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00:16In the 1980s, bosses had an inherent novelty to them that just doesn't exist these days.
00:24Don't get me wrong, boss fights have absolutely improved since then,
00:28but now that boss fights have become an accepted norm,
00:32they have to work much harder to be impressive, rather than just throwing a stronger monster at you.
00:38I mean, the first Mega Man bosses were incredibly basic patterns,
00:42the first Castlevania bosses could be wrecked with holy water,
00:46and the first Bowser fights were just a single jump.
00:50They were fun in their own way, but they weren't really the focus.
00:53A dessert course to the real meat of the platforming stage preceding them.
00:58Making a Shadow of the Colossus-style boss rush game in those days seemed almost unthinkable.
01:05Designing a complex boss was exceptionally difficult,
01:08and even if you got a good gimmick going,
01:11keeping that up to sustain an entire game seemed both impossible and mind-numbingly repetitive.
01:19Punch-Out, though? Punch-Out strove to be different.
01:24The game seemed doomed to meet the fate of other arcade ports on the NES,
01:29shallow imitations of their complex cabinet counterparts.
01:33A boss rush was possible with the snappiness of quarter-gobbling, trial-and-error learning,
01:39but translating that to the home consoles seemed like a recipe for disaster.
01:43Moreover, Punch-Out was an arcade darling because of its uniqueness.
01:48Voice samples, a two-screen display to keep information spread out,
01:53intensely detailed and expressive sprites taking over the whole screen,
01:58a hot new see-through wireframe perspective to immerse the player in the fight.
02:03The NES had the ability to make exactly none of this a reality.
02:08Punch-Out should have been a simple, uninteresting flop of a game
02:13that encouraged you to visit the arcade and play the good version there.
02:18Yet somehow, the designers of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out were able to create
02:23one of the most memorable, challenging, and legacy-defining games of the NES era.
02:30Punch-Out looks like nothing else on the system,
02:33in a way that's not only technically impressive, but utterly daunting to go up against.
02:39It defined and challenged what video game boss fights could be,
02:43and created, I would argue, the most memorable showdowns between player and game of its time.
02:50And while one dynamite example stands out above all the others,
02:55covering him alone would be a disservice to all the incredible fights before him.
03:00Thus, we're going the distance.
03:03This month is devoted to the incredible design, legacy, and ferocity of Punch-Out,
03:10going four rounds, league by league, with the granddaddy of all boss fights.
03:15Every single fight will be broken down,
03:18as we explore each fighter's genre-defining brand of intimidation.
03:27Before we tackle the minor league, though, we need to know how all of this is possible.
03:33Punch-Out uses technical wizardry on a grand scale to create its petrifying pugilists,
03:40and the effort put in cannot be ignored.
03:42Due to reasons I'm nowhere near qualified to explain,
03:47the NES could only display eight sprites on each of its scan lines at once.
03:52Now that doesn't seem too bad,
03:55but each sprite is constrained to an 8x8 pixel square.
03:59This little Mario sprite is secretly a meta sprite,
04:03consisting of four sprite boxes stitched together to make something more appealing than,
04:09well, a box.
04:10On top of that, each of these box sprites can only contain four colors,
04:15including transparent.
04:17So if you wanted to give Mega Man some facial expressions,
04:20you need to mess with all sorts of sprite-layering mojo.
04:24On top of that topping, each collection of four colors formed a palette,
04:29and the NES only allowed for a maximum of four sprite palettes at a time.
04:35Add in the primitive, basic-based tools used to put them in,
04:39and it's a miracle that NES games looked as good as they did.
04:43Because of these limitations, you had two options for bosses.
04:47Make them small and unassuming,
04:50or slap them in the background layer and make them big,
04:53but nearly immobile and on a flat color background.
04:57Punch-Out! could not afford either of these.
05:01The game was about reading an opponent's motion,
05:03learning their tells,
05:05dodging their punches,
05:06and counter-punching.
05:07Having a tiny opponent would make this nearly impossible
05:11without pressing your face into the TV screen,
05:14and skipping out and using rigid, clunky animations
05:18would both ruin a player's sense of timing,
05:21and be a disservice to the incredibly fluid,
05:24always-moving sport of boxing.
05:26To solve this,
05:27a custom chip,
05:29the MMC2,
05:30was developed and inserted into every Punch-Out! cartridge.
05:34Boxers could now shift their hands,
05:37fall back,
05:38climb back up,
05:39change their expressions,
05:40and actually fluidly animate.
