Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Audio download #2 - Human Super F2 (1992)

With the release of Fire Pro Wrestling's earliest titles, soundtrack compilations weren't 
far behind.

In our last blog entry, we talked about the official soundtrack of 2nd Bout, the highly-
anticipated sequel to the Fire Pro-Wrestling series on PC Engine software. Continuing
the subject with Blog #258, we're going to delve even further by taking a look at another
album released less than a year later.


HUMAN SUPER F2

Human Super F2 is a split compilation featuring game tracks lifted from two of HUMAN's
popular sports titles: Super Formation Soccer (known outside of Japan simply
as 'Super Soccer'), and Super Fire Pro-Wrestling. Both titles were released on Nintendo's
16-bit Super Famicom system in 1991.

To promote the release of both titles, HUMAN organized competitions throughout Japan
to avid fanfare. The tournaments were broken down into two specific cups: the 'Amano
Cup' (named after Super Formation Soccer's programmer Ryuji Amano), and the 'Masuda
Cup' (which respectively gets it's name from Fire Pro-Wrestling's creator Masato Masuda).

From a speculation standpoint, HUMAN's competitions were most-likely inspired by
the Nintendo World Championships, which were taking place around the same time
in the west.


The cover of Human Super F2, which features the cover artwork of both respective
games.


Name-wise, Human Super F2 is simply meant to represent a combination of Super
Fire Pro-Wrestling and Super Formation Soccer into one convenient title, without
taking up too much text space. And ...just in case you were wondering, 'Human
Super F1' or 'F3' does not exist.


The back cover.

Speaking of music, wrestling theme collectors and series purists will want to check
out the first several songs, as tracks 1 to 6 are exclusive arranged versions. What
drives the value of these older soundtracks up is the fact the arranged compositions
were entirely re-recorded, and not available in any other commercial release
endorsed by HUMAN or otherwise to date.

 
The first three arrange tracks are dedicated to Super Fire Pro-Wrestling, while the latter
three are composed for Super Formation Soccer. The same pattern follows suit with
tracks 7 to 12, which are rips of both title's respective in-game music.

 

 

Pages 0 - 1. Tracklisting for all 12 songs. Page 0 lists the "re-arranged version" tracks,
while page 1 lists the "original version" tracks.


Pages  2 - 3 contain liner notes, and a message from co-producer Chachamaru.

Chachamaru states that both Super Fire Pro-Wrestling and Super Formation Soccer have sold
well enough that a compilation CD was made. Chacha adds that the acronym H.E.LP. is meant
to represent the Human Entertainment Loud Project (later renamed to the Human Sound Team).

Direction-wise, Chacha wanted Super Fire Pro-Wrestling's soundtrack to have the element of
rock music to it, with the intention of inspiring players during matches. Chacha suggests that
the best way to listen to the tracks on the Human Super F2 is while playing the associated
games themselves.

As an added bonus, Chacha mentions a special trick in Super Fire Pro-Wrestling:

1. Insert CHACHAMARU in the game's built in PASSWORD mode (which will unlock
    Chachamaru as a hidden referee).

2. In the OPTIONS mode, set the COM LEVEL to 4.

3. Start a new tournament in OPEN LEAGUE (fourth option on the mode select screen).

4. Choose the strongest Wrestlers as opponents.

5. Chacha claims that defeating all of the opponents in the tournament will deem the player
    as a very 'influential person'.


The verdict is still out whether the above 'trick' actually unlocks extra-hard difficulty or not.
Respectfully, Chacha was always known for his humorous side.


Pages 4 - 5 staff credits and sound system information.




The back of the booklet.


The CD design.


For some reason, all of the in-game music themes from track 7 onward are bunched
together. For example, track 7 features all of the game mode themes, while track 8
includes most of the Wrestler themes bundled into a nearly nine minute track.
As such, I have tabbed out the corresponding game themes for Super Fire Pro
-Wrestling.


HUMAN SUPER F2
Known in Japan as: 'ヒューマンスーパーF2'
Released by: Roland Sound Space
Year: 1992
Tracks: 12
Discs: 1

Arranged versions:
1. Fire Crazy (SFPW1 opening theme)
2. Wrestling School (SFPW tutorial mode theme)
3. Shooting Star (SFPW theme of Super Kaizer & Phantom Guy)
4. Shoot Chance (SFS theme)
5. Germany (SFS Germany stage theme)
6. Escape to Victory (SFS theme)


Original game music:
7. Opening theme Progress (SFPW)
    -0:00 Opening theme
    -1:07 Wrestler select theme
    -1:27 Password input theme
   - 1:56 Continue theme
   - 2:42 Match result theme
   - 3:12 Tutorial mode theme

