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FIRE PROWRESTLING D CHARACTER GUIDE: ROB VAN DAM
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Version 1.1
by Bill Wood (
[email protected])
Last modified: 3/31/02
Fire ProWrestling D (c) 2001 Spike/VAiLL
NOTE: This guide views and prints best with a monospace typeface.
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==VERSION HISTORY==
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1.1 - Combos added to Strategy, courtesy of Richard Bownes.
Additional RVD re-edit info added, courtesy of ViperMask.
1.0 - Initial release of the guide.
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==TABLE OF CONTENTS==
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SECTION 1: HISTORY OF ROB VAN DAM
SECTION 2: SKILL AND PARAMETER STATS
SECTION 3: MOVELIST
SECTION 4: STRATEGY
SECTION 5: RE-EDITING RVD
SECTION 6: CLOSING
=====================================
==SECTION 1: HISTORY OF ROB VAN DAM==
=====================================
Call him Mr. PPV. Call him Mr. Monday Night. Call him the Whole F'n
Show. Call him what you will, Rob Van Dam is one of pro wrestling's
hottest stars. He's worked his way through the tough U.S. and Japan
indy wrestling circuits up to the main events of the World Wrestling
Federation, where he's held both the Hardcore and Intercontinental
titles.
RVD first gained attention from the masses during his ECW days, where
his death-defying leaps into the audience made him a human highlight
reel. His finisher, the Van Daminator, became notorious for its stiff
impact (it also became one of the more requested Fire Pro D add-on
moves by U.S. fans). And his bouts with Jerry Lynn are the stuff
legends are made of.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about RVD is that he never seems out of
his environment, be it an All Japan tag match with Misawa, a hardcore
ECW match with Sabu, or a WWF Heavyweight bout with Steve Austin.
And here's something you may or may not know; RVD is supposedly a real
life fan of the Fire Pro series!
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==SECTION 2: SKILL AND PARAMETER STATS==
========================================
SKILL
-----
Real Name...Rob Van Dam (Rob Szatkowski)
FPD Name......................Log Random
Promotion...........................WWF*
FPD Promotion..................Freelance
Size...............................Small
Class...............................Free
Height............................180 cm
Weight............................103 kg
Country..........................America
Birthdate.....................12.18.1966
Stance.............................Lucha
Offensive Skill...................Junior
Return Skill..................Technician
Critical Type...................Finisher
Special Skill.......................None
Recovery..........................Medium
Recovery (when bleeding)..........Medium
Respiratory........................Above
Respiratory (when bleeding).......Medium
Awareness.........................Medium
Awareness (when bleeding).........Medium
Neck Strength.......................High
Arm Strength......................Medium
Waist Strength......................High
Foot Strength.....................Medium
Movement Speed...............Medium Fast
Ascend Speed........................Fast
Ascend Skill........................Jump
* = Rob Van Dam was not employed by the WWF when Fire Pro D was
released.
PARAMETER - OFFENSE PARAMETER - DEFENSE
------------------- -------------------
Punch.............4 Punch.............5
Kick..............6 Kick..............6
Suplex............3 Suplex............4
Submission........2 Submission........3
Stretch...........3 Stretch...........5
Power.............3 Flying............7
Instant-P.........8 Crush.............3
Arm Power.........3 Vs Lariat.........2
Technical.........6 Technical.........6
Rough.............6 Rough.............7
Ground............3 Ground............2
TOTAL SKILL POINTS (on a scale from 0-300): 142
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==SECTION 3: MOVELIST==
=======================
NOTE: This movelist is my direct translation of the Japanese Fire Pro
D Player's Guide, there may be some minor errors. If I was unable to
translate, I looked up the move in Edit Mode.
Specialty moves are marked with [S]. Finisher is marked with [F].
