Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E.
Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E., known in Japan as Kinnikuman: Muscle Tag Match,[lower-alpha 1] is a fighting game developed by Tose and published by Bandai for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Japanese edition is based on Yudetamago's manga and anime series Kinnikuman, but the North American edition was not due to the source material being not well-known outside Japan.
| Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E. | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Tose |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action, wrestling |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
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).[1]
Gameplay
The game has two modes, one requiring the player to defeat a computer opponent while the other requires two players to fight against each other.
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" (Kinnikuman's Trainer Meat Alexandria).
Several moves can be done in the game, such as 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, and back drop aka suplex (press B close behind the enemy).
Although the game goes on endlessly, it officially has 255 rounds. After those rounds, the player enters round 0 (completing the 8 bit variable for rounds number), on which the speed level resets and the time per round returns to 30:00 (from round 100 reduced to 10:00).
It is believed that the maximum score one could get from this game is 99,999,999 points, but it is unknown what will happen afterwards, but it will probably return to 0 as well.
Characters
- Kinnikuman (North American version – Muscleman)
- Finisher: Kinniku Driver, carries opponent and jumps off screen straight up and comes down. One of if not the most damage inducing moves in the game.
- Terryman
- Finisher: Calf Branding, 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.
- Buffaloman (North American version – Terri-bull)
- Finisher: Hurricane Mixer, for a short distance he can burst charge 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.
Release
The game was released in Japan on November 8, 1985.[2] It was released in North America on October 1986.
The Gold Edition of the Japanese version of the game has been a sought-after collector's item, and is considered the "Holy Grail" of the Famicom collection. In 2017, the Gold Edition of the Famicom version has been valued at ¥2,000,000 ($18,200 USD).[3]
Reception
The game sold 1.05 million units in Japan.[4]
See also
References
- Kinnikuman: Kinniku Ookurai Soudatsusen (FDS) Archived 2018-01-07 at the Wayback Machine VGChartz
- "キン肉マン マッスルタッグマッチ [ファミコン]". Famitsu. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- Schanen, Naomi (2017-08-18). "Blasts from the past: Japan's gaming classics get a retro revival". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Archived from the original on 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- "Japan Platinum Chart Games". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2 October 2021.