Punch-Out!!
Green gloves, two screens and an opponent who winks right before he lays you out.
Coming soon to UsuArcade
Votes to bring it to the arcade: 0
In the meantime, head into the arcade and play the cabinets that are already there
- Year
- 1984
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo
- Players
- 1 player
- Genres
- Sports, Fighting games
- Decade
- '80s arcade games
You couldn't miss Punch-Out!! at the arcade: a cabinet with two screens stacked on top of each other and a boxer seen from behind, squaring off against huge, over-the-top opponents. Stats on top, the fight below and a crowd around you yelling now, NOW!
It's not a button-mashing slugfest, it's about reading your opponent. Every boxer has his tells, his fakes and his weak moment. Learn to see them coming and you were the champ of the whole arcade.
History
Nintendo brought Punch-Out!! to arcades in 1984. The dual-screen cabinet, big character art and synthesized voice made it stand out in any room. A year later came the follow-up, Super Punch-Out!!.
The series later jumped to the NES in a hugely popular version starring a fighter named Little Mac. In the arcade, though, your boxer is a nameless guy with green hair.
How to play
You control your boxer with a joystick and two punch buttons, one for each hand. Use the stick to dodge left or right, block and choose whether you aim for the head or the body. A third button throws the KO punch, which you can only use once you've built up the meter by landing clean hits.
Opponents like Glass Joe, Piston Hurricane, Bald Bull and Mr. Sandman each have their own attacks and telltale wind-ups. The trick is to dodge at just the right moment and counter when they drop their guard. You have to put them down before the clock runs out, so you can't just turtle up forever.
Fun facts
- The arcade cabinet used two monitors, one stacked above the other.
- Glass Joe, the first opponent, became a legend for how easily he goes down.
- It got an arcade sequel, Super Punch-Out!!.
In the arcade
Punch-Out!! isn't on the UsuArcade floor yet, but it's on our wish list. If you want to step into the ring at the arcade, hit Want to Play on this page. The most-voted games get added first.
Meanwhile, the arcade has other ways to throw hands: Street Fighter II for head-to-head fights with a friend, Kung-Fu Master for fast-paced brawling and Final Fight to clean up Metro City co-op.
FAQ
Can I play Punch-Out!! on UsuArcade?
Not yet. It's on the wish list and you can vote for it with Want to Play. In the meantime, try Street Fighter II, Kung-Fu Master or Final Fight in the arcade.
What year did the Punch-Out!! arcade game come out?
The Punch-Out!! arcade game came out in 1984, made by Nintendo.
How many players is Punch-Out!!?
It's a single-player game against the computer-controlled boxers.
Is Little Mac in the Punch-Out!! arcade game?
Not by that name. Little Mac is from the NES version; in the arcade you play an unnamed boxer with green hair.
