EASE.GG

Games I'm Sorta Good At - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

June 11th, 2022

The Mikes

Real sick, brawl nights, I perform like Mike - anyone, Tyson,
Jordan, Jackson… action
– Notorious B.I.G. on “Victory”

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, then you are likely extremely aware of the Holy Trinity of Mikes. That is, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, and Mike Tyson. You probably even idolized one of them or even all three. They ruled the sports and entertainment worlds and all three had their own video games.

I used to listen to my Michael Jackson CD, wearing my Michael Jordan jersey, playing Mike Tyson's Punch-Out

While Jordan vs. Bird and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker were okay games (Jordan vs. Bird is actually terrible), Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is arguably the greatest sports title for the NES (it has my vote over Tecmo Super Bowl), and, generally speaking, one of the greatest video games of all-time.

When Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out was released back in 1987, Tyson was on top of the world. Not only did he hold three heavyweight titles, his game was absolutely brilliant and everybody wanted it.

As you probably know, eventually all three Mikes would have their share of troubles. By the early 90s Mike Tyson was in prison. Nintendo ended up re-releasing Punch-Out! without his name and likeness. I totally refuse to play or review that version.

The Game

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is a “port” of the arcade Punch-Out. I put port in quotes because the two aren’t all that comparable. Much of this was orginally for technical reasons, but it actually works out for the game. The arcade is a great game in its own right, but Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is fit to be a console game and not simply an arcade port. This is a good thing, because obviously the NES is a console.

In the game, you star as Little Mac, a tiny guy who has to jump to hit his opponents in the face. Mac’s trainer is Doc. When you start winning you get memorable cut scenes of Mac running behind Doc biking in New York City.

The game is technically excellent - but the characters like Mac, your internationally flavored opponents (sure, the stereotypes are a bit ridiculous, especially 30+ years later), and Referee Mario - help make the game memorable. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is dripping with personality.

Difficulty

I have never beat this game. I have made it to Tyson, and always lost. Badly. Mike is very, very hard. I don’t know anyone who has beat him either. (Update: I do know a person who has done it!)

Despite the difficulty of your final opponent, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is not a “Nintendo hard” game. Let’s remember that NES has some brutally hard games. Punch-Out starts you off very gently with the remembered-for-being-terrible Glass Joe, whose record is 1 win and 99 losses. Yes, as you progress it gets more and more difficult.

Gameplay

The gameplay is about two things: timing and pattern recognition. You need serious reflexes to master the game. Each boxer Little Mac faces has different routines they go through, which come with tells. For some boxers, knowing the trick of exactly what to do is the only way to beat them (King Hippo, for example).

As you progress in Punch-Out, you do see several of your former opponents again, though they have changed - faster with new routines. This can make you really a bit twitchy!

Graphics

The graphics are memorable. Your opponents are big and expressive. The game looked as good as anything on console ever had in 1987.

The graphics were made possible by the game using an ASIC mapper called the MMC2. MMCs (memory mapper chips among other names) allowed the system extra memory and capabilities to do things not normally possible with the console alone. The MMC2 was only used for Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. Regardless of how it was achieved technically, the game looks great.

Replay Value

I have enjoyed beating the same five or six opponents for thirty years. There’s something a little theraputic about getting into the right rhythm and knocking some of your opponents out. It can be fun to jump into the game for 15 to 45 minutes at a time depending on how good you feel that day.

Not to mention, I still need to beat Tyson which gives me a reason to still come back.

The game also has a password system which motivates you to come back and not have to start all over every time you play.

Conclusion

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out is a bonafide classic sporting a larger-than-life final boss in an 80s superstar, Mike Tyson.

Great graphics, excellent gameplay, loads of personality, and the right amount of difficulty put this game in my personal NES top ten.

If you are starting a NES game collection, this one can be pricey but it can be had for a few gallons of gas (economy joke).

Yes, I have made it to Round 2 once

I’ll leave you with something I have been saying for thirty years: Some day I will beat Mike Tyson. Some day.

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