=============================================
FIRE PROWRESTLING Z CHARACTER GUIDE: THE ROCK
=============================================
for Sony PlayStation 2 (Japan)
Version 1.0
by Bill Wood (
[email protected])
Last modified: 8/4/03
Fire ProWrestling Z (c) 2003 Spike
NOTE: This guide views and prints best with a monospace typeface.
===================
==VERSION HISTORY==
===================
1.0 - Initial release of the guide.
=====================
==TABLE OF CONTENTS==
=====================
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
SECTION 2: HISTORY OF THE ROCK
SECTION 3: CREATING THE ROCK IN FIRE PRO Z
A) NAME ENTRY
B) APPEARANCE
C) SKILL AND PARAMETER STATS
D) MOVESET
E) CPU LOGIC
SECTION 4: STRATEGY
A) GENERAL STRATEGY
B) STRIKES
C) GRAPPLES
D) A "PROPER" PEOPLE'S ELBOW
SECTION 5: CLOSING
===========================
==SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION==
===========================
I know what you're thinking: "Waitaminnit! The Rock isn't even in
Fire Pro Z! How the heck can you write a guide for him?"
Well, he's in the game and he isn't. You see, although he's not in
there by default, The Rock's likeness is the game, as well as all of
his signature moves.
"I already knew that!" you say. But what you may not realize is that
the Fire Pro Z Japanese Complete Guide also provides you with a
complete moveset and CPU logic for the People's Champ. When you put
all of this together, you get a complete Spike-approved version of The
Rock. Interested now? Then read on.
The point of this guide is to allow those of you who can't download
other people's creations and don't feel comfortable creating their own
edits from scratch to have an "official" version of Rocky in FPZ. In
this day and age, this may be the closest thing you'll get to an old-
school Fire Pro template.
In addition, I will suggest several "tweaks" to Spike's version of The
Rock that will make him more accurate and up-to-date. When it's all
said and done, I hope you'll find this character guide to be much more
thorough than any character guide I've previously authored.
Of course, the obligatory history and strategy sections will also be
provided, free of charge. =)
==================================
==SECTION 2: HISTORY OF THE ROCK==
==================================
When Dwayne Johnson left behind a sagging football career for a career
in wrestling that had been in his family for generations, little did
he know he would almost singlehandedly turn the wrestling business
upside down. He would become The Rock, a slogan-spewing narcissist,
and arguably the most popular performer in the history of sports
entertainment. He attained more success before the age of 30 than most
wrestlers will ever see in their entire career.
The Rock is also well known for his unselfishness in the ring, and in
a business full of inflated egos, has been more than willing to "do
the job" for WWE newcomers such as Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Brock
Lesnar, Bill Goldberg, and even The Hurricane.
Yet for all of his accomplishments, The Rock will probably be
remembered for one thing -- his mouth. Coining catchphrase after
catchphrase, cutting one classic promo after another, Rocky had an
entire generation of wrestling fans glued to their set, wondering what
would come out of his mouth next.
Unfortunately for wrestling fans, The Rock's future appears to be in
feature films as opposed to wrestling. But when he does make his
eventual return, heel or face, you can bet he'll have millions (and
millions) of fans chanting his name once again.
==============================================
==SECTION 3: CREATING THE ROCK IN FIRE PRO Z==
==============================================
[NOTE: Before we get underway, I should advise you that creating an
accurate edit in FPZ can take up a good chunk of your time. Of course,
you can always save your progress and complete your edit later, but
it's best to set aside at least an hour or so for each edit creation.]
A) NAME ENTRY
I'm assuming you already know what to do here, but in case you don't:
NICKNAME: People's Champ SHORT NAME: Rock LONG NAME: The
NAME FLIP: On SEPARATOR: Space
B) APPEARANCE
Start by going into Edit Mode and load up Wrestler Model No. 323. If
this is all Greek to you, then I suggest you familiarize yourself with
the game menus before continuing, as this guide assumes you're able to
navigate your way through the menus with little or no difficulty.
