Punch-Out!![a] is a series ofboxing video games created byGenyo Takeda and Makoto Wada, and published byNintendo. The main protagonist andplayer character of the series isLittle Mac, a short boxer fromthe Bronx who climbs the ranks of the fictional World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) by challenging various opponents. These opponents come from different countries and feature various ethnic stereotypes associated with their place of origin.
In the originalPunch-Out!! arcade game, the characters were named byGenyo Takeda, who chose names with the intention of appealing to the American market. The developers used the two screens in the cabinet to be able to display the opponents' face, which they intended to ensure that players would have a more vivid recollection of their faces.[1] The characters in this game were animated in conjunction with Studio Junio, who used art byShigeru Miyamoto as reference for the animations.[2] Many of the characters in the 1984 titleSuper Punch-Out!! are similar to each other by design because they are variants of the same programming; the code recycling and the lack of character differentiation outside ofcrude nationalistic stereotypes is a result of the game's limited development time and storage resources. For example, Soda Popinski's obnoxious laughter is also used for Mr. Sandman, Bald Bull, and Super Macho Man, and in other Nintendo games,[3] such as forGanon in theGame Over screen of the gameZelda II: The Adventure of Link.[4]
The 2009 release ofPunch-Out!! forWii is primarily made up by characters fromPunch-Out!! for theNintendo Entertainment System, who play similarly to the characters in this version. They intended to ensure that the player could beat the first three opponents just by throwing punches. Their models in the Wii game were based on the original designs, put into 3D and givencel shading. The fighters also received new fights that were more difficult in a mode called "Title Defense".[5]
| Name | Nationality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Little Mac | American[6] | Little Mac[b] is a 17-year-old boxer fromthe Bronx and themain protagonist of the series.[6] In the NES game, he was made shorter than the opponents.[7] He appears in each subsequent entry of the series, as well as a playable character in thefighting gamesSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. |
| Glass Joe | French[8] | Glass Joe[c] is a boxer born inParis,France. He was originally designed byShigeru Miyamoto and was revised by Makoto Wada for the NES game. He is voiced by Christian Bernard in the Wii game. He is the player's first opponent in every game in which he appears, and is famous for his weakness and cowardice. Glass Joe has a record of 1-99. These elements are considered by critics to bestereotypes of French people. |
| Piston Hurricane | Cuban[8] | Piston Hurricane[d] is a boxer fromHavana,Cuba.[9] Piston Hurricane reappeared in the SNES version ofSuper Punch-Out!!.[9] |
| Bald Bull | Turkish | Bald Bull[e] is a boxer born inIstanbul,Turkey,[10] created by Shigeru Miyamoto.[11] His next appearances were in the 1985 arcade gameArm Wrestling as "Mask X",[12] in the 1987 video gamePunch-Out!! forNES as Champion of the Major Circuit,[13] in the 1994 video gameSuper Punch-Out!!, and in the 2009 video gamePunch-Out!! forWii. Bald Bull features an instant knockdown attack called the Bull Charge, where Bald Bull rears back and charges forward. In the first fight against Bald Bull in the NES game, the camera flash fired by a man in the audience indicates the exact moment Little Mac can counter Bald Bull's attack.[14] This detail was revealed in 2009 by Makoto Wada in an interview with the former president ofNintendo,Satoru Iwata.[15] |
| Kid Quick | American | Kid Quick[f] is a boxer fromBrooklyn,New York, whose only appearance was in the arcade version ofPunch-Out!!.[9] He was later modernized asDisco Kid inPunch-Out!! forWii due to his "dated representation".[16] |
| Pizza Pasta | Italian | Pizza Pasta[g] is a boxer born inNapoli city. His only appearance is in the arcade version ofPunch-Out!.[9] |
| Mr. Sandman | American | Mr. Sandman[h] is a 31-year-old black boxer fromPhiladelphia,United States, and was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto.[10][11] He is voiced by Riley Inge in theWii game.[17] |
| Name | Nationality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Hugger | Canadian | Bear Hugger[i] is a Canadian boxer fromSaskatoon,Saskatchewan. After an appearance as the second opponent inSuper Punch-Out!! for theSuper NES, he appeared inPunch-Out!! for theWii, where his hometown was changed toSalmon Arm,British Columbia.[18] |
