. The "(All Unlocked)" patches have those moves built in (Downloadable Moves).

Which Patch

The English translation comes as patches for your own copy of the game. There are two versions of the English, and each comes plain or "All Unlocked":

Patch	What it is
(English) (Real Names)	The translation, with the names of the real wrestlers and promotions each character stands for (Riki Choshu, NEW JAPAN).
(English) (Parody Names)	The translation, with the game's own made-up names, romanized (Hurricane Rikimaru, VIEW JAPAN).
... (All Unlocked)	Either of the above, with everything that Victory Road unlocks open from the start, the 100 downloadable moves and Spike's 50 downloadable wrestlers built in, and a guard that stops the game from saving over a memory card file it didn't load from that card.
(Japan) (All Unlocked)	The original Japanese game with the same extras.

Use the Names switch in the sidebar to see the names of the version you play. Saves work with every patch and with the original game.

Memory Card Tips

Insert your memory card before switching on. The game loads every file on your cards at power-on ("Auto-loading..."). It never saves by itself: nothing is written until you choose Memory Card > Save.
Saving the system data needs 36 free blocks; each edit-wrestler file (Ext Data 1-4) needs 64.
"Quick Save" in the editors keeps your work in memory only. Save to the card before switching off (Memory Card).

Your First Match

Fire Pro plays differently from most wrestling games: there are no health bars and no button mashing. A match is won by wearing the opponent down and pressing the right button at the right moment. These steps get you through a first match.

Pick One Night Match on the main menu, then Normal Match. The settings screen comes next: leave everything as it is and press Start.
Choose your wrestler and the opponent. Left/Right on the header change the promotion, A picks a wrestler and A again confirms the costume. The opponent is controlled by the CPU at level 4 of 10.
Strike first. X, A and B are weak, medium and strong strikes. Weak strikes are fast and safe, and they slow the opponent down.
Grapple with one well-timed press. Walk into the opponent and the two lock up. Press X once, right as you hear the smack. Pressing early or repeatedly loses the grapple.
Work up from weak to strong. Early on, a strong grapple (B) gets reversed by itself. Use weak and medium moves until the opponent slows down and gasps, then use B moves, and save the finisher for last.
Pin. Pins are moves in the downed-opponent slots, so which button pins depends on the wrestler. Open his profile in Wrestlers and Moves and look under Downed opponent.
Kick out and escape. When you're pinned, hold A. In a hold, roll the D-pad. Hold L now and then to catch your breath.

The rest is in Controls and Strategy.

Controls

The game has no controls screen, and most of what matters happens with a few buttons pressed at the right moment. Fire Pro rewards timing over speed: mashing buttons loses grapples and makes escapes harder.

Buttons

Button	What it does
`D-pad`	Walk. With an attack button, picks the directional version of a move.
`X`	Weak strike; weak grapple. Lifts or rolls over a downed opponent.
`A`	Medium strike; medium grapple. Hold it to kick out of a pin.
`B`	Strong strike; strong grapple.
`X`+`A`	Special move: standing, in a grapple, from behind or off the top rope.
`Y`	Run. In a front grapple: Irish whip.
`L`	Hold to catch your breath. With a direction toward your partner: tag. Against a running opponent: dodge.
`R`	Front headlock in a grapple, and the special holds below. On its own it lets you walk around your opponent.
`Analog stick`	Taunts: four, one per direction.
`Start`	Pause. On the pause screen, `X`+`Y` hides the menu for a clean view of the ring.

Grappling

Walk into your opponent and the two lock up by themselves. Press once, right as they lock up (you hear a smack): the first well-timed press wins the grapple, and pressing early or repeatedly loses it. There is no reversal button. Strong moves against a fresh opponent get reversed automatically, so wear them down with weak and medium moves first, then go for the big ones. If both wrestlers press at the same moment, a test of strength starts: work the D-pad fast to win it.

In a front grapple	Do this
Weak, medium or strong move	`X`, `A` or `B`, alone or with Up, Left/Right or Down
Special move	`X`+`A`
Irish whip	`Y`. With your back to a corner, the opponent goes into the corner; with your back to the ropes, out of the ring.
Front headlock (walk them around)	`R`. With your back to the ropes, `R` throws them onto the apron. You can tag while holding the headlock.