05:43Once the grunt work was done,
05:45remember,
05:46every single frame had to be hand-animated,
05:49and every hulking meta-sprite
05:51was being built up of
05:5364 pixel blocks of
05:55bicep meat and pure testosterone,
05:58jigsaw puzzled together into a macho man.
06:01This extra work managed to create
06:03actual characters out of the bosses.
06:06Von Kaiser wasn't just a mean punching man,
06:09he was cocky.
06:11King Hippo didn't just punch you,
06:13he tried to club you,
06:15and was horribly embarrassed
06:16by his wardrobe malfunctions.
06:18The player's hero,
06:20Little Mac,
06:21was shrunken down to a pitiful height
06:23to give these colossal fighters
06:25their space to show off,
06:27and the sheer size of their gloves
06:29and the weight of their animations
06:31makes every hit taken
06:33feel like a semi-truck to the face.
06:36But it created a compelling
06:38David vs. Goliath story,
06:41the player overcoming
06:42not just hulking monstrosities,
06:45but fighters that seem
06:46outright better than Little Mac
06:48in everything they do.
06:50And the first of these
06:52intimidating monsters among men
06:54is Glass Joe.
07:06Surely you jest,
07:08Mr. Designing 4,
07:09I hear from the peanut gallery.
07:11You can't honestly be trying
07:12to sell me that Glass Joe
07:14is supposed to be intimidating.
07:16Ha ha, perish the thought.
07:18The man's record is 1 in 99.
07:21Most experienced players
07:22can take him down
07:23in a single round.
07:25He's from France,
07:27a country that still
07:28stigmatized his cowardly
07:30due to World War II.
07:31His name is a gag
07:33based on having a glass jaw,
07:35a boxing term for a weakling
07:37downed with a well-placed uppercut.
07:39He is, in characterization,
07:42reputation,
07:43and actual application,
07:45an utter joke of a character.
07:47Who couldn't beat this guy?
07:50Mike Tyson.
07:51Mike Tyson's Punch-Out,
07:52the best game ever.
07:53Did you ever beat yourself?
07:55No, I couldn't beat Glass-
07:56I couldn't beat Glass Joe.
07:58Put yourself into the position
07:59of someone who knows
08:01nothing about the game.
08:03A kid who just got the game
08:04for Christmas
08:05because they think
08:05Mike Tyson is awesome.
08:07Even if they know nothing
08:09about his actual sport
08:10except that punching
08:11is involved, I guess.
08:13The natural course of action
08:14is to button mash
08:16like a fighting game.
08:17Try to overwhelm
08:18this French dandy.
08:20But for how cowardly
08:21Glass Joe is,
08:22he has one advantage.
08:24His cowardice makes him
08:26keep his guard up
08:27and not even attack
08:28for the first 30 seconds
08:29of the fight,
08:30blocking punches thrown at him.
08:32As Joe deflects
08:33every hit they try to land,
08:36the player will rapidly
08:37drain hearts
08:38without any context
08:39of what they're doing
08:40or why isn't it working.
08:42Until finally,
08:43the game won't let him
08:44throw punches anymore.
08:46Joe's actually pretty decent
08:48at striking Mac when he's down,
08:50finally taking the chance
08:51to go on the offensive,
08:53even throwing in
08:53some delayed punches
08:55with tricky timing
08:56and his very own special move.
08:58Players won't really understand
09:00what's going on,
09:01and for this reason,
09:03I actually think
09:04most challengers
09:05will lose to Glass Joe
09:07on their first attempt.
09:12Even though they don't yet
09:14understand the rules,
09:16they understand the humiliation.
09:18Glass Joe is a pansy Frenchman
09:21who constantly complains
09:23and says he's getting
09:24too old for this.
09:25And if anything,
09:27his reputation of being
09:28one of the most pathetic
09:30characters in gaming
09:31only strengthens this.
09:33All of those jokes
09:35get turned back on
09:36to the player
09:37because it implies
09:38that they're a fake gamer.
09:40What, they couldn't even
09:41beat Glass Joe.
09:43And sure,
09:44maybe they'll toss the controller
09:45out the window
09:46at that point.
09:47But chances are,
09:48they'll want to prove themselves
09:50to Iron Mike.
09:51Prove that someday,
09:53they can be the very best
09:54like no one ever was.
09:57And through all of that,
09:58Doc Lewis is there
09:59to encourage them
10:00that maybe they shouldn't
10:01just mash mindlessly.
10:03Maybe they should
10:07This allows the fundamental rule
10:10of Punch-Out to shine through.
10:12You are not a powerhouse.
