Month: October 2010

AAA Hereos del Ring review

thecubsfan 19 Comments

Eh.

AAA Heroes del Ring is definitely a video game featuring AAA luchadors. The strongest point of the game are the models of the AAA characters, who look very accurate and true to life. Everything else has it’s issues: game play leans towards more frustration than fun, both the story mode and the announcing quickly become repetitive, and there’s not much depth here. The CAW appears to have a lot of options, but having only four slots to save is strange and limiting on today’s systems, and there’s no apparent way to easily share your creations. I have not yet tried multiplayer or online (did not appear to be working) – those might be fun, but there weren’t a lot of extra options there.

As the first major game completed by a Mexican video game company, it’s a remarkable achievement. As a $60 game going up against $60 games, it’s doesn’t hold up to the competition. Not just of wrestling games, but of games entirely in 2010. If the novelty of an AAA game appeals to you, it’s worth getting. It’s not a terrible or broken game, but one that’s not nearly as fleshed out as any other new game you’d buy at the moment and doesn’t have enough charm or fun to make up for the lack of standard features.

Heroes del Ring feels about 10 years behind the curve. (And even then, WCW/nWo Revenge had tag team moves and six people in the ring.) Getting from zero to here is a good start, but they’ve got just as far to go if they want to make a good game.

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Toryumon, Monterrey, Heroes del Ring

thecubsfan 3 Comments

TORYUMON (SUN) 10/10 Sala de Arams Magdalena Mixhuca [The Gladiatores]
1) Daisuke Hanaoka & Yoruba b Miedo & Mr. Rolling
2) Lluvia & Luna Mágica b Amapola & La Comandante
3) Bizarro, Demus 3:16, Medico Asesino b Camaleón, Ministro, Platino
4) Brazo de Oro, Brazo de Platino, Hijo del Solar, Solar I b Black Terry, Ohara, Trauma I, Trauma II
5) Rey Bucanero b Último Dragón

360 is for rudos/Mi Lucha Libre

Bucanero got DQed in the first match for pulling Dragon’s mask and fouling him, then won the second with his triple backbreaker. Dragon got Rey with the Dragon Cutter in the third, but the ref had been knocked down earlier. A Black Tiger (V’s mask, though never rule out Ohara) ran in and dropped Dragon with a piledriver. Bucanero crawled on top for the pin.

FULL (SUN) 10/10 Arena Coliseo Monterrey [Estrellas del Ring]
1) Dralion, Pedro Navajas, Sky b Black Poisson, Infinito, Vierens 13
2) Furor, Galactar, Lover Boy b Principe Guerrero I, Principe Guerrero III, Rey Demonio Jr.
3) Golden Boy & Simbolo b Androide & Bengali [NUEVO LEON TAG]
4) Hijo del Ninja, Humberto Garza Jr., Máscara Púrpura b Ejecutor, Koko Viper, Memo Valles
5) Héctor Garza & Rey Bucanero b Hijo del Fantasma & Shocker

The show was a tribute to El Ninja, Ruben Juarez, and Humberto Garza, so of course Hector won in the main event. Rey (who flew here from the Toryumon afternoon show) helped out with a foul on Fantasma.

AAA (MON) 10/11 Colonia del Valle, Mexico City [AAA, Black Terry Jr., Mi Lucha Libre]
1) Aerostar, Pimpinela Escarlata, Súper Fly b Cuervo, Escoria, Ozz
2) Cibernético & Extreme Tiger b Chessman & Zorro

Show to promote the video game going on sale at midnight (or about 90 minutes earlier if Twitter is to believed.) These were actually matches in the parking lot of a Blockbuster of all things.

I’m getting the game in a couple hours, expect the random useless tweets to start then. I’ve stayed away from reviews, because I’d like to form my own opinion first, but it’s tough not to get impressions.

NJPW announced blocks for their Super J Tag Team Tournament. The block we care about is Block A:

  • (dancing) Jushin Liger & El Samurai
  • Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Davey Richards & Rocky Romero
  • Nosawa & Fujita
  • Sombra & Mascara Dorada

Hey, remember when CMLL wanted Rocky Romero to be Sombra and/or Mascara Dorada? That just seems absurd today.