| Dragon Chan | Hongkonger | Dragon Chan is a boxer fromBritish Hong Kong. (Hong Kong was a British crown colony during his appearances.)[19] |
| Soda Popinski | Russian | Soda Popinski[j] is a 35 year old Soviet (Russian in releases after 1992) boxer born inMoscow.[9] He was originally called Vodka Drunkenski, but his name was changed to Soda Popinski in subsequent entries due to marketing concerns with younger audiences.[20][3][21] He drinks vodka in the first game, but drinkssoda in later versions in alignment with the censorship.[citation needed] He drinks soda in theWii version to recover health, either during combat or after being knocked down. If prevented from doing so during combat, he becomes enraged.[22][3] A version of the character appears in an unlicensedPunch-Out!! PC game titledFrank Bruno's Boxing, where he is named "Andra Puncharedov".[23] The character is the namesake of Soda Popinski's, a bar located inNob Hill, San Francisco,California[24][25] since 2012.[26] The bar's name is an allusion to a "USSR-eraSiberian hunting lodge" which references the character's in-universe depiction, serving a double shot ofRussian vodka served neat named Vodka Drunkenski.[24] |
| Great Tiger | Indian | Great Tiger[k] is a 29-year-old boxer born inMumbai. He first appeared inSuper Punch-Out!! forarcade,[13] and later appeared inPunch-Out!! for the NES in 1987 andPunch-Out!! for theWii in 2009, the latter featuring Sumit Seru as his voice actor.[17] He uses teleportation in his fight, and histurban has a jewel that flashes when he is about to perform an attack.[27] He also uses a flying carpet,[28] and in the NES version, the skin of aBengal tiger is seen hanging on the post in his corner of the ring.[29] These have all been referred to as stereotypes of Indian people.[30] Davey Nieves of Comics Beat commented that "Decent people in India or Pakistan have been seeing much more offensive stereotypes in the media for years." Reason for which he stated that "looking at Great Tiger with his tiger skin robe dangling behind him like he's opening a nightclub is probably not the worst they've ever seen on a screen."[31] Kakuchopurei believed that the stereotypes helped make him more memorable.[32] |
| Super Macho Man | American | Super Macho Man[l] is a 27-year-old (28 in Super Punch Out (SNES) American boxer fromHollywood,California.[33] He first appeared inSuper Punch-Out!! for thearcades, where he was the final boss of the game. He later took this role again in the Gold version ofPunch-Out!!.[33] However, inMike Tyson's Punch-Out!! he appeared as the penultimate game boss.[34] Macho Man also appeared inSuper Punch-Out!! for theSNES, andPunch-Out!! for theWii, where he was voiced by Mike Inglehart.[17] AnESRB description ofPunch-Out!! for the Wii mentioned a boxer who flexed his pectoral muscles and glutes, leading editor Stephen Totilo to question whether this was Super Macho Man or not.[35] Since appearing inSuper Punch-Out!! for thearcades, Super Macho Man has received generally positive reception. He is considered a memorable character of the franchise.[36][37] Super Macho Man appeared on the cover of an issue ofGameFan magazine,[38]GamesRadar editor Chris Antista included it as an exception in his list of the most embarrassing gaming magazine covers.[39]IGN editor Jesse Schedeen named Super Macho Man one of the series' top fighters, describing him as a "thinly veiled parody mash-up of"Superstar" Billy Graham and another famous fighter who goes by the nickname"Macho Man".[19] GamesRadar editor Brett Elston states that Super Macho Man embodies the stereotypes of American celebrities of being "too tanned, narcissistic, materialistic, and obsessed with fame, money, and looks." He added that Super Macho Man was not just a parody of celebrities, but "Hollywood and American's fascination with celebrities."[40] In the video game forNES he has two versions of his signature move called Super Spin Punch. One in which he performs a spin after a few seconds to be still and another in which he performs several multiple spins that could instantly knock the player down. |
| Name | Nationality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Doc Louis | American | Doc Louis[m] is a former heavyweight boxing champion[13][better source needed] and Little Mac's trainer, who stands in Mac's corner during fights. Between rounds, Doc provides Mac with advice, encouragement, or sometimes a humorous anecdote. He is the creator of the "Star Punch", the most powerful move in Mac's arsenal. In the Wii title, he has a fondness for chocolate bars. InPunch-Out!! for Wii, he is voiced by Riley Inge. Doc Louis appears as the sole challenger in the Club Nintendo exclusiveDoc Louis's Punch-Out!!.[41] |
