Punch-Out!![a] is a video game series of boxing created by Nintendo's general manager Genyo Takeda, and his partner Makoto Wada. The first game was Punch-Out!! made in 1984 as an arcade unit, which was followed by a sequel Super Punch-Out!! (1984). The series was released on home consoles soon after, starting with Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! on the NES in 1987 and Super Punch-Out!! on the Super NES in 1994.
Game Maker Punch Out Nes
A reboot of the series entitled Punch-Out!!, was released in May 2009 on the Wii, along with a Club Nintendo exclusive WiiWare prequel Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! in October 2009. The series also had a spin-off called Arm Wrestling, which was released only in North American arcades, and was Nintendo's last arcade game they independently developed and released.
Playing as Little Mac, a 17-year old boxer from Bronx, New York called The Bruiser from the Bronx, he must climb the ranks of the World Video Boxing Association (WVBA for short), and fight his way against other boxers from around the world, going from the Minor Circuit then the Major Circuit and then the World Circuit, while fighting challengers including Glass Joe, King Hippo, Piston Hondo, Don Flamenco, Bald Bull, Mr. Sandman, or in the original NES version, the former heavyweight boxing champion himself, Mike Tyson. Gameplay differs slightly between each game, but generally, Mac can attack with his left and right fists, at the head or the body, and can also dodge and block to avoid the opponent's attacks. Many games in the series give the player a powerful uppercut ability; its use is limited, must be earned during matches, and has a star punch that can be obtained by hitting an opponent while taunting or at just the right time. Little Mac can also block, causing him to take minimal damage.
The key to defeating each opponent is to learn their fighting patterns, avoid their attacks and respond with a counterattack. Opponents will always give a visual or audible cue to signal their next attack, though as the game progresses, the time given to the player to successfully react significantly decreases. If the player successfully dodges an attack, the opponent will be left vulnerable for a while, allowing the player to strike back. Little Mac can block some of his opponent's punches by holding up his gloves, but he will eventually tire out if he blocks too much.
The game was digitally re-released on the Wii U via the Nintendo eShop's Wii virtual console in 2015. It can be played directly on the Wii U menu instead of going to the Wii emulator of the Wii U. Features 1080p up-scaled graphics in 480p.
The series has made multiple appearances in other games as well. The Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! was included in the Nintendo GameCube version of Electronic Arts' Fight Night Round 2. The protagonist of the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! appears as a secret boxer in full 3D with the name "MAC" on his boxers and was referred to as "Little Mac" as part of the Nintendo-exclusives deal between Nintendo and EA in allowing several Nintendo characters to star in EA sports games. Due to the third-party nature of his role in the game, it is considered by several fans of the series, to be uncanon. Little Mac further made a cameo appearance in skip Ltd.'s Wii video game Captain Rainbow, where the title character has to help train Little Mac to get in shape to regain his championship title.[3] Little Mac also appears as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl before becoming a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[4] and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Punch-Out!!,[a] originally titled Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,[b] is a 1987 boxing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Part of the Punch-Out!! series, it is an adaptation of the arcade video games Punch-Out!! (1984) and Super Punch-Out!! (1984). Differences from the arcades include the addition of undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson as the final boss. It received critical acclaim, and is retrospectively considered one of the greatest video games of all time.[2]
Little Mac has a limited repertoire compared to most of his opponents. His punches are limited to left and right jabs, left and right body blows, and a powerful uppercut. The uppercut can only be used once the player earns a star, which is typically accomplished by counter-punching the opponent directly before or after certain attacks are launched. The player can acquire up to three stars, but loses them whenever Mac is hit or knocked down. To defend, Mac can dodge left or right, duck, and block punches by putting up his guard.
Little Mac has a heart counter, which decreases upon being hit, blocking a punch, or throwing a punch that the opponent dodges or blocks. When the counter decreases to zero, Little Mac temporarily turns different shades of pink and appears tired/exhausted, leaving the player unable to attack but still able to dodge, duck, and block. At this point, Mac can regain some hearts and his normal color palette only by avoiding the opponent's punches. He immediately loses all of his hearts upon being knocked down, but can regain some by getting up.
