Tag Team Match: MUSCLE

Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E.
File:MUSCLE game.jpg Cover art of M.U.S.C.L.E.
Developer(s)	TOSE
Publisher(s)	Bandai Mattel
Platforms	Family Computer/NES
Release date(s)
Genre(s)	Action Wrestling
Mode(s)	Single-player Multiplayer (up to two players)

Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E. (キン肉マン マッスルタッグマッチ, Kinnikuman: Massuru Taggu Matchi, "Kinnikuman Muscle Tag Match") is based on characters from Yudetamago's manga and anime series Kinnikuman.

It has eight playable characters, each with his own special move. The game was followed by a 1987 Japan-only sequel for the Famicom Disk System titled, Kinnikuman: Kinniku-sei Ōi Sōdatsusen (キン肉マン キン肉星王位争奪戦, Kinnikuman: Scramble for the Throne).

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 (North American version – 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 (North American version – 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 hurricane mixer

Ashuraman

Finisher: Ashura Buster

Brocken Jr. (Japanese version only)

Finisher: Nazi Gas Attack

Geronimo (North American version only)

Finisher: Apache War Cry

Note that Brocken Jr. and Geronimo are the same in this game, just slightly different graphics.

Rings

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

Reception

Seanbaby reviewed Tag Team Match: 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 MobyGames