Elsewhere	Do this
Behind the opponent	`X`, `A`, `B` (alone or with a direction) or `X`+`A`. `R` holds their arms for your partner; `R`+Up lifts them onto your shoulders.
Opponent behind you	`X` or `A` with the same timing as a grapple, to reverse it.
Opponent in the corner	`B` with Up, Left/Right or Down. `R` hangs them upside down in the corner (tree of woe).
Mount, or holds on the mat	`X`, `A` or `B`, pressed as the hold settles (when the legs wrap around).

Running and Flying

To	Do this
Run	`Y`, with a direction to choose the way
Running attack	`X` or `A` while running
Counter a running opponent	`X` or `A` as they arrive; `L` dodges
Spring off the corner	Run at a corner and hold `X` or `A`
Attack a downed opponent on the run	Run at them and hold `B`
Dive to the outside	Run at the ropes and hold `B`; `B` with a direction for the springboard dives
Climb a corner	`X` or `A` with a direction toward the post. On top: `X`, `A`, `B` or `X`+`A` to dive
Leave the ring	Against the ropes, `X` with a direction through them; `A` with a direction stops on the apron first

Pins, Holds and the Mat

To	Do this
Lift a downed opponent or roll them over	`X` at their head or feet
Drag them	`R` with a direction
Attack them on the mat	`A` or `B` at their head or legs (face up and face down have their own moves)
Pin	Pins are moves like any other, set in a move slot (usually a downed-opponent slot)
Kick out of a pin	Hold `A`
Escape a hold	Roll the D-pad. Mashing every button makes it harder, not easier.
Stay down	Hold `A` while down
Let go of your own hold	Press `A`
Rope break	Automatic when a wrestler in a hold or pin reaches the ropes, if the rope break rule is on
Catch your breath	Hold `L`

Weapons and Tag Matches

To	Do this
Take a weapon from under the ring	Outside, against the apron: `Y` with a direction toward the ring
Pick up a weapon from the floor	Down+`Y`, tapped (holding it starts a run)
Drop it	`Y`
Tag your partner	In your corner, `L` with a direction toward them (also while holding a front headlock)
Hold the opponent for your partner	From behind: `R`

Criticals

A CRITICAL! is a sudden knockout: one move leaves the opponent unable to continue. Which moves can do it depends on the attacker's critical type, and the match's critical setting decides how often it happens. There are no health bars: each wrestler wears down in stamina, breath and spirit, and neck, arms, back and legs each take damage of their own (Skill Edit). That is why working on one body part and saving the finisher for late in the match pays off.

Menus

Confirm with A, go back with B. On a settings screen, Left/Right change a value and Start goes on to wrestler select. On wrestler select, Left/Right on the header change the promotion, A picks a wrestler, then Left/Right choose a costume and A confirms.

Strategy

Winning a Match

Build up. A big move on a fresh opponent gets reversed. Go from X to A to B grapples, and use X+A and the finisher only when the opponent is clearly worn down: slow, gasping, slow to get up.
Watch your breath. Attacks and running use it, and a tired wrestler slumps his shoulders and gasps. Hold L after you put the opponent down, or step out of the ring for a moment, roughly every two minutes of match time.
Pick the right follow-up. After a medium grapple the opponent lies down, so a downed move off the top rope connects. After a strong grapple he gets up dazed: the moment for a standing move from the top rope, or for a back grapple.
Work one body part. Neck, arms, back and legs each have their own durability (Skill Edit). Submissions on a worn-down part are more likely to make the opponent give up.
Strikes slow the opponent. A steady stream of weak strikes slows his walking and his grapples, which helps against the higher CPU levels.
Mind the ropes. With the rope break rule on, a hold or pin near the ropes gets broken. Drag the opponent to the middle first: R with a direction.
Criticals. A CRITICAL! ends the match on the spot and can happen at any moment, even early, depending on the attacker's critical type and the match's critical setting. If your opponent suffers one and you'd rather keep wrestling, lift him with X before the referee notices.

Against the CPU

COM Level (1-10, default 4) sets how strong the CPU wrestlers are. Every wrestler fights to his own plan: his CPU logic decides what he does in each situation. The profile shows it under CPU Logic, so you can see what a wrestler is likely to try next.
Timing matters more as the level rises: the CPU wins sloppy lock-ups. Press once, on the smack.
Partners in tag matches run in to break up pins and holds when they think their partner is in danger (Cut Play ON).