The winner of this tournament seems a strong bet to get a shot at IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. Those just moved into the hands of DDT, so I’d guess a NJPW team would win. Still, Sombra & Dorada seem set up for better success here than Texano & Terrible in the other tag team tournament; I’d be very disappointed if Sombra/Dorada finished less than 3rd.

Links

Lineups

CMLL (TUE) 10/12 Arena Aficion
1) Ares vs Cronos
2) Antar & Zairus vs Mascara Oriental & Nino de Fuego
3) Estrellita & Tiffany vs Amapola & Marcela
4) Felino, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas vs Charly Manson, El Alebrije, Histeria
5) La Máscara, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada vs Olímpico, Psicosis, Volador Jr.

CMLL guys (Felino and people related to Felino) have turned up here over the last year, but this is first three match CMLL show here in a while.

AAA FULL (SUN) 10/17 Arena Coliseo Monterrey
1) Crucifijo & Face Man vs Hampon I & Hampon II
2) Corazon Adicto, Principe Azteca, Super Nico vs Koko Viper, Memo Valles, Veneno Xtremo
3) Fabi Apache, Hijo del Ninja, Octagoncito vs Mini Psicosis, Sexy Star, The Beast [Relevos Increíbles]
4) Chica de Arabia, Pimpinela Escarlata, Polvo de Estrellas vs Monster Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown
5) El Elegido & La Parka Jr. vs Silver King & Zorro

They’re back! Right after CMLL turns up here, how not strange.

indy (SUN) 10/17 North Austin Event Center, Austin, TX
1) Karla Mamba & Universitario vs Black Killer & Estrella Universal
2) Mano Negra, Rey Lancer, Ultraman vs Corazón de Barrio, Hijo de Pirata Morgan, Sangre Chicana Jr.
3) Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Hijo del Solar, Intocable vs el Mosco, Hijo de LA Park, Hombre Sin Miedo
4) Hijo del Cien Caras, Máscara Año 2000, Universo 2000 vs Angel Blanco Jr., Pirata Morgan, Rayo de Jalisco Jr.
5) El Hijo Del Santo, Latin Lover, Mil Mascaras vs Canek, El Hijo del Solitario, LA Park

This group is running the previous day with many of the same days (no Latin) on the other side of the border.

PdM (SUN) 10/17 Arena Azteca Budokan
1) Pesadilla, Ragde, X-Fly vs Barrio Bravo, Scorpio Jr., Zumbido
2) el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, Halloween, Super Crazy vs Crazy Boy, Joe Lider, Nicho el Millionario

Replacement for the show that was already canceled on this day.

10/31 AAA TV Lineup (Neza)

thecubsfan

AAA TV (SUN) 10/31 Deportivo Metropolitano de Neza
1) Cinthia Moreno, El Brazo, Mari Apache vs Christina Von Eerie, Mercedes Martinez, Yuriko
2) Argenis, Laredo Kid, Súper Fly vs Alan Stone, Billy Boy, Decnnis
3) Monster Clown, Murder Clown, Psycho Clown vs Damián 666, Halloween, Super Crazy
4) Cuervo & Ozz vs Chessman & Hernandez
5) Dr. Wagner Jr., El Mesías, La Parka Jr. vs el Hijo del Perro Aguayo, LA Park, Zorro

2010 AAA TV Chart
Projected Air Date (#962)
Mexico: 11/07
US: 11/20

KrisZ has this lineup. There’s a taping in between this one and the lineup AAA posted, but it doesn’t seem like we’re missing a big development.

One of those rudos is likely getting a title match at Guerra de Titanes, and I’m not not absolutely sure which one it’ll be. LA Park has to be in the lead but this is not totally predictable. (Let’s be honest: I want to see Wagner vs Perro just to see what they possibly can come up for a finish.)

The Dark Family explodes! I want Chessman to try and convince Hernandez to wear facepaint.