| Von Kaiser | German | Von Kaiser[n] (From the Emperor) is a 42-year-old German boxer born inBerlin. He is an instructor of this same sport in an unknown military academy.[42] Von Kaiser made his first appearance inMike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for the NES in 1987. Years later, he returned in the installment ofPunch-Out!! forWii released in 2009, now voiced by Horst Laxon.[17] In bothPunch-Out!! games, he is the second opponent Little Mac faces on the Minor Circuit, having a record of 23 wins and 13 losses. In addition, he appeared with Bald Bull in a micro game ofWarioWare: Smooth Moves, in which Referee Mario has to count to ten to win.[43] |
| Piston Hondo | Japanese | Piston Honda[o] is a 28-year-old Japanese boxer born inTokyo. He first appeared inPunch-Out!! (NES),[9] where he is the Minor Circuit Champion.[13] InPunch-Out!! for the Wii, his name is changed toPiston Hondo,[p] to avoid legal problems.[9] He is voiced by Japanese voice actor Kenji Takahashi.[17] |
| Don Flamenco | Spaniard | Don Flamenco[q] is a 23-year-oldSpanish boxer born inMadrid. His first appearance was inPunch-Out!! for theNES. He did not make another appearance untilPunch-Out!! for theWii where he was voiced by Juan Amador Pulido.[17] He is considered to have multiple stereotypes of Spaniards,GamesRadar writer Brett Elston citing things like him being a bullfighter, holding a rose, and his vanity as examples.[28]The Escapist writer Sumantra Lahiri felt that his "pretty boy" stereotype was a common stereotype held by people aware of Spain's culture.[44] |
| King Hippo | Pacific Islander | King Hippo[r] is an obese boxer who hails from a fictional island in the South Pacific. InMike Tyson's Punch-Out!, his navel is taped over providing a target for Mac, and once hit in the body, he constantly tries to pull his shorts up. Hippo is the only opponent in the game who never gets up once Mac puts him on the mat. In the Wii version's title defense, he uses amanhole cover to protect his torso. King Hippo appeared blue in cartoonCaptain N: The Game Master, where he is played by Garry Chalk. |
| Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream | American | Mike Tyson[s] is the final opponent of the original release ofPunch-Out!! for the NES, titledMike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, whom Little Mac faces in a bout called "The Dream Fight", in which his boxing record is 31-0 with 27 KOs. After Tyson's contract with Nintendo expired, he was replaced withMr. Dream[t],[45] a boxer from Dreamland and with a total record of 99-0 with 99 KOs. Writer Kevin Wong described him as a "completely broken video game character who can knock you out with a single uppercut," adding that "that's just fun and meaningful when you're fighting Iron Mike himself. With Mr. Dream, it's just pathetic."[9] Writer Jesse Schedeen criticized the character, saying that "he has never given us the same sense of joy and accomplishment."[19] The licencing agreement with Tyson expired shortly after his 1990 loss to James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. |
| Name | Nationality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gabby Jay | French | Gabby Jay[u] is a 56-year-old boxer fromParis, whose record is 99 losses and 1 win against Glass Joe.[9] Bit Mob editor Andrew Fitch criticized Gabby Jay, calling him a "wannabe"Glass Joe.[46]Allgame editor Skyler Miller agreed with this sentiment, commenting that while humorous, he is not quite as "out there".[47] In his article "One and Done: Nine Videogame Characters Who Were Never Heard From Again", editor John Teti listed Gabby Jay, stating that it was "not easy to replace a legend, but that was the bum hand dealt to Gabby Jay". He added that Gabby Jay not appearing in the WiiPunch-Out!! in favor of Glass Joe was something thatStar Trek fans would deem "theDr. Pulaski treatment".[48] |
| Bob Charlie | Jamaican | Bob Charlie[v] is a 26-year-old boxer fromKingston,Jamaica, whose only appearance was in the SNES version ofSuper Punch-Out!!.[9] Kevin Wong criticized the character saying that "not only does he suck as a fighter, but he dances during his match while his manager yells 'shuck and jive' at him."[9] |
| Masked Muscle | Mexican | Masked Muscle[w] is a 29-year-old formerLuchador masked man fromMexico City, whose only appearance was inSuper Punch-Out!!. His main attack is to spit in Little Mac's eyes to temporarily blind him. Writer Kevin Wong described it as "a missed opportunity," commenting that "the developers could have done something really cool with a professional wrestling character, but instead opted for a lazy joke."[9] |
