The Top Five Professional Wrestling Video Games of All Time

Saturday Night Slam Masters (Arcade, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo – 1993)

Sure, Capcom is known for their ability to make fighting game – in fact they are home to THE fighting game of many generations, the Street Fighter franchise. But there was a time in which the organization also moved into the professional wrestling world. Their intriguing take on the industry created a game that fit within the “Street Fighter Universe” and offered an intriguing group of characters and action in the squared circle.

Saturday Night Slam Masters is a game that’s accessible for all. You don’t have to be into all of the holds and the narratives of the industry. Instead, this game plays more like a fighting gam, allowing those more akin to button mashing to be able to pick up this game and enjoy its short learning curve. Like most fighting games, the computer controlled opponents get more difficult as you progress, but most players can overcome the challenge once getting a hold of the gameplay mechanisms.

What’s more interesting about Saturday Night Slam Masters is that it offers a diverse set of characters; much like the professional wrestling era were personalities were more important than ring abilities. Many of these characters are linked to those of other Capcom franchises, such as Gunloc, who is revealed to be the brother of Guile from Street Fighter. Or Mike Hagger, the same Mike Hagger from Final Fight.

While none of the characters from Slam Masters made an appearance in any other game, the colorful cast is one of the best aspects of this game. It would be interesting to see if Capcom can find a way to bring the characters of Slam Masters back in future Street Fighter editions.