Victory Road Kai

The match settings are fixed and the CPU gets stronger with every win, so start with a title you have a strong, well-rounded wrestler for.
Quick Save between matches keeps your run, so you can stop and pick it up later.
Every title won raises the progress level and opens more of the game (Victory Road Rewards).

Match Rules

Match Settings

Every match mode starts with this screen. Defaults in bold; all unless marked.

Setting	Choices	What it does
Blue Corner / Red Corner	1P / CP, and teams: CP/CP, 1P/1P, CP/CP/CP ... up to four. With more pads, 2P-4P.	Who controls each side and how many wrestlers: singles, tag, six-man or eight-man. The sides don't need the same size (one against four works).
Match Type	3 Count, 2 Count, Pin Only, Submission Only	How a fall is won: pin for three or two, pins only, or submissions only.
Time Limit	5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60 Min, No Limit	At the limit the match is a Time Up Draw.
Falls	1 Fall, 2 of 3 Falls	One fall, or the best two of three.
Ring	SWA, NEW JAPAN, ALL JAPAN, NOAH and 14 more, RANDOM	The ring's look (mat and apron logos).
Venue	Nippon Butokan, SPIKE DOME, Yurakuen Hall, Murakawa Gym, USA, RANDOM	The arena. Bayside Coliseum and Kawashima Park come only with Gruesome Fighting and the Exploding Cage.
COM Level	1-10 (4)	How strong the CPU wrestlers are.
Game Speed	100% up to 800%	How fast the match runs. High speeds are handy for CPU-only matches.
COM Skip	OFF, ON (tournaments and leagues)	Decides CPU-against-CPU matches without showing them.
Referee	Eight referees (Hattori first) and edit referees	Each has his own count speeds (Referees).
Rope Break	ON, OFF	ON: a hold or pin is broken when a wrestler reaches the ropes.
Lumberjack	ON, OFF	Wrestlers around the ring throw anyone who falls out back in.
Tornado Battle	ON, OFF (tag matches)	Everyone fights at once, no tags.
Cut Play	ON, OFF (tag matches)	Partners may run in to break up pins and holds.
Foul Count	ON, OFF	The referee counts illegal moves and disqualifies.
Ring-Out	ON, OFF	ON: a wrestler who stays outside past the count loses by ring out.
Match Music	12 songs (Inoki Dynamic, SpinningPancer, AnotherTornado ... BlueThunder) and RANDOM	The music during the match.
Critical %	None, Low, Normal, High	How often criticals (one-blow knockouts) happen.

Match Types

The first menu of One Night Match (and of tournaments, leagues and belts) picks the match type.

Type	Japanese	What changes
Normal Match	ノーマルマッチ	Nothing fixed: every rule can be set.
Exploding Cage DM	金網爆破デスマッチ	A cage deathmatch at Kawashima Park in the Deathmatch Ring. Adds Blast Timer (1-60 Min, 15 Min, No Blast): when the cage explodes. No rope breaks, fouls or ring-outs.
Barbed Wire DM	有刺鉄線デスマッチ	At Yurakuen Hall. Adds Corner Option: Barbed Wire or Light Tubes (fluorescent tubes) on the ropes and corners.
Gruesome Fighting	グルーサムファイティング	Mixed martial arts: Submission Only, in the Octagon at Bayside Coliseum; every rule fixed.
SWA Rules Match	ＳＷＡ公式ルールマッチ	The game's "official rules": no foul count.

Results

Every result below was seen in game. The result screen names the finishing move or hold and the match time (in "3m 23s" form).

Result	How it happens
Pinfall (shown as the move's name)	A pin for three (or two) counts.
Submission (shown as the hold's name)	The opponent gives up.
KO Win	The opponent can't get up: a critical blow or a stoppage.
Ring Out Win	The opponent stayed outside past the referee's count (Ring-Out ON).
DQ Win	The opponent was disqualified for fouls (Foul Count ON).
Time Up Draw	The time limit ran out.
Ring Out Draw / Dbl Ring Out	Both wrestlers counted out.
KO Draw / Dbl KO	Both knocked out at once.

Referees

Each referee has his own settings, edited in Edit Mode > Edit Referee > Skill Edit:

Setting	Choices	What it does
Pin Count, Foul Count, Ring-Out	Slow ... Fast (5 steps)	The speed of each count.
Speed	Slow ... Fast	How fast he moves around the ring.
Run-In Check	Long ... Short	How long he puts up with run-ins.
Down Time	Long ... Short	How long he stays down when wrestlers crash into him.
Voice	Jpn 1-4, Fgn 1-3, Fem 1-3	His calls.

