Super Punch-Out!! (arcade game)

For the SNES/Super Famicom game of the same name, see Super Punch-Out!!

Super Punch-Out!!
Arcade flyer of Super Punch-Out!!. Arcade flyer of Super Punch-Out!!.
Developer(s)	Nintendo IRD Elite Systems
Publisher(s)	JP/NA: Nintendo
Producer(s)	Genyo Takeda
Platforms	Arcade, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, Commodore plus/4, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
Release date(s)	Arcade Commodore 64 Amstrad CPC ZX Spectrum Commodore 16 Commodore plus/4 MS-DOS
Genre(s)	Sports
Mode(s)	Single Player
CPU	1x Z80A @ 4 MHz
Sound	Sound CPU: N2A03 @ 1.789772 MHz Sound Chips: N2A03 @ 1.789772 MHz, VLM5030 @ 3.58 MHz
Display	Horizontally oriented, 256 × 224, 1025 palette colors, 60 Hz refresh rate

Super Punch-Out!! (スーパーパンチアウト！！, Sūpā Panchi-Auto!!) is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It is a boxing game with the same gameplay and digitized speech of its arcade precursor, Punch-Out!!. This second game in the Punch-Out!! series introduced recurring video games characters such as Bear Hugger, Dragon Chan, Vodka Drunkenski (whose name was changed to Soda Popinski in later releases), Great Tiger and Super Macho Man.

Gameplay

See also: List of Punch-Out!! characters

The final match in Super Punch-Out!! against Super Macho Man.

As in the original Punch-Out!!, the player assumes the role of a green-haired boxer (later known as Little Mac in the NES versions), known by three initials, who works through the ranks of the WVBA (World Video Boxing Association). During matches, the player's boxer is viewed from behind as a wireframe (so the opponents can be seen). The player must time his punches, dodges and blocks in order to defeat the opposing boxer. Hints are given as to the opponent's next move by subtle eye changes (the white of the eyes turn from white to yellow), but the player must ultimately predict what moves the opponent will make and react appropriately.

Once the player defeats the final opponent, the player will win the Heavyweight Belt, then defend it against the same characters that he has already beaten. Each successive time they are met, the opponents are harder and quicker. For each opponent, the player must knock them out within three minutes (three knockdowns guarantees a TKO, although the opponents will sometimes stay down on the first or second one). After the player's second loss, the winning opponent comes forward and taunts the player.

The game is housed in a modified upright cabinet. Like the previous game, it requires two monitors, one atop the other, for the game's display. The top monitor is used to display statistics while the bottom one is the main game display. Apart from this, the game is more or less a standard upright. The game has a joystick and three buttons. Two buttons control left and right punches, one for each arm. One button delivers an uppercut or knockout blow, but it only works when the super meter (also known as the KO meter or power meter) is full. The super meter is filled by landing successful punches. It is drained when the player fails to block or dodge an attack, or if the player is knocked down. Unlike the original Punch-Out!!, Super-Punch-Out!! also featured a joystick which could be pulled straight up from the panel, allowing the player to duck opponents' punches.

Ports and related releases

Frank Bruno's Boxing

Reception
Review scores Publication Score CVG 37/40 Crash 86% Sinclair User Popular Computing Weekly Computer Gamer 14/20 Your Spectrum ZX Computing

A modified version of it was ported to the Commodore 64, the ZX Spectrum and the Amstrad CPC, titled Frank Bruno's Boxing. It was developed and published by Elite Systems exclusively in Europe. Instead of the nameable wire boxer, real-life boxer Frank Bruno stars as the protagonist of the game. Only the first three opponents of the Super Punch-Out!! arcade were included in the game; however, their names were changed. Bear Hugger was renamed "Canadian Crusher", Dragon Chan was renamed "Fling Long Chop" and Vodka Drunkenski was renamed "Andra Puncharedov". Five exclusive characters were added to the game: Tribal Trouble, Frenchie France, Raviolo Mafiosi, Antipodean Andy and Peter Perfect. This version of the game featured a KO meter, which was an early version of the Super meter used in modern fighting games, allowing a more powerful punch to be thrown when the bar was filled. Frank Bruno was also doing promotion for the compilation Frank Bruno's Big Box, a collection of several different games including Frank Bruno's Boxing. Encore Software later rereleased the ZX Spectrum version of Frank Bruno's Boxing as Frank Bruno's World Championship Boxing.

Others

Great Tiger, Super Macho Man and Vodka Drunkenski later appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Punch-Out!! The last of these three characters was renamed "Soda Popinski" in order to eliminate direct alcohol references in a child/family-friendly game; however, he is depicted as drinking between rounds, and several of his taunts refer obliquely to drunkenness and drunk driving. Bear Hugger, Dragon Chan and Super Macho Man later appeared in the official home version of Super Punch-Out!! for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

The Super Punch-Out!! arcade inspired the development and release of Super Punch-Out!! for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System console in 1994. Several elements, such as opponents, were slightly changed for this version. Characters from both Punch-Out!! arcade games were featured in the game with basically the same looks and attacks. This version is the closest arcade-to-home console translation in the series; however, it isn't a direct port.

As in the original Punch-Out!! arcade, Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior all appear in the audience part of the Super Punch-Out!! arcade. Also, one of the victory tunes heard in the Super Punch-Out!! arcade was later used in Nintendo's Baseball for the NES as the home run theme.

External links

• Super Punch-Out!! guide at StrategyWiki
• Super Punch-Out!! at the Killer List of Videogames
• Super Punch-Out!! at arcade-history
• Super Punch-Out!! at NinDB