Anyway, Model No. 323 will get you Spike's discolored version of The
Rock. Don't forget to hold down the ([]) button while scrolling through
edits to get the full head _and_ body presets. We're definitely going
to have to work on Rocky's appearance to get him to look right.
SUGGESTED APPEARANCE TWEAKS
Umm, a lot. First off, we're going to edit Rocky's color set to give
him something more lifelike, then we're going to do a head swap to
reflect his new haircut and give him those tattoos he's missing.
You've loaded up Model No. 323, right? Good. Next, go into the color
palette in Appearance Edit and edit the following color presets. (You
can scroll through the color presets with L1 and R1, and the color
preset number is located near the lower left corner of the Appearance
Edit Screen.)
Skin Color Preset...........012
Hair Color Preset...........001 (neutral black)
Tights Color Preset.........001
Elbow Pads Color Preset.....001
Knee Pads Color Preset......001
Boots Color Preset..........001
Now we're getting somewhere! That skintone looks OK, but I'd prefer to
see The Rock a little more bronzish. If you want, try this tweak for
his skintone:
05 10 16 21 25 28
02 05 08 14 17 21 <- New Skintone
00 02 04 09 11 14
Next we're going to locate Rock's upper arm layers in Appearance Mode
and give him some tats. Locate the upper arm layers and add layer #14
to that layer set. They're not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
Use the 001 color preset for the tattoos.
The default Rock head in FPZ is the same one from FPD circa two years
ago, and it can be improved upon. You may have your own preference as
far as which head to use, but I find that Head #188 (Mark Coleman) is
pretty accurate.
We should also edit the hair color to reflect the close-shaven look
The Rock currently sports:
05 07 12 18
04 05 08 14 <- New Hair Color
03 03 05 10
You could also choose one of the tights designs to reflect the design
on The Rock's tights, but none of them are really accurate so I choose
to leave them black.
C) SKILL AND PARAMETER STATS
SKILL
-----
Real Name......The Rock (Dwayne Johnson)
FPZ Name.............................N/A
Promotion............................WWE
FPZ Promotion........................N/A
Size..............................Medium
Class..............................Heavy
Height............................189 cm
Weight............................123 kg
Country..........................America
Birthdate.....................05.02.1972
Stance.............................Power
Offensive Skill.................American
Return Skill....................American
Critical Type...................Finisher
Special Skill..................Superstar
Recovery..........................Medium
Recovery (when bleeding)..........Medium
Respiratory........................Above
Respiratory (when bleeding)........Below
Awareness.........................Medium
Awareness (when bleeding).........Medium
Neck Strength.......................High
Arm Strength......................Medium
Waist Strength......................High
Foot Strength.....................Medium
Movement Speed...............Medium Fast
Ascend Speed......................Medium
Ascend Skill..................Can Ascend
PARAMETER - OFFENSE PARAMETER - DEFENSE
------------------- -------------------
Punch.............7 Punch.............6
Kick..............5 Kick..............6
Suplex............7 Suplex............5
Submission........3 Submission........4
Stretch...........4 Stretch...........6
Power.............6 Flying............7
Instant-P.........8 Crush.............6
Arm Power.........4 Vs Lariat.........6
Technical.........9 Technical.........7
Rough.............8 Rough.............8
Ground............4 Ground............4
TOTAL SKILL POINTS (on a scale from 0-300): 193
SKILL CHANGES FROM FIRE PRO D TO FIRE PRO Z: none
SUGGESTED SKILL AND PARAMETER TWEAKS:
* Increase Recovery stat from "Medium" to "Fast".
* Decrease offensive Technical stat from 9 to 7.
* Decrease offensive Instant-P stat from 8 to 4.
* Increase offensive Submission stat from 3 to 4.
* Increase offensive Submission stat from 4 to 5.
* Decrease defensive Flying stat from 7 to 5.
