is a 1984
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed and published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
for
arcades. It is the first installment of the ''
Punch-Out!!
is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion.
The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
'' series.
The arcade game introduced recurring characters such as
Glass Joe
is a fictional French boxing, boxer from Nintendo's ''Punch-Out!!'' video game series. He first appeared in the arcade game ''Punch-Out!! (arcade game), Punch-Out!!'' in 1984 and three years later in the Nintendo Entertainment System, NES game ...
,
Bald Bull and
Mr. Sandman. It was also the debut project at Nintendo for composer
Koji Kondo, better known for his later contributions to the ''
Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
'' and ''
The Legend of Zelda
is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' series.
The original arcade game was a global commercial success, becoming the top-performing arcade game of 1984 in the United States. It produced an arcade sequel known as ''
Super Punch-Out!!'', a spinoff of the series titled ''
Arm Wrestling
Arm wrestling (also spelled "armwrestling") is a sport in which two participants, facing each other with their bent elbows placed on a flat surface (usually a table) and hands firmly gripped, each attempt to "pin" their opponent's hand by forcing ...
'', a highly popular version for the
NES originally known as ''
Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!'', and ''
Super Punch-Out!!'' for the
SNES.
Gameplay
In the game, the player takes the role of a green-haired unnamed boxer (sometimes claimed to be
Little Mac from the NES versions
[One of the Origin/Game Settings Tips about Little Mac's origin and All-Star Mode for ''Super Smash bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' implies that Little Mac actually debuted in the 1984 ''Punch-Out!!'' arcade game, yet the trophy from the game says he debuted in the NES game]
/ref>), known by three initials the player chooses when the game begins. During matches, the player's boxer is viewed from behind and above as a wireframe so the opponent can be seen. The player must time his punches, dodges and blocks in order to defeat the opposing boxer. Opponents' impending offensive moves are telegraphed by subtle eye changes (the whites of the eyes flash yellow), but the player must ultimately predict what moves the opponent will make and react appropriately.
Once the player defeats the last opponent, the opponents repeat with increased difficulty. The player has one 3-minute round to score a knockout and will automatically lose if time runs out. A fighter who is knocked down three times in one round will be unable to rise, leading to a knockout. In the event the player loses, the computer-controlled victor will taunt the player and the corner man for the player will try to entice the player to play again ("Come on, Get up and fight!") via the game's distinctive digitized speech. Players are only allowed one continue per play through. Like many games made during the Golden Age of Arcade Games, there is no actual ending and the game continuously loops until the player loses.
The game is a modified upright, and was unusual in that it requires two video monitors, one atop the other, for the game's display. The top monitor is used to display statistics and fighter portraits, while the bottom one is the main game display (similar to Nintendo's Multi-Screen Game & Watch titles and the Nintendo DS
The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
) with the gameplay and power meters (representing stamina) for each fighter. Apart from this, the game is more or less a standard upright. The game has a joystick
A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...
and three buttons. Two buttons control left and right punches, one for each arm (denoted by "Left!", or "Right!" when hitting the head, or "body blow!" when hitting the body with either arm). The third, larger button allows the player to deliver a powerful uppercut or right hook, but only when the "KO" meter a meter on the top of the bottom display is completely full. The meter increases when the player successfully lands a punch, decreases when the opponent lands one, and drops to zero when the player is knocked down. Once the meter is full, the corner man's digitized speech encourages the player to either "Put him away!" or "Knock him out!" The joystick can be used to raise/lower the player's guard and dodge left or right.
Development and release
The game was developed in 1983[ボクシングゲームの名作,「パンチアウト!!」がWiiでカムバック!](_blank)
. 4gamer.net. 2009-07-15. 2015-02-14. and released in February 1984. Genyo Takeda from the Integrated Research & Development Division was the lead developer, and Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
designed the characters. It was released in the first quarter of 1984, when Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
was making several coin-operated arcade machines. Nintendo had an excessive number of video monitors after the success of the ''Donkey Kong'' series, basing the purchases on the estimate for the demand for arcade games. They were offered a proposition to make an arcade game that used two monitors. They chose to make a boxing game, which utilized the ability to zoom in and out of an object. This was a feature more commonly found in games that involve flying such as flight simulators, but the developers chose boxing because they thought it would be a different way to use it.
Miyamoto and Takeda discussed an earlier arcade game created by Takeda: ''EVR RACE'', a horse racing game from 1975, which used a video tape. It was a mechanical game, and was hard to maintain after it was released and had many breakdowns. While they were developing ''Punch-Out!!'', laserdisc-based games were considered to be the next major advancement in the arcade industry. However, the maintenance requirement would be very large if they released laserdisc-based games worldwide. Despite this, domestic sales people wanted something like laserdisc, so they tried to find if it could be done with semiconductors. Miyamoto explained that that's why they were interested in microchips that could perform zooming and show pictures at a similar size as a laserdisc. However, he called it a "rascal of a project", explaining that when he made ''Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', he had to animate each rolling barrel pixel by pixel. When he asked if they could use processing on the hardware side to rotate the image, they said "it's not impossible", changing from "it can't be done."
