Punch-Out!!

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This article is about the video game series. For the individual games and other uses, see Punch-Out (disambiguation).
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Punch-Out
PunchOutWii.JPG
Logo for the Wii video game, Punch-Out!!. Based on the title screen logo of the original Punch-Out!! arcade game.
Genre(s) Sports
Developer(s) Nintendo IRD, Next Level Games
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Creator(s) Genyo Takeda
Makoto Wada[1]
Original release 1984
Spinoffs Arm Wrestling
Official website http://www.punchout.com/

Punch-Out!! is a series of boxing video games created by Nintendo's general manager Genyo Takeda, and his partner Makoto Wada. It started in the arcades simply as Punch-Out!!, which was followed by a sequel (Super Punch-Out!!), and has spanned home consoles, including the NES (Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!), an SNES sequel (Super Punch-Out!!), and a Wii title (Punch-Out!!). In November 2009, Platinum Club Nintendo members received a code to download Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, which features a fight between series protagonist Little Mac and his mentor Doc Louis. 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.

Contents


[edit] Video games

 This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (November 2009)
Title Platform Year Notes
Punch-Out!! Arcade Japan and North America: 1984 The first Punch-Out!! title.
Super Punch-Out!! Arcade Japan and North America: 1985 The sequel to the first Punch-Out!! arcade, the first to feature the "duck" move for avoiding moves that cannot be dodged sideways nor blocked, and the first to appear on home computers with a real boxer; however, Nintendo wasn't involved in the home computer ports.
Arm Wrestling Arcade North America: 1985 The first and only spin-off in the Punch-Out!! series.
Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! / Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream NES, Virtual Console Japan: 1987, 2007
North America: 1987, 1990, 2007
PAL region: 2007		 The first Punch-Out!! title to appear on a home console, as well as the first to feature a plot. Also, a semi-port of both the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games (mostly inclined towards the latter) with some variations. Originally featuring Super Macho Man as the final boss in the gold version given out to Golf U.S. Course Famicom Tournament winners. Then came the Mike Tyson version, and later featuring Mr. Dream.
Super Punch-Out!! Super NES, Virtual Console Japan: 1998
North America: 1994, 1996, 2009
Europe: 1995, 2009		 An updated home console version of the arcade game of the same name and the sequel to the three NES versions.
Punch-Out!! Wii North America: May 18 2009
Europe: May 22 2009
Japan: July 23, 2009
Australia: August 27, 2009		 Enhanced remake of the NES versions, developed by Next Level Games. It is also the first title in the series to be rendered in three-dimensions and full motion video, as well as the first to include a multiplayer option and optional motion based controls.
Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! WiiWare North America: October 27 2009 A standalone WiiWare game, Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, was available as a download exclusive to 2009 Club Nintendo Platinum members.[2]

[edit] Gameplay

As opposed to more realistic boxing games, Punch-Out's gameplay focuses more on observation and timing. Playing as a diminuitive boxer (known as 'Little Mac' in the console versions), the player must challenge a series of increasingly tougher opponents until he becomes the champion. Gameplay differs slightly between each game, but generally the player can attack with his left and right fists, either at the head or the body, and can also dodge and block to avoid blows from the opponent. The key to defeating each opponent is to figure out their fighting patterns, dodge their attacks and respond with a counter attack. Opponents will often give a visual or audible cue signaling their attacks. If the player successfully dodges an attack, the opponent will be left vulnerable for a short time, during which the player can retaliate. The player wins a round by knocking the opponent down for a count of 10, or knocking him down three times in a round for a TKO.