8. Player's Theme (SFPW)
    - 0:00 Victory Musashi & Great Shiba's theme
    - 1:02 Ax Duggan & Thunder Ryu's theme
    -  2:09 Mad Tiger & Bloody Allen's theme
    - 2:52 Knight Blaster & Iron Blaster's theme
    - 3: 35 Hurricane Rikimaru & Shinya Hatamoto's theme
    - 4:27 Star Bison & B.G. Bull's theme
    - 5. 05 Makoto Higaki & Jo Kajiwara's theme
    - 5: 42 Akira Saeba's theme
    - 6: 24 Hitman Saber's theme
    - 7:01 Blade Musha & Astro Blaster's theme
    - 7: 31 Tommy Bomber & Mitsuhide Hikawa's theme
    - 8:09 Super Kaizer & Phantom Guy's theme

9. Trophy Burning Progress (SFPW)
     - 0:00 Trophy Burning (Official League mode ending - first playthrough)
     - 1:16 Rikiozan's theme
     - 1:51 Ending (Official League mode ending - second playthrough).


10. Opening Game Progress (SFS)
11. Participating Country Theme (SFS)
12. Mysterious Team Ending (SFS)



DOWNLOAD LINK:

https://www.mediafire.com/file/s18f0880llxlqne/Human+Super+F2.zip/file






Tuesday, 8 August 2023

Audio download - Fire Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout Game Music (1991)


Over the last few months, I have been working closely with the Critical Club forums to
archive as many game guides as possible. In the process, I have begun acquiring original
gaming soundtracks along with my regular imports.

For Blog #237, we're going to take a look at one of the earliest soundtracks released for
Japan's popular Fire Pro-Wrestling series.


Fire Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout - Game Music

The year was 1991, and Human Entertainment had just released the sequel to their
popular grappling simulator Fire Pro-Wrestling Combination Tag. In a nutshell, Fire
Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout introduced ten new players, additional game modes, and
a refined Wrestling engine, bringing fans closer to the antics of the squared circle.

To celebrate 2nd Bout's release, Japanese music label Try Trendy Technology 
was tasked with issuing the official soundtrack of the game. The album simply
titled: Fire Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout - Game Music, was also released in 1991.


At first glance, one might confuse the soundtrack's cover art with a stock image of 2nd
Bout's title screen.




The back of the album. The album uses the same cover model for 2nd Bout's game
release.

In case you were wondering, the cover model was a young Riki Fuji. At the time,
FMW had a working relationship with HUMAN Entertainment, and allowed Fuji
to be photographed for all of 2nd Bout's merchandising and promotional material.

       

Other than the front cover, there are no pages inside the booklet, other than this credit
page.



Most of the Fire Pro soundtracks included extra items that were bundled with the CD's.
The first title (Combination Tag) included stickers of certain Wrestlers. For 2nd Bout's
release, the bonus item was a two-sided foldout poster.

The design is simply the mode select screen.



Poster back: which contains the 2nd Bout roster (minus the four hidden boss characters),
a gameplay secret and liner notes.

The trick simply states that pressing Button 1 and II with the direction buttons will perform
an "unknown trick".

What the above text is referring to are the codes to unlock the hidden boss characters using
Button I, II and the directional buttons on the Wrestler select screen in exhibition matches.

Along with the liner notes is a special message from Fire Pro staff member Chachamaru
Sasazawa
, who writes:

"Fire Pro Wrestling Second Bout Now the clever gong rings again. Two years and two months
after "Fire Pro Wrestling Combination Tag", the second release is finally here in response to
everyone's hot requests. 10 new wrestlers have been replaced and, of course, their techniques
have been upgraded. What's more, in "Fire Pro 2" you can freely form a tag team, so the
variety of battles has expanded dramatically. If you've never played it before, please give it a
try."


Chachamaru started out as a cover art illustration for the First Fire Pro title (Combination Tag),
as well as a pixel artist, before going on to head Fire Pro's fan clubs, public events (such as Fire
Pro tournaments) and hotlines.






CD design.


Arranged Versions
1. Fire Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout (opening theme)
2. Troubled Times (Wrestler select theme)
3. Genocider (Excite mode theme)
4. Metal Spark (World Championship mode theme)
5. Splendid Fighter (Elimination Match theme)
6. Congratulations (Ending theme)


Original Game Music
7. Fire Pro-Wrestling 2nd Bout (opening theme)
8. Troubled Times (Wrestler Select theme)
9. Genocider  (Excite mode theme)
10. Metal Spark (World Championship mode theme)
11. Power Cyclone (Super Tournament theme)
12. Splendid Fighter (Elimination Match theme)
13. Counter Attack (2nd World Championship mode playthrough theme)
14. Fighter Entrance (Fighter's entrance theme)
15. Toast (Result - winner theme)
16. Dirge of Fight (Result - loser theme)
17. Congratulations (Ending theme)


The below link contains all 17 tracks in WAV format, along with entire booklet scans.

DOWNLOAD LINK: