Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out!!

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PunchOutREM

Rate: 3 out of 5
Difficulty: 5 out of 5
Played: 10/26

Opinion: You may be thinking, "What the hell? This is a rip-off of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Well, yeah...er no. It's the same game. Most think that Mike Tyson got dropped after the rape charges. However, the timeline is wrong. Here's the correct sequence of events:

1. In 1986, Mike Tyson got signed by Nintendo for three years prior to winning the world championship belt from Trevor Berbick.
2. He famously beat Michael Spinks in 91 seconds on June 27, 1988.
3. Personal problems began to manifest including a divorce from Robin Givens.
4. He lost to James "Buster" Douglas, which is considered one of the biggest upsets ever in sports history, on February 11, 1990.
5. Soon after, Nintendo decided not to renew their contract with Mike Tyson, replacing his character with Mr. Dream.
6. It rebrands Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as simply Punch-Out!!
7. Mike Tyson was arrested in July 1991 for rape.

Everything below is a repeat from other game. In other words, if you beat Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, you already beat Punch-Out!!

Technical Notes

Basic Moves
♦B is left body blow while A is right body blow.
♦If you use the UP button with either A or B, you jump in the air and land a punch on the head which is called jab. Get into the habit of alternating between A and B for jabs.
♦DOWN is protect your head. If you do it twice rapidly, there's a different type of dodge, but honestly, I've never used that in my life.
♦Using only LEFT or RIGHT, you dodge. You have to do it twice or three times, depending on who you face. By doing that after a punch is delivered by an opponent, it allows you to regain stamina. Otherwise, you stay tired and weak.
♦After receiving a star, SELECT is powerful uppercut.
♦If you are knocked down, press A and B repeatedly to get up! By the third time, forget about it, and start all over again.
♦In between rounds, SELECT will have Doc tapping on your shoulder quickly, so you can have more stamina in the next round. This only works once per fight, so decide judiciously.

Ordered Difficulty of Boxers

Level 1: Don Flamenco 1 (the easiest opponent of the game), Glass Joe, Von Kaiser
Level 2: Piston Honda 1, Great Tiger, King Hippo
Level 3: Soda Popinski, Bald Bull 1, Piston Honda 2, Don Flamenco 2
Level 4: Bald Bull 2, Mr. Sandman
Level 5: Mr. Dream, Super Macho Man (the hardest opponent of the game)

Minor Circuit: Glass Joe

What To Do
If you can't beat Glass Joe, put that fucking controller down and turn off the game permanently! Oh, okay...if you must insist. Just throw a jab three or four times before laying body blows. Go back and forth until he starts pulling back at the 40th second mark. Then, throw a body blow, knocking him out. Afterwards, he will wake up to begin fighting. Go with him and get the stars, using them every time for an easy knockout until you get a TKO.

Minor Circuit: Von Kaiser

What To Do
Watch his head, and when it begins to shake, be ready to dodge his punch and then counter with five jabs. You can try to sneak in a sixth jab to grab a star to pull off an uppercut in the next combination. Either way, continue the same strategy until he's knocked out. After getting up, he'll change his pattern by going for an uppercut. When he bends down, counter with a body blow to grab a star. Either you get more again or do an uppercut until you achieve a TKO.

Minor Circuit: Piston Honda

What To Do
There's no need to go on the offensive because he has very good defense. Therefore, let him initiate all of the first strikes. No matter what happens, they're slow enough for you to react in time.

Piston Honda's Four-Pronged Strategy
♦When he blinks, dodge and then throw two jabs.

♦When he throws a hook, dodge and then jab him as much as you can. Sometimes, a star is generated.

♦When he bends down before thowing an uppercut, dodge and then jab him as much as you can. Sometimes, a star is generated.

♦When he pulls back to move between left and right and hops forward just once, throw a counter body blow, knocking him out. Otherwise, he will do a lethal combination of punches, and you have to cover your head each time.

After a while, you'll wear down his stamina, be lucky to earn a star or two, and thus win the bout in a TKO.

