IGN writes: "We've been seeing luchador characters in games for years now, regardless of how misrepresentative of the actual form of entertainment they may have been. But now gamers are going to get their first chance to dive into an authentic Lucha Libre ring with Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring from Slang, a Mexico City-based developer with Konami acting as the publisher. The game is scheduled to launch on August 9, 2010 (8/9/10) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS and PSP. Folks from Slang dropped by the IGN office with an actual Lucha Libre wrestler named El Elegido in tow as well as a preview build of the game. Not only did I get to play Lucha Libre AAA for the first time, but El Elegido also gave me one of his very own luchador masks so I'd remember the experience."
WorthPlaying: "From the 8-bit era onward, there has been some luchadores sprinkled in wrestling video games. Starman from Nintendo's Pro Wrestling is probably the most famous of the bunch, but there have been a few featured in non-licensed wrestling and WCW titles. With the advent of the Create-A-Wrestler feature, players could create their own luchadores to go against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Sting. When the organization folded in 2001, the only luchador you'd see in any wrestling title was Rey Mysterio, Jr. Sensing the desire for players to play a wrestling game that focused more on high-flying than brutal hits or hardcore action, the teams at Slang and Immersion Games partnered up to create a game based on lucha libre, the Mexican version of wrestling, with the licensing of one of the sport's major organizations. Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring is the first game focused squarely on this style of wrestling."
Gameplaybook chats with Immersion Games' Julian Castillo about producing a video game faithful to the Licha Libre legacy, as well as what you can expect in the game.
"As wrestling fans wait for WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 to arrive next week, we do have an alternative to turn to; one that opens the door to the fascinating history of Lucha Libre wrestling. Some well-known superstars of the US ring grew up with Lucha Libre in their blood, including WWE’s own Rey Mysterio and several other superstars, such as La Parka and Vampiro."
It's definitely going to take some time before this series catches up to SmackDown vs. Raw. It looks pretty fun, though. I'll likely pick this one up when the price goes down a bit. It beats TNA, that's for sure.
Whoa! Mexican Wrestleling has arrived.