| Aran Ryan | Irish | Aran Ryan[x] is anIrish boxer born inDublin. His first appearance was inSuper Punch-Out!! for theSuper NES, and most recently appeared in theWii video gamePunch-Out!!, where he was voiced by Stephen Webster.[17] While he was more sedate inSuper Punch-Out!!, cheating occasionally, the Wii version depicts him as a loud, boisterous cheater.[28] The developer Bryce Holliday describes him as the game's "resident hooligan".[49] In discussing Ryan's fighting style,GamePro editor Will Herring described it as being momentum-based.[50]GamesRadar writer Brett Elston commented that his uncontrollable rage, his disposition to cheating, his love for fighting, and his penchant for adorning his clothing withfour-leaf clovers were strong stereotypes of the Irish people.[28] |
| Heike Kagero | Japanese | Heike Kagero[y] is a 19-year-old Japanese boxer born inOsaka. His only appearance in the SNES version ofSuper Punch-Out!!.[9] |
| Mad Clown | Italian | Mad Clown[z] is a 27-year-old Italian clown fromMilan who decided to take up boxing. He made his only appearance in the SNES version ofSuper Punch-Out!!. Mad Clown began his life as a famous opera singer, however he suffered from a nervous breakdown. Later he dedicated himself to being a clown, and after failing at that as well, he decided to dedicate himself to boxing.[9] |
| Narcis Prince | British | Narcis Prince[aa] is a 20-year-old British boxer fromLondon that appeared for the first and last time in theSNES video gameSuper Punch-Out!!. Kevin Wong commented on this by saying that "the privileged handsome boy from across the pond definitely has the most elegant boxing style of all the fighters inSuper Punch-Out!!."[9] |
| Hoy Quarlow | Chinese | Hoy Quarlow[ab] is an 78-year-old Chinese boxer born onBeijing, whose first and last appearance was inSuper Punch-Out!! for SNES. Hoy Quarlow is the only boxer who carries a weapon in his hands, in this case a stick, he also has a "sick arsenal of special moves".[9] |
| Rick Bruiser | Unknown | Rick Bruiser[ac] is a boxer and brother of Nick Bruiser. Rick has 41 wins on his record and 1 loss from his brother. Both Rick and Nick can use the "Arm Breaker", a special move that temporarily takes Little Mac's left or right arm out of action.[9] |
| Nick Bruiser | Unknown | Nick Bruiser[ad] is the final opponent of the game, and holds a record of 42 wins and 0 losses.[9] |
| Name | Nationality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Disco Kid | American | Disco Kid[ae] is a 20-year-old American boxer fromBrooklyn,New York.[9] He was voiced by Donny Lucas.[17] Disco Kid is one of only two new characters to appear in theWii video gamePunch-Out!!, which consists of mostly characters fromPunch-Out!! for theNintendo Entertainment System. He was one of the first characters revealed in the WiiPunch-Out!!.[51] He is a modernized version of the characterKid Quick from the first arcade game.[16] He is characterized as flamboyant with a high-pitched voice and an affinity forclubbing.[52] Multiple critics felt that he fit in well with the old cast inPunch-Out!! with the characters returning from previous games, including Craig Harris, Oli Welsh, Ricardo Madeira, and DJPubba.[53][54][55][56][57] He has also been seen as flamboyant and a stereotype ofblack Americans by critics such asKotaku's Michael McWhertor.[58]GamesRadar writer Brett Elston also felt he was stereotypical, citing his appreciation of cars, bass, andclubbing. He believed that these stereotypes were comparatively mild compared to otherPunch-Out!! characters, with the exception ofMr. Sandman.[52] |
| Donkey Kong | DK Islander | Donkey Kong appears as a secret opponent in the game's Title Defense mode.[59] He previously made a cameo in the background of the arcade gamesPunch-Out!! andSuper Punch-Out!! alongsideMario,Luigi andDonkey Kong Jr. |
Topps and Nintendo of America made a series of trading cards featuring characters from theMario,The Legend of Zelda,Double Dragon, and the NESPunch-Out!! series. ThePunch-Out!! cards depict Little Mac's various opponents. The cards have scratch-off spots on them, which determine loss or win. As in real boxing, but not in this video game series, a "cow blow" is slang for the highly illegal blow to the kidneys and causes the scratch-off card to be an instant loss.[60]
Punch-Out!! extensively utilizes racial and ethnic stereotypes, particularly in the opponents faced by the player character. The stereotypes featured in the games are an important facet ofPunch-Out!!'s visual and aesthetic identity and have received substantial recognition and criticism.