* Increase defensive Crush stat from 6 to 7.
ADJUSTED SKILL POINTS (on a scale from 0-300): 194
D) MOVELIST
NOTE: This movelist is my direct translation of the Japanese Fire Pro
Z 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].
KEY:
([]) = Square button
(X) = X button
(O) = Circle button
(/\) = Triangle button
STRIKES
-------
Standing ([]).............................American Jab
Standing (X)..................................Toe Kick
Standing (O) + d-pad.....................American Hook
Standing (O).............................Lariat Attack
Standing ([]) + (X)....................Football Tackle
Running ([]).............................Lariat Attack
Running (X)...............................SPINNING DDT [S]
Running Counter ([])......................Front Suplex
Running Counter (X)........................SPINEBUSTER [S]
Running to corner...............................Lariat
GRAPPLES
--------
Grapple ([])..............................Face Scratch
Grapple ([]) + Up............................Body Slam
Grapple ([]) + Left/Right..................Elbow Stomp
Grapple ([]) + Down.......................Dragon Screw
Grapple (X)..................Swinging Neckbreaker Drop
Grapple (X) + Up...........................Brainbuster
Grapple (X) + Left/Right.........Belly-to-Belly Suplex
Grapple (X) + Down............................Low Blow
Grapple (O)........................American Punch Rush
Grapple (O) + Up.................Back Flip/Samoan Drop
Grapple (O) + Left/Right.............Russian Leg Sweep
Grapple (O) + Down.................................DDT [S]
Grapple ([]) + (X).........................ROCK BOTTOM [F]
Back Grapple ([]).........................Sledgehammer
Back Grapple (X)..............................Low Blow
Back Grapple (O)..........................Sleeper Hold
Back Grapple (O) + Up/Down.......Leglift Backdrop Hold
Back Grapple (O) + Left/Right.......German Suplex Whip
Back Grapple ([]) + (X)..........Rollover Bridging Pin*
Back Grapple Counter ([])....................Elbow Pat
Back Grapple Counter (X).................Kick to groin
* = I don't know the actual name for this move, but I can pretty much
guarantee The Rock's never done it in a real match!
OPPONENT DOWN MOVES
-------------------
Opponent Face Up at Head (X).......................Pin
Opponent Face Up at Head (O)..................Stomping
Opponent Face Up at Feet (X)..............Sharpshooter
Opponent Face Up at Feet (O).............Kick to groin
Opponent Face Down at Head (X).......Roll over and pin
Opponent Face Down at Head (O)................Stomping
Opponent Face Down at Feet (X).............Boston Crab
Opponent Face Down at Feet (O)................Stomping
Running at Downed Opponent (O)......THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW [S]
MOUNT MOVES
-----------
Mount Position ([])...........Guard Pos. Knuckle Arrow
Mount Position (X)........................Sharpshooter
Mount Position (O)......................Jackknife Hold
Mount Position Counter........................Arm Lock
Front Facelock Attack ([])..................Body Punch
Front Facelock Attack (X)..............Front Neck Lock
Front Facelock Attack (O)...................Piledriver
Front Facelock Attack Counter...............Hammerlock
Back Mount Position ([])......Back Mount Knuckle Arrow
Back Mount Position (X)..................Choke Sleeper
Back Mount Position (O).......................Arm Lock
Back Mount Position Counter.................Back Press
POST AND APRON MOVES
--------------------
Post ([])............................Diving Elbow Drop
Post (X)..............................Diving Knee Drop
Post (O)..................................Sledgehammer
Post ([]) + (X)..........................Diving Lariat
Run-Up Post vs Standing ([])......................none
Run-Up Post vs Downed (X).........................none
Corner Grapple (O) + Up............Avalan. Brainbuster
Corner Grapple (O) + Left/Right......Corner Punch Rush
Corner Grapple (O) + Down...........Avalanche Backdrop