[edit] Fighters

Character Punch-Out!! (arcade) Super Punch-Out!! (arcade) Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) Super Punch-Out!! (Super NES) Punch-Out!! (Wii) Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! (WiiWare)
Aran Ryan NoN NoN NoN YesY YesY[3] NoN
Bald Bull YesY NoN YesY YesY YesY[3] NoN
Bear Hugger NoN YesY NoN YesY YesY[3] NoN
Bob Charlie NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
The Challenger YesY YesY NoN ?1 NoN NoN
Disco Kid NoN NoN NoN NoN YesY[3] NoN
Doc Louis NoN NoN NoN2 NoN NoN YesY3
Don Flamenco NoN NoN YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Donkey Kong NoN4 NoN4 NoN NoN YesY[4] NoN
Dragon Chan NoN YesY NoN YesY NoN NoN
Gabby Jay NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Glass Joe YesY NoN YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Giga Mac NoN NoN NoN NoN YesY[3] NoN
Great Tiger NoN YesY YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Heike Kagero NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Hoy Quarlow NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Kid Quick YesY NoN NoN NoN NoN NoN
King Hippo NoN NoN YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Little Mac NoN NoN YesY ?1[3][5][6] YesY YesY
Mad Clown NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Masked Muscle NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Mike Tyson / Mr. Dream NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN[7] NoN
Mr. Sandman YesY NoN YesY YesY YesY[3] NoN
Narcis Prince NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Nick Bruiser NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN[8] NoN
Piston Honda / Piston Hondo NoN NoN YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Piston Hurricane YesY NoN NoN YesY NoN NoN
Pizza Pasta YesY NoN NoN NoN NoN NoN
Rick Bruiser NoN NoN NoN YesY NoN[8] NoN
Super Macho Man NoN YesY YesY YesY YesY[3] NoN
Vodka Drunkenski / Soda Popinski NoN YesY YesY5 NoN YesY[3] NoN
Von Kaiser NoN NoN YesY NoN YesY[3] NoN
Notes:
1 The protagonist's in-game name in the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! is a mystery. He also features a very different look, leading many to consider him a separate entity from the NES/Wii's "Little Mac". However, numerous official Nintendo-sanctioned materials have suggested the two are the same, since the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! is said to take place after the events of the NES/Wii "Punch-Out!!" games.[3][5][6]
2 Doc Louis appears as Little Mac's coach in both the NES and Wii Versions.
3 Doc Louis is only challengeable as a fighter in Doc Louis's Punch-Out!![2].
4 Donkey Kong can be seen in the audience on the far left and far right sides of the bottom screen in the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games.
5 Vodka Drunkenski was renamed Soda Popinski in the NES and Wii versions due to Nintendo of America's prohibition of alcoholic references.

[edit] Little Mac

Little Mac is the main character of the NES and Wii titles in the series. He has black hair, wears a black tank top with green trunks and gloves, and is described as being supposedly 17 years old, 4 ft 8 in, 107 lb (5 ft 7 in, 107 lb in the Wii version, according to the May 2009 issue of Game Informer), 107 lb (49 kg)., and hailing from the Bronx, New York. While his ethnicity is not officially known, pro boxer Paul Malignaggi, who portrayed Little Mac in the commercial for the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, hinted that he is Italian-American.[9] After being rejected by two hundred boxing trainers, Little Mac meets Jerome "Doc" Louis, a former heavyweight champion, and begins his journey to the top of the boxing circuit.[10] The diminutive Little Mac is known for his jumping uppercut called the "Star Uppercut". He is also well known for his legendary positive smile, as seen in the profile screen in the NES Punch-Out!! games. Outside of video games, Little Mac featured as the protagonist in the Punch-Out!! stories featured in Valiant Comics' Nintendo Comics System, appearing in the stories "The First Fight", "Outsiders", and "Fox and Hounds."[10]

Mac also makes a cameo in the prologue short of the Captain N comic books. He has also appeared as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, voiced by Hisao Egawa.[11] In the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, he is voiced by Matt Harty, a sound designer for Next Level Games.

Nintendo has been inconsistent on the identity of the protagonist seen in the SNES Super Punch-Out. According to the May 2009 issue of Nintendo Power, Bryce Holliday, one of the main developers of the Wii version of Punch-Out, explicitly stated that the player character in Super Punch-Out is not Little Mac.[12] However, during the North American and European Virtual Console releases of the SNES title, Nintendo of America and Europe has claimed that Little Mac is in the SNES game,[5][6] even the history section of official website for the Wii version of Punch-Out!! claims that he is Little Mac, despite Bryce Holliday.[3] According to Nintendo of America, the SNES title takes place after the events of the NES and Wii titles of the series, and that the protagonist looks different because he was given a makeover. "[6] He also used some then-new moves like the Knockout Punch, the Rapid Punch and the Counter Punch.[13] Before the SNES Super Punch-Out!! was finished and released, some screenshots and video footage of the prototype seen in gaming magazines[14][15] and two official television commercials[16][17] showed him with a different look compared to his final version seen in the finished and released version.

