Play M.u.s.c.l.e. - Tag Team Match Online

M.U.S.C.L.E. Tag Team Match came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, published by Bandai. It was one of many games from that period trying to capture the energy of arcade wrestling, built around a line of strange, pink rubber action figures. You would see it on the shelf next to other mid-80s NES titles, a simple concept wrapped in colorful, chunky graphics.

You control a team of two wrestlers, switching between them to fight against another duo. The main goal is to clear a series of screens by throwing every opponent out of the ring. Your main moves are punches, kicks, and most importantly, grapples; you latch onto an enemy, drag them toward the ropes, and heave them over. The screen-by-screen progression means you fight through different themed stages, like a factory or a haunted house, with a boss at the end of each. The game moves quickly, but the controls can feel stiff, making it difficult to position yourself for a clean throw. It feels like a frantic, clumsy brawl where a single mistake can send your own character flying.