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, Fighting, Puzzle
Developer(s)Nintendo R&D3 (1984-1998)
Next Level Games (2009)
Nvidia Lightspeed Studios (2019)
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Creator(s)Genyo Takeda
Makoto Wada[1]
Platform(s)Arcade, Game & Watch, NES, Super NES, Wii, Wii U, Nvidia Shield
First releasePunch-Out!!
February 17, 1984
Latest releaseDoc Louis's Punch-Out!!
October 27, 2009

Punch-Out!![lower-alpha 1] 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.

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.

Gameplay

Playing as Little Mac, a 17-year old boxer from the Bronx, the player must climb the ranks of the World Video Boxing Association (WVBA for short), and fight their 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.

Characters

List of games

Release timeline
Main entries in bold
1984Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! / Boxing
Super Punch-Out!!
1985Arm Wrestling
1986
1987Punch-Out!! (NES)
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009Punch-Out!!
Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!
Title　Platform(s)ReleasedNotes
Punch-Out!! Arcade, Nintendo Switch (eShop) Japan: 1984, 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, Nintendo Switch 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), Nintendo Switch (SNES game library) 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, Wii U (Virtual Console) 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.

Other appearances in media

The series has made multiple appearances in other games as well. The Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! was included in the GameCube version of Electronic Arts game 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.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, co-produced by Nintendo and based on the company's Mario franchise, features a pizzeria in Brooklyn, New York City named after the Punch-Out!! series as a promenient location. Photos of characters from the games can also be seen inside the pizzeria.[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: パンチアウト!!, Hepburn: Panchi-Auto!!

References

  1. ↑ "N-sider.com: Makoto Wada". N-Sider. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ "IGN: Captain Rainbow". Wii.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  4. ↑ Schreier, Jason (13 February 2014). "Smash Bros.' Newest Contestant: Punch-Out's Little Mac". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  5. ↑ Oddo, Marco Vito (2023-04-06). "Every 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' Easter Egg and Reference". Collider. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
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