Can the Perros del Mal end the streak? Yes, yes they can. Never bet against Halloween on Halloween.

A trio with Decnnis, Billy, and a guy named Alan, seems oddly familiar. Argenis has made TV since Chilapancingo.

Mercedes Martinez is a women’s wrestler originally from north east who’s been wrestling for a few years. She was good the last time I saw her and might work well here. Strong chance of her being one of the mystery women on next Monday’s taping. And Christina doesn’t appear gone from here after all.

Conspicuous missing main eventer of this week: Cibernetico. I’m not really missing Electro and Metal at all.

Guadalajara, Axel, Microsoft

thecubsfan 17 Comments

I’m going to hit post, and five seconds later, the IWRG results are going to turn up. I’m sure.

Anyway, Hereos del Ring gets here tomorrow (oddly, no midnight store openings) and I’m wondering what y’all would be interested in reading about it here? From the discussions we’ve had about it the last few (many) months, I believe there’s a few people who actually plan on getting this game, and a bunch more who would want to know if it’s actually good (and then maybe a majority of people who can’t/won’t get this and don’t care, but I trust them to skim and move on.)

My plan of the moment is to make nonsensical remarks on Twitter while playing the game and then maybe a post later (this is basically the way?) but if you want me to check out something specifically, I’m totally willing to be your lab rat.

CMLL (SUN) 10/10 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara [Fuego en el Ring]
1) Angelo b Metalik
2) Hierro & Metatrón b Exterminador & León Blanco
3) Horus, Leo, Neutrón b Malefico, Mr. Trueno, Rey Trueno
4) Ángel de Oro & Ángel de Plata b Euforia & Misterioso II
5) Brazo de Plata, Máximo, Toscano b Euforia, Olímpico, Psicosis

Both Charly Manson and Histeria did not show; a bit concerning when Charly disappears about this time of the year. CMLL had to know about one of those in advance (Olimpico was one replacement) and not the other (Euforia worked twice.) Tecnicos took the main event in three falls, and tecnicos took the semimain in the straight falls.

Horus beat Mr. Trueno and wants a title shot. Two defenses in two months?

Fuego en el Ring talks to Axel. It’s a lot of the usual stuff, but it’s a slow day. Axel says wrestling promoters told him he was good, but he was just missing a good name & gimmick, so he had this great idea for Nieto del Santo and things progressed from there. Axel says Hijo del Santo doesn’t talk to the rest of the family, outside of occasional lawsuits.

CMLL has a tie up with Microsoft to promote Internet Explorer; you’ve seen the ads in Arena Mexico and the award winning commercial with Volador and Mistico. Microsoft showed off it’s new Windows Phone 7 operating system earlier today, and there’s apparently a CMLL app in the Mexican version of the marketplace. Haven’t found a link about it yet and would assume it’s just the website in one button form created by Microsoft, but it’s still interesting.

NJPW announced the blocks for it’s upcoming G1 Tag Team Tournament, which includes CMLL wrestlers. Strong Style Spirit has them. Strong Man and Terrible/Texano are in different blocks. Terrible/Texano’s block is a group of death, but they do get a matches with No Limit and Giant Bernard/Karl Anderson.

Chessman vs Sugiura made the Japanese wrestling magazines. By the way, the WON explained what’s happening with these: NOAH’s responsible for getting the big AAA shows on in Japan, so they want to get a NOAH wrestler on those shows to come off as international superstars. It seems to be the same way with CMLL & NJPW, but there are actually reasons for the Japanese guys to be there on CMLL’s shows.

Links

Lineups

CMLL (SUN) 10/17 Arena Mexico
1) Horus & Metálico vs Artillero & Súper Comando
2) Ángel Azteca Jr., Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Cancerbero, Demus 3:16, Raziel
3) Hijo del Fantasma, Metro, Shocker vs Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, Volador Jr.
4) Ángel de Oro & Ángel de Plata vs Delta & Diamante [Arena Coliseo TAG, final, #1 Contenders]
5) Luna Mágica vs Princesa Blanca [hair]
6) La Máscara, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada vs Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr., Último Guerrero [CMLL TRIOS]

CMLL.com is now uploading the posters for the shows, which is more visually interesting than a list of names. (Makes me think we probably should be archiving these, since they’ll probably be gone after a day too, but that’s had a different post.)