A bout can end by knockout (KO), if a fighter is unable to get up within ten seconds after being knocked down; by technical knockout (TKO), if a fighter is knocked down three times in one round; or by decision, if the bout lasts three full rounds without a clear winner. In order to win by decision, the player must accumulate a certain point total by punching the opponent. Some bouts cannot be won in this manner and will automatically result in a loss for the player if the opponent is not knocked out. Mac can only get up three times during any one bout; if he is knocked down a fourth time, he will be unable to rise and thus lose by knockout.
Punch-Out!! was developed by Nintendo Research & Development No. 3.[5][6] Genyo Takeda (the producer of the Punch-Out!! arcade games), was the director of the NES game.[7] Because the NES is not as powerful as the arcade hardware, they could not recreate the arcade graphics. Instead of making the playable boxer wire-framed or transparent in order to see the opponent,[citation needed] they made the playable boxer smaller and named him Little Mac,[8] a 17-year-old boxer weighing about 107 pounds.[9] The behavior of each opposing boxer follows a set pattern requiring trial and error and memorization to defeat them.
Around the time the Gold Version was released for a NES Open Tournament Golf competition,[19] Nintendo of America's founder and former president Minoru Arakawa attended a boxing match featuring future heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Arakawa became so astonished with the athlete's "power and skill" that he was inspired to use his likeness in the upcoming game.[20] Tyson was rumored to have been paid $50,000 for a three-year period for his likeness. This transaction was something of a risk for Nintendo, as it occurred before Tyson won the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship from Trevor Berbick on November 22, 1986, which greatly increased the profit for the game.[21] Nintendo re-released Punch-Out!! in Japan.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was re-branded simply as Punch-Out!!, and re-released in the U.S. and Europe in 1990[22] and 1991, respectively.[23] When Nintendo's license had expired with Mike Tyson, his likeness was replaced by a fictional character named Mr. Dream.[24] His visual likeness and undefeated record are based on Rocky Marciano.[25] This version of the game is used in all Virtual Console releases, Animal Crossing, the NES Classic Edition, and on Nintendo Switch Online (which Mike Tyson contested).[26]
More than 2 million copies of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! were sold in North America by 1988. It is one of two NES games to reach this sales milestone that year, along with The Legend of Zelda.[32][33]
Punch-Out!! was well received by critics. In 1989, Computer and Video Games magazine said the NES version of "the great boxing arcade game" had "big, brilliantly drawn and animated sprites, a brilliant control method and utterly superlative gameplay", making it "definitely THE best boxing game available on any machine".[28] ACE magazine in 1989 listed it as the second highest-rated NES game, after Super Mario Bros. They stated it bashes "the proverbial s@*t out of any other home boxing game on any other console or computer" and it proves "that even if Nintendo's hardware may be technologically naff, they can still squeeze an excellent game onto a cartridge".[27]
A GameSpot reader poll ranked it as the 6th greatest NES game. Nintendo Power magazine ranked it as the 17th best game for a Nintendo system in its Top 200 Games list.[34] In August 2008, Nintendo Power listed it as the sixth best NES game, praising it for putting arcade-style fun over realism.[35] Historian Steve L. Kent called it the second major game of 1987.[21] Author Nathan Lockard cited the graphics, violence, controls, and the variety for making it a "true classic" and one of the best NES games.[36] In 2005, Punch-Out!! is on GameSpot's list of the greatest games of all time.[37] Editor Shawn Laib of Den of Geek ranked it 7th out of the 15 Best NES Games of All Time,[38] and Esquire's Dom Nero and Cameron Sherrill ranked it fifth.[39]
GamesRadar ranked it the 11th best NES game ever made, calling it a "brilliant puzzle game [disguised] as a sports game".[40] Game Informer ranked Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as its 14th favorite game ever in 2001. The staff noted that no boxing game since has been as "beloved".[41] IGN named it the 7th best NES game.[42] Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game 74th in a list of greatest Nintendo games.[43] Punch Out!! has an active speedrunning community.[44] For several years, the record for each fight in the game was held by Matt Turk.[45] 2ff7e9595c
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