Pass Key: 005 737 5423

Major Circuit: Don Flamenco

What To Do
This is what a washed-up Rocky Balboa looks like. Anyway, prepare for the easiest fight ever. Throw a punch first, and then he'll do an uppercut. Dodge it, and start jabbing left and right rhythmically until he's knocked out. After getting up, he'll do an uppercut again, and repeat what you did. The bout's over for a KO.

Major Circuit: King Hippo

What To Do
Usually, this is the first fight people have problems with. It's because they didn't understand what to do in order to beat him and thought he was another Glass Joe.

Winning Strategy
♦Never initiate anything.
♦Dodge King Hippo's normal punches whenever, but don't punch back.
♦When his body flashes once before raising arm in the air, jab him before going for his belly eight or nine times while his pants are down.
♦Repeat until he's knocked out, and it's over for good.

Major Circuit: Great Tiger

What To Do
It's now getting to be a bit more advanced.

Great Tiger's Three-Pronged Strategy
♦Throw a jab, and he'll respond immediately with a punch before you can jab again.
♦Repeat.

♦When he bends for an uppercut, dodge and then jab him as much as you can.
♦Now, when this happens again, body blow him on the same side as his to grab a star until you have three in all; otherwise, it won't work.
♦When he bends for an uppercut, dodge and then jab him once before uppercutting him.
♦Repeat.

♦After the second knockout, he'll continue the second plan above before readying himself to perform Tiger Magic.
♦Cover your head every time a punch is thrown which will be five in all, and he'll stop with his head spinning. Here's your final knockout by a simple jab.

Major Circuit: Bald Bull

What To Do
Bald Bull is the first truly tough opponent because of the reflexes required to keep up with him which can sometimes feel like a feint. He changes things up unpredictably. Always remember...three hops.

Bald Bull's Four-Pronged Strategy
♦Wait for his basic punch before responding with a dodge and a jab. You may get a star on the second punch by failing to help yourself, but forget it for later since he's just too smart.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws a simple hook, dodge and then jab him exactly three times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he bends down for a huge uppercut, dodge and then jab him exactly seven times.
♦Repeat.

♦After the second knockout, Bald Bull will do either of the above three before readying himself for a Bull Charge:
When he starts hopping forward (but NOT BEFORE THEN), count to yourself quickly, "One, two, three" and then body blow him. If it works, the bout is over. Otherwise, there's no way of surviving this single devastating uppercut. Remember it's all about timing. On the other hand, if for some reason you need to dodge, he will keep doing it again.

Pass Key: 777 807 3454

World Circuit: Piston Honda

What To Do
I consider this to be a real fight. There's no trick here, so you have to use your reflexes to dodge and punch your way out. Piston Honda is going to change things up, and therefore, he's an unpredictable boxer.

Piston Honda's Four-Pronged Strategy
♦When he blinks, throw a jab and quickly dodge either two or three punches. Sometimes, a star is generated. Immediately right after is what comes:

♦When he throws an uppercut, dodge and then jab him either exactly four or five times.

♦When he pulls back and then hops forward, protect your head per punch thrown, which is four in all, and then he'll do an uppercut, leading you to dodge it before jabbing him exactly five times.

♦Just once, out of the blue, he'll bend down and go left and right repeatedly before throwing an uppercut (don't worry about counting; you'll feel it coming). Dodge and jab him exactly five times.

After a while, you'll wear down his stamina, be lucky to earn a star or two, and thus win the bout either in a KO or a TKO.

World Circuit: Soda Popinski

What To Do
Honestly, Soda Popinski isn't a difficult opponent compared to Piston Honda II. You only have to recognize two basic moves and react appropriately by getting into a rhythm. Otherwise, by panicking, you'll lose the bout pretty easily. By the way, I thought his name would be Vodka Drunkenski, but that's the arcade version which was probably changed to Soda Popinski for the sole purpose of appeasing Russians.

Soda Popinski's Three-Pronged Strategy
♦When he throws a hook, dodge and then jab exactly three or four times.

♦When he throws a big uppercut, dodge and then jab exactly six or seven times.

♦Once in a while, he'll punch straight; just dodge it.

After a while, you'll wear down his stamina, be lucky to earn a star or two, and thus win the bout in a TKO.