The only change from yesterday is Luna vs Blanca is actually for this upcoming Sunday (and I’ve posted the right location time.) This card has three big matches where they’d normally do only a single one for a Fan Appreciation show. Neither the loaded show in Guadalajara tomorrow, the Charly/Negro show on Friday night, nor this show have any evident AAA or Perros competition, but these are the kind of cards CMLL only runs when they want to crush the competition. Maybe recent events have caused a change in philosophy about how these things are doled out?

Right now, I’m picking Angels, Blanca, and champs to win their matches, but maybe they’ll change my mind this week. Six matches means the fun looking segunda won’t air.

Delta & Diamante advance, Guerreros challenge for trios title, Mistico on AAA, Payasos

thecubsfan 5 Comments

CMLL (SUN) 10/10 Arena Coliseo [@CMLL_OFICIAL]
1) Rayo Tapatío I & Rayo Tapatío II b Camorra & Ramstein
2) Amapola, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sujei b Dalys la Caribeña, Goya Kong, Luna Mágica
3) Fabián el Gitano & Leono b Puma King & Tiger Kid [Arena Coliseo TAG, #1 Contenders, eightfinal]
4) Cancerbero & Raziel b Metálico & Starman [Arena Coliseo TAG, eightfinal, #1 Contenders]
5) Delta & Diamante b Dr. X & Hooligan [Arena Coliseo TAG, eightfinal, #1 Contenders]
6) Loco Max & Virus b Astro Boy & Trueno [Arena Coliseo TAG, eightfinal, #1 Contenders]
7) Cancerbero & Raziel b Fabian el Gitano & Leono [Arena Coliseo TAG, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
8) Delta & Diamante b Loco Max & Virus [Arena Coliseo TAG, quarterfinal, #1 Contenders]
9) Delta & Diamante b Cancerbero & Raziel [Arena Coliseo TAG, semifinal, #1 Contenders]
10) La Máscara, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada b Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr., Último Guerrero

Rudos – including Dragon Rojo and not Bucanero – took the 1st and the 3rd. Last was with triple Atlantidas. Rudos challenged for the trios titles, Dorada accepted on behalf of his team, and the match will happen next week.

I still am surprised about Delta & Diamante making the final. Maybe the Cats are too young, but Delta & Diamante aren’t steady themselves. The best tecnico team in this tournament lost in the quarterfinals to Euforia & Nosferatu. This sets up two straight tecnico vs tecnico matches – Angels vs Delta/Diamante next week (both of which are inconsistent on their own), and the winner of that versus Stuka/Fuego next week.

Puma accidentally hit Tiger to cause their loss. They teased a fight but made up afterwards. This is a reoccuring pattern with them, but that’s also something rudos do a lot.

Goya Kong replaced Estrella Magica, which seems totally unfair. Tecnicas won, though that was more for the rudas getting an excessive violence DQ on Luna in the second after losing the first. Luna challenged Princesa Blanca to a singles match, which is what we’ve been expecting for a while. Expected it to be for Blanca’s title, but it’ll instead be hair versus hair. Blanca did accept, Luna is totally doomed, but there was no date put to this one. Maybe two weeks?

The opener did not set up any other match at all. Slackers.

SuperLuchas #385 has Dos Caras & Alberto Del Rio as well as Adios Alex Koslov on the cover. Inside, there’s the first real interview with Mistico since Perro Aguayo Jr. said claimed he had told people he was jumping. Mistico says he did not not talk to AAA, did not talk to Perros del Mal, had no plans of going to Heroes Inmortales, and has no idea why people were saying different. He said he’d be working for anyone if it made sense and didn’t want to say anything bad about anyone, but had no plans of leaving of CMLL right now. (As usual, the truth’s probably somewhere in between all these stories.) Mistico pointed out that even though he gets booed, there’s a lot more people showing up at Arena Mexico when he’s there.