10:15And you are almost always
10:16on the defensive,
10:18looking for a way in.
10:19Nothing feels quite like
10:21avoiding one of Joe's
10:22right hooks for the first time
10:24and seeing the utter shock
10:26and horror on his face
10:27at a well-placed counter.
10:29After seeing Joe
10:30gain enough confidence
10:31to do a taunt,
10:32a player can smack him
10:34in the ribs
10:34and take him down
10:35in one punch.
10:37And when they put him
10:38down for good,
10:40well,
10:40it might not seem like
10:41much anymore,
10:42but this was the first step
10:44to becoming a real boxer
10:46for thousands of gamers
10:48the world over.
10:49Plus,
10:50it already proves
10:51that they're better than Tyson
10:52in at least one way.
11:01Glass,
11:01Kaiser is next.
11:03And from his appearance alone,
11:05you can tell that this is
11:06no loser Frenchman.
11:08This is a German military man,
11:10a boxing teacher
11:11who thinks nothing
11:12of your puny frame
11:14in the face of
11:15German ingenuity and strength.
11:17And on the surface,
11:19he's got the skills to match.
11:21His jabs are very fast,
11:23enough to make dodging difficult
11:24and even rudely interrupt
11:26Max's own punches.
11:27He's the first boxer
11:29to utilize
11:30the devastating uppercut,
11:32doing more damage
11:33than any other punch.
11:35He keeps his guard
11:36very tight
11:37and gets up from the mat
11:38incredibly quickly.
11:40But while his technical skill
11:42is superior to Glass Joe,
11:44his pattern couldn't be simpler,
11:45as those two punches
11:47are all you'll ever see.
11:49Two different kinds.
11:51Just like you, right?
11:53Well,
11:54if you punch him
11:54while he's delivering
11:55his uppercut,
11:56you'll always be
11:57granted a star.
11:59Probably the easiest star
12:00to get in the entire game.
12:02It's shiny and glittery
12:04and it raises
12:05the little star counter up.
12:06So the player knows
12:07that getting it
12:08did something good,
12:09but what it does
12:11isn't exactly clear.
12:13And whether they figure it out
12:14by pushing one of the two
12:16remaining buttons
12:17on the controller
12:17or by looking it up
12:19in a manual,
12:20the point is,
12:21they'll have learned
12:21the star uppercut.
12:23Kaiser is programmed
12:24to always go down
12:26should they hit him
12:27with one,
12:27the player overcoming
12:28his uppercut
12:29by showing him
12:30what a real American uppercut
12:32looks like.
12:33The player is no longer
12:35in Glass Joe's shoes,
12:37desperately trying to block,
12:39avoid,
12:39and strike with little love taps
12:41where applicable.
12:42They're a powerhouse, too.
12:45Von Kaiser can still
12:46occasionally fool them
12:47by feinting an uppercut,
12:49but now they're
12:50undeniably powerful,
12:52beating up a foe
12:53who is all bark
12:54and no bite
12:55and ready to unleash
12:57hell on the
12:58minor circuit champion,
12:59whoever he might be.
13:14Let's be honest,
13:15the first two fights
13:17could be tricky,
13:18but they weren't
13:19exactly what I'd call
13:20complex.
13:22Piston Honda,
13:23on the other hand,
13:24can be considered
13:25the game's first
13:26real challenge.
13:27Glass Joe and Von Kaiser
13:29were already larger
13:30than Mack,
13:31but Honda towers
13:32at over twice his height.
13:34He has both the jab
13:36and uppercut
13:37that Kaiser has,
13:38but they deal
13:38significantly more damage,
13:40and his uppercut
13:41is not only faster,
13:43but can't be countered
13:45like Kaiser's can.
13:46On top of that,
13:47he mixes in slower hooks
13:49to throw off your timing,
13:50meaning that a poorly
13:51timed dodge
13:52will be met
13:53with a glove to the head.
13:54Unlike Kaiser,
13:56who put all of his force
13:57out up front
13:58in a glorious
13:59German blitzkrieg,
14:00Honda is built to last,
14:02and will easily
14:04take you through
14:04two or three rounds
14:06if you're unprepared.
14:07He gets up slowly,
14:09but he never gives up,
14:10merely taking time
14:12to catch his breath.
14:13Star uppercuts,
14:14while powerful,
14:15are nowhere near
14:17the instant win button
14:18against him
14:19like they are for Kaiser.
14:20He even has
14:21a unique animation
14:22when he wins,
14:24suggesting that
14:25the developers
14:25fully expected
14:26players to lose.
