Getting Started

So you like what you've seen so far, and you'd like to get in on the action. Where do you go from here? Patience, young one. Let The Vin Man show you way.

1. GET A SATURN
The Sega Saturn should still be available at most toy or video game stores. However, it has been discontinued in favor of the Sega Dreamcast. So the bad news is, they will get harder and harder to find. The good news is, the price for one should get lower and lower. Also, check classified ads in hopes of finding a used one. (I bought mine from a friend's brother.)

2. GET THE GAME
This can be a little tricky. Most major cities will have video game stores that specialize in imported games. If your city has a Japanese community or "Chinatown," (in Seattle we call it the "international district") check for game stores there, too. If all else fails, check out online stores like Buy Rite Video Games or The Rage.

3. GET A CONVERTOR
There's two different ways to get a convertor. The first way is to convert your Saturn internally. I've heard that a company called National Console Support will convert your Saturn for you, and that the operation costs somewhere in the $30-40 price range.
The second way to convert your Saturn is using an external convertor cartridge. These cartridges are inserted in the memory cartridge slot on the Saturn. The bad news about that is, if you want to use an external memory cart, you have to start the game, then rip out the convertor and stick in the mem cart. As everyone who's ever owned a video game system knows, ripping a cartridge out while a game is on is asking for bad news. If you choose to exist this way, realize that the odds are your memory card will eventually be wiped completely clean.
The good news is that Buy Rite offers a 2-in-1 convertor/memory cartridge. This cartridge, just like it sounds, will let you run Japanese games while still offering a full 8 megs of memory. I haven't gotten one yet, but I soon will.

4. GET EXTRA CONTROLLERS
Finding extra controllers for the Saturn should be easy; just check video game and toy stores. But to truly enjoy Fire Pro, you'll need a six-player adapter. These are very rare, but they are out there. I dug mine out of a bargain bin at JCPenney for four bucks. If you're not that lucky - and I doubt you would be - try Rage or Buy Rite.

5. GET OVER TO KAGURA'S
The Mysterious Kagura has everything you need to know about how to use this game. Memory cartridge use, screen translations, move lists, etc. This guy has devoted hours and hours of time to make it easier for you to play this game. It would be downright rude not to take advantage of it.

6. GET MORE WEB STUFF
If you're going to get serious about character creation, there's a few other resouces you have to check out. The World Firepro Wrestling Federation has a lot of resources to use, including a move list (complete with each moves' Critical! ability) and a style sheet. Finally, if you want to post your creations on the Web, you'll need 6MSEdit, a utility that will make your life much easier. Also, don't take these sites to be the only ones on the Web. Always try to find more for yourself!

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