Portal: Punch-Out!!
| Punch-Out | ||
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo | |
| Games | List of all games | |
| Debut | Punch-Out!! (1988) | |
Punch-Out!! is a series of boxing games that have been released over the years by Nintendo. The games are known for the cartoony opponents and the increasing difficulty of the boxing battles, as well as the puzzle element in figuring out the weaknesses of each enemy.
History[edit]
The first two games were created as arcade games during the 1980s, and all of the series' classic installments were developed by R&D 3. The original arcade game was conceived when Nintendo developers were trying to think of a game that could use two television screens (due to the excessive amount Nintendo had) and to utilize a new substrate that made it possible to zoom in on subjects. Several aspects of the game were designed to appeal to an American audience, such as the humorous character names and the implementation of voice acting for a referee, with voice acting being unusual for games of the time. Genyo Takeda also wanted to use some type of boxing glove interface as the controller, but Shigeru Miyamoto vetoed that in favor of using the more simple joystick and buttons as controls.
It was popular enough to warrant a sequel, which was named Super Punch-Out!! and was released just a year later in 1985. As the developers were unsure of where to go next with boxing, they decided to make it different from the first game by introducing characters who performed illegal boxing moves such as kicking. This was accompanied by Arm Wrestling, another arcade game based around using a joystick for arm wrestling. It was connected with Punch-Out!! by a similar cast of cartoonish opponents, with one of them actually being Punch-Out! boxer Bald Bull in disguise.
A Punch-Out!! was then developed for the NES and released in 1987, although it had to be changed to fit the NES's limitations. This resulted in the creation of the series' only named protagonist, Little Mac, who had to be small in order for the opponents to be visible on the screen. The game was also expanded with the addition of a coach named Doc Louis who would also be an iconic character for the series. The NES game was also popular to the the usage of then-boxing champion Mike Tyson, and it was originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!. However, Nintendo decided not to renew their contract with Tyson once it expired in the late 80s, so a new edition of the game was released that replaced Mike Tyson with Mr. Dream, a palette-swapped character with the same moves. It is the Mr. Dream version that has been rereleased since. A sequel was pursued for the NES and intended to feature Mike Tyson, but it was doomed by several emerging factors. Mike Tyson's conviction of rape in 1991 caused Nintendo to refuse to use him, so the protagonist was originally changed to a similar man named Mark Tyler. Nintendo also decided to drop the license on the game in general, so it was developed by the third party Beam Software instead and released as Power Punch II, which ultimately failed in the gaming market.
Only one game was released in the 1990s, which was Super Punch-Out!! for the Super Nintendo. This game was closer to the arcade games and even featured similar voice-acting. The team of Little Mac and Doc Louis was exchanged for an blonde boxer whom the player could name and who was closer to the arcade games' player character. This installment featured even more characters, with a mix of fighters from all the previous games as well as some new, particularly bizarre fighters. The Punch-Out!! series was fairly popular in America, but it was less so in Japan, although this could have been due in part to the console games being available primarily through special offers before being released regularly, and Super Punch-Out!! was only officially released in Japan in 1998, two years after the Nintendo 64 had launched.
Punch-Out! went for years without a follow-up until Next Level Games decided to try their hand at it, following their success with several Mario sports games. The result was another game called Punch-Out!!, and it was released for the Nintendo Wii in 2009. This game was based heavily on the NES game, to the point of bringing back Little Mac and Doc Louis. The Wii game also primarily featured fighters from previous games, most of whom were from the Super Nintendo version, and the only original addition was Disco Kid, who seems to have been based on Kid Quick from the original arcade game. Donkey Kong also appeared as a bonus opponent. The game was made further unique with special cartoon cutscenes, full voice acting and a competitive multiplayer mode. Platinum members of Club Nintendo could also receive a special free downloadable WiiWare game called Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! in which Little Mac could actually face Doc Louis in battle. Although the game was successful, no more follow-ups have been announced. Next Level has shown interest in a new Punch-Out!!, however, and they have stated that if they could make a sequel, it would move on from the Wii game's focus on the NES game and revolutionize the Punch-Out!! formula.
Spin-Offs/Crossovers[edit]
Little Mac appeared as a unlockable playable guest character in a fighting game by Electronic Arts, Final Night Round 2, in 2004. The game also included the Super NES Super Punch-Out!! as a bonus game, through which Mac was unlocked as a playable character.
The Punch-Out!! series eventually had a presence in Nintendo's crossover fighting series, Super Smash Bros.. Little Mac first made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy and then appeared as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.
Other Media[edit]
A short Punch-Out!! comic was made as part of the Nintendo Comics System in the early 90s. Additionally, King Hippo appeared as a recurring villain in both the animated series and comic stories of Captain N: The Game Master.