The Most Shocking Wrestling Game Ending Ever? Play This Infamous Classic and Decide for Yourself
Video games have long been a breeding ground for controversial storylines, but few have sparked as much outrage as Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special. Imagine pouring hours into a game, clawing your way to the top, only to be met with an ending so dark and unexpected that it left players sending mountains of hate mail. That’s exactly what happened in 1994 when Goichi “Suda51” Suda delivered a gut punch of a finale that rocked the gaming world. Now, thanks to a fan translation, this notorious Super Famicom classic is finally playable in English.
The Game That Broke Wrestling Fans’ Hearts
Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special isn’t just another wrestling game. While most titles in the genre focus on over-the-top action and championship belts, this one dared to tell a deeply emotional—some would say cruel—story. You step into the shoes of Smith Morio (a nod to The Smiths and their melancholic frontman, Morrissey), a rising wrestling star determined to make it big. However, rather than delivering a feel-good underdog tale, Suda51 crafted a narrative that strips the player of all agency and culminates in one of the most unsettling endings in gaming history.
Initially, the game was supposed to feature multiple endings, but Suda scrapped that idea in favor of a single, devastating conclusion. After sacrificing everything for success, Morio, overwhelmed with despair, dies by suicide. For a game released in the early ‘90s—especially one in a genre not known for deep storytelling—this was unheard of. And players weren’t happy.
Hate Mail, Backlash, and a Gaming Industry Shake-Up
The reaction was nothing short of explosive. Fans flooded Human Entertainment, the game’s developer, with hate mail—literal boxes filled with letters expressing anger, betrayal, and disbelief. According to Suda, the messages ranged from confusion to outright rage, with many demanding to know why he had “ruined” the game with such a bleak ending. In an era before social media, this was the equivalent of a viral gaming controversy.
“It was really kind of a big deal at the time,” Suda reflected in a 2019 interview with GameSpot. “We started getting these huge, cardboard boxes filled with postcards, and almost none of them were nice, fuzzy, happy messages. People were really upset, and it really blew up.”
Despite—or perhaps because of—the controversy, Suda51’s reputation as a bold, unconventional storyteller began to take shape. He later left Human Entertainment to establish Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio behind cult hits like Killer7 and No More Heroes.
A Second Chance for a Notorious Classic
Fast-forward to today, and Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special has resurfaced, thanks to a dedicated fan translation. The patch, available on ROMhacking.net, translates only the single-player “Champion Road” story mode while stripping away other game content. However, it allows English-speaking players to finally experience the infamous narrative that once shocked Japanese gamers.
For those eager to play, the patch must be applied to the original version of Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special, not its revised edition. Better still, it’s compatible with actual Super Famicom consoles, ensuring a truly authentic retro experience.
The Legacy of Smith Morio Lives On
Suda51’s shocking storytelling may have caused an uproar in 1994, but time has softened the backlash, turning Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special into a cult classic. Its impact was strong enough that in 2020, more than 25 years after the game’s release, Suda was invited to write a sequel featuring Morio’s son for Fire Pro Wrestling World.
If you’re a fan of bizarre, boundary-pushing video game narratives, now’s your chance to experience one of the industry’s most controversial stories firsthand. Just be warned—this isn’t your typical feel-good wrestling saga. But then again, would you expect anything less from Suda51?
