SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS 🤼 Arcade vs SNES vs Mega Drive

[@BitsBeats]

Back in the golden age of arcades, when quarters clinked and joysticks jolted, Capcom ruled the roost of fighting games. But they wanted to wrestle with a new challenge: wrestling. So they unleashed Muscle Bomber, a game that didn’t just enter the ring - it smashed it. This was more than a wrestling game; it was a Capcom crossover bonanza. Set before Mike Haggar became mayor, Muscle Bomber was a who’s-who of Capcom icons, with Easter eggs galore for the hardcore fans. The game’s plot was a roller coaster of team feuds and the mysterious disappearance of wrestling legend Victor Ortega. Muscle Bomber was a visual feast. The promo art, by the awesome Tetsuo Hara of Fist of the North Star, was inspired by the gritty New York streets and the explosive American movies. But the in-game character magic came from Eri Nakamura, Takashi Hayashi, and Yusuke Yamamoto, with a little help from Akiman of Street Fighter II. They created a roster that was a twist on familiar types, from the suave Aleksey Zalazof and Lucky Colt to the quirky Missing IQ Gomez and The Astro. Each character was more than a sprite; they were a personality, a flair, a vibe. On the gameplay side, Capcom ditched Street Fighter’s complicated six-button mayhem, and went for a simpler three-button system, making wrestling easy to pick up but hard to master. The game was a blast of punches, kicks, and aerial moves, with each character having their own style and skills. Muscle Bomber had two modes: the classic Single Match and the crazy Team Battle Royale, where up to four players could brawl in a tag team free-for-all. The ring was not just a backdrop; it was a fun zone where the crowd could join the match with thrown objects and chants. Muscle Bomber’s jump to home consoles was a mixed affair. The FM Towns version was first to the punch but missed the arcade’s charm. The SNES version, though, was a hit, keeping almost everything that made the arcade version awesome, except for the four-player madness. This version, however, got notorious in the Street Fighter scene for its weird localization choices, like the nonsense story of Gunloc being Guile’s brother. The Genesis version lagged behind, losing the SNES’s color and adding a boring Death Match mode. Despite these differences, Muscle Bomber earned a faithful following in the West, with its characters even popping up in the Street Fighter cartoon. In the legacy of 16-bit wrestling games, Muscle Bomber stands out not just as a game, but as a cultural punch from Capcom, a brilliant mix of fighting skill and wrestling fun.

[@dmabbers]

I loved the Megadrive version!

[@100troqfazer]

Capcom is Capcom. For sure the best was done for each version, even the Sega version is quite good!

[@VOAN]

1:08 - no nipples on the Super NES and Sega Genesis versions.

[@greensun1334]

2:28 - wait, that's the SNES entrances!

[@BitsBeats]

🙏🙏🙏

[@klasicktha1]

Nope its Snes they mixed it up

[@greensun1334]

@@klasicktha1 yes, l wrote "that's the SNES entrance"!

[@zetaciogamer8413]

Fue raro a diferencia del WWF Westlemania la version de genesis permitia jugar 4 players y la de snes solo 2 y en este juego fue todo al reves, la genesis solo podia con 2 players a la vez y la de snes 4 🤔

[@NickTaylor-Phantom-Works2]

Both console conversions look great

[@greensun1334]

The SNES port is way more arcade accurate. I like fighting games, I like brawlers - but I don't like wrestling...

[@JohnCharb87]

A Mistake. 2:27 Mega Drive Entrances 3:15 Mega Drive Entrances Grater seems to be inspired by the late great American Professional Wrestler Big Van Vader. His entrances he would approach the ring wearing a Mastodon like helm. He was very popular in Japan. At the time of release a multi time IWGP Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Also the inspiration for the SNK characters Raiden and Big Bear.

[@BitsBeats]

🙏🙏🙏

[@xavierpaul49]

It would be cool to bring this back

[@serv-on]

On the entrances you have mega drive twice in the text boxes, sure the second one is snes though

[@BitsBeats]

Copy paste gone wrong 🙏

[@lilwyvern4]

@@BitsBeats I made this copypasta and by gum, EVERYBODY is getting a helping!

[@BraikuBraikkonen]

Um...ah...that's a lot of Mega Drive entrances...

[@guillaumenunes9319]

Capcom did only bullshit on megadrive except when sega did the job itself.

[@jessrivera8225]

Yo was the mega version limted to two wrestlers on screen?

[@MrMartellSincere]

Arcade is the superior version 😊

[@mikeg2491]

When has it ever not been though

[@WeskerSega]

Except for the portraits, as the console versions use actual drawings of the characters by Tetsuo Hara.

[@evilblader7]

Que feos los colores del SEGA todo opaco D: Obviamente el arcade es mejor pero en cuanto a port, la SNES definitivamente es lo mejor.

[@alexelectricx]

Love me some SNSM!!

[@adriansanchezordaz8074]

Like👍😎

[@gonzalotorres5282]

Not really fond of the TV filter...

[@kordelas2514]

Raw pixels do not look good on modern displays without this filter as games were not designed for them. I would not be surprised that those who do not know about it say that those pixel art games look bad.

[@Hypno_BPM]

@@kordelas2514i think it’s crazy there people that like raw pixels. it’s so ugly to me

[@Hellgenio]

Seganus

[@fernandoy.narciso]

it made wwf and wcw feel tame in comparison lol