DS writes, "When we were originally invited to check out an upcoming title from Slang in a Manhattan loft last week, I must admit that I was more than just a bit hesitant. Having not played any wrestling video game for quite some time I thought to myself “come on, really, luchadors?” ...that’s when I realized, ok – this is really happening. Needless to say that although I had my initial reservations the evening turned out to actually be an eye opening experience. Especially when I found out that the game we were there to cover, Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes Del Ring meant so much more; because when It’s released this year it will be a milestone in gaming history as the first title 100% produced in Latin America. And everyone we spoke to, including the luchadors themselves were very proud of that fact. Check out the coverage, and interviews (one of which is with Luchadors in Spanish with subtitles) in the clip below!"
The BitBag: "At E3 earlier this year, the Lucha Libre booth was excellent, with a ring set up for matches featuring AAA stars, actual announcers, and so on. Konami did a great job bringing awareness to a subset of professional wrestling. I was excited to learn a new developer would be able to take a try at making a wrestling game, plus being the first game (non-XBLA/PSN) from Mexican developer is a great story. With a fresh face and a big company behind it, read on to see how Lucha Libre turned out."
Lucha Libre AAA: El Heroes del Ring breaks my heart. It’s a game with a fresh, heretofore unexplored and very interesting subject that lies somewhat outside of the usual cultural bounds of video gaming. It’s been developed by folks with a genuine sense of passion and enthusiasm for the absurd drama of high-flying masked men grappling with pride, audience loyalty, or their hair on the line.
WorthPlaying: "From the 8-bit era onward, there has been some luchadores sprinkled in wrestling video games. Starman from Nintendo's Pro Wrestling is probably the most famous of the bunch, but there have been a few featured in non-licensed wrestling and WCW titles. With the advent of the Create-A-Wrestler feature, players could create their own luchadores to go against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Sting. When the organization folded in 2001, the only luchador you'd see in any wrestling title was Rey Mysterio, Jr. Sensing the desire for players to play a wrestling game that focused more on high-flying than brutal hits or hardcore action, the teams at Slang and Immersion Games partnered up to create a game based on lucha libre, the Mexican version of wrestling, with the licensing of one of the sport's major organizations. Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes del Ring is the first game focused squarely on this style of wrestling."
I didn't realize this game was so in-depth, I like how we get to hear about the game design documents in this video.