14:28Joe and VK
14:29were fun little
14:30cartoon villains,
14:31but Honda
14:32is a boxer.
14:34He knows the sport,
14:35and will do everything
14:37with precision
14:38and strategy
14:39in order to win.
14:40But all of this
14:42pales in comparison
14:43to his secret weapon,
14:45the Honda Rush,
14:46a tsunami
14:47of alternating
14:48straights
14:49far too quick
14:50to dodge.
14:51You try to
14:51swerve out of his path,
14:53but no,
14:54another fist
14:54meets you
14:55right when you
14:56return to your
14:56original position.
14:58Pretty soon,
14:59you're absolutely
15:00winded,
15:00and a fierce
15:01hook or uppercut
15:02puts you down
15:03for the count.
15:03From close
15:05to full health
15:06to down,
15:07all in about
15:0830 seconds.
15:09The solution,
15:10of course,
15:11is that you
15:12have to block
15:12his punches
15:13rather than
15:14dodge them,
15:14but an attack
15:15like this
15:16was needed
15:17in order to
15:17communicate
15:18the difference.
15:19While dodges
15:20can theoretically
15:21avoid everything,
15:22blocks are
15:23much faster
15:24and the only way
15:25to weather
15:25through a storm
15:26of repeated blows.
15:28While this
15:28does cost
15:29some stamina
15:30instead of
15:30the dodges'
15:31free advantage,
15:32Mack has trained
15:33himself up
15:34for this fight
15:34and starts
15:35with a huge
15:36reserve of hearts
15:37to weather
15:37the storm.
15:39Piston Honda
15:39also tends
15:40to be weaker
15:41to body blows,
15:42teaching the player
15:43to mix up
15:44their punches
15:44after Glass Joe
15:45was so weak
15:46in the face.
15:48In fact,
15:49with exceptionally
15:50good timing,
15:51the player can
15:51counter the Honda
15:52rush outright
15:53with a quick
15:54body blow,
15:55rewarding them
15:56with an instant
15:57knockdown.
15:58And with that,
15:59they've learned
16:00everything about
16:01the game's
16:01core mechanics.
16:03Aiming high
16:04and low,
16:04switching which
16:05hand to use,
16:06dodging,
16:07blocking,
16:08when to best
16:08utilize the stars
16:10they've amassed.
16:11Experienced players
16:12can take him down
16:13quickly with tricks
16:14like star punching
16:15when there's a four
16:16on the counter
16:17or when his eyes twitch.
16:18But for a new player,
16:19this'll likely be
16:21a bloody battle,
16:22utilizing everything
16:23they've learned,
16:24coming right down
16:26to the wire.
16:27And then,
16:28after the awards
16:29ceremony,
16:30they're out
16:30of the minor league.
16:36The minor league
16:37was a tutorial.
16:39That isn't to say
16:40that learning about
16:41the various mechanics
16:42in Punch-Out
16:42can't be challenging
16:44to some players,
16:45but once you understand
16:46how to beat
16:47the minor league,
16:48I think it's fair
16:49to say that you
16:50understand how to
16:51play Punch-Out
16:51on a fundamental level.
16:53The question then
16:54is once Punch-Out
16:56puts its gloves on,
16:57how does it
16:58iterate on its design?
17:00The devs could go
17:00about this in
17:01multiple ways.
17:02The arcade games
17:03in Super Punch-Out
17:05mostly focused
17:06on narrowing
17:06your timing windows,
17:08but Mike Tyson's
17:09Punch-Out
17:09took a different tack.
17:11It turned
17:12every fight
17:13into a puzzle.
17:22Up first
17:23is Don Flamenco,
17:25who couldn't
17:26illustrate this shift
17:27in philosophy
17:28any more succinctly
17:29if he tried.
17:31In boxing,
17:31fighters are often
17:33categorized by their
17:34range,
17:35with both
17:35in-fighters
17:36and out-fighters.
17:38In-fighters get
17:39their advantage
17:39by getting in close,
17:41hence the name.
17:43These fighters tend
17:44to be shorter
17:44and quick on their feet,
17:46with very powerful
17:47fast punches
17:48that let them
17:49overwhelm an opponent
17:50once they're in
17:51their effective range.
17:52Which, if you hadn't
17:54know, this describes
17:54Mack pretty well.
17:56By contrast then,
17:57an out-fighter
17:58seeks to keep
17:59in-fighters away,
18:01often with long,
18:02lanky limbs
18:03that don't hit
18:04as hard,
18:05but can still
18:05be very quick.
