M.U.S.C.L.E. was based on a series of action figures in Japan called Kinkeshi which was based on the manga Kinnikuman which means Muscleman so at least they didn’t butcher the translation. Though the series faded away into a deep dark pit of retrospection, many remember it and the NES game was pretty notable for fans.

The NES game based on the hit series is more or less just a simple wrestling game. You pick two characters to spar against two other musclemen. There really is no difference between any of the characters. It’s all cosmetic, the only thing you can really do is various punches, kicks, and slams. There are a few power-ups and tag-team additions to the game-play, but it’s minimal and doesn’t make a difference.

It’s a shame this was put on NES, because I think Bandai could have done a decent job at a MUSCLE game on SNES with better hardware and controls a few years later. Maybe it served as a educational experience for developers of wrestling games, but today it’s no more than an average beat-em up.

Score: 4 out of 10