STRIKES
-------
Standing (X).....................................Punch
Standing (A)...............................Middle Kick
Standing (B) + d-pad.....................Rolling Sobat
Standing (B).................................Spin Kick
Standing (X) + (A)...................Jumping High Kick
Running (X)...................................Toe Kick
Running (A)..........................Flying Kneel Kick
Running Counter (X)........................Knuckle Pat
Running Counter (A)..........................SPIN KICK [S]
Running to corner..........................Monkey Flip
GRAPPLES
--------
Grapple (X)..............................Knuckle Arrow
Grapple (X) + Up.............................Body Slam
Grapple (X) + Left/Right...................Flying Mare
Grapple (X) + Down............Axe Kick to back of neck
Grapple (A).........................Multiple Mid Kicks
Grapple (A) + Up...........................Brainbuster
Grapple (A) + Left/Right...................Side Suplex
Grapple (A) + Down...........................Spin Kick
Grapple (B).........................Rolling Prawn Hold
Grapple (B) + Up.................CHOP TO CROWN OF HEAD [S]
Grapple (B) + Left/Right............Fisherman's Suplex
Grapple (B) + Down.....................Avalanche Press
Grapple (X) + (A)............Gotch (Cradle) Piledriver
Back Grapple (X).....................Flying Kneel Kick
Back Grapple (A)..............................Backdrop
Back Grapple (B)....................Rolling Prawn Hold
Back Grapple (B) + Up/Down...............Backslide Pin
Back Grapple (B) + Left/Right............German Suplex
Back Grapple (X) + (A)..............German Suplex Whip
Back Grapple Counter (X)....................Elbow Butt
Back Grapple Counter (A).................Kangaroo Kick
OPPONENT DOWN MOVES
-------------------
Opponent Face Up at Head (A).........Flying Body Press
Opponent Face Up at Head (B)...............Sunset Flip
Opponent Face Up at Feet (A).............Moonsault Pin
Opponent Face Up at Feet (B).............Kick to groin
Opponent Face Down at Head (A)............Camel Clutch
Opponent Face Down at Head (B).........Guillotine Drop
Opponent Face Down at Feet (A)...............Half Crab
Opponent Face Down at Feet (B)................Stomping
Running at Downed Opponent (B).............Sunset Flip
MOUNT MOVES
-----------
Mount Position (X).................Mount Knuckle Arrow
Mount Position (A)....................Mount Elbow Butt
Mount Position (B).........................Boston Crab
Mount Position Counter.................Front Neck Lock
Front Facelock Attack (X)...................Face Punch
Front Facelock Attack (A)..............Front Neck Lock
Front Facelock Attack (B)...................Piledriver
Front Facelock Attack Counter...............Hammerlock
Back Mount Position (X).......Back Mount Knuckle Arrow
Back Mount Position (A)...............Back Mount Elbow
Back Mount Position (B)..................Choke Sleeper
Back Mount Position Counter.........Rolling Prawn Hold
POST AND APRON MOVES
--------------------
Post (X)........................Diving Guillotine Drop
Post (A)...................................FROG SPLASH [S]
Post (B)..................................Missile Kick
Post (X) + (A).........................FIREBIRD SPLASH [S]
Run-Up Post vs Standing (X).......................none
Run-Up Post vs Downed (A).........................none
Corner Grapple (B) + Up...........Aval. Frankensteiner
Corner Grapple (B) + Left/Right.......Horizontal Chops
Corner Grapple (B) + Down.........HOLLYWOOD STAR PRESS [F]
Front Avalanche Counter............Flipping Prawn Hold
Back Avalanche Counter......................Body Press
Apron Grapple from inside.....Stranglehold Hammer Blow
Apron Grapple from outside...............Shoulder Butt
Running to out of bounds.................Tope Con Hilo
Slingshot to outside.......................La Quebrada
Slingshot to inside..............Swan Dive Body Attack
DOUBLE AND TRIPLE TEAM MOVES
----------------------------
Two Platon Front Grapple.................W.Brainbuster
Two Platon Back Grapple.....................W.Backdrop
Two Platon Corner..................Highjack Piledriver
Three Platon Front Grapple.............Triple Beatdown
Three Platon Back Grapple..............Triple Beatdown
Three Platon Corner....................Triple Beatdown
PERFORMANCE*
-----------
Analog Stick Left..................."Number 1" gesture
Analog Stick Right..........crosses arms, lowers fists
Analog Stick Up......................split-legged jump
Analog Stick Down.........leans head back, pumps fists
* = The patented "RVD thumbs" pose is not in Fire Pro D.
=======================
==SECTION 4: STRATEGY==
=======================
GENERAL STRATEGY
RVD's style is a unique blend of martial arts, technical wrestling and
lucha. This makes him one of Fire Pro's more versatile wrestlers. You
can stick to the center of the ring and work your offense from there,
or you can throw the opponent through the ropes and perform some of
the crazier stunts. Such is the diversity of RVD.
My preference with Van Dam is to start with some basic strikes and
grapples, then switch to working outside the ring to really wear the
opponent down, and finally toss 'em back in the ring for some
high-flying moves (Frog Splash) and corner grapples (Hollywood Star
Press).
STRIKES
Seeing that most of his strike attacks are kicks, you'll be using your
feet a lot with RVD. You'll want to use the Middle Kick and Rolling
Sobat as distance attacks, mix in the others when necessary.
GRAPPLES
I'll be honest -- I don't really like RVD's grapple set in Fire Pro D.
It needs some tweaking (see RE-EDITING RVD). If you don't want to
re-edit him, use the grapples primarily to ground your opponent so
you can climb the posts.
Of his default grapples, I most prefer the Fisherman's Suplex and the
Cradle Piledriver, even though he doesn't really use them.
COMBOS
Note: These are not combos in the "fighting game" sense of the word,
as grapples can be countered and opponents can recover in between
moves. These combos are more akin to natural wrestling combinations
for this particular wrestler.
Also, unlike fighting games, Fire Pro D combos are easier to perform
when the opponent is worn down as his recovery time is longer.
