Mike Tyson's Punch Out

AMC is doing a Can't Get Enough Rocky week and keeps showing the Rocky movies and it makes me want to play one game: Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!.  Developed and published by Nintendo, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! was originally released on the Nintendo in October 1987.  It was again re-released on the Nintendo in 1990 as Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream after Mike Tyson lost to 'Buster' Douglas. 

Punch Out!! allows you to play as Little Mac, a small (one hundred and seven pounds) kid from Bronx, New York.  Little Mac starts in the ranks of the minor league in third place.  Each win advances him a rank until Mac becomes the number one contender for the title.  Once winning the title, Mac goes through a training run with his coach before moving to the next circuit (from minor to major to world).  Of course there is also the chance you'll lose the fight.  After the first lose you get a rematch, but the second loss pushes you down a ranking (a third loss is a game over). 

So starting in the Minor Circuit, Little Mac and I start off facing Glass Joe (the circuit is pretty empty for him to be third ranked contender).  Joe has one win, ninety-nine losses, and a jaw made of absolute glass.  Many of the opponents have ways to knock them down instantly, but Joe actually has a couple.  Any star punch knocks him down in an instant, and countering his special punch does it too. 

Anyways Joe takes most of the match taking punching to the face and gut.  He tries to start an offense at a few points, but his punches are so slow that I was able to counter hit them before even noticing that they started.  His big super punch was his "best" chance of doing actual damage.  Glass Joe steps back, taunts and then lunges forwards into a gut check.  Yeah, I've never actually been hit by that punch, but hitting him with the counter is an instant knock down. 

But Glass Joe is boring, the other fighters are so much more entertaining and personalized. There is Bald Bull, the Turkish brute whose Bull Charge is his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness.  Then King Hippo from Hippo Island who does his best to hide the bullseye on his belly.  And finally, the champion of the world circuit: Super Macho Man, the narcissist from Hollywood that does incredibly well in the ring for all his posing.  But anyways, Punch Out!! is just one of those games that brings a smile to my face (I may have to play the sequels over the weekend). 

And another game is done and so is another day and I'm glad to have played a game I enjoy.  Tomorrow I may play another game in the Punch Out series but it's likely that I'll be playing something else, but I'll know what tomorrow.  Anyways, Rocky is fighting Drago on TV, I can't help but watch and I'll play another game tomorrow.  Adios for today though.