Muscle March
A bodybuilding pose-matching game for the Wii.
Muscle March is an action game developed and published by Namco Bandai Games for the Wii via the WiiWare service. Players control a bodybuilder attempting to catch a thief who has stolen a tub of protein powder, using the Wiimote and Nunchuck to match poses in holes left by the thief. The game is notable for its camp style and bizarre premise, drawing comparisons to titles such as Katamari Damacy.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco Bandai Games
- Platforms
- Wii
- Producer
- Shinya Satake
- Released
- May 26, 2009 (JP)
- January 18, 2010 (NA)
- March 19, 2010 (PAL)
- Genre
- Action
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Muscle March is an action game where the player controls a bodybuilder trying to stop a thief who has stolen a tub of protein powder. Seven flamboyant characters are available, including the Russian Radimov, the top hat-wearing Spaniard Mr. Pedroso, and a Norwegian polar bear; differences between them are cosmetic and do not affect gameplay. The thief crashes through walls, leaving holes shaped like bodybuilding poses, and the player uses the Wiimote and Nunchuck to match each pose. Failing to match removes a heart from the stamina meter; depletion ends the game. Players start at the end of a line of computer-controlled bodybuilders that are eliminated one by one. When only the thief remains, the player must shake the controllers to tackle him. The main mode is Arcade, with six stages of increasing difficulty, and a time attack mode challenges the player to progress as far as possible before losing a life.
Development
Muscle March was created by Namco Bandai Games, formed through the merger of Namco and Bandai in 2006. It was originally an arcade game using dual joysticks, developed in 2006 by a team of newcomer employees given one month to create it as a learning experience. The prototype was completed and demonstrated at an arcade tradeshow in Tokyo, but was canceled before test marketing due to being too similar to another arcade game at the time. That same year, Nintendo released the Wii, and Hideo Yoshizawa, a Namco Bandai veteran and producer of the Klonoa series, suggested porting Muscle March to the Wii, believing its motion controls would suit the game. Yoshizawa showed the game to Nintendo, who reportedly liked the concept. The Wii version was produced by newcomer Shinya Satake. The characters, setting, and plot rarely attempt realism, a design choice based on Satake wanting a comedic tone, similar to Katamari Damacy and Noby Noby Boy. Namco Bandai released the game in Japan on May 26, 2009 via WiiWare. Despite news outlets doubting an international release due to its bizarre design, Namco Bandai announced a Western release in December. The North American division promoted the game with eccentric advertisements, generating considerable attention. Muscle March was released in North America on January 10, 2010, and in the PAL region on March 19.
Reception
Muscle March received mixed reviews according to Metacritic. IGN's Daemon Hatfield found it more fun to watch than to play. Critics primarily faulted the controls, which became unresponsive in later stages. Kotaku's Michael McWhertor expressed frustration that the game could not recognize controller movements at high speeds, making later levels unnecessarily difficult. Nathan Meunier of GamesRadar+ felt the controls required time to get used to and listed it as a weak aspect. The short length and lack of content were also criticized; MeriStation's Ramon Mendez thought the game was too short and lacked a proper challenge, calling it nothing more than a curiosity. Critics were drawn to the camp style and bizarre premise. Hardcore Gaming 101's Neil Foster described the game as a homoerotic Simon Says. Its lack of realism was compared to Cho Aniki and Katamari Damacy. Mendez and McWhertor suggested playing with friends. Foster complained the graphics were on par with budget-priced Dreamcast games, while Hatfield felt this added to its charm. Reviewers were divided on the gameplay: some found it too simplistic, others found it appealing. Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson said its simplicity and strangeness were its biggest strengths, calling it the best WiiWare game.
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