AKI, the development team behind the insanely popular Wrestlemania 2000 and No Mercy WWE games for the Nintendo 64, has been keeping busy during the past several months developing two wrestling games for two separate companies at the same time. Interestingly, both of these games are based on rather odd licenses, but the stranger of the two is undoubtedly Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation for the GameCube--a game that's based on the brand-new Muscle cartoon (now airing on the Fox network) that features over-the-top wrestling maneuvers and an equally vibrant cast of characters. We had a chance to play through the final Japanese version of Ultimate Muscle, and while it may not have the depth of some of AKI's previous efforts, its fast pace and unique assortment of moves will likely appeal to most wrestling fans.

Ultimate Muscle is based on the cartoon that has recently started airing on the Fox network.

Of course, no wrestling game would be complete without a number of different modes to choose from, and thankfully Ultimate Muscle has all of the basic options intact. There's a story mode where you can select one of eight characters, and, depending on the character selected, a story will unfold via prematch banter between two of the wrestlers. After the conversation has concluded, you're given the option to select a partner for the match, whom you can tag if your wrestler is running a little low on energy. It's worth noting that if the computer happens to make a tag during a story mode match, you'll have to beat him and his partner--whereas if the computer doesn't make a tag, you only need to knock out that particular character. Once the story mode has been completed, an additional character is unlocked and made available in other parts of the game.

The story mode can certainly be entertaining, but much of what makes Ultimate Muscle such a fun game to play is its multiplayer mode. Fortunately, the game supports up to four players in the versus mode, which features several different match types. There are two different types of one-on-one modes--one with a partner and one without. If you select a match with a partner, that character will attempt to help you throughout the match by throwing in different types of power-ups. Ultimate Muscle also features two different tag team formats that are accessible in the versus mode. One of the formats places all four characters in the ring at once, while the other version of the tag team match is much more traditional, forcing you to take on an opponent one-on-one and move to the corner to make a tag when your energy drops dangerously low. If you're looking for something a little more chaotic, then you can select the three- or four-man battle royal.

In addition to the story mode and the versus mode, Ultimate Muscle features tournament, create-a-character, and toy options. The tournament mode lets you compete in a one-on-one or tag-team-style tournament with up to eight players. The create-a-character mode seems pretty basic in comparison to some of AKI's previous create-a-wrestler modes, since you can edit only a few basic visual characteristics (though there are quite a few different types of masks and other graphics to choose from) and the wrestler's level-three finishing maneuver. Lastly, the toy mode gives you an opportunity to purchase Ultimate Muscle figures--similar to the old pink Muscle figures sold several years ago, except in color--with KIN medals, which can be collected during a match. You can view all of the Ultimate Muscle figures you've purchased by entering the collection menu.

The cel-shaded look lends itself well to the over-the-top nature of the game.

As far as gameplay is concerned, most wrestling-game fanatics will probably find Ultimate Muscle's gameplay to be incredibly simplistic, even more so than a game like SmackDown!, but what it lacks in complexity it makes up for in sheer fun. Every character in the game can perform a basic assortment of punches and kicks as well as a variety of grappling moves ranging from suplexes to power slams. In addition, some moves involve drop-kicking a character into the ropes, only to have him come running back at you full speed so that you can perform another move.

Every move you execute will help fill your character's super meter, which is broken up into three portions. When one or two of the bars in the super meter are filled, your character can perform a semi-super move that will deliver a fairly punishing blow to an opponent. But when all three bars on the meter are filled, you can trigger a wrestler's super move by pressing both shoulder buttons on the GameCube control pad. When this happens, the game transitions into an anime-style cutscene with portraits of the participants' faces screaming, which is followed by a sequence highlighting the super move. This aspect of the game is incredibly exaggerated, but it falls in line with the game's cartoon roots.

The game mechanics may not sound all that elaborate, but when you consider that Ultimate Muscle moves much faster than just about any other wrestling game to date, it's clear that the game will keep you on your toes. In addition, its slick cel-shaded look, solid animation, and brisk frame rate really add to the overall arcade feel of the game. We'll have more on the North American version of Ultimate Muscle soon.