18:07Breaking through
18:08an out-boxer's guard
18:09is one of the most
18:10fundamental skills
18:11for any boxer
18:13to learn,
18:13once they understand
18:14how to move
18:15and how to throw
18:16a punch.
18:17Don Flamenco
18:18is unequivocably
18:20an out-fighter,
18:21in build,
18:22fighting style,
18:23and even in personality.
18:25While Glass Joe
18:26also had an out-boxing style,
18:28he was really bad at it,
18:30with poor defenses
18:31and no real strategy
18:33besides be a coward,
18:35I guess.
18:35For the first time
18:37in punch-out,
18:38your opponent
18:38is comfortable
18:39in not bringing
18:40the fight to you,
18:42but letting you
18:43bring it to him.
18:44There are no weaknesses,
18:46no gaps.
18:47Don's defense
18:48is unshakable.
18:50He can even
18:50dodge your star punches.
18:52In fact,
18:53Flamenco
18:54will never punch you
18:55a single time
18:56unless you punch him first.
18:58Worse still,
18:59since he has
19:00a likable demeanor
19:01and complimented
19:02Mario's hair,
19:03well, let's just say
19:04Mario isn't exactly
19:06a fair referee
19:08for this fight
19:08and will sometimes
19:09award a decision victory
19:11to Flamenco
19:12even if he never
19:14lands a hit on you.
19:15This isn't a man
19:16looking to beat you up.
19:18He's looking to put on a show
19:19and make you look
19:21like a fool.
19:22So,
19:23the answer here
19:24is not to find
19:25a weak point,
19:26but to make your own
19:27and take him down a peg.
19:29Flamenco isn't
19:30a Wi-Fi Sonic player.
19:32He will toss a punch
19:33at you,
19:34but he wants to do it
19:35on his own terms
19:36to show off
19:37and make you
19:38look pathetic.
19:39He'll taunt you
19:41relentlessly,
19:42just hoping to block
19:43your punch
19:44so he can deliver
19:44his signature
19:45Flamenco uppercut
19:47that drains
19:48one-third
19:48of your life bar.
19:50But hold fast
19:51and dodge that
19:52and suddenly
19:53you realize
19:54that was the only
19:55trick up his sleeve.
19:56After he's stunned,
19:58you can wail
19:58on him safely,
19:59Flamenco being cursed
20:01with one of the few
20:02infinites in the game
20:04if you just smack him
20:05back and forth rapidly.
20:07And, of course,
20:08this Don Juan
20:09doesn't take to you
20:10smacking him
20:11in his beautiful face lightly.
20:13After a knockdown,
20:14he'll keep striking
20:16in a blind rage,
20:17making him every bit
20:19as predictable
20:20of a fool
20:20that he wanted
20:21to make you out to be.
20:23Give him a taste
20:24of his own medicine
20:25and the Don can sleep
20:26with the fishes
20:27faster than
20:28any other fight
20:29in the game,
20:30clocking in
20:31at around 15 seconds.
20:40If Don Flamenco
20:41was elegant
20:42and refined,
20:43then King Hippo
20:45is anything
20:45and everything but.
20:48He's a slugger,
20:49a type of boxer
20:50known for their brutality
20:51in place of finesse,
20:53relying on single,
20:54strong blows
20:55rather than
20:56complicated combinations.
20:58However,
20:59that doesn't mean
21:00his defense
21:00is any less impressive.
21:02In fact,
21:03he's got the strongest
21:04so far,
21:05being completely
21:06impenetrable
21:07at all points,
21:09never offering
21:09Mac the opportunity
21:10to use a star punch.
21:12He only knows
21:13two punches,
21:14a jab
21:15and an overhead,
21:16but his odd,
21:17unpredictable timing
21:18between them
21:19and unbreakable guard
21:21means that he tends
21:22to be a common wall
21:24for new players.
21:25Hippo isn't
21:26so much a boxer
21:27as he is
21:28a carnival
21:29sideshow attraction.
21:31An imposing monster
21:32way out of your weight class
21:34with a cute little crown
21:35for marketing.
21:37Come one,
21:37come all!
21:38See the baby boxer
21:39get buried into the ground
21:40by the ninth wonder
21:41of the world!
21:42A boxer more hippopotamus
21:43than man!
21:44King Hippo!
21:47But this is your shot
21:48to prove
21:49you're no mere novelty.
21:51And as Doc will tell you,
21:52Mother Brain's
21:53favorite henchman
21:54has a weakness.