1) Spinning Heel Kick -> Frog Splash
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==SECTION 5: RE-EDITING RVD==
=============================
Although Fire Pro D's version of Rob Van Dam is decent and definitely
fun to play as, most RVD fans will agree he needs to be re-edited to
reflect his current WWF mid-card and main event status. Fire Pro D's
RVD is based upon his years in ECW and as an indy worker in Japan.
This special section is devoted to creating a more accurate and up-
to-date version of RVD. If you need help making edits, refer to Frank
James Chan's FPD guide or my FPD Beginner's Guide.
Let me first say one thing; when it comes to wrestlers, RVD is as
diverse as they come. Everyone has seen him perform different moves at
one time or another. That means there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to
re-edit him, as long as you keep it realistic. If you've seen him do
the Superkick and want to make it his Grapple (X) + (A) move, go right
ahead. Just don't inflate his Punch stats to 10 or give him the Giant
Chokeslam! =)
One minor problem is that RVD has several unique moves (Rolling
Thunder, Van Daminator) that aren't in Fire Pro D. If possible, try to
find a suitable substitute for them.
Thanks to the following for their contributions to this section:
* Ant 718
* Pink Spider
* tokerblue
* ViperMask
* AxxB
* gbomber
* the crazyest
Ant718 has a premade RVD edit at the following link, just in case you
don't feel like doing all the work yourself! =)
http://www.booyaka.com/games/vmu/saves.fcgi/00009852.VMI
STATS
Here is what should change stat-wise (based on his WWF experience):
Size..............................Medium
Special Skill..................Superstar
PARAMETER - OFFENSE PARAMETER - DEFENSE
------------------- -------------------
Punch.............4 Punch.............5
Kick..............8 Kick..............6
Suplex............4 Suplex............4
Submission........3 Submission........3
Stretch...........3 Stretch...........5
Power.............4 Flying............7
Instant-P.........9 Crush.............4
Arm Power.........3 Vs Lariat.........3
Technical.........6 Technical.........6
Rough.............4 Rough.............7
Ground............2 Ground............2
MOVES
Make the Frog Splash (which he already has) his finisher. The split-
legged moonsault (Hollywood Star Press) is his default finisher.
Other move suggestions include giving RVD add-on moves such as the
Londart Kangaroo Kick and the Superkick (Sweet Chin Music).
In addition, ViperMask has submitted a list of how RVD's regular
moveset could be edited:
"I left the X+A move (Kawada Style Enzuigiri) at
default even though he doesn't use it. Well just once
against Lance Storm on Heat when Storm was climbing
the ropes. Changing to Spinning Once Dropkick is
optional.
Running Counter X, Spin Kick and specialty on the Spin
Kick was eliminated.
Running Counter A, Spinning Once Dropkick because he
has been using that on WWF TV.
X+A from the Top Rope, Tope Con Hilo since he used
that move a few times.
Grapple X, elbow strike - He used the elbow strikes
more on WWF TV.
Grapple A + Left/Right, Leg Catch Enzuigiri - Same
reason above.
Grapple A + Down, Manhattan Drop - Same reason again.
Grapple B, Sweet Chin Music - He uses the Superkick a
lot on WWF TV.
Grapple B+Up, Huracanrana - Same reason.
Grapple B+Left/Right, Northern Lights Suplex - He used
this move mostly in ECW, a few times against Jerry
Lynn.
Grapple B+Down, Reverse Tiger Driver - He used a
modified version of it in ECW on one of the members of
the Insane Clown Posse at Hardcore Heaven '97.
Grapple X+A, Fisherman Buster - Used this move in ECW,
A LOT in his match vs. Sabu in the Stretcher Match.
Opponent Face Down at Head (A), Dou Jimi Sleeper - He
used this move ONLY ONCE on Smackdown vs. Kurt Angle
during the Alliance angle. Besides it looks better
than the Camel Clutch.
Opponent Face Up at Head (B), Guillotine Drop - 360
Leg Drop replacement.
Double Team and Triple Team moves remain the same.
Taunts remain the same. Except I switched the Analog
Stick Left and Analog Stick Up.
After all of the move changes, you probably need to
redo his CPU logic. But I haven't done one yet.
======================
==SECTION 6: CLOSING==
======================
In closing, I would like to thank:
* ViperMask, who borrowed my formatting for his great Tiger Mask FAQ.
In return I borrowed some of his! =) Also, props to ViperMask for
contributing a ton of helpful RVD re-edit info.
* Everyone on the GameFAQs FPD message board who contributed RVD edit
stats and suggestions.
* Richard Bownes for combo contributions.
* www.puroresu.com and www.wwf.com for historical reference.
* www.gswf.org for Skill and Parameter stats.
* CJayC and GameFAQs for hosting this guide.
Fire ProWrestling D Character Guide: Rob Van Dam
(c)2002 Bill Wood