Modes

Mode	Japanese	What it is
One Night Match	ワンナイトマッチ	A single match against players or the CPU.
One Night Tournament	ワンナイトトーナメント	A knockout tournament for up to 16 entries.
Open League	オープンリーグ	A round robin for up to 64 entries.
Elimination Match	イリミネーションマッチ	Five-on-five team battles.
Battle Royal	バトルロイヤル	An all-out brawl for up to eight.
Victory Road Kai	ヴィクトリーロード改	The one-player campaign to unify the titles.
Edit Mode	エディットモード	Create wrestlers, referees, promotions; rename, transfer, recostume.
Network Mode	ネットワークモード	The DreamPassport browser and wrestler uploads.
Title Match	タイトルマッチ	Create belts and defend them.
Options	オプション	Sound, volume, entrances, screen position.
Memory Card	メモリーカード	Load and save.

Every sub-menu ends with Mode Select, which goes back to the main menu.

Wrestler select: the promotion at the top, its wrestlers at the left, the profile at the right.

One Night Match

Pick a match type, then the settings, then - Next - to choose each wrestler. After the match you return to the settings for a rematch. Before the settings, a records menu (Select Record, View Record, New Record, Delete Record, To Config) keeps win/loss records: matches played, points, win percentage, streaks and times.

One Night Tournament

Start Over sets up a new tournament: the match type, a name (for example "One Night Tournament"), the settings, then the entries (at least 3, up to 16). Continue resumes a saved one. Tournaments have no time limit and no ring-outs: a knockout match needs a winner. In the bracket, choose Match, Auto Adv (let the CPU play on) or Quick Save.

The league table with the next pairing — The league table. `A` on a pairing starts that match.

Open League

A round robin. Set up like a tournament, plus Point Type: 5 Points or 2 Points (how wins and draws are scored). On the entry screen, the box under the list chooses who controls the next entry (CP, 1P-4P) and End Entry finishes; at least 4 entries, up to 64. On the league table, move to a pairing and press A to play it; Start opens Match, Rankings, Auto Adv, Quick Save and Exit. Standings show Rank, Name, Pts and Diff.

Elimination team select: five wrestlers from 1st to Capt — A five-man team: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and the captain.

Elimination Match

Five-on-five. Choose Match and a format: Knockout (the winner stays in), Round Robin or Round Robin (Tug-of-War); then the settings, each side's team (28 preset teams, 41 once unlocked, plus edit teams) and the order. To Team Edit builds your own teams (Edit Army).

Battle Royal

Up to eight wrestlers (at least 3). Four kinds: Normal, Endless (new wrestlers keep coming in), Over the Rope (thrown over the top rope = out) and Staggered (wrestlers enter one at a time).

Victory Road progress: To conquer 29 left — The progress screen between matches: Next, Quick Save or Exit.

Victory Road Kai

The one-player campaign. Choose one of six titles to unify: SWA Unified Heavyweight Singles, Heavyweight Tag, Jr Heavy Singles, Jr Heavy Tag, 6-Man Tag or 8-Man Tag. Choose your wrestler, then a promotion to challenge. You face that promotion's wrestlers one after another; the progress screen counts down To conquer: N left, then Title in: N wins and Promotions left: N. The match settings are fixed (only Game Speed can change) and the CPU gets stronger as you go. Quick Save keeps your run for later.

Winning titles unlocks parts of the game for every mode: see Victory Road Rewards.

Belt Edit: plate, sub and belt colours — Belt Edit: pick a design and the colours for the plate, the side plates and the strap.

Title Match

First make a belt with Belt Edit: a name, the design and colours, then its Type (Singles, Tag, 6-Man Tag, 8-Man Tag), Class (Heavyweight, Jr Heavy, Open) and Match Type; then save it. Title Match puts the belt on the line (no time limit, no ring-outs): the winner of a vacant belt is its First Champion ("NEW CHAMPION"), a successful defense shows "TITLE DEFENDED". Past Champions lists the lineage with defenses, and Vacate Title takes the belt away from the champion.