Front Avalanche Counter...................Face Scratch
Back Avalanche Counter......................Body Press
Apron Grapple from inside..........In-Ring Brainbuster
Apron Grapple from outside................Shoulder Pat
Running to out of bounds..........................none
Slingshot to outside......................Sledgehammer
Slingshot to inside...............................none
DOUBLE AND TRIPLE TEAM MOVES
----------------------------
Two Platon Front Grapple.................W.Brainbuster
Two Platon Back Grapple.....................W.Backdrop
Two Platon Corner...............Combo Bulldog Headlock
Three Platon Front Grapple.............Triple Beatdown
Three Platon Back Grapple..............Triple Beatdown
Three Platon Corner....................Triple Beatdown
PERFORMANCE
-----------
Analog Stick Left...........................arena scan
Analog Stick Right...........motion for People's Elbow
Analog Stick Up...................."Bring it!" gesture
Analog Stick Down...............points down, then away
MOVELIST CHANGES FROM FIRE PRO D TO FIRE PRO Z: none
SUGGESTED MOVELIST CHANGES
There are a few glaring errors in The Rock's moveset that we can
correct. This list of changes is by no means exhaustive, and you may
want to add your own tweaks here and there:
* Change the Back Grapple ([]) + (X): Rollover Bridging Pin to
something more simplistic, like one of the backdrops.
* Change the Analog Stick Down taunt to the new animation where the
wrestler has his hands on his knees, waiting for a spear (it's near
the bottom of the taunt list). Rock does this a lot.
* Change the Grapple (O): American Punch Rush to a "face slap" combo
more akin to the combo The Rock uses in matches (see "Spittle Hand
Slap of Doom").
* Change the Back Avalanche Counter: Body Press to Backhand Elbow.
* Switch the Special from Grapple (O) + Down: DDT to Opponent Face Up
at Feet (X): Sharpshooter.
* Finally, You _could_ switch Rocky's finisher from the Rock Bottom to
the People's Elbow, but then you'd be losing your one chance for a
"CRITICAL!". I suggest you leave this one alone.
E) CPU LOGIC
Some people don't bother with CPU logic when it comes to creating
edits, but if you want to be thorough and accurate, then I suggest you
spend the time it takes to give The Rock proper CPU logic.
STANDING
-------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Grapple 45% 50%
<> Stand Back 10% 10%
<> Circle Opponent 15% 10%
<> ([]) Attack 08% 03%
<> (X) Attack 08% 06%
<> (O) Attack 05% 08%
<> (O) + d-pad Attack 08% 10%
<> ([]) + (X) Attack 01% 03%
FRONT GRAPPLE
------------- Sm. Damage Med. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------- ----------
<> ([]) 16% 00% 00%
<> ([]) + up 15% 00% 00%
<> ([]) + left/right 18% 05% 00%
<> ([]) + down 10% 05% 07%
<> (X) 02% 12% 00%
<> (X) + up 05% 15% 00%
<> (X) + left/right 05% 12% 00%
<> (X) + down 02% 10% 05%
<> (O) 00% 05% 10%
<> (O) + up 00% 05% 10%
<> (O) + left/right 02% 03% 08%
<> (O) + down 00% 03% 12%
<> ([]) + (X) 00% 00% 20%
<> (/\) Button (whip) 20% 20% 18%
<> R1 Trigger (headlock) 05% 05% 10%
BACK GRAPPLE
------------ Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> ([]) 30% 00%
<> (X) 25% 20%
<> (O) 15% 00%
<> (O) + up/down 15% 30%
<> (O) + left/right 00% 20%
<> ([]) + (X) 00% 10%
<> (/\) Button (whip) 15% 20%
OPPONENT THROWN TO ROPES
------------------------ Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Running ([]) 40% 10%
<> Running (X) 10% 30%
<> ([]) Counter 40% 15%
<> (X) Counter 00% 45%
<> L1 Trigger (dodge) 10% 00%
OPPONENT DAZED IN CORNER
------------------------ Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Running (O) 15% 15%
<> (O) + up Corner Grapple 05% 05%
<> (O) + left/right Corner Grapple 75% 75%
<> (O) + down Corner Grapple 05% 05%
OPPONENT DOWN NEAR CORNER
------------------------- Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ----------
<> Attack Normally 100% 100%
<> ([]) Post 00% 00%
<> (X) Post 00% 00%
<> (O) Post 00% 00%
<> ([]) + (X) Post 00% 00%
<> Corner Run-Up Rebound (X) 00% 00%