21:55Uniquely,
21:56King Hippo needs
21:57to be attacked
21:58before his punch
22:00rather than after,
22:01as signified
22:02by his flashing sprite
22:04and his open mouth.
22:05A smack right
22:06and his gaping maw
22:08will reveal
22:08his true weak point,
22:10a bandage
22:11on his bulging belly.
22:12And as his trunk's elastic
22:14have completely given up,
22:16he'll give you plenty
22:17of time to wail
22:18on his belly
22:19as he desperately
22:19tries to pull up his pants.
22:21Give it enough smacks
22:23and Hippo will go down.
22:25And he will never,
22:27ever,
22:28get back up.
22:29Like a good puzzle,
22:31he knows not to overstay
22:32his welcome
22:33once you've solved him.
22:34By now,
22:35you're starting
22:35to get into a rhythm.
22:37Great Tiger fights
22:38pretty much like
22:39Von Kaiser after all.
22:41Same body
22:42and everything.
22:43Familiarity leads
22:44to confidence.
22:45And although he mixes up
22:47the timing on his punches
22:48a bit more,
22:49you might learn
22:50that the gem
22:51on Great Tiger's turban
22:52gives his timing away.
22:54And can even net you
22:55a star
22:55if you hit him
22:56just right.
22:57But,
22:58starting in round two.
23:05Teleport.
23:06That's right.
23:07Somehow,
23:08beyond all reason
23:09and sense,
23:10Great Tiger
23:11could bend
23:12the laws of reality
23:13in his favor
23:14and just
23:15teleport at will.
23:16Every fighter
23:17before now
23:18has been imposing,
23:19sure,
23:19but they've all been
23:20opponents who could
23:21feasibly exist.
23:23But this?
23:24How do you even
23:25respond to
23:26actual magic?
23:28This man is
23:29inflicting
23:29psychic-type damage
23:31on the player's
23:32fighting-type brain,
23:33laying them wonder
23:34and fear
23:35just when he's
23:36gonna let that rip.
23:38And then,
23:39stepping back,
23:40the moment
23:41you've been dreading
23:42comes.
23:43He uses his
23:44signature Tiger Punch.
23:46He's flying all around,
23:47he bombards you,
23:49and you're down
23:49for the count.
23:50The sheer mass
23:52of flashing sprites
23:53on screen
23:54is utterly overwhelming,
23:56and it seems
23:57practically unstoppable.
23:59But in the end,
24:01this is just
24:02a cheap trick
24:02done with smoke
24:03and mirrors.
24:04In essence,
24:06the move isn't
24:07all that different
24:08from one the players
24:09already faced,
24:10the Honda Rush.
24:11Tiger's just
24:12mixing it up
24:13and removing
24:14the in-between frames.
24:15The timing for blocking
24:17is always consistent.
24:19Heck,
24:19if a player survives,
24:21they're given
24:21a free knockdown
24:23for weathering the storm,
24:25making it even easier
24:26to deal with
24:27than Honda's antics.
24:29But that fear
24:30and confusion
24:31isn't something
24:32easily forgotten,
24:33and it looks
24:34all kinds of impressive
24:35to pull off.
24:36The players feeling
24:37not only talented,
24:39but clever
24:40as they step
24:41into their next
24:42title bout.
24:49Standing in your way
24:50of the Major League
24:51Championship
24:52is one bald bull,
24:54your most intimidating
24:55challenger yet.
24:57He has no cute
24:58intro jingle.
24:59He towers abo-
25:01Hey!
25:02Okay.
25:03Rude.
25:04He immediately
25:05starts this fight
25:06with a sucker punch
25:07to the face.
25:08The fastest punch
25:10you've seen so far.
25:11And this brute
25:12does not let up,
25:13following through
25:14with more punches,
25:15hooks,
25:16even uppercuts,
25:17making him
25:18the most well-rounded
25:19boxer you've seen
25:20thus far.
25:21Even if you manage
25:23to stun him,
25:24he recovers quickly.
25:25A face like that
25:26has to have seen
25:27plenty of punishment,
25:28so he's used to it.
25:30And max damage
25:31is minimal.
25:32Big Bald Bull
25:33has no huge tricks,
25:35no glaring weaknesses,
25:37he's just generally
25:38a great boxer,
25:40in a way that would
25:40later define
25:41the world circuit.
25:43His weird little
25:44hand shuffle
25:45is his only major tell.
25:47And even that
25:47isn't particularly
25:48slow or noteworthy.
25:50It's just kinda weird,
25:51I guess.
