Review #532: Galactic Wrestling - Featuring Ultimate MUSCLE

 Weird doesn't come close to describing this game.

Kinniku Mantaro gets to be on the cover over his father! Hey, USA was fond of the OG's toys!

 You might've heard about MUSCLE, a 90's era miniature collection that people used to love.... well, they came from Kinnikuman, a manga and anime series from the late 80s. Galactic Wrestling is a Wrestling game I used to play when I was younger, when I knew very little about the series, and even so, I found it to be fantastic. Over 10 years later... the game is still just as good.

 Disappointingly, for a licensed game, there's no story mode, but there's a decent amount of modes to make up for it, as well as a few bonus intros between specific characters. There's VS(CPU or Player), which can be 1 on 1, 2 on 2, Tag-team and 3 or 4 man battle Royales. As for fancier modes, there's Survival, Mask Hunt, in which you play as Neptuneman and Big the Budo and try to finish off specific opponents with your Tag-Team ultimate to steal their masks, Team Battle and Tournaments. It's a decent selection, although it could've used a few more bells and whistles. There's a 48 character roster, but there's a handful of clones in there that could've easily passed as alternate costumes, and maybe they should had, as clones tend to be alternate forms or costumes that characters once wore in the series.

Bitter enemies in the MUSCLE toyline, buddies in the Kinnikuman franchise!

 Controls are fairly simple, tap X for combo attacks or hold X for a stronger attack, tap or press circle to perform different throws. triangle to jump, and then you can dive for a grab or aerial attack, and square to dash or block. If they try to grab you, you can deflect it with a punch, and you can deflect punches by guarding, easy peasy. As you deal and receive damage you'll ignite three different orbs under your health bar, and you can use them for super attacks. L1+X performs a level 1 melee super, L1+O is a level 2 super grab and L1+R1 is your cinematic super attack. The right analog stick is used to ask your tag team partner for support or tag in-and-out with him. There's also a green gauge that fills as you fight, once full you get Muscle P, which increases your power for a short while, and in a few cases, also grants you other benefits, like regeneration or even invulnerability.

 The gameplay is very fast and simple, anyone can just pick up the joystick and start having fun with the game. That said, the game could've used better balancing. Some characters, like Rogue Shogun, are simply too strong, his Muscle P invulnerability makes him an incredible powerhouse. Speaking of the characters, while having so many clones is a bit disappointing, I think the biggest letdown is that it's missing some classic characters, namely, the five fated princes. At least Kinnikuman Super Phoenix and Kinnikuman Zebra should've been here, in place of fodder like 'Vance McMadd' or 'Grandpa'.

Warsman's about to lose his mask.

 Unlocking characters could've been made a little easier. Mask Hunt is a great idea for a mode, and it's fun, if only you weren't depending on an AI buddy. It can be so aggravating when you're building up your energy orbs, and depleting your target's lifebar since you must finish them off with the tag-team super, only for your idiot AI buddy to decide to waste both of your energy orbs on the tag-team super... but on the other opponent. You'll probably end up killing your target before both of your gauges refill. For as much fun as I had in that mode, and I did, the CPU vexed me so much at times. There're about 4 characters tied to the toys, basically, as you play through the game you earn Medals which you can then spend on capsule machines. The problem is... you can get repeated figures and you need to collect them all in order to unlock everyone. Pro-tip: Unlock Rogue Shogun first, then play Tournament, 4 opponents, Hard difficulty(It's not hard, I promise) and change the rounds on the last match to 3, you'll be swimming in coins in no time. Regardless, it's annoying having to depend on luck in order to unlock everything.

 One of the game's biggest strengths, and the one that makes this game so memorable, is its very colorful cast of characters. The designs are simple, but very distinct and snappy, so you'll have fun trying everyone out. Super moves are quite a treat, even if they are missing the franchise's trademark brutality. This is not another boring wrestling game in which Random Man#4(Blue tights) fights Random dudebro #54(Yellow tights), oh no, this is a game in which a guy with a hole for a face creates a portal to outer space and sucks in a golden giant made out of bricks and then proceeds to pummel him while inside a pink distortion somewhere between time and space. This is a very weird game, and it's all the much better for it!

Shivano's one tough cookie.

 Galactic Wrestling is one of the most unique wrestling games out there thanks to its fantastic cast of characters. If you light wrestling games... nay, even if you like fighting games the game is worth a look, and trust me, you don't need to know anything about the manga or the show to appreciate its brilliant weirdness.
 8.0 out of 10