OPPONENT DOWN IN CENTER OF RING
------------------------------- Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ----------
<> Attack Normally 100% 00%
<> Running (O) Opponent Down 50% 50%
OPPONENT DOWN-FACE UP
--------------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ---------- ----------
<> Pick Up 15% 25% 52%
<> Roll Over 00% 00% 00%
<> Near Head (X) 10% 15% 25%
<> Near Legs (X) 00% 40% 15%
<> Near Head (O) 40% 10% 00%
<> Near Legs (O) 35% 10% 08%
OPPONENT DOWN-FACE DOWN
----------------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ---------- ----------
<> Pick Up 15% 25% 60%
<> Roll Over 00% 00% 00%
<> Near Head (X) 10% 15% 30%
<> Near Legs (X) 15% 40% 00%
<> Near Head (O) 30% 10% 05%
<> Near Legs (O) 30% 10% 05%
OPPONENT STANDING DAZED NEAR CORNER
------------------------------- Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ----------
<> Attack Normally 98% 98%
<> ([]) Post 00% 00%
<> (X) Post 00% 00%
<> (O) Post 01% 01%
<> ([]) + (X) Post 01% 01%
<> Corner Run-Up Rebound ([]) 00% 00%
<> Apron-to-Inside 00% 00%
[(O) button + toward]
OPPONENT STANDING DAZED NEAR CENTER OF RING
------------------------------- Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ----------
<> Attack Normally 70% 70%
<> Running ([]) 20% 15%
<> Running (X) 10% 15%
OPPONENT STANDING DAZED
----------------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage Near Death
---------- ---------- ----------
<> Initiate Front Grapple 20% 15% 00%
<> Initiate Back Grapple 50% 60% 70%
<> (O) Attack 10% 10% 15%
<> (O) + d-pad Attack 15% 10% 10%
<> ([]) + (X) Attack 05% 05% 05%
OPPONENT GRAPPLES FROM BEHIND
-----------------------------
<> ([]) Back Counter............. 60%
<> (X) Back Counter.............. 40%
OPPONENT IS OUTSIDE THE RING
----------------------------
<> Follow Opponent Outside........55%
<> Slingshot to Outside (O).......25%
<> Running Dive to Outside (O)....00%
<> ([]) Post .....................00%
<> (X) Post ......................00%
<> (O) Post ......................00%
<> ([]) + (X) Post ...............00%
<> Wait for Opponent to Return....20%
MOUNT POSITION
-------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Mount ([]) 60% 40%
<> Mount (X) 20% 30%
<> Mount (O) 20% 30%
FRONT FACELOCK POSITION
----------------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Front Facelock ([]) 40% 30%
<> Front Facelock (X) 40% 40%
<> Front Facelock (O) 20% 30%
BACK MOUNT POSITION
------------------- Sm. Damage Lg. Damage
---------- ----------
<> Back Mount ([]) 60% 60%
<> Back Mount (X) 20% 20%
<> Back Mount (O) 20% 20%
TAUNTING
--------
Opponent Standing Dazed
<> Analog Stick Left.......00%
<> Analog Stick Right......00%
<> Analog Stick Up.........15%
<> Analog Stick Down.......00%
<> Do Not Perform.....,,,..85%
Opponent Down
<> Analog Stick Left.......00%
<> Analog Stick Right......40%
<> Analog Stick Up....... 00%
<> Analog Stick Down.......10%
<> Do Not Perform..........50%
Opponent Outside of the Ring
<> Analog Stick Left.......10%
<> Analog Stick Right......00%
<> Analog Stick Up.........10%
<> Analog Stick Down.......00%
<> Do Not Perform..........80%
On the Top Turnbuckle
<> Analog Stick Left.......10%
<> Analog Stick Right......00%
<> Analog Stick Up.........00%
<> Analog Stick Down.......00%
<> Do Not Perform..........90%
PERSONALITY TRAITS
------------------
Everytime I Am Particular (Entertainment)
<> High................100%
<> Low..................00%
Serious Time (Discretion)
<> High.................50%
<> Low..................50%
Flexibility
<> High.................60%
<> Low..................40%
Cooperation
<> High.................82%
<> Low..................18%
OTHER TENDENCIES
----------------
Outside Return Count
<> Fast.................40%
<> Slow.................60%
Touchwork
<> Fast.................50%
<> Slow.................50%
Weapon Usage
<> Use Weapon...........00%
<> Don't Use Weapon....100%
SUGGESTED CPU LOGIC TWEAKS
You may want to increase the frequency of weapon usage to 10-15%.