Options

Option	Choices	What it does
Sound	Stereo, Mono	Sound output.
Volume	Match Music and Theme Music: OFF, Low, Mid, High	The volume of the match music and the entrance themes.
Entrances	OFF, ON	Entrance scenes before matches.
Save Check	OFF, ON	Asks "Data changed. Save it?" when you leave a mode with unsaved changes.
Display	D-pad; `Y` resets	The picture's position on screen.
Credits		The staff roll. Appears once unlocked (Victory Road Rewards).

Memory Card

Load and Save work on files: System Data (options, records, belts, leagues, the unlock level, 16 edit wrestlers), Renames, Recostumes, Promotion 1-5 (edit promotions) and Ext Data 1-4 (50 edit wrestlers each). Each shows a status: Empty (nothing), New (made this session), Edited (changed since it was loaded or saved), Saved (the same as on the card).

Auto-Load All Data (Load) loads every file it finds; the game does this by itself at power-on.
Save one file: pick it, then a card. If the card already has that file, the game asks Overwrite? (default No).
Overwrite All on Save writes every Edited file back to the card it came from. New files aren't touched: save those one by one.
In the (All Unlocked) patches the game won't save over a file on a card unless that file was loaded from that card: "Can't overwrite: load it first." This protects a card inserted after switching on.

Network Mode

HomePage starts the DreamPassport 3 web browser, translated in this patch (menus, settings, keyboard). The game's online services and Spike's servers are long gone, so only the offline screens can be seen. Create Upload File made a web page to upload your edit wrestlers.

Edit Wrestler

Edit Wrestler. A new wrestler starts as "Spike Shiro".

Edit Mode > Edit Wrestler builds a wrestler from scratch or from a model. The menu: Base Model, Name Entry, Appearance, Skill Edit, Param Edit, Move Edit, CPU Logic, Save/Load. Everything you change is kept in memory until you save it (Save/Load, then Memory Card).

Base Model, Name, Looks

Base Model copies a built-in wrestler as the starting point. Edit wrestlers aren't offered here; to build on one, use Save/Load > Quick Load, change him, and Quick Save him to another slot.
Name Entry: the nickname, the short name (shown in lists) and the long name, and how the full name is put together.
Appearance: stance (Strong, Tech, Amat, Power, Lucha, Shooter, Mystery, Koppo, Kobudo, Boxing, MMA), size (Men S/M/L, Women), face, and parts for the chest, belly, arms, wrists, thighs, shins and ankles, with colours for skin, eyes, hair, mask, costume, tights, kneepads and laces.
An edit wrestler has one look: all four costume choices on wrestler select show the same outfit.

Skill Edit

Left/Right change a value. Some choices cost edit points, shared with Param Edit; the limit is 150, rising to 200, 250 and 300 as you win Victory Road titles (300 in the All Unlocked patches).

Item	Choices	Points
Promotion, Class, Height (150-220 cm), Weight (40-250 kg), Year, Month, Day, Origin (32 countries)	Class: Heavyweight, Jr Heavy, Free	0
Style	Orthodox, Technician, Wrestling, Ground, Power, American, Junior, Luchador, Heel, Mystery, Shooter, Fighter, Grappler, Tiger, Giant, Devilish	0
Reversal	The styles above (without Wrestling and Ground), plus All-Round	0
Critical	Finisher, Suplex, Power, Technical, Striking, Submission (see what they really do)	0, 20, 20, 25, 30, 30
Skill	None; Star Power, Quick Return, Comeback, Fast Start, Guts, Fightback, One-Hit KO, Bleeding, Hardcore, Focus, Flexibility, Hard Body; Superstar, Rampage, Last Gasp, Fury, Insight; Toukon, Monster, Desperation, Ishin	0; 15 each; 25 each; 35 each
Recovery, Breathing, Spirit	three levels each	0, 6, 12
... (Bleeding) versions	the same, while bleeding	0, 3, 6
Neck / Arm / Back / Leg Dur	Low, Normal, High	0, 2, 5
Speed	Slow ... Fast (5)	0, 2, 6, 12, 20
Climb Speed	Slow ... Fast (5)	0-4
Climb/Run Up	No Climb, Climbs, Run Up	0, 2, 4
Theme	1-28: the entrance music	0
Voice 1/2 Tone, Type	Japanese, Foreign, Female voices; a voice number	0

Skills

Each wrestler has one skill. The twelve 15-point skills each do one thing; the 25- and 35-point skills are those same effects combined. "Stamina" and "spirit" below are the wrestler's own, unless it says the opponent's.

