''Tag Team Match: M.U.S.C.L.E.'', known in Japan as is a

fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...

developed by

Tose () (also called Tose Software) is a Japanese video game development company based in Kyoto. It is mostly known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch ports and remakes#Game & Watch Gallery series, ''Game & Watch Gallery'' series, various ''Drago ...

and published by

Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...

for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

. The Japanese edition is based on

Yudetamago is the pen name of the Japanese manga artists duo consisting of story writer Takashi Shimada and artist Yoshinori Nakai. They are best known for the popular manga ''Kinnikuman'', ''Ultimate Muscle'' (Kinnikuman Nisei), and ''Tatakae!! Ramenman''. M ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series ''

Kinnikuman is a Japanese manga series created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. It follows Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain the title of prince of Planet Kinniku. N ...

'', but the North American edition was not due to the source material being not well-known outside Japan. 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 The commonly shortened to the Famicom Disk System or just Disk System, is a peripheral for Nintendo's Nintendo Entertainment System, Family Computer home video game console, released only in Japan on February 21, 1986. It uses proprietary flopp ...

titled .

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

;

(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 The following is a list of characters from ''Kinnikuman'', a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin (超人 ''Chōjin''; "superhuman"), superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes and ...

: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 The following is a list of characters from ''Kinnikuman'', a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin (超人 ''Chōjin''; "superhuman"), superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes and ...

:Finisher: Leg Lariat, basically a faster longer version of the regular drop kick move. ; Robin Mask :Finisher: Tower Bridge, Argentine back breaker. ;

Buffaloman The following is a list of characters from ''Kinnikuman'', a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin (超人 ''Chōjin''; "superhuman"), superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes and ...

(North American version – Terri-bull) :Finisher: Hurricane Mixer, for a short distance he can burst charge with his horned head. ;

Warsman The following is a list of characters from ''Kinnikuman'', a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin (超人 ''Chōjin''; "superhuman"), superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes and ...

:Finisher: Bear Claw, covers longer distance than the hurricane mixer. ; Ashuraman :Finisher: Ashura Buster ;

Brocken Jr. The following is a list of characters from ''Kinnikuman'', a manga/anime series written by Yudetamago. The majority of the cast of Kinnikuman are Choujin (超人 ''Chōjin''; "superhuman"), superpowered individuals who comes in all shapes an ...

(Japanese version only) :Finisher: Nazi Gas Attack ;

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

(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. 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).

Reception

The game sold 1.05 million units in Japan.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Kinnikuman Kinnikuman games 1985 video games Nintendo Entertainment System games Nintendo Entertainment System-only games Bandai games Action games Tag team videogames Tose (company) games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in Japan