If you’re looking for a lot of customization in your wrestling title, you should check this game out.
This year, Konami and Slang were making a lot of buzz about their luchador title, Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring, to the point of bringing a wrestling ring into the Los Angeles Convention Center, along with some luchadors to fight in it. I was able to take a look at a more private demonstration, to see what the buzz was about.
One of the major features of the game is the customization, which they spent a lot of time showing off. First off, you choose a side, Tecnicos or Rudos, which are the major two factions in lucha libre; as I understand it, the Rudos are generally the folks who play dirty as they try to take the spotlight, while the Tecnicos try to keep it in the ring. After doing this, you build your wrestler’s body, then really get involved in the creation of your luchador’s mask. There are 27 different mask designs, which can be combined with one of 41 types of eyes, and everything can be colored with several layers of color, allowing for a large amount of individuality. You can also customize your luchador’s moveset; you select their grapples, their attacks, their taunts, and even what entrance they use when they head into the ring, which are taken from real luchadors.
The gameplay is reminiscent of WWE wrestling on the combat level (folding chairs, anyone?) but a major player shows itself in the form of the popularity system. As you fight your opponent, your popularity with the crowd can increase or decrease; you want it to be as high as possible, as there are certain powerful moves that can only be used once you reach a certain level of popular. Once it’s at its maximum, you can unleash your special attack; in the demo I saw, the special attack was a simple foot to the crotch.
In the game, you can play online matches where you wager either your hair or your mask; if you lose, whatever you wagered goes, by force. In real lucha libre, anyone who loses their mask can’t fight again for three more years; in-game, you need to win a lot of matches in order to get them back. The online mode is supposedly robust as well, allowing for up to four players at once, along with plenty of stats tracking. Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring is slated for an August 9 release on Wii and other platforms, and it looks like it’s shaping up to be a rather rough-and-tumble endeavor that’s deep in some areas, but quick and dirty in others.
Stay tuned to NintendoGal.com for more impressions as the week wraps up.
It's NOT Wrestling, It's LUCHA LIBRE!!