Punch-Out!! (video game)

Infobox VG
title = Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!


caption = The box cover of the vgy|1987 "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"
developer = Nintendo IRD [Calderon, Anthony. [http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=482 The Nintendo Development Structure] N-Sider Retrieved on 2008-03-13]
publisher = Nintendo
distributor = Nintendo
designer = Genyo Takeda (director)
released = 1987
genre = Sports game
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: E (Everyone) (Wii) [ [http://wii.ign.com/articles/744/744751p1.html IGN Advertisement ] ]
platforms = Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Gamecube, Virtual Console "(see article)"
media = Cartridge
requirements =
input = Control pad

"Punch-Out!!", known originally as nihongo|"Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"|マイクタイソン・パンチアウト!!, and later re-released as "Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream" is a boxing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Nintendo in 1987. It is a semi-port of both the "Punch-Out!!" and "Super Punch-Out!!" arcade games (mostly inclined towards the latter) with some variations.

Development

Genyo Takeda, who produced the "Punch-Out!!" arcades, began directing the NES versions. Because the NES was not as powerful as the arcade hardware, Takeda and his crew realized that it would be too difficult to make the NES port completely simulate the arcade versions. Instead of making the playable boxer wire-framed or transparent to see an opponent, they decided to shrink the playable boxer, so that players could see his opponents over his head easier. And while the playable boxer didn't have an official name, he was called "Little Mac", because of him being small. Nintendo's mascot, Mario, was also added as the referee to satisfy Mario fans and other gamers who like him. Also, developers decided to give Mario speech balloons instead of the voice samples of the referee from the arcade versions to save space in the cartridge ROM. Other things added to the NES version that the arcade versions lacked was a plot, a background music track played during fights, animation sequences and a password system. Around the time the Gold Version was released, Nintendo of America's founder and former president Minoru Arakawa attended in a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson. While watching the boxer fight, Arakawa became so astonished with the athlete's "power and skill", he started coming up with the idea to use the athlete's name as well as himself in the upcoming game in the Punch-Out!! series to make the game sell well.

Gameplay

The game features a boxer named Little Mac working his way up the professional boxing circuits, facing a series of colorful, fictional boxers, leading to a final fight with real-life boxer, and then-World Heavyweight Champion, Mike Tyson. The video game incarnation of Tyson was named the 25th most diabolical video game villain of all time by PC World. [cite web |author=GamePro Staff |publisher = PC World |url=http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;338891934;pp;2 |title=The 47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time |year=2008 |month=February |accessdate=2008-08-06]

The game requires good reflexes in reaction to the computer-controlled boxers' moves, as the more advanced boxers give very little indication of their coming moves. "Punch-Out!!" incorporates enough variety to be a challenge to even the most experienced of players. Still, many have mastered "Punch-Out!!" by learning the computer-controlled boxers' consistent patterns.

Little Mac has a limited repertoire compared to many of his opponents. His punches are limited to left and right jabs, left and right body blows, and a powerful uppercut. The uppercut can only be used once the player earns a star, which can often be accomplished by counter-punching the opponent directly before or after certain attacks are launched. On the defensive side, the player can also dodge left or right, duck, and block attacks.

Little Mac also has a heart meter, which decreases by three upon being struck by an opponent and one upon blocking an attack or an opponent blocking the player's attack. When the heart meter decreases to zero, Little Mac temporarily turns pink and appears exhausted; leaving the player unable to attack, but still able to defend. At this point, the player regains a few hearts and Little Mac reverts to his original palette, but only if Mac is able to successfully avoid his opponent's attacks. Mac will remain exhausted until he has successfully defended against an opponent's move.

Doc Louis serves as Little Mac's faithful trainer and corner man who will gives advice between rounds on how to defeat Mac's opponent.

Characters

Other versions

Gold Version

Before the release of "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" in North America, Nintendo released it in a gold-colored Famicom cartridge simply titled "Punch-Out!!" in Japan, without Mike Tyson in it, as a prize for the Golf U.S. Course Famicom Tournament. [ [http://ninten.style.coocan.jp/notsale-punchout.htm 賞品版パンチアウト] ] This version's final boxer was Super Macho Man, who was also the final boxer of the Super Punch-Out!! arcade. When "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" sold well in North America, Nintendo later released the Mike Tyson version in Japan, in order to let more people play it. [ [http://www.famicomworld.com/Games/Game.php?dbid=717 Famicom World - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! ] ]

"Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream"