[edit] Doc Louis

Jerome "Doc" Louis is Little Mac's trainer and coach. He provides Mac with advice between rounds during fights (although sometimes, he will just talk about irrelevant things). It's revealed he's the creator of the "Star Punch", the move Mac uses in his arsenal. In Punch-Out!! for Wii, he is voiced by Riley Inge.

Doc Louis appears as the sole challenger in the Club Nintendo exclusive Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!.[2]

[edit] Other appearances in media

The series has made multiple appearances in other games as well. The SNES version of Super Punch-Out!! was included in the Nintendo GameCube version of Electronic Arts' Fight Night Round 2. Along with that, the protagonist of the SNES 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 a few characters from the Mario franchise to star in NBA Street V3 and SSX on Tour, but, due to the third-party nature of his role in the game, while originally being a nameable character with a different look compared to the original Little Mac and not have a default name, it is considered by several fans of the series, especially those of the NES versions, to be uncanon; however, when the Virtual Console release of the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! was released, the official details for the game in the Wii Shop Channel referred to the protagonist as "Little Mac".[6] A review of this version by Chris Scullion of Official Nintendo Magazine also referred to the protagonist as "Little Mac" as well.[5] His latest cameo appearance is in skip Ltd.'s Wii video game called Captain Rainbow, where the title character has to help him get in shape to regain his championship title.[18]

[edit] Other boxers

  • Glass Joe is a timid, frail boxer from Paris, France, whose name is a play on the phrase "glass jaw". [19] Glass Joe debuted as the first opponent in the Punch-Out arcade game, followed by the NES and Wii versions. He also made appearances in issues of the Nintendo Comics System, and in the cartoon series Captain N: The Game Master.[10] His successor in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!! is Gabby Jay who is Glass Joe's boxing student. Within the storyline, Gabby Jay's sole victory was against Glass Joe.
  • Piston Hurricane, from Cuba, originally appeared as the second opponent in the first Punch-Out!! arcade, with an afro. His special move is the Hurricane Rush, wherein he jumps away from his opponent, taunts, then jumps toward his opponent punching rapidly. His most recent appearance was in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!, with an appearance and winning taunt resembling Mr. Dream's and especially Mike Tyson's from the NES Punch-Out!! series. Instead of shouting "Come on! Come on!" like in the first Punch-Out!! arcade before doing his Hurricane Rush, he growls. In the NES and Wii games, Piston Hurricane is replaced by the stoic Japanese boxer Piston Honda, (Piston Hondo in the Wii version) who fights in a similar manner.
  • Bear Hugger is an overweight lumberjack from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada. His first appearance was in the Super Punch-Out!! arcade game as the first opponent. Bear Hugger is immune to body blows in most appearances, due to his size. His signature move is a two-armed body blow called the Bear Hug. The Wii version shows that Bear Hugger's trainer is a tamed grizzly bear.
  • Dragon Chan, from Hong Kong, first appeared in the Super Punch-Out!! arcade game as the first boxer to utilize illegal striking and kicking techniques. He last appeared in the SNES Super Punch-Out!!. His physical appearance is modeled after Bruce Lee, while his name is a reference to Jackie Chan. In the SNES version, he not only kicks, but he also meditates to recover his stamina.
  • Great Tiger is an Indian mystic from Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), who first appeared in the Super Punch-Out!! arcade game. His special move is the Mirage Dance, which is similar to Piston Hurricane's Hurricane Rush, except he dashes left and right before sending his rapid punch. In the NES and Wii versions of Punch-Out!!, Great Tiger supplements his boxing with supernatural powers, like teleportation and levitation. In the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!!, a Japanese kabuki/bishonen boxer Heike Kagero became Great Tiger's successor. Heike's Mirage Dance moves in the same pattern as Great Tiger's original Mirage Dance from the Super Punch-Out!! Kagero also attacks by whipping his long hair at the player.
  • King Hippo is a tropical chief from the fictional Hippo Island, South Pacific.[19] Hippo is infamous for his high defense, but is so obese that once knocked down he will not even attempt to get back up. Outside of video games, King Hippo is featured in Captain N: The Game Master, voiced by Gary Chalk, as one of Mother Brain's main henchmen. He appears with blue skin, unlike the video games, and he is often paired in a comedic duo with Kid Icarus villain Eggplant Wizard.
  • Soda Popinski, from Moscow, USSR/Russia, debuted in the arcade version of Super Punch-Out. He was originally known as Vodka Drunkenski, but his name was changed for the console versions in order to downplay Russian stereotypes and make the character more family-friendly. However, most of his taunts between rounds are obvious references to alcoholism. In the Wii version, Popinski uses a stash of soft drinks to recover stamina.
  • Bald Bull is a large, bald, and muscular boxer from Istanbul, Turkey who has made more appearances in the series than any other opponent. His infamous "Bull Charge" involves him hopping to the ropes of the ring, then quickly charging straight toward his opponent and uppercutting viciously; this move will fully deplete the player's stamina and knock him down instantly. Bald Bull made an appearance in the spin-off arcade game Arm Wrestling as an opponent named "Mask X".
  • Super Macho Man is a bodybuilder from Hollywood, California, who taunts the player by flexing his pectoral muscles, and incorporates his exercise routines into his attacks. He has appeared in every Punch-Out!! title with the exception of the first arcade game. His trademark attack is a spinning punch/clothesline which can knock the player down instantly. Super Macho Man is supposedly 27 years old, but he is depicted with gray hair.
  • Mr. Sandman is a large, rigid boxer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His name and mannerisms refer to the character The Sandman, due to his tendency to "put his opponents to sleep" with his Dreamland Express, a triple uppercut combo. His defense is also very high, and he can only be damaged with body blows when stunned.
  • Mike Tyson is the final opponent of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, whom Little Mac faces in a bout called "The Dream Fight". He is the undefeated, undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. During the first 90 seconds of the fight, all of Tyson's attacks can instantly knock the player down. After Tyson's contract with Nintendo expired, he was replaced with a fictional character based on a then-Nintendo tournament champion, Mr. Dream.

