TGS 2002: Hands-on: Kinnikuman Second Generations

MUSCLE is the US name for the popular Japanese anime series, Kinnikuman. The small, pink wrestler action figures were everywhere throughout the mid-80s, slowly dying out after a couple of years in the spotlight. Bandai is bringing the little pink guys back, however, in a new, bigger form. The new TV show based on the characters is currently airing in the US, and Bandai is currently putting the finishing touches on a GameCube wrestling game featuring the characters. The game is being developed by AKI, the company responsible for many of THQ's most popular WWF-licensed games.

The Kinnikuman G2 storyline pits the various Kinnikuman characters against each other. Characters include the evil Buffalo Man, Broken Jr., Sunshine, Kinnikuman himself, and several more. Each character has his own set of moves, though the game doesn't require too much technical know-how to make moves happen, instead opting for a WWE SmackDown!-like move system that determines which move you'll do by which controller direction you're pushing when you grapple. Like the original Kinnikuman wrestling game for the NES, power-ups will occasionally make their way into the ring. But these power-ups add various effects, such as lightning, changes in your wrestler's movement speed, and adding power to your special meter. Once your special meter is full, pulling both triggers simultaneously will cause you to unleash a special attack. The special moves are conveyed in a style similar to the anime, complete with speed lines and close-ups of the combatants' faces. Matches end when one player is knocked out, which happens automatically when a player's health bar is fully depleted.

The thing that makes this new Kinnikuman game stand out is its graphics. The game is cel-shaded, which works extremely well, given the subject matter. The animation used for the wrestling moves is also pretty cool--bodies bend just the right way to convey pain caused by backbreakers, suplexes, and the like. The crowd moves well and the announcers and other wrestlers outside of the ring give the game a busier look.

With the series regaining steam in the US in the form of Ultimate Muscle, there's a chance that Bandai could bring this fast, fun wrestling game to the States. No official plans have been announced at this time. The game is scheduled to hit Japan in late November.