Description

"Zen Nihon Pro Wres Featuring Virtua," released for the Sega Saturn in 1997, is a unique wrestling game that combines the roster and style of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) with the graphical capabilities of Sega's renowned Virtua Fighter engine. This fusion creates a distinctive gameplay experience, showcasing both the realism of pro wrestling and the smooth, three-dimensional character models that were a trademark of Virtua Fighter's success during the era. Players can select from a roster of real-life wrestlers from the AJPW lineup, each rendered with a high level of detail and possessing their own signature moves and styles reflective of their real-world counterparts.

The game captures the essence of 1990s Japanese pro wrestling, providing an array of match types and a robust grappling system that emphasizes timing and strategy over button mashing. This system allows players to engage in bouts that mirror the drama and intensity of actual wrestling matches, with the added flair of arcade-style action thanks to Sega's Virtua engine. "Zen Nihon Pro Wres Featuring Virtua" earned recognition for its innovative blend of sports simulation and arcade gameplay, and it holds a special place in the annals of wrestling video games for its early attempt at integrating 3D character models in a wrestling context, setting the stage for future advancements in wrestling game design.