Also, if you changed his taunt like I suggested, you could switch the
"Opponent Standing Dazed" taunt from Analog Stick Up 15% to Analog
Stick Down 15%.
=======================
==SECTION 4: STRATEGY==
=======================
A) GENERAL STRATEGY
The Rock is an entertainer at heart, therefore your goal should be to
entertain when playing as him. This means a lot of taunting, posing,
and of course, nailing your signature moves.
His medium fast walking pace means you can dictate the pace of the
match against most heavyweights. Use this to your advantage and
outpace your opponent if possible.
The Rock's defensive stats are extremely good, so he can take a great
deal of punishment. Stay patient, even if you start losing. If you can
work your way up to the strong grapples, your opponent is definitely
in for a world of hurt!
B) STRIKES
The Rock uses big American-style punches and kicks. If you can learn
the timing and distance of the (O) lariat, you should definitely use
it. Unlike most strikes, the lariat will immediately send the opponent
to the mat, where you can work on ground moves like the Sharpshooter.
C) GRAPPLES
As if you didn't know, Rocky's big grapple move is the Rock Bottom.
Every match should be based around building up to this move. Other
than that, you really can't go wrong with any of his offense.
D) A "PROPER" PEOPLE'S ELBOW
[NOTE: My previous Rock FPD guide had this info wrong, so if you
pulled your hair out trying to get it right, my apologies!]
OK, I'm only bothering to do this because I've heard people say it's
impossible to do in Fire Pro. Far from it! So below I'm going to give
step-by-step directions on how to execute Rock's signature move:
PEOPLE'S ELBOW - VERSION A
1) In the center of the ring, grapple your opponent. They must be
be weakened considerably.
2) Use your Grapple ([]) + (X) move to execute The Rock Bottom.
3) Hold the analog stick Right to motion for The People's Elbow.
4) Use (/\) to run and rebound off the ropes.
5) When approaching your opponent (who should still be on the
ground), simply hold (O) to drop the elbow.
PEOPLE'S ELBOW - VERSION B (more difficult)
1) Use (X) as a run counter to do a Spinebuster. You can do this
either when your opponent is running at you or as an Irish
Whip reversal.
2) Hold the analog stick Right to motion for The People's Elbow.
3) Use (/\) to run and rebound off the ropes.
4) When approaching your opponent (who should still be on the
ground), simply hold (O) to drop the elbow.
By the way, The People's Elbow won't "CRITICAL!", so don't be
surprised! Use the Rock Bottom if you want a "CRITICAL!".
And before you ask, no, he doesn't take the elbow pad off! =)
======================
==SECTION 5: CLOSING==
======================
In closing, I would like to thank:
* www.wwe.com for historical reference.
* CJayC and GameFAQs for hosting this guide.
Fire ProWrestling Z Character Guide: The Rock
(c)2003 Bill Wood
