10 Best Non-WWE Wrestling Video Games Ever

8. Saturday Night Slam Masters (SNES)

Saturday Night Slam Masters
Capcom

Okay, it isn’t in the same stratosphere as Capcom’s most famous fighting creation (Street Fighter, if you were wondering), but the Japanese company’s only foray into the world of professional wrestling was an undoubted success upon release back in 1994. Not a great time for Western pro wrestling, without doubt, but this arcade managed to retain a larger than life feel without going overboard.

The roster consisted of 10 fictional wrestlers covering all pro graps stereotypes, from Mexican luchadors (El Stingray!) to questionable wildmen (King Rasta Mon) and everything in between, including fabulous names like Biff Slamkovich and Jumbo Flapjack. Final Fight's Mike Haggar also makes a cameo.

It isn’t perfect, but there is a simplicity and naivety to Saturday Night Slam Masters that allows it to retain a certain amount of its charm. The main criticism is that it didn’t go with the Japanese name for the game: Muscle Bomber. What a fantastic moniker.

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Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.