CMLL’s current website listing for Friday’s show has Marcela in on the Invasors side for Seuxis. That doesn’t make sense as a team and isn’t explained. Elsewhere, Mistico is listed in Mascara Dorada’s spot in the semimain, but CMLL.com has not made that change (yet.) In both switched, it’s a more important/tenured getting a spot on an important ($$?) show, right after people were complaining about their payoffs.

There was a contract signing for the Psycho Circus vs Los Payasos match. That seems odd, because nothing is on the line, but it turns out they’re running with special rules: 2 out of 3 falls, no captains, two people must be pinned to win any fall, and a 30 minute time limit. I think that last one might come into play. They’re trying to hype this show up with a tournament underneath with the likes of Super Muneco.

Mil Mascaras, Nosawa, and Vampiro beat CIMA, Abdullah the Butcher, and Arkangel de la Muerte (Nosawa casita Arkangel) on Nosawa’s 15th anniversary show. That match actually happened.

LuchaWorld has KrisZ’s news update.

Links

Lineups

IWRG (THU) 10/14 Arena Naucalpan
1) Dinamic Black vs Alan Extreme
2) Gemelo Fantastico I & Gemelo Fantastico II vs Carta Brava Jr. & Magia Negra
3) Black Terry, Cerebro Negro, Dr. Cerebro vs Bombero Infernal, Maldito Jr., Samot
4) Freelance, Trauma I, Veneno vs Avisman, El Hijo del Diablo, Último Gladiador
5) Hijo del Cien Caras, Mari Apache, Mascarita Divina, Pasion Kristal vs Biba Kasai, Mini Abismo Negro, Monster Clown, Yuriko

Kasai is one of the Japanese women who were on the 09/30 show (where results never turned up?) and is apparently still around. Trauma I and Ultimo Gladiador’s feud appears ongoing.

PROLLM (SUN) 10/17 Coliseo Coacalco
1) Albatros, Aramís, Drigger, Predator vs Marduk, Niño de Fuego, Rey Dinámico, Sepulcro Jr.
2) Wotam vs Epidemia, Black Jaguar, Impulso
3) Mr. Potro vs Judas el Traidor [mask, hair]
4) Axel, Huracan Ramirez Jr., Magnifico, Máscara Sagrada vs Fuerza Guerrera, Juventud Guerrera, Trauma I, Trauma II
5) Justiciero vs Cyborg [hair]

The weekly Coacalco show usually goes unmentioned, but this seems like a bigger than usual one.

CMLL (SUN) 10/17 Arena Coliseo
1) Horus & Metálico vs Artillero & Súper Comando
2) Ángel Azteca Jr., Pegasso, Rey Cometa vs Cancerbero, Demus 3:16, Raziel
3) Hijo del Fantasma, Metro, Shocker vs Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas, Volador Jr.
4) Ángel de Oro & Ángel de Plata vs Delta & Diamante [Arena Coliseo TAG, final]
5) La Máscara, La Sombra, Máscara Dorada vs Atlantis, Dragón Rojo Jr., Último Guerrero [CMLL TAG]

Early card listing had Rey Bucanero in Dragon Rojo’s place, but I’m guessing the cage based on the lineups. CMLL originally announced this show would be in Arena Mexico.

CMLL (SUN) 10/17 Arena Coliseo Guadalajara
1) Thunder Boy vs Cerveruz
2) Astaroth & Idolo vs Infierno & León Blanco
3) Leo & Metal Blanco vs Mr. Trueno & Ráfaga
4) Gallo, Sagrado, Valiente vs Ephesto, Escorpion, Euforia
5) Brazo de Plata, Máximo, Místico vs Mr. Águila, Olímpico, Texano Jr.

Fuerza E! Escorpion gets to travel to Guadalajara, cool for him. I’m pretty sure I could call every spot in the main event before it happens.