M.U.S.C.L.E. (video game)

M.U.S.C.L.E., known in Japan as Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match (キン肉マン マッスルタッグマッチ^?), is a NES wrestling game based on characters from the Yudetamago's manga and anime series Kinnikuman. It has eight playable characters, each with his own special move. The game's full title is Tag Team Match M.U.S.C.L.E.. The game was followed by a 1987 Japan-only sequel for the Famicom Disk System titled, Kinnikuman: Kinniku Ōkurai Sōdatsusen (キン肉マン キン肉星王位争奪戦^?).

Gameplay

Singles mode (one on one bout) Two-on-Two tag team wrestling match. One Player or Two Player Versus. The A button jumps, and B punches or activates a special move after collecting an energy ball that is randomly thrown by the boy called "Meat". Moves that can be done, punch, jump, drop kick, shove, shove into ropes, flying body attack (jump into ropes and rebound), lariat aka clothes line, shove enemy into ropes and then hit A, back drop aka suplex (press B close behind your enemy).

Characters

Kinnikuman/Muscleman

Finisher: Kinniku Driver, carries opponent and jumps off screen straight up and comes down. One of the if not the most damage inducing moves in the game.

Terryman

Finisher: Bull Dog Headlock, basically a speedy version of the lariat move in the game without having to rebound off the ropes and can be done repeatedly.

Ramenman

Finisher: Leg Lariat, basically a faster longer version of the regular drop kick move.

Robin Mask

Finisher: Tower Bridge, Argentine back breaker (Lex Luger's torture rack) from pro-wrestling

Buffaloman/Terri-bull

Finisher: Hurricane Mixer, for a short distance he can burst charge you with his horned head.

Warsman

Finisher: Bear Claw, covers longer distance than the hurrican mixer

Ashuraman

Finisher: Ashura Buster

Brocken Jr. (Japanese version only) note that Brocken Jr. and Geronimo are the same in this game, just slightly different graphics.

Finisher: Nazi Gas Attack (That's most likely why he was censored in the States)

Geronimo (U.S. version only)

Finisher: Apache war cry

Rings

• Normal Ring
• Ice-Top Ring
• Electric Rope Ring

Reception

Seanbaby reviewed M.U.S.C.L.E as one of the 20 worst games for the NES. Seanbaby gave the graphics a rating of zero and stated that the graphics are indescribable. "You can get all the excitement of this game without even inserting the cartridge" Seanbaby explains "Listen: Every now and then, a magic ball will fly out of the crowd and into the ring. If you grab it, your little guy starts to flash different colors. Then the M.U.S.C.L.E. sound engineers show off what they learned in college by simulating a crowd noise with nasty static."

References

• M.U.S.C.L.E. at GameFAQs
• M.U.S.C.L.E. at MobyGames