Skill	Points	What it does
Star Power	15	Below 4% stamina, after a taunt: his moves do 20% more damage.
Quick Return	15	Gets up much faster when his stamina is low but his spirit is still high (about 5-20% stamina with 60% spirit or more).
Comeback	15	Below 10% stamina with more than 30% spirit: twice the chance to land a critical.
Fast Start	15	Above 70% stamina: +1 to the attack ratings behind every move he does.
Guts	15	When a submission hold drains his spirit to zero, he gives up only one time in five instead of every time.
Fightback	15	Below 2% stamina: +2 to the attack ratings behind every move.
One-Hit KO	15	His finisher does 2.5 times its damage, the first two times he hits it in a match.
Bleeding	15	While he is bleeding, his moves do about 10% more damage.
Hardcore	15	With a weapon: +3 to his attack ratings. Hit with one: +3 to his defence ratings.
Focus	15	Half as likely to suffer a critical from a Striking, Submission or Technical opponent (the engine's types: see below).
Flexibility	15	A quarter as likely to suffer a critical from a Finisher, Suplex or Power opponent.
Hard Body	15	Small moves don't leave him open to a pin: only a big hit does.
Superstar	25	Star Power and One-Hit KO.
Rampage	25	Quick Return and Fast Start.
Last Gasp	25	Quick Return and Comeback.
Fury	25	Quick Return and Fightback.
Insight	25	Comeback and Focus.
Toukon	35	Star Power, Comeback and Fightback. Antonio Inoki's "fighting spirit".
Monster	35	Star Power, One-Hit KO and Flexibility. Jumbo Tsuruta's nickname.
Desperation	35	Comeback, Guts and Fightback. Kinnikuman's last-ditch strength.
Ishin	35	Guts, Focus and Hard Body. Riki Choshu's Ishin army spirit.

Critical Types: What They Really Do

A wrestler's critical type decides which moves can knock an opponent out with a critical. The game's Skill Edit lists the six types in a different order from the one the game uses in a match, so the name it shows is not what the type does. The name below is what each choice really does; the built-in wrestlers are set up by what it does (Misawa and the kickboxers show "Suplex", the Gracies show "Technical").

Skill Edit shows	In a match, criticals come from	For example
Finisher	The finisher only	Most of the roster
Suplex	Striking moves	Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Peter Aerts
Power	Suplexes	Jumbo Tsuruta, Gary Albright, Rick Steiner
Technical	Submissions	Antonio Inoki, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Rickson Gracie
Striking	Power moves	Vader, Andre the Giant, Kevin Nash
Submission	Technical moves (ranas, roll-ups, cradles)	Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Kido, Gran Hamada

A wrestler set to Finisher can score a critical only with his finisher; every other type only with moves of its kind. A move's own critical type is on its card in Wrestlers and Moves.

Param Edit

Eleven attack and eleven defence ratings, 1-10, one point per step: Punch, Kick, Throw, Lock, Choke, Power, Agility, Strength, Atk Tech, Rough, MMA Atk; Strike Def, Kick Def, Throw Def, Lock Def, Choke Def, Aerial Def, Slam Def, vs Lariat, Def Tech, vs Rough, MMA Def. Hold A and press Right or Left to change a rating; Left/Right alone switch columns.

Move Edit

78 move slots, one per situation and button. Each situation below links to how it is done in a match; every wrestler's profile lists his moves in the same groups. A on a slot opens the move list (Right jumps five moves); the box at the top shows the move's main and sub attack type, the wrestler's rating in each, and Aff, how well the move suits him (a grade). Downloaded moves, in the All Unlocked patches, are at the end of the lists in red.