World Circuit: Bald Bull

What To Do
*sighs* This is such a tough fight that will tax your reflexes immensely because he has the most moves compared to anyone in the past. What's annoying about this bout is you can't knock him out, no matter how low his stamina meter is, and you must have a star to be able to accomplish that. The other choice is knocking him out during the Bull Charge. To top it all, Bald Bull is such a drama queen when he's getting up.

Bald Bull's Five-Pronged Strategy
♦Wait for him to spin his hands before punching you; dodge and jab back only once.
♦Repeat.

♦When he taunts you into punching him, jab him once to gain a star. Whatever you do, do not move and just pause yourself for a second, and then there will be a hook punch, causing you to dodge before jabbing him either exactly three or four times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws a hook, dodge and then jab him either exactly three or four times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws an uppercut, dodge and then jab him either exactly four, five, or six times.
♦Repeat.

♦In the final minute of each round, Bald Bull will ready himself for a Bull Charge:
When he starts hopping forward (but NOT BEFORE THEN), count to yourself quickly, "One, two, three" and then body blow him. He may get up afterwards. Otherwise, there's no way of surviving this single devastating uppercut. Remember it's all about timing. On the other hand, if for some reason you need to dodge, he will keep doing it again.

After a while, you'll wear down his stamina, be lucky to earn a star or two, and thus win the bout in a TKO.

World Circuit: Don Flamenco

What To Do
I don't get it. The last time we met, Don Flamenco was worse than Glass Joe, and all of a sudden, he's better than Piston Honda, Soda Popinksi, and Bald Bull and is ranked this high? It must be the Rocky Balboa effect. Anyway, Don Flamenco will give you a tough but basic fight, and you'll go to the distance with him, resulting either in a decision or a TKO. He's actually not that hard; it's about reflexes, so you can dodge in time. What sucks about the bout is the low number of hearts which is often wasted on his taunts. My theory is when Mac saw who he was up against next, he scoffed and decided to fuck training, hence the weak cardio. Use SELECT during the break after Round 2.

Don Flamenco's Three-Pronged Strategy
♦Wait for him to make his first punch which will be straightforward; dodge and jab back exactly four times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws a hook, dodge and then jab him exactly two times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he begins to taunt, jab him and wait; if he does it again, repeat dodging until he's ready for the uppercut, leading you to dodge and then jab him exactly nine or ten times.
♦Repeat.

World Circuit: Mr. Sandman

What To Do
See what I mean? Last time, it was only 15 hearts; now, it's 40. To be honest with you, I don't find Mr. Sandman a particularly tough opponent compared to Super Macho Man and Mr. Dream because his moves are limited and basic. Plus, his punches are surprisingly weak except for the Dreamland. But yeah, he's frustrating to deal with at first because of the timing. After some practice, you'll get it. My opinion is always focus on his center and watch his body language. If you do that, you can anticipate his punches before they are thrown. Be sure to use SELECT after Round 1.

Mr. Sandman's Three-Pronged Strategy
♦Wait for him to make his first punch which will be straightforward (I recommend counting to 3 as in "one, two, three") before you dodge and jab back exactly once.
♦Repeat, but this time, count to 2. That way, you will be in a rhythm.

♦When he throws a hook, dodge and then jab him exactly once and then body blow him exactly three times.
♦Repeat.

♦When there's a long stall, the Dreamland is coming. Watch for his body to flash first, and then start dodging three times quickly. If you've made through it, jab him once and then body blow him up to eleven times.

Another note for the Dreamland: It will come at 1:35 during Round 1 and after knocking him down each time and also at 1:05 during Round 2.

If all goes well, you should be able to win in a TKO during Round 2.

World Circuit: Super Macho Man

Pass Key: 259 893 7538 (to fight Super Macho Man again)

What To Do
One more fight to go, and it's almost all over. Super Macho Man is the most unpredictable fighter of this game and will be very random. That's why he is the world champion. Therefore, reflexes, reflexes, reflexes...you have to be absolutely focused and give your best. No matter how well prepared you are, the bout can go either way, mostly his. After so much practice, you'll grow to hate this guy and his stupid bouncing chest.

