Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!![lower-alpha 1] is a series of boxing video games created by Nintendo's general manager Genyo Takeda, and his partner Makoto Wada. It started in the arcade simply as Punch-Out!!, which was followed by a sequel Super Punch-Out!!. It has since spanned home consoles, including the Famicom and NES Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, a SNES and Super Famicom sequel Super Punch-Out!!, and a Wii reboot 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.
| Punch-Out!! | |
|---|---|
 The most recent Punch-Out!! series logo. Based on the title screen logo of the original Punch-Out!! arcade game. | |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo IRD Nintendo Next Level Games |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Creator(s) | Genyo Takeda Makoto Wada[1] |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Game & Watch, Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayChoice-10, Virtual Console, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wii, WiiWare, Wii U, Nintendo Switch |
| First release | Punch-Out!! December 1983 |
| Latest release | Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! October 27, 2009 |
| Spin-offs | Arm Wrestling |
List of games
| Title | Platform(s) | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punch-Out!! | Arcade, Nintendo Switch (eShop) | Japan: 1983, 2018 North America and Europe: 1984, 2018 |
The first Punch-Out!! title. Later released on Nintendo Switch as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives series. |
| Punch-Out!! / Boxing | Game & Watch | North America and Europe: 1984 | The first purchasable Punch-Out!! title. Originally released under the generic title of Boxing, but quickly changed its title to Punch-Out!! due to the popularity of the arcade game. |
| Super Punch-Out!! | Arcade | Japan: 1984 North America and Europe: 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. |
| Arm Wrestling | Arcade | North America: 1985 | The first spin-off in the Punch-Out!! series, as well as Nintendo's last arcade exclusive game it independently created and released. |
| Punch-Out!! / Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! | NES, Wii (Virtual Console), Nintendo 3DS (Virtual Console), Wii U (Virtual Console), Nintendo Switch
(NES game library) |
Japan: 1987, 2007 North America: 1987, 1990, 2007 PAL region: 1988, 1990, 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, Wii (Virtual Console), Wii U (Virtual Console), New Nintendo 3DS (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. It is the first to allow players to select any boxer they want to battle against, instead of a group. |
| Punch-Out!! | Wii | North America: May 18, 2009 Europe: May 22, 2009 Japan: July 23, 2009 Australia: August 27, 2009 |
A reboot of the Punch-Out series. It is the first title in the series to be published in over a decade, and was developed by Next Level Games. It is 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.
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. |
| Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! | WiiWare | North America: October 27, 2009 | A prequel to the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, it is a WiiWare title that was originally available as a download exclusive to 2009 Club Nintendo Platinum members.[2] It was later re-released among over 100 other titles to be claimed by general Club Nintendo members, between January and June 2015 inclusively, as an incentive to spend expiring Coins prior to Club Nintendo's closure. |
Gameplay
Playing as a diminutive boxer called Little Mac, the player must climb the ranks of the World Video Boxing Association. Gameplay differs slightly between each game, but generally, the player 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 often give a visual or audible cue to signal their attacks. If the player successfully dodges an attack, the opponent will be left vulnerable for a while, allowing the player to strike back. The player can defeat enemy boxers by knocking them down for a count of 10, downing them three times in one round for a TKO, or by a referee's decision.
Characters
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. 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 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.
A short story about the NES Punch-Out!! titles was made for the Nintendo Comics System.
Notes
References
- "N-Sider.com Makoto Wada". N-Sider. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2009-07-01. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - Craig Harris (2009-07-14). "Doc Louis Hits the Ring - Wii News at IGN". Wii.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2009-07-17. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- "IGN: Captain Rainbow". Wii.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- Schreier, Jason. "Smash Bros.' Newest Contestant: Punch-Out's Little Mac". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2014-02-14.