With the explosion of popularity that Professional Wrestling had during the 1980s, it is no surprise that video game developers created pro wrestling games. After the release of two mediocre Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video games involving professional wrestling, one of the best games simply titled
Pro Wrestling (プロレス) was released in Japan on October 13, 1986, later debuting in North America and Europe in 1987.
Pro Wrestling was part of a Sports Series released by Nintendo which was denoted with a special logo on the bottom left of the box art. The games in the series included: Baseball, Tennis, Golf, 10-Yard Fight (American Football), Soccer, Pro Wrestling, Volleyball, Rad Racer, Slalom, Ice Hockey, and World Class Track Meet.
According to
Paste Magazine,
Pro Wrestling ranks as number 67 out of 100 of the best NES Games, being the 5th best sports game after legendary games
Punch-Out!! (#9),
Tecmo Super Bowl (#24),
Baseball Stars (#38), and
Super Dodge Ball (#55).
The concept of Pro Wrestling was simple, and although known as a difficult game for children in the 1980s, many adults can achieve a Double Title Championship Match much easier, albeit after some practice and a lot of time as to win the game, a player must win 16 matches in a row. The game featured what became iconic characters like STAR MAN and THE AMAZON, whose legacies live on today, as seen in some of tribute artwork below. According to the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), Pro Wrestling is the 22nd best-selling NES game, meaning that it is very likely that you or someone you know, owned a copy of Pro Wrestling!!