Topps and Nintendo of America made a series of trading cards featuring characters from the Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Double Dragon, and the NES Punch-Out!! series. The Punch-Out!! cards are of the various opponent boxers that Little Mac fights. The cards have scratch-off spots on them.[20]

A short story about the NES Punch-Out!! titles was made for the Nintendo Comics System.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ N-Sider.com Makoto Wada, N-Sider, http://www.n-sider.com/personnelview.php?personnelid=360, retrieved 2009-07-01 
  2. ^ a b c http://wii.ign.com/articles/100/1003433p1.html
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Official Punch-Out!! (Wii version) website of America
  4. ^ http://gonintendo.com/?p=82870
  5. ^ a b c d Scullion, Chris (2009-03-20), Virtual Console Review: Super Punch-Out!! (Super NES), Official Nintendo Magazine, http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/article.php?id=7511, retrieved 2009-05-12 
  6. ^ a b c d e Wii Shop Channel details for Super Punch-Out!!. Retrieved on 2009-03-30.
  7. ^ http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/04/22/mike-tyson-unaware-of-wii-punch-out-loves-resident-evil/
  8. ^ a b http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200903/N09.0331.1442.14433.htm?Page=2
  9. ^ http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/695748/Pro-Boxer-Paulie-Malignaggi-Speaks-On-Playing-Punch-Outs-Little-Mac.html
  10. ^ a b c (in English) Nintendo Comics System Vol. 1, No. 1 & 2. Valiant Comics.. 1990. 
  11. ^ http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/items/assist/assist10.html Smash Bros. DOJO!!
  12. ^ Nintendo Power interview with Punch-Out!! developers., Nintendo Power, May/June 2009, http://nintendopower.com/images/NP242_PunchOut.jpg, retrieved 2009-07-01 
  13. ^ In-game tutorial of Super Punch-Out!!., Nintendo, 1994-02-28 
  14. ^ Nintendo Power 62: 25. July 1994. 
  15. ^ Nintendo Power 63: 105. August 1994. 
  16. ^ "Play It Loud - Butthole commercial". gameads.gamepressure.com. http://gameads.gamepressure.com/tv_game_commercial.asp?ID=10260. Retrieved 2009-10-04. 
  17. ^ "Play It Loud - Tattoo commercial". gameads.gamepressure.com. http://gameads.gamepressure.com/tv_game_commercial.asp?ID=10217. Retrieved 2009-10-04. 
  18. ^ http://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14265257.html
  19. ^ a b Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! Instruction Booklet. Nintendo. 1987. pp. 14. 
  20. ^ http://www.trsrockin.com/gamepacks_scratch.html

[edit] External links

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