Two-Part Strategy
Super Macho Man's Four-Pronged Strategy (Prior to the first KO in Round 1)
♦Wait for him to make his first punch which will be a slow hook before you dodge and jab back exactly one to two times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws an uppercut, dodge and then jab him exactly one to two times.
♦Repeat.

♦When there's a long stall which can happen at any second, a spin punch is coming. Wait for his body to start to shake before dodging and then jabbing him exactly one or two times. Expect a hook punch next.

♦After knocking him down in as close to 2:00, get ready for the Super Spin Punch which will be anywhere from two to ten times. Just wait until he pulls back and start dodging exactly when you see the flash. Keep dodging every time you see his face and while this happens, say to yourself "one" and dodge rhythmically. I AM TELLING YOU...THIS IS HARD, ESPECIALLY AFTER DODGING SO MANY TIMES! The longer this goes on, the more unfair it becomes. Once he's done, jab him exactly ten or eleven times.

The ultimate goal is: the less punches you land, the longer the first knockout will come which is good.

Super Macho Man's Four-Pronged Strategy (For afterwards, but do not knock him out again in the first round! Save it for the second round by depleting his stamina meter as much as you can)
♦Wait for him to make his first punch which will be a slow hook before you dodge and jab back exactly four times.
♦Repeat.

♦When he throws an uppercut, dodge and then jab him exactly four times but slowly. Now, two things will happen: he's moved on with a spit; if not, jab him exactly two more times.
♦Repeat.

♦When there's a long stall which can happen at any second, a spin punch is coming. Wait for his body to start to shake before dodging and then jabbing him exactly eight or nine times. Expect a hook punch next.

♦After knocking him down, get ready for the Super Spin Punch which will be anywhere from two to ten times. Just wait until he pulls back and start dodging exactly when you see the flash. Keep dodging every time you see his face and while this happens, say to yourself "one" and dodge rhythmically. Once he's done, jab him exactly ten or eleven times.

If all goes well, you should be able to achieve a TKO during Round 2. What you want to see is at most five spins during the Super Spin Punch; otherwise, it's almost impossible to win. Again, this fight will take lots, lots, lots, and lots of practice! The main thing is: you want to survive at least 1 out of 3 Super Spin Punches and not be knocked out in other ways.

Mr. Dream

Pass Key: 007 373 5963

What To Do
I was going to talk about Mike Tyson, but whatever... Carry on.

First Strategy of Round 1
♦Wait until 0:05 for the first dodge and then jab exactly twice.
♦React to each flash (VERY IMPORTANT) and repeat for the first 90 seconds; it's okay to be knocked down exactly once.
♦In the middle of it, there's a weird 5-second delay after either the 6th or 7th uppercut (but it will begin sometime after 0:40), so try not to be thrown off.

Second Strategy of Round 1
♦After 1:30, watch for his eye to blink and then dodge.
♦On the side where he blinked, jab the same punch twice.
♦Repeat until the first and only knockdown of Mr. Dream in Round 1.
♦On the side where he blinked, jab the same punch twice and repeat.

Only Strategy of Round 2
♦Wait until 0:02 for the first dodge and say to yourself, "One," before dodging until 0:30.
♦On the side where he blinked, jab the same punch twice. This will occur four times total.
♦Get ready to dodge the uppercut and jab six times exactly before doing it again, but do not ever use SELECT during the first uppercut.
♦At 1:30, he'll blink repeatedly. Jab him once, and begin to dodge left and right four times or, alternatively, you can protect your head four times if you have enough stamina. Right after will be two separate uppercuts.
♦Now, it's going to be a combination of everything you saw already until you knock him out for the second time. Somewhere, along the way, there's an unexpected combination of straight punches that are hard to avoid.

Use SELECT during the break before Round 3 starts.

Only Strategy of Round 3
♦Once again, it's a combination of everything you saw already until you knock him out for the third time. Fourth and fifth KOs can happen, too.
♦Try to make it to the end of Round 3, which is the easiest, because you're experienced enough by now.

If all goes well, you win in a decision. Maybe there's a TKO in Round 3. It's okay to be knocked out three times maximum. Overall, there are no easy answers; this is an extremely challenging bout.