He stated that a lot of new things were being created, but most of it was still under development. They told Miyamoto that they could zoom in or rotate the image, but not both at once. They were planning on using the new microchips as well as the two monitors, considering lining them up side by side and making a big racing game, but it was not powerful enough to accomplish this, only able to expand one of the images. Takeda stated that if they could only expand one image, it could be a person. This eventually allowed it to become a boxing game, with one opponent, deciding that one monitor was good enough for a boxing game. They were stuck at that point, but thought that a boxing arena has big lights and banners hanging from the ceiling with things like "World Heavyweight Title Match" written on them. The game would also feature several meters, so they thought it would be more fun to have two screens instead of one.
Mario
Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
, Luigi
Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...
, Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
and Donkey Kong Jr. all appear in the audience. The game's title music, also heard in the arcade version of ''Super Punch-Out!!'' and the NES version of ''Punch-Out!!'', is actually the "Gillette Look Sharp March". This jingle, originally heard in Gillette
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...
radio and television commercials in the 1950s, was later used as the theme song to the '' Gillette Cavalcade of Sports'', which aired boxing matches.
Reception
The arcade game was a hit in all regions for Nintendo. In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Punch-Out!!'' on their April 15, 1984 issue as being the second top-grossing upright/cockpit arcade cabinet
An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Ma ...
of the month.
In North America, ''Punch-Out'' took the arcade market by storm according to '' Play Meter'' magazine in 1984, capitalizing on the success of sports video games following ''Track & Field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...
'' (1983). It was one of the more successful arcade games during the post- boom period of the mid-1980s. ''Punch-Out'' topped the US arcade charts during 1984, including the ''RePlay'' charts in July (upright cabinets) and December, and the '' Play Meter'' charts for dedicated arcade cabinets from August 1 through November 15. ''Punch-Out'' went on to become the top-performing arcade game of 1984 in the United States.
The arcade game was reviewed in the August 1984 issue of ''Computer and Video Games
''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...
'', published in July 1984. The magazine gave the game a positive review, describing it as a "knock-out" and a "fabulous boxing game". The review also praised the graphics
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
as being "great" and "cartoon-style" and concluded that it is "a very addictive game which is great fun to play."
''Punch-Out!!'' was later marked in the '' Killer List of Videogames'' Top 100, as one of their top 100 best games of all time. They also listed it as the Game of the Year for the year 1984. In 1995, ''Flux
Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications in physics. For transport phe ...
'' magazine rated Punch-Out!! 21st in its "Top 100 Video Games." In 1996, '' GamesMaster'' ranked the game 83rd on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."
Legacy
In '' Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'' and '' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', series protagonist Little Mac appears as a playable fighter. The character features a set of wireframe alternate costumes based on his appearance from the original arcade games. Little Mac also features a special mechanic based on the KO gauge from the arcade titles, which, once full, can usually let him instantly KO an opponent with a powerful uppercut.
Re-releases, sequels, and spin-offs
During the same year, an arcade sequel to ''Punch-Out!!'' titled '' Super Punch-Out!!'' was developed and released by Nintendo, which has fewer, but tougher boxers to fight against.
In 1985, a spin-off called ''Arm Wrestling
Arm wrestling (also spelled "armwrestling") is a sport in which two participants, facing each other with their bent elbows placed on a flat surface (usually a table) and hands firmly gripped, each attempt to "pin" their opponent's hand by forcing ...
'' was developed and released in the arcades only in North America by the same company, which is based on real arm wrestling.
In 1987, the growing popularity of the Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(NES) caused the development and release of ''Punch-Out!!
is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion.
The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
'' for the console to happen. Several elements, such as opponents and their names, were changed for this version. In particular, professional boxer Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...
was added as the game's final boss. In 1990, when the contract licensing the use of Tyson's name in the console version expired, Nintendo replaced Tyson with an original character named Mr. Dream, re-releasing it as ''Punch-Out!!'' (or ''Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream''). Like ''Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!'', ''Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream'' bore no further resemblance to the arcade version.
During its release, the Game & Watch game called ''Boxing'' was re-released as ''Punch-Out!!'', which used the front box art of the Mr. Dream version as its package art. Sometimes it was released with different cover art.
A Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
sequel, '' Super Punch-Out!!'' was released in 1994. It was far more faithful to the arcade stand-up gameplay; however, it was not a direct port either.
A Wii title, ''Punch-Out!!
is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion.
The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
'' was released in 2009. It is a reboot of the ''Punch-Out!!'' series, that brought back many characters from the previous games, as well as introducing Disco Kid and Donkey Kong
is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
as opponents.
The game was released on March 30, 2018 on the Nintendo Switch
The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
by Hamster Corporation as part of their Arcade Archives
is a series of emulated arcade games from the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s developed and published by Hamster Corporation. A sub-series called focuses on re-releasing Neo Geo titles in their original arcade format, unlike many s ...
series under license from Nintendo.
Notes
References
External links
*
Hardcore Gaming 101 Article on the Punch-Out!!! series
a
NinDB
*
{{Punch-Out series
1984 video games
Arcade Archives games
Arcade video games
Boxing video games
Hamster Corporation games
Nintendo arcade games
Nintendo Research & Development 1 games
Punch-Out!!
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Koji Kondo