He left Nintendo and built it on one rule: press when they drop their hips.
Masato Masuda worked on Nintendo's Pro Wrestling for the Famicom. After he left the company and joined Human Entertainment, the first game he designed was Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag — released June 22, 1989, for the PC Engine. The system he introduced was simple: when two wrestlers lock up and drop their hips, you press. Timing is everything. That one rule became the foundation for nearly every wrestling game that followed. The game supported four players at once — unusual for 1989 — and featured a ring shown from an isometric angle, which made simultaneous action readable at a glance. Masuda passed away in 2014 at forty-eight. The mechanic he invented for that first Fire Pro game is still the way most wrestling games work more than thirty years later.
— inspired by Masato Masuda
About this game
Fire Pro Wrestling Combination Tag, released June 22, 1989, was designed by Masato Masuda, who had previously worked on Nintendo's Pro Wrestling.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag was the first entry in what would become one of Japan's longest-running wrestling game franchises. Masato Masuda, who had previously worked on Nintendo's Pro Wrestling for the Famicom Disk System at R&D3, joined Human Entertainment and designed the timing-based grappling system that defined the series. The game introduced the 'lock-up and hip-drop timing press' mechanic, which influenced not only the Fire Pro series but the entire wrestling game genre that followed. Released June 22, 1989, it was Human Entertainment's first self-published PC Engine title and only released in Japan. The series continued under Human Entertainment until the company's bankruptcy in 2000, after which Spike (later Spike Chunsoft) continued development.
Tricks & Tales
Masato Masuda shared game design duties with Hideaki Sasazawa and programming with Tooru Hayashi on Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag. The game pioneered the isometric ring view that allowed four players to compete simultaneously — a technical achievement for the PC Engine in 1989. The timing-based grappling mechanic Masuda introduced influenced all subsequent wrestling games, not just the Fire Pro series. The game was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. Masato Masuda continued guiding the franchise's direction for many years until his death in 2014 at age forty-eight.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PC Engine (Japan) and TurboGrafx-16 (North America) share the same physical HuCard slot shape but are not compatible with each other's software. NEC deliberately reversed the data bus wiring between the two regions: data pin D0 on the PC Engine corresponds to D7 on the TurboGrafx-16, and so on through all eight lines. Beyond the hardware wiring difference, most North American HuCards contain region-checking code that detects a Japanese console and immediately crashes. Converters that electrically flip the data bus do exist and allow cross-region play. CD-ROM² discs themselves carry no region protection and play freely on both systems—however, the System Cards required to boot CD software are region-locked in the same way as HuCards, so a Japanese System Card cannot be used in a TurboGrafx-16 and vice versa.
Maintenance Tips
HuCard contacts are the most common maintenance point on the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. The card's edge connector oxidizes over decades of storage, causing failure-to-read and graphical glitches. Cleaning with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab—gently wiping the gold contacts on the card itself—resolves most contact issues; stubborn oxidation responds to dedicated contact cleaners such as DeoxIT. Never blow into the card slot with your mouth, as moisture accelerates the very corrosion you are trying to remove. On systems equipped with the CD-ROM² or Super CD-ROM² add-on, the optical drive is subject to the same age-related laser and sled degradation seen in any CD system of that era; the laser assembly uses a KSS-220a-type unit on the Super CD-ROM² and replacement parts remain available.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag copies regularly.
Will a Japanese PC Engine HuCard work on a TurboGrafx-16?
Not directly. PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 HuCards are region-locked — NEC swapped the data bits around between the two systems, and TurboGrafx-16 cards check for a specific CPU pin connection that the PC Engine doesn't provide. You can play a Japanese PC Engine HuCard on a Japanese PC Engine, or use a passive region adapter to bypass the lock. Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag was only released in Japan, so it requires a PC Engine to play without modification.
How should I clean a PC Engine HuCard?
Clean the HuCard's edge contacts with a cotton swab and 90%-or-higher isopropyl alcohol, wiping gently along the length of the contacts. Let it dry completely before inserting. PC Engine HuCards are robust physically, but oxidized contacts are the most common cause of boot failure. Some collectors recommend DeoxIt contact cleaner for stubborn cases.
Does Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag save progress?
No. Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag has no save battery or password system — it's a single-session game. You can play matches and tournaments, but progress is not stored between sessions.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag
A short checklist for buying used PC Engine software wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
Japanese PC Engine HuCards and CDs are not compatible with the North American TurboGrafx-16 — the formats differ. Use a Japanese PC Engine system.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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HuCard or CD-ROM² — know which you're buying
PC Engine games come on HuCard chips or on CD-ROM². CD titles also require the right CD system and a working System Card.
Confirm the format in the listing, and for CDs check the disc surface and that saves are supported.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Fire Pro Wrestling: Combination Tag sits alongside its kin.
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