When most people think about pro wrestling, the first thing that comes to mind is usually WWE. They are the most popular and well-known wrestling company, so that makes sense. The same goes for wrestling video games as the most famous ones are typically those that come from WWE.
Of course, they are far from the only promotion to have ever made a video game. In fact, their current rival AEW is in the process of releasing a brand new game in the coming months. Looking back throughout history, it's fun to find out which non-WWE games are wrestling's best.
RetroMania Wrestling
It's difficult not to fall in love with the look and concept of RetroMania Wrestling. Although it was released in early 2021, the entire premise is that it has an old school feel to it. The whole thing looks and plays a lot like the old WWF WrestleFest arcade game from 1991.
While it's not licensed by any specific company, there are some notable names on the roster. Tommy Dreamer, the Blue World Order, Jeff Cobb, and NWA standout Nick Aldis are all included. There aren't a lot of modes to play but the gameplay is enjoyable enough and there are talented people to use.
Pro Wrestling
Obviously, from a purely visual standpoint, Pro Wrestling can't live up to what games have done in later years. That doesn't mean that this 1987 release for the Nintendo Entertainment System wasn't groundbreaking for its time. There was something about it that just worked.
The gameplay mechanics were simple and to the point, which made it perfect to just pick up and play. There's even a fun story mode of sorts where you control a wrestler as he climbs the ranks to win the Video Wrestling Championship.
Saturday Night Slam Masters
Sometimes you can just look at something and instantly know which game developer is behind it. That's the case for 1993's Saturday Night Slam Masters as the wrestling game bears a striking resemblance to the Street Fighter franchise since it was made by Capcom.
In fact, Saturday Night Slam Masters also mostly plays like Street Fighter but with a wrestling twist. That allows it to play well and also feel like one of the more unique wrestling games to ever hit the market while also looking really cool for its time.
Wrestle Kingdom
These days, fans know Yuke's as the developer behind WWE games, handling them from 2000 all the way up until WWE 2K19. Their departure helped cause WWE 2K20 to be critically panned. During that time, they also released a Japanese wrestling game in 2005.
Wrestle Kingdom featured stars from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, All Japan, and more. The gameplay was solid but this was also a notable game for being one of the earliest to have a mode where you create a wrestler, train, and move your way up the ranks. Plus, you can compete in the G1 Climax in this game.
Virtual Pro Wrestling
There are many fans out there who feel that AKI Corporation is the pinnacle of wrestling video game developers. They're behind some of the best ever released, including No Mercy, which many still hold up as the greatest WWE game ever made. Gamers still mod it to this day.
Before getting the WWE license, AKI worked with WCW. As a counterpart to their successful WCW vs. nWo World Tour release, this Japanese game still included many WCW wrestlers like Sting and Ric Flair. However, you also get Japanese icons like Masahiro Chono and Mitsuharu Misawa, as well as Vader and Ken Shamrock.
King Of Colosseum II
Initially, King of Colosseum was only released in Japan but it was so well-received that people in the United States paid the import prices to bring it over. That was the case with King of Colosseum II, the 2004 sequel that featured some of the top stars in Japanese wrestling history.
The gameplay is solid but the real treat comes from the expansive roster. You get D'Lo Brown, Samoa Joe, 3 Minute Warning, Scott Norton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jushin Thunder Liger, KENTA, Steve Corino, and almost too many others to count.
Total Extreme Wrestling
One of the biggest selling points of most sports games has been the idea of owner/franchise modes. They put you in control of your team or in the case of NBA 2K, MyLeague lets you handle everything about your entire league. That concept comes to wrestling with TEW.
Known as Total Extreme Wrestling, this game is a complete simulation. You don't ever actually step into the ring but you get to run your own promotion. You sign the talents, book the matches, and deal with all of the behind-the-scenes drama that comes with major egos.
WCW/nWo Revenge
The aforementioned WCW/nWo World Tour was certainly a popular video game released by WCW but it was improved upon soon after. WCW/nWo Revenge arrived in 1998 right at the height of the company's popularity. It took what worked in the previous game and built upon it.
AKI delivered again in terms of gameplay, while this also bolstered the roster thanks to additions like Goldberg, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, and so many others. The ability to change the attires of wrestlers and little additions like the nWo painted World Title were also great.
The Def Jam Series
It should come as no surprise that AKI is behind yet another tremendous wrestling game. Soon after losing the license for WWE games and EA Sports (this was released under the EA Sports Big label) could no longer release WCW games after they closed, they put out a wrestling game that starred icons of rap music
2003's Def Jam Vendetta started things and was met with widespread acclaim. The underground feel, voice acting of rappers, and gameplay mechanics were beloved. 2004's Def Jam: Fight for NY was also a worthy successor. It's hard to not enjoy fighting as Redman, Method Man, Ludacris, and other music stars.
Fire Pro Wrestling World
There have been several incarnations of Fire Pro Wrestling over the years but it's clear that 2017's Fire Pro Wrestling World is at the top of the list. The game keeps the realistic AI system that made it so popular over the years, with matches playing out as they would on television.
The tipping point of this game is the roster. The franchise partnered up with New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom, leading to top talents like Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Mayu Iwatani, and Hana Kimura, among others being in the game. Plus, there are incredible created wrestlers from other companies and the past to give you any roster you want.