M.U.S.C.L.E. Tag Team Match
System: NES
Release Date: October 1986
Developer: Tose
Publisher: Bandai
Genre: Fighting
Now we’re getting to some property that should speak to me. M.U.S.C.L.E. is the first of four wrestling games we’ll see this month. It’s based off the Kinnikuman franchise that was popular enough in Japan to make its way to America. This is one of many things we can thank the 80s pro wrestling boom for. When I first played M.U.S.C.L.E. years ago, it frustrated me and I quickly bailed. Now that I have a manual to read, I had a better idea of how the game works.
You choose a tag team from eight different characters. Each has their own special move that they can pull off if they grab a booster ball thrown into the ring by their trainer. Muscle Man uses the Muscle Driver, Robin Mask has the Tower Bridge, Ashra Man hits the Ashra Buster, Terry Man employs the Bulldogging Headlock, Geronimo throws the Tomahawk Technique, Larmen Man (Ramen Man) kicks faces off with Fatal Kung Fu, Buffalo Man spins across the ring with the Hurricane Mixer, and Wars Man charges with his Bear Claws.
Each character has the same set of basic moves, as well. Punch with the A button, jump with the B button. Turn that jump into a dropkick by pressing the A button while in the air. If you can get behind your opponent and press the A button, you’ll hit a back drop. Pressing the A button while the wrestlers are facing each other and touching, will push your opponent back, which allows you to hit the A button to throw a clothesline if they bounce back off the ropes. Finally, if you jump into the ropes, your wrestler will bounce back with a flying body attack.
Using these moves will allow you to take your tag team and go through a never ending torrent of matches against pairings of the other six characters. Each bout is a 2 out of 3 falls match. A fall is decided when the power ball gauge falls to zero. If your power level gets low, it’s best to go to your corner and press the A button to tag to the fresh man. You can also replenish power by successfully stringing together attacks or by grabbing a booster ball.
My go to team is Terry Man and Ramen Man, which are my two favorite characters from the M.U.S.C.L.E. franchise. I was able to get to round 10 before my small helper decided that I should be done playing the game. Terry Man’s Bulldogging Headlock is easy to pull off by just pressing the A button, unlike the characters who you have to get a back grapple with. Same with Ramen Man, as it replaces the dropkick.
Graphics: 1.5
Characters only consist of 2 or 3 colors. You can tell who they should be, but they are very plain.
Sound: 1.5
You get a song at character select and between rounds. The sound effects are crowd noise and bloops during attacks. Nothing special.
Gameplay: 1.5
The controls aren’t terrible, just sparse, and doing a back grapple is difficult on a fully powered opponent.
Difficulty: 2.0
After you get your bearings in the first match, you should be fine until you get to higher rounds.
Fun Factor: 1.5
I had more fun with it than I thought, but it’s not something I’d purposely go back to.
Overall Grade: 1.6
M.U.S.C.L.E. Tag Team Match earns a C-. It’s not a very good game, but it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be.