M.U.S.C.L.E.

"Semisublime Wrestling Shines from this Underrated Title"

Grab a bowl of Gyuudon and crush your opponents against the mat! Yes, the Millions of Unusual Small Creatures lurking everywhere are indeed lurking in a cartridge for an NES near you. Prepare to delve into a game with profuse notoriety, yet lots of potential for fun.

The game pits an assortment of fighters from the Kinnikuman manga against each other in a variety of rings. Choose Kinnikuman, Terryman, Robin Mask, Warsman, Buffaloman, Ramenman, Ashuraman, and one other wrestler depending on the version of the game you have. In an act of what must have been censorship, Blocken Jr. from the Famicom version is replaced with Geronimo (aka Beetlebomb) in the NES version. The characters play exactly the same, only the sprites have been changed. Blocken Jr. is a German character whose special attack is the “Baron's Red Rain,” while Geronimo is more of a Native American whom throws axes. One can't help but think MUSCLE got a pseudo Bionic Commando treatment to avoid fascist connotations with Blocken Jr.

These characters are pretty high rollers in the Kinniku continuity, and they're all fairly powerful Chyojin. Chyojin are super powered beings, usually human or humanoid. However, in spite of the power of these guys, the matches remain pretty tame. When you consider that some of these fighters, like Warsman, have brutally slain their enemies, a couple of punches to the face may seem pretty pacified.

The gameplay is pretty simple in the game, and while it doesn't reflect the characters, simple gameplay is most often a good thing. You have a button to jump, and a button to punch. You can perform a small variety of moves depending on your position in relation to the opponent or through a combination of buttons. You may even push an opponent into the ropes, or jump against the ropes to attack your opponent. Of course, the latter applies only to the basic ring ropes. As you play you will fight in a certain ring which defeats this ability.

On top of your standard moves, the Choyjin are able to perform one of their special moves if they get a Meat Ball. Periodically during the match, Meat will appear at the top of the ring and toss in a ball. If any wrestlers grab this, they will be flashing for a short time, during which they can attack with some pretty powerful moves. They range from throws to dashes. The throws require you to be near your opponent, so they're fairly easy to run away from. The dashes, as I have referred to them, are a quick forward attack performed in midair. Blocken Jr./Geronimo doesn't adhere to either of these dogma, however, and instead is the only character to possess a projectile. While they may not be overpowered themselves, it's very easy to trap someone with them and create an unfair advantage.

So, basically you attack each other until someone runs out of energy. If you're running low, you can tag your partner in and start anew. Both you and your opponent have two wrestlers, so watch your foe if he's retreating to his corner!

Overall, I'd say the replay value of the game is pretty solid, after all I've been playing the game all of these years on both the Famicom version and the NES version. There's a two player option so you can go head-to-head with someone, and it played exactly like any other portion of the game. However, you will realize that a lot of the game is just about bouncing off the ropes and grabbing Meat Balls. This could become tedious, so this game is usually there for short matches now and then. Besides, it's perfect for that. Choose two wrestlers and fight, no superfluities to slow the process of the game besides a few victory screens.

Aesthetically, however, the game does fall flat. The characters are superdeformed and lack clarity as to their appearance. Because of his resolution, I had once thought that Buffaloman had worn one of those Viking helmets with the horns. Nope, those are his horns and his hair. Is Kinnikuman an arterial lump with big lips? Nah, those lines in there are just to distinguish his features, like seperating his crest from his head (although, his mask does include fairly sizeable lips). Meat doesn't look too snazzy either, he's a still sprite that waves back and forth at the top of the ring. But hey, at least you can tell Robin Mask is wearing armor!

The sounds aren't bad, however. The tune that plays in the opening is uninspired, but decent. The sounds during the fight aren't of superior quality, but they work. there's a nice sound when you bounce off the ropes and one when you fall against the ground. The crowd's a nice touch too. I admittedly find myself imitating it sometimes when I play other games. The game does lack a battling theme, which brings the sound score down in my books.

So, overall, how do I rank the game? It gets a 7/10. It provides a lot of fun, yet the same elements that make the game fun can make it tedious. If you are finding the game stale, play with a friend. That would be both more challenging and unpredictable. The game's not flawless, it does have some serious gaps in depth of play, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Give this game a chance, it's actually quite fun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/25/04