Wrestling fans may be disheartened that I'm taking a break from the genre, but there's actually a lot to look forward to. One of the main reasons for my detour is to exercise my skills and explore new techniques. Whether it's accidental or intentional, my recent projects are already laying the foundations for a formidable return to the ring...

Facing The Future
One of the most obvious developments is that the square heads of Wrestling MPire are already history! Popscene ushered in a much more detailed (and realistic) head - complete with dozens of equally improved hairstyles. The shockwaves filtered down to other parts of the body too - refining the torso, hips, and feet (albeit to a lesser extent). The texturing was also stepped up a notch, and gave us the best face and costume selections yet. A development that was stretched even further by the unique characters of Sure Shot 3D. All manner of helmets, caps, and masks, are just waiting to be worn in the ring! Those guns might liven things up too...

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
Speaking of characterization, Sure Shot 3D also saw the animation improve a little. Given the game's simplicity, it's not that evident - but I certainly felt more comfortable and productive in the studio. If I were ever to remake the wrestling games, I'm sure we'd be seeing some smoother sequences all round - from the movement and taunts through to the attacks and moves. The gameplay they're attached to can also expect to improve. My new ethic of taking the time to perfect game features - complete with tighter, more efficient programming - would smooth off some of the rough edges that plagued last year's produce... 

Booking MPalace
One the most exciting developments, in my mind, is that the location modelling has improved beyond recognition. Between Popscene and Sure Shot 3D, I've had to work with scenery that I never encountered whilst stuck inside a wrestling arena! Sure Shot's sprawling outdoor landscapes would offer some interesting possibilities, but Popscene's spectacular stadiums are the more obvious contender. A modern-day wrestling arena would boast the same realistic dome-like features - complete with more architectural detail in the background and amongst the crowd. Speaking of the crowd, they too might benefit from the huge masses seen at big Popscene venues. Breakthroughs were made in modelling and texturing that would ensure that. More importantly, it's likely that a wrestling game would finally boast dozens of genuinely different arenas. The original was just the same thing textured differently, but we would now see a selection as diverse as that in Popscene - ranging from small halls to majestic stadiums...

Moonlighting
While we're on the subject of more impressive surroundings, the atmospheric breakthroughs of Sure Shot 3D are worth noting. More effort went into establishing the difference between night and day - even offering a "twilight" setting that bridged the gap. More importantly though, breakthroughs were made in lighting that brought extra atmosphere to dark settings. Those wandering spotlights would be a welcome addition to any wrestler's entrance! They could even inspire yet another gimmick match - whereby the wrestlers stumble around a dark arena, aided only by an unpredictable spotlight? In any case, the cartoony visuals brought on by the new Sure Shot lighting may also be of interest. Realistic graphics will never be my strong point, so hiding behind this bright and colourful alternative might be the best way forward... 

Allow Me To Present...
One of the key developments easing me into this professional era is the increasingly better presentation. It makes the games look less amateurish, easier to use - and more enjoyable for all concerned. I thought I had it down by the Wrestling MPire series, but Popscene and Sure Shot 3D have embarrassed the entire Evolution Of The MPire team! Presentation used to be the least of my concerns, but it's now one of the features I pay most attention to (and enjoy perfecting). Sure Shot 3D, in particular, boasts the most airtight effort yet - complete with fully graphical buttons and text. When a wrestling game finally re-emerges, it should boast that extra bit of class... 

Nice To Meter You
Speaking of presentation, Sure Shot 3D has even made strides with in-game techniques! The game has finally delivered the 3D health meters that I failed to perfect for Wrestling MPire (it's trickier than it looks). The wrestling games sorely missed the feature though, as disjointed 2D displays had to adorn the top of the screen. I would have preferred to resurrect the personal health bars from Federation Booker. Nowadays, I would indeed be able to do that...

All Terrain Vehicle
Wrecked single-handedly produced dozens of breakthroughs - the first of which ranks as one of the biggest ever! It came so early that it's easy to dismiss, but we now have fully interactive 3D terrain. Until now (even in the pseudo-3D world of Sure Shot) we were restricted to completely flat surfaces and only the most basic of surroundings. Now, however, the characters can be dropped onto any 3D landscape and trusted to negotiate it properly. It forced me to completely rethink the way I use characters in a world, and that is essentially the breakthrough. There may not be much call for 3D terrain in the wrestling games, but the point is that I'm more comfortable than ever with detailed environments. In addition to looking as good as Popscene promises, the arenas may even feel better! The action could finally take place on entrance ramps and other unpredictable structures...