25:52Bald Bull
25:53is truly brutal,
25:55and no matter
25:55how many times
25:57he may mock you for it,
25:58there's no shame
25:59to lose to him
26:00before he even
26:01does his signature move.
26:03But once he does it,
26:05oh man,
26:06you'll wish
26:07that his punches
26:08were all he had
26:09ready for you.
26:10This move
26:11is known
26:11as the Bull Rush,
26:13and would go on
26:14to become,
26:15I would argue,
26:16the single most
26:17iconic move
26:18in all of Punch-Out.
26:20In a game of chicken,
26:22Bald Bull
26:22comes barreling
26:23towards you,
26:24followed by
26:25a fierce uppercut.
26:26Dodge it,
26:27and he does it again,
26:29and again,
26:30and again!
26:31Get hit by it,
26:32and suffer
26:33an instant knockdown.
26:35An element of fear
26:36is necessary
26:37in most great boss fights,
26:39and if this isn't
26:40fear distilled
26:41into its most pure,
26:43unrelenting form,
26:45I don't know what is.
26:46Players may wonder
26:47how to deal
26:48with such a terrifying assault,
26:51but with a keen eye
26:52and experimentation,
26:53it can be figured out.
26:55Bull's head
26:56is a damage sponge,
26:57but his guts
26:58isn't quite as fortified.
27:01If a player swipes at it
27:02during Bull's little hand shimmy,
27:04his only real moment
27:05of weirdness,
27:06they'll get a free star.
27:08And if they're still
27:09unsure of what to do,
27:10Doc will spell it out.
27:12There's only one way forward,
27:14and that's to take the punch.
27:16Bald Bull is perhaps
27:18the strongest example
27:19of seeing something terrifying
27:22and facing it head on,
27:24as you have to punch
27:25the charging bull
27:26in his exposed gut
27:27in order to take him down.
27:29The window of opportunity
27:31for this
27:32is mere frames,
27:34so you could very well whiff,
27:35but the feeling of conquering fear
27:38and landing it
27:39is unbelievably satisfying.
27:42Watching this monstrous foe
27:44go down
27:45not with a cartoonish flail,
27:47but a defeated
27:48and massive thud
27:49is indescribably cathartic.
27:52Ride that combat high,
27:54keep safe,
27:55and never again flinch
27:57at the mad beast,
27:58and it's your victory.
28:01Congratulations
28:01on conquering
28:03the Major League.
28:07The Minor League
28:08trains players
28:09on how to play the game
28:10and starts to hone
28:11their reflexes.
28:13The Major League
28:13takes it up a notch
28:15and gets the player
28:16to probe their opponent's weaknesses
28:18in puzzle-based showdowns.
28:20But Mac Baby
28:21isn't done yet.
28:22Join us next time
28:24as Mac puts it all together,
28:26faces his toughest opponents yet,
28:29and takes on
28:30the World Circuit.
28:32Let's take down
28:32the next circuit.
28:33The Minor Circuit
28:34teaches you how to play.
28:36The Major Circuit
28:37teaches you
28:38how to apply that knowledge
28:39in a way
28:40that will lead to your victory.
28:41But with the World Circuit,
28:43there's nothing left to teach.
28:45There are still patterns to learn
28:47and weaknesses to find,
28:48yes,
28:49but now fights
28:50are truly difficult
28:51in a way that not only
28:53tests your strategy,
28:55but your finger speed,
28:56endurance,
28:57and tenacity as well.
28:59With six full fights
29:01and no save point in between,
29:03you're gonna become
29:04very familiar
29:05with the boxers ahead.
29:07Now given,
29:08three of these opponents
29:09you've already faced before,
29:11but two of them
29:12are circuit champions
29:13back for revenge.
29:15And one's the most annoying
29:16little hanger-on imaginable,
29:18and they not only
29:19hit harder
29:20and take more punishment,
29:22but have new tricks
29:23up their lack of sleeves.
29:25Piston Honda,
29:26for example,
29:26tries to fake you out
29:28with this wiggling uppercut
29:29that comes out
29:30at an odd time.
29:32Bald Bull usually gets up
29:33on the nine count,
29:35determined to wreck
29:36your hopes
29:36of a swift victory.
29:38Even Don Flamenco,
29:40who might seem like
29:41the most unassuming
29:42rematch possible,
29:43will actually attack you
29:44with a hook and a jab,
29:46making him a far more
29:47well-rounded fighter
29:48who can win
29:49by knocking you out
29:50just as easily
29:51as his ironclad defense
29:53can win by decision.
