How to play Title Match Pro Wrestling online
- Walk around the ring: arrow keys
- Moves (“button mode”): let go of the arrows, press Z, then push a direction. Each new move needs a fresh press.
- Punch / kick: Z then up / Z then down
- Grab a head lock: stand next to your opponent, Z then left or right towards him
- Muscle mode: tap left and right very fast to escape holds, get up or keep a pin
- Choose the match type: F2 (Select), then pick wrestlers with the arrows and Z
- Restart the match: F3 (Reset)
Gameplay
Select offers four match types: singles or tag team, each for two players or against the computer. Then you pick from four wrestlers: Mad Dog, Skin Head, Mr. Mean and Big Chief. Power bars on the scoreboard show each wrestler’s strength. The aim is to wear your opponent down while keeping your own strength up, then pin him for a three count. Each pin is a fall, and the first to two falls wins.
Almost every move starts from a head lock. While holding one you can drag your opponent around, slam him to the canvas (down), lift him overhead (up) or spin him in an airplane spin and send him flying into the ropes. If you stand in his path as he bounces back, a press of the button knocks him down with a clothesline. From an overhead lift you can body slam him, back drop him for a pin, or carry him to a top corner and throw him out of the ring. When he is down, you can drop an elbow and go for the pin, or climb the ropes at the top or bottom of the ring and dive onto him.
Escaping is a test of strength. When you are held, knocked down or pinned, fast left-right tapping adds to your strength, and you get free if your total beats your opponent’s. In tag matches you swap wrestlers in your corner at the bottom of the ring, but only when your partner has recovered his full strength. A partner who is ready follows you when you walk near the corner.
Tips
- Soften him up first. Punches and kicks cost little. Power lifts and long airplane spins drain your own strength and let your opponent recover.
- Pin when he doesn’t expect it. A surprise pin gives you a head start in the tapping contest.
- Use a tired partner against them. In a tag match, if the other team’s partner is weak, throw your opponent out of the ring to force the weak one in.
- Guard his corner. If his wrestler is weak, stand between him and his corner so he can’t tag out.
The story behind Title Match Pro Wrestling
Title Match Pro Wrestling came from Absolute Entertainment, the company that Garry Kitchen founded in 1986 after leaving Activision, together with his brother Dan Kitchen, Alex DeMeo and John Van Ryzin. DeMeo designed the game and programmed the Atari 2600 version. Mark Nichols adapted it for the 7800, and the cartridge came out in 1989. Absolute’s games were distributed through a deal with Activision, which by then was called Mediagenic, and the 7800 manual says “Distributed by Mediagenic”.