Leap Of Faith
The topsy-turvy terrain of Wrecked also made for some unpredictable leaps and falls. In fact, the game was responsible for my first ever real jumping system (going far beyond even Big BumpZ). The game carefully established where the ground was, and then threw the player into a fall whenever there was a discrepancy - as is the case in real life! In may not sound like much, but it was an incredibly difficult concept to implement. Not least because the character had to smoothly enter a falling animation (for an unknown amount of time) and then snap out of it with just as much grace. Along the way, we even had a realistic gravity system which established a noticeable difference between short stumbles and long falls. The implications for a wrestling game? Those top turnbuckle attacks promise to fly perfectly - from anywhere to anywhere!

Trick Of The Camera
Another by-product of the terrain breakthrough was that I had to revolutionize the camera system. Wrecked had to follow a character that could turn and advance - something that we had never seen in my games before. It was a mind-boggling problem of NASA proportions, but I figured it out and the result is the smoothest camera yet! Basically, we have a camera that reaches its destination with pinpoint precision. Previous cameras travelled in all directions at the same speed, which resulted in a few shaky moments - such as reaching the right depth too early and then trailing to the sides. Now the camera travels in each direction at the right pace, so that they all come together at the right time. It's hard to explain, and you probably won't even notice it in action! That, however, is precisely the point. It's so smooth that all you have to worry about is enjoying the game...

Deep Impact
Wrecked also made considerable advances in terms of gameplay. Not only did the attacking animations look more convincing than ever before, but they also packed an equally satisfying punch! The game's improved range system took note of where an impact took place - rather than simply whether it happened or not. The results were blows that pushed an enemy back as far as they needed to go. An impact at close range forced an enemy way back, whereas a slight tap felt like just that. In addition to being more realistic, this also kept a lid on the ugly clipping that plagued earlier titles. The breakthrough filtered into other areas of the game too, such as the scarring system - which could now use the point of impact to produce scars in the correct places! A wrestling game will enjoy the very same benefits; and will most likely build on them to boot...      

Great Balls Of Fire!
One of the most joyous breakthroughs of Wrecked was that I finally conquered particle effects. For years, they had been an elusive technique that was only ever executed poorly (if at all). Now though, we had perfectly smooth effects gushing into the atmosphere - ranging from red hot fire to ice cold water! Plus plenty of things in between - such as the impacts of a fist or item, and the smoke rising from a blaze. It may have taken its toll on the frame rate, but the professional polish was hard to sacrifice. And that may remain true for every game from now on! The implications for a wrestling game, in particular, are hard to ignore. We can finally look forward to convincing flames and the inferno matches that they fuel - not to mention the first ever realistic explosions...

Slight Of Hand
The flames actually proved to be a double-barrel breakthrough. In addition to blazing camp fires, we also had the first real flaming weapons. Prior games had to make do with a woefully unconvincing fire texture. Now, however, we had a mini inferno burning at the end of any given weapon - complete with a trail of smoke and sparks following its every move! The effect was down to an even bigger breakthrough, which allowed me to follow the precise location of any given limb or item. Until recently, any such following was a mathematical illusion - but now the game knew exactly where everything was. This gave rise to several other cool touches, such as the handful of water which followed the character's hand from the pool to his mouth. All forthcoming games will boast the same limb-by-limb precision. Quite how they will use it remains to be seen, because the possibilities are literally endless...

Watch This Space
All of those promising developments from just a few games! Just imagine how many more possibilities are going to open up in the months that follow. That's why I'm so adamant about staying away as long as possible. If I remade Wrestling MPire now, it would be a "notch" better than the original. If I wait a year, or maybe two, it would truly be a different experience - as far beyond the original as Sure Shot 3D is from its 2D predecessor! That might be hard to imagine, but time has taught us that it's true. So I apologise for giving you a tantalizing glimpse of the future - because it's not going to be satisfied any time soon. Even if I did want to remake the game, the demand isn't quite there while wrestling suffers yet another slow period. I'll be keeping an eye out for its inevitable return to form though. And when it does come back, I'll be there with the perfect game to celebrate with...