Punch-Out!!

Been addicted to Pushmo and got sucked back into Pokémon White. My 3DS is sure feeling the love lately, and I haven't even truly delved into serious sessions in Metal Gear Solid 3D. I feel kinda bad ignoring it (especially since it controls so nice and snug into my Circle Pad Pro) but when an addicting series calls you gotta respond or lose your mind! Knowing me I'll be back into Harvest Moon sooner than later...

Crap.

Onward to Punch-Out!!

Never fought against Mike Tyson, but I imagine my hatred towards Mr. Dream is just as valid.

As Little Mac, you fight various boxing matches under the tutelage of Doc Brown to become the champion by defeating a colorful cast of opponents from around the world. Controls are relatively simple: left and right jabs, left and right body blows and an extremely useful uppercut, while defense consists of dodging left and right, ducking, and blocking attacks. Successfully countering attacks can earn the player up to three stars used to activate the uppercut.

Matches are fought in three rounds, the bout ending when a fighter can not stand up after a KO. Getting KO'd three times in one round will result in an immediate TKO. Matches that run out of time has the winner is decided by invisible points or a set win for certain opponents.

Punch-Out!! is infamous for being insidiously difficult. I myself have never beaten Mr. Dream on any version of Punch-Out!! and I've only reached him once. It's a twitchy game made on reflexes and memorization, truly resulting in a classic arcade-style sports game. It's fondly ingrained in my childhood  memories as one of the hardest games I've never beaten yet desperately have always wanted to but get too frustrated to achieve what my teenage self has gotten close to.

Regardless, I highly recommend it to arcade-style fans and classic gaming fans, though why they've yet to play Punch-Out!! by now is beyond me. The opponents are highly memorable in their characterizations and you definitely learn to love to hate them (once had a friend claim that King Hippo having 'bandages over his boobs is hilarious', which I found hysterical).

Punch-Out!!
1. Punch-Out!! (NES)

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Now back to fighting my way through (a circular!) Victory Road. You're godsends, random healers!