Towards the end of the NES's run, Nintendo's license to use Mike Tyson as a special "Punch-Out!!" character expired. Therefore, Nintendo replaced Tyson with a fictional and official character by Nintendo, Mr. Dream. A popular myth is that Tyson was removed due to his divorce from actress Robin Givens [http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=221 N-Sider.com: Profile: Minoru Arakawa] ] , and his conviction for rape, which did not occur until a year after the changeover. In reality, he had lost the Heavyweight Championship to James "Buster" Douglas by the contract expiration, and Nintendo made no attempt to negotiate a new one with him.Fact|date=October 2008 The Mr. Dream character avatar was designed in the image of professional gamer George BalgobinFact|date=October 2008, who won the honor as the grand prize from the 1990 Nintendo Power World NES Classic, in the all-around gamer category.Fact|date=October 2008 In August, 1990, the game was re-released simply as "Punch-Out!!" (or "Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream" according to Nintendo Power) only in North America. Since then, this version became the main version of the three NES Punch-Out!! titles.

Other releases

Along with several NES titles by Nintendo, "Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream" was later ported to several other things in Nintendo media. In "Animal Crossing", it was one of the unlockable NES games, as well as one of the rarer ones available in the Nintendo GameCube title.Fact|date=October 2008 This was also the first time the Mr. Dream version made an appearance outside of North America. It was also released through the Wii's Virtual Console service on March 30, 2007 to the European and Australian regions, April 3, 2007 in Japan, and in North America on April 16, 2007. This is the only version of "Punch-Out!!" available for the Wii's Virtual Console. During that release, reports have surfaced stating that when the game is played in progressive scan, the Virtual Console version of "Punch-Out!!" suffers from a lag in controls, which significantly raises the difficulty level compared to other versions of it. [ [http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/04/post.html#more Punch-Out and Crippling HDTV Lag | Game | Life from Wired.com ] ] Recently at a Nintendo Conference, a Wii version of Punch-Out!! with updated graphics and music has been announced.

Reception

With its unique playability, graphics, and characters, "Punch-Out!!" is highly regarded as one of the greatest NES games of all time and greatest video games in general.Fact|date=August 2008 It was rated the 17th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.Citation|year=February 2006| title=NP Top 200|periodical=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58-66.] GameSpot has also placed it among the best games of all time. [Na, Alex [http://www.gamespot.com/features/6122838/index.html The Greatest Games of All Time - Punch Out] GameSpot.com. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.] The title has been a source of satire [Matt [http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0702/ Mike Tyson's Punch-Out: Little Mac's Boxing Diary EXPOSED] X-Entertainment.com. Retrieved on June 15, 2008.] and nostalgic tribute [Matt [http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/16.html Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Vintage Nintendo Game Tribute] X-Entertainment.com (April 6, 2002). Retrieved on June 15, 2008.] throughout the several years following its release.

Other appearances

"Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" was featured in the comic book series, Nintendo Comics System. A few stories are based around Little Mac, Doc Louis, and other boxers from the NES version, and Mac briefly appears in the comic that introduces the story of "". Mac doesn't appear in the "Captain N" stories himself; however, King Hippo is featured as a villain. Also, in the opening sequence of the "Captain N" TV series, the protagonist Kevin Keene was seen playing "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" before being forced into a vortex that formed in his television's screen.

In "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", Little Mac appears as a regular Trophy and an Assist Trophy. He sports a more textured look and performs punches and uppercuts. [ [http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/items/assist/assist10.html Smash Bros. DOJO!! ] ] In the same fighting game, the music from the Manhattan skyline scene in "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" can be heard in the song titled "Famicom Medley."

In the Wii game titled "Captain Rainbow", Little Mac appears as a supporting character. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpYyLjdSt9w YouTube - キャプテン★レインボー 「あっさりダイエット失敗！の巻」 ★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆ Captain★Rainbow "The Failure of the Light Diet" ★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★ ] ]

Power Punch II

Soon after the release of the game, Beam Software began developing a sequel starring Mike Tyson with manager Don King. Originally titled "Mike Tyson’s Intergalactic Power Punch", the game was supposed to take the series into outer space where Tyson would participate in an intergalactic boxing tournament against various space aliens. The game's production ran into immediate trouble, however, following Tyson's incarceration for the rape of Desiree Washington.

Beam changed Tyson's name to Mark Tyler and modified King but did little to change Tyler's in-game character sprite. Soon after, Nintendo saw the title and disliked what they saw, refusing to publish it. Eventually, American Softworks Corp. published the title, and the game was released on the NES as "Power Punch II", despite the fact that there never was a first "Power Punch" title. The game was documented on the video game website ScrewAttack as part of the Guru Larry's Retro Corner.

References

External links

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* [http://www.screwattack.com/Europe/GLRC/PunchOut2 ScrewAttack's Video Retrospective "Power Punch II" & its comparisons to "Punch-Out!!"]