Situation	Slots
Stand	`X`, `A`, `B`+direction, `B`, `X`+`A`
Run / Counter (opponent running at you)	`X`, `A` each
Diag Run, Run Dive (to the outside), Apron→Out, Apron→In	one each
Post (off the top rope)	`X`, `A`, `B`, `X`+`A`
Grapple	`X`, `A`, `B`, each alone or with Up, Left/Right or Down, plus `X`+`A` (13)
Back (behind the opponent)	`X`, `A`, `B`, `B`+Up, `B`+Side, `X`+`A`; Back Rev (the opponent behind you): `X`, `A`
Downed opponent: Up Head, Up Legs, Down Head, Down Legs	`A` and `B` each; a running `B`
Corner	`B` with Up, Side or Down
Front, Back, Corner Duo/Trio	double- and triple-team moves
Mount Atk, Headlock (front facelock), Back Mt	`X`, `A`, `B` and a reversal each
Dive (run up the corner and leap)	`X`, `A`
Apron (In), Apron (Out), Top Rev F/B (reversals of top-rope moves)	one each
Taunt	four, one per analog-stick direction

CPU Logic

How the wrestler fights when the CPU controls him. For each of 20 situations (Apart, Locked Up, Behind Foe, Irish Whip, Foe in Corner, the downed positions, Mounted, Front Headlock, Taunt ...) and each condition (how damaged the opponent is), a share of 100% for each action. Traits: Fixation, Caution, Flexibility, Co-op. Other: Ring Return (early or slow), Tagging, and whether to take weapons.

Quick Load: the groups and the slot list — Quick Load: pick a group, then a slot.

Save/Load

Quick Save stores the wrestler in a slot: System Data (16 slots) or Ext Data 1-4 (50 each). This is in memory: save the group to the memory card afterwards.
Quick Load loads a stored wrestler into the editor, the way to change one or to base a new one on him.
Quick Del clears a slot, and the wrestler's records in Victory Road, Title Match, leagues, tournaments and edit teams.

Other Editors

Editor	Where	What it does
Edit Promo	Edit Mode	Up to five promotions of your own: a name, a logo drawn in a pixel editor, and members (at least one per weight class). Saved as the Promotion 1-5 files.
Edit Referee	Edit Mode	Name, appearance and the referee settings.
Rename	Edit Mode	Rename built-in wrestlers and promotions (short and long names). Saved as Renames.
Transfer	Edit Mode	Move a wrestler to another promotion.
Costume	Edit Mode	Recolour a built-in wrestler's four costumes. Saved as Recostumes.
Edit Army	Elimination Match > To Team Edit	Five-man teams for Elimination Match: a name and the 1st to Capt.
Belt Edit	Title Match	Belts: see Title Match.
Create Upload File	Network Mode	Picks edit wrestlers for upload (the service is gone).

Name Entry

The name keyboard has pages for Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, ABC (English letters), Sym (symbols) and Conv (kana to kanji conversion). Use the ABC page for English names. Start finishes a name.

Wrestlers and Moves

Every wrestler and move, from the game's own data. Moves are sorted by kind: weak, medium and strong grapples, strikes, dives and so on. Click a wrestler for his full profile: ratings, every move he uses and how the CPU fights with him. Each profile has its own link to share, and can be compared with a second wrestler.

The 50 wrestlers in red are the ones Spike released for download, built into the (All Unlocked) patches as edit group 4 (Ext Data 4) and filed under their promotions. Your own edit wrestlers in groups 1-3 load beside them; your own Ext Data 4 file replaces them. To build on one, use Edit Wrestler > Save/Load > Quick Load > Ext Data 4. Type "downloadable" in the filter to list only them.

Name	Promotion	Class	Style	Critical	Finisher

Built into the (All Unlocked) patches. W00-W56 are the official downloads Spike offered in 2001-2002; W57-W99 were backported by the Fire Pro community from Fire Pro Wrestling Z, some fixed so they can end a match. They sit at the end of Move Edit's lists, in red, and in the Moves tab under their kind, also in red.

No	Move	Kind	From

Secrets

L+R+Y: Unlock Everything

At the main menu, press L, R and Y together, all three at the same moment. A sound plays and the game saves: everything Victory Road unlocks is now open (below).

Victory Road Rewards

Victory Road Kai keeps a progress level: 1 after any title, 2 after three, 3 after all six.

Credits appears in Options (level 1).
The edit point limit rises from 150 to 200, 250 and 300.
13 more teams in Elimination Match: 41 instead of 28.
An extra option in the edit colour screen (level 3).

The (All Unlocked) patches have all of this from the first switch-on, without the code.

Debug Menus

The game still holds six menus its developers used: a scene select (with the staff roll, a palette editor and the team viewer), a test menu (flag test, effect viewer, a lighting test), an editor select, a memory card and ring viewer menu, a model viewer and a sound test. Nothing in the game opens them, and the release patches leave them closed.