Graphical advancements in the early-mid 1980s enabled thePunch-Out!! arcade game to display human-like characters with exaggerated features and animation.[61] Writing forKotaku, journalist Kevin Wong wrote that the 1984Punch-Out!! "lacks cultural sensitivity, to put it mildly — the characters range from being slightly offensive caricatures to highly offensive caricatures."[62] Notable stereotypical characters in the 1984 arcade game include Glass Joe, a French boxer who iseasily defeated in combat,[63] and Pizza Pasta, whose name was described by Wong as "just incredible; a shining testament to just not giving a shit. It's like naming a Chinese boxerChop SueyWonton, or a Thai boxerPad ThaiCurry Puffs.[62]
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! continued the trend of using characters with "distinct stereotypical exaggerations."[64] The 1987 game is widely recognized as a landmark of racial stereotyping in video games: Brandon Mendelson described the boxer opponents as "a cavalcade of racial and ethnic stereotypes,"[65] and Sam Machkovech described them as "a veritableUnited Nations of stereotypes."[66] Writing forThe Escapist, Sumantra Lahiri detailed the Japan-developed[67] NES game's extensive stereotyping:
As you go through the game, you gain an encyclopedic knowledge of ignorant American sentiments: The French are weak and cowardly; the Germans are ultra-militaristic; the Japanese are sneaky and untrustworthy; the Spanish are flamboyant and vain; Samoans are fat and stupid; Indians skin tigers alive and wear turbans; Russians love their vodka; and black people are ruthless and a bit ignorant.[68]
Of particular note inMike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is the stereotypicalSoviet Russian character Soda Popinski, representing thestereotype of Russians as brutish alcoholics obsessed withvodka.[69] In Soda Popinski's entry for the 2017 publication100 Greatest Video Game Characters, Rahima Schwenkbeck analyzed the character's Russian tropes within the context of contemporary international relations in tandem with localized pressures faced by Nintendo in their attempts to penetrate the American consumer market.[70] Noting the pervasiveness of unflattering tropes about Soviet or Russian people in popular culture in the West, Schwenkbeck pointed out that this is not a phenomenon unique to American media, citing the historically turbulentJapan–Russia relations and the predominantly negative image of Russia among Japanese society based on the findings of aPew Research Center survey in 2015.[70] Schwenkbeck observed that Popinski's continued depiction as a caricature of a vodka-loving Russian, regardless of changing political climates and expectations of improved character development with the advancement of technology, reflects a larger narrative about long-standing negative stereotypes of Russians prevalent in both American and Japanese culture.[71]
The 2009Punch-Out!! game for the Wii heavily uses ethnic and national stereotypes like its predecessors, largely through the use of recycled boxers from previous games.[72] In addition to old stereotypical characters such as Glass Joe and Soda Popinski, the newestPunch-Out!! game also features the stereotypical boxer Disco Kid, portrayed as aBlack American preoccupied with music and clubbing.[73]
In contrast withPunch-Out's mainstream popularity, critical reception to the series' stereotypes has generally been negative. Davey Nieves and Wong condemnedPunch-Out!!'s ethnic and national stereotypes as offensive and mean-spirited.[74] John Speerbrecker described the stereotypes as "much worse" than those featured inStreet Fighter II,[75] another popular fighting game whose stereotyping is often compared with that inPunch-Out!!.[76] Machkovech characterizedPunch-Out!!'s ethnic and national stereotyping as part of a broader lack of meaningful racial diversity in Nintendo video games and general bias in favor of white characters.[66] Schwenkbeck unfavorably compared Soda Popinski to theStreet Fighter characterZangief, calling the former "pure stereotype" while the latter is referred to as a "solid character."[71]
Despite the generally negative reception toPunch-Out!!'s stereotypes, some critics have also expressed more forgiving views of the stereotypical characters. Brett Elston characterized the depictions as "friendly jabs at everyone's equal expense,"[73] and Wong argued that "the developers took a 'scorched earth' approach to their stereotyping; every ethnicity was equally lampooned, which pre-empted any accusations of 'singling out' anyone."[62]
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