Ringing in the New Year with a Body Slam

 

Our Christmas Review of All-Star Wrestling!

Well, folks, it’s almost Christmas, and what better way to celebrate the holidays than by stepping into the squared circle? This year, Santa brought us a real contender: All-Star Wrestling, the brand-new role-playing game from Afterthought Images, hitting shelves just in time for some serious holiday grappling action!    

If you’ve ever dreamed of lacing up your boots, cutting a promo, and delivering a devastating finisher, then this game is for you. Designed and illustrated by Paul Schulze, this 96-page softcover book is your ticket to becoming a professional wrestling legend. Afterthought Images, a small press out of Richland, Washington, has truly delivered a knockout with their latest offering.   

Building Your Champion: Character Creation That Hits Hard!

Right out of the gate, All-Star Wrestling impresses with its character creation system. Forget generic archetypes; this game lets you craft your wrestler from the ground up. You’ll be allocating points to key attributes like Power, Agility, Quickness, Technical Ability, and Endurance. These aren't just numbers; they directly influence your secondary stats, like your Damage Bonus, Recovery, Attack Value, and Defense Value, which then determine how many actions your superstar can perform in a single round.  

But it’s not just about raw stats! You can delve into your wrestler’s background, which might even net you more creation points to pump into those core attributes. Feeling brave? Take on a "drawback" like an "Old Injury" for even more points to customize your character. Then comes the fun part: purchasing your wrestling skills! From bone-jarring strikes and intricate holds to submission maneuvers, finishing strikes, and even those sneaky illegal tactics (and the ability to distract the ref!), it’s all here. And get this – the game even includes a "move creation suite," so you can invent your own signature moves! Talk about flexibility.   

The Bell Rings: Combat That Feels Real!

Once your wrestler is ready, it’s time for the main event! The combat system in All-Star Wrestling is where the rubber meets the road, or rather, where the boot meets the canvas. It’s a turn-based system that feels incredibly strategic. You’ll determine who gets the first move, then choose your action – a powerful strike, a debilitating hold, an escape attempt, or even a moment to catch your breath.  

When you attack, you combine your Attack Value with your skill level for the chosen maneuver, then subtract your opponent’s Defense Value. A successful roll on a twenty-sided die (D20) means your move connects, and then you roll a number of six-sided dice (D6s) to determine the damage. Damage first chips away at your Body rating, then your Body points and Endurance. As your wrestler gets worn down, they become more vulnerable to pins and submissions. The genius here is the interplay between endurance and damage: those high-impact, crowd-popping moves drain more of your wrestler’s endurance, forcing you to think strategically. Do you go for the quick, powerful win and risk tiring out, or do you wear your opponent down gradually before unleashing your big guns? It’s a brilliant layer of strategy that truly captures the ebb and flow of a wrestling match.  

The rulebook also hints at a remarkably expansive campaign world, with numerous fictitious wrestling leagues, their titles, and top contenders, giving you plenty of scope for long-term play.   

The Verdict: A Champion Is Crowned!

All-Star Wrestling is a fantastic addition to any role-playing game collection, especially for fans of professional wrestling. The writing is clean, the illustrations are engaging, and the game is packed with flavor pages that read like real insider reports from the wrestling world. It truly puts you in the boots of a professional wrestler.   

Now, if we had one minor quibble, it’s that the game focuses so heavily on the in-ring action that it doesn't really delve into the crowd's reaction, self-promotion, or the role of managers. But honestly, these are minor points for a game that nails the core wrestling experience so well.   

Overall, All-Star Wrestling is an admirable product, and we’re giving it a solid thumb-up! It’s a must-have for anyone looking to bring the high-flying, body-slamming drama of professional wrestling to their tabletop. Go grab a copy and get ready to rumble into 1992!