Music

No song is hidden: all 46 tracks on the disc are used. Tracks 4-31 are the 28 entrance themes, 32-43 the 12 match songs, then the result and ceremony music, the intro and the staff roll. The match songs can't be chosen as entrance themes.

Japanese Glossary

Terms you'll see in the original Japanese game. The translation shows the English.

Japanese	Meaning	On screen in the translation
ワンナイトマッチwan naito macchi	one-night match	One Night Match
ヴィクトリーロード改vikutorī rōdo kai	Victory Road, revised	Victory Road Kai
エディットモードeditto mōdo	edit mode	Edit Mode
試合形式shiai keishiki	match format	Match Type
試合時間shiai jikan	match time	Time Limit
一本勝負 / 三本勝負ippon shōbu / sanbon shōbu	one-fall / three-fall bout	1 Fall / 2 of 3 Falls
必殺技hissatsu waza	killer move	Finisher
技装備エディットwaza sōbi editto	move equipment edit	Move Edit
保存画面hozon gamen	save screen	Save/Load
先鋒・次鋒・中堅・副将・大将senpō, jihō, chūken, fukushō, taishō	the five places in a team match	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Capt
団体dantai	promotion	Promotion
制覇seiha	conquest	CONQUEST
タイトル奪取 / タイトル防衛taitoru dasshu / taitoru bōei	title taken / title defended	NEW CHAMPION / TITLE DEFENDED
上書きしますか？uwagaki shimasu ka	overwrite?	Overwrite?

Q&A

Is there an English version?

Not from Spike: the game was only released in Japan. This guide was written alongside an English fan translation, released as patches for your own copy of the game.

Real names or parody names?

Your choice: the two English patches differ only in names (Which Patch). The Names switch in the sidebar changes this guide to match.

Will the patches touch my saves?

No. The game only writes a memory card when you save. Saves work across every patch and the original game. Insert the card before switching on (Memory Card Tips).

Where are the downloadable moves?

In the (All Unlocked) patches, at the end of Move Edit's lists in red (Downloadable Moves). With the other patches, they load from a memory card holding the move files, as on the original.

Why do I keep losing grapples?

Pressing too early or more than once. Walk in, wait for the smack as the two lock up, and press once (Grappling).

Why do my big moves get reversed?

The opponent is still too fresh. Strong moves only work once he's worn down: use weak and medium moves first (Winning a Match).

How do I win by critical?

There is no button for it. Each wrestler has a critical type, and moves of that kind can end the match on the spot, more often with the Critical % rule set high. The names Skill Edit shows for the types are mixed up: see Critical Types.

Can I play online?

No. The game never had online matches: Network Mode was for the web browser and for downloading moves and uploading wrestlers, and those services are long closed (Network Mode). Up to four players can play on one console.

Does the translation work on an emulator?

Yes: the patches make a disc image that runs on a Dreamcast emulator or, burned or loaded from an optical drive emulator, on a Dreamcast.

Do the downloadable moves need a memory card?

Not in the (All Unlocked) patches: the moves and the downloadable wrestlers are built in. With the other patches, the game loads them from a memory card holding the files, as the original did.

How do I make a wrestler fight like someone in the roster?

Start from him with Base Model in Edit Wrestler: you get his moves, ratings and CPU logic, then change what you like (Base Model, Name, Looks). His profile in Wrestlers and Moves shows everything you'll be starting from.

How do I base a new wrestler on an edit wrestler?

Edit Wrestler > Save/Load > Quick Load, pick him, change him, then Quick Save to another slot (Save/Load).

Credits and Legal

This guide is a non-commercial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Spike or Sega. Fire Pro Wrestling D and its names, characters and trademarks belong to their owners.

The text is written in our own words from play, the game's code and data, and the sources below. It contains no scans or images from any printed guidebook. The screenshots are from the English fan translation.

The controls section draws on Frank James Chan's and Bill Wood's English guides to Fire Pro Wrestling D on GameFAQs. Thanks to the Fire Pro community for preserving the downloadable moves and wrestlers in the All Unlocked patches, and for backporting moves W57-W99 from Fire Pro Wrestling Z.

AI assisted with this guide.

The guide text is shared under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0; see LICENSE). You're free to share and adapt it, as long as you credit this guide and share alike.

Contributing

Corrections welcome: open an issue at github.com/kactusken/Fire-Pro-Wrestling-D-English, or with anything you would like added.