29:55The World Circuit
29:56ends up feeling like
29:57a greatest hits version
29:59of the game,
30:00reviewing what you've
30:01learned previously
30:02and asking for
30:03absolute mastery
30:05of its concepts.
30:06Not only that,
30:08but after the many,
30:09many attempts
30:10that come from
30:11losing this circuit
30:12again and again,
30:13you can find new
30:14and quick ways
30:15to take you through
30:16these old challengers.
30:18Piston Honda
30:19is now KO'd
30:20instantly
30:21if you can counter
30:22the Honda Rush.
30:23The Bull Charge
30:24becomes something
30:25to eagerly anticipate
30:26rather than dread,
30:28as taking it
30:29by the horns
30:29in the final round
30:30will always result
30:32in a knockout
30:33for Bald Bull.
30:34Don Flamenco
30:35can be exceptionally annoying,
30:37often taking the match
30:38all the way to decision,
30:40but he has another infinite
30:41you can learn.
30:42Just make your pattern
30:43left-left-right
30:44instead of alternating,
30:46and he won't ever be able
30:47to put his perfect guard up again.
30:49While losing to these guys
30:51again can be demoralizing,
30:54with time,
30:55they become fun warm-ups
30:56for when you're working
30:57toward your new opponents.
31:00Opponents like...
31:10Riding off the end
31:11of the Cold War,
31:12it's Soda Popinski,
31:14or Vodka Drunkinski
31:16if you prefer.
31:17With his unbalanced,
31:18top-heavy physique,
31:20uppercuts so fast
31:21they only consist
31:22of key poses,
31:23and his mocking laughs
31:25at every knockdown,
31:26Popinski revels
31:28in being an unknown
31:29Soviet enigma.
31:31Sure, he's better than you,
31:33physically speaking.
31:34Everyone in the WVBA
31:36not made of baguettes
31:37and band-aids is.
31:38But his true ace
31:39in the hole
31:40is how different he is
31:42to your puny American stylings
31:44and expectations.
31:46Popinski is the only boxer
31:48that fights in a Southpaw style,
31:51learning from the last American
31:52to face the motherland
31:54by leading with his left hand.
31:56Southpaw fighters
31:57typically have an advantage
31:59at in-boxing.
32:00Since most boxers
32:01are right-handed,
32:02they're used to
32:03countering a right-hand style,
32:04leaving fighting lefties
32:06to be uncomfortable.
32:07Popinski reflects
32:09this brilliantly,
32:10with animations
32:11so awkward
32:13and unconventional
32:14that they hardly
32:15feel fair at first,
32:16including jabs
32:17with no startup warning.
32:19It's hard to get
32:20any stars off of him,
32:22and he'll usually
32:23dodge your star punch
32:24even if you manage
32:25to get one off.
32:27There seems to be
32:28no tricks to overcoming him.
32:30He is
32:30Invincible Colossus
32:32to end your career, no?
32:36Yeah, no.
32:37This guy needs to go.
32:39Fortunately,
32:40Pops has got a weakness,
32:41albeit one that
32:43his original name
32:44would tip you off better for.
32:45He's had a little too
32:47many bits of the bubbly,
32:48and doesn't have
32:49the brainpower necessary
32:51to strategize beyond
32:52the most basic
32:53of boxing matches.
32:55When he winds up
32:56for an uppercut,
32:57Mack can feint a block,
32:59causing Soda
33:00to kinda just
33:01stay bewildered
33:03for an extra moment,
33:04wondering what
33:05little American boy
33:06is doing.
33:07He'll of course
33:08see no issue
33:09with crushing your skull
33:10like Sparrow's egg
33:11between thighs
33:12with just a moment more,
33:13but if you punch him
33:14in the gut
33:15during his moment
33:16of confusion,
33:16he'll be so stunned
33:18that he'll forfeit
33:19one of his precious
33:20few stars.
33:21And if he's ever
33:22stunned again,
33:23unleash that star
33:25and boom!
33:26Popinski will go
33:27down instantly
33:28to any star uppercut
33:30you manage to land on him.
33:32Surprisingly,
33:33stability isn't
33:34one of Vodka's
33:35strong suits.
33:36Who could've guessed?
33:38Popinski's a tricky
33:39one to understand,
33:40but once you get
33:41past his bluster
33:42and initial onslaught,
33:44he's not that
33:45different after all.
33:52Welcome to Hell.
33:54Let me level with you.
33:55Up until now,
33:56we've been talking
33:57about finding the weakness,
33:59hitting at the opportune time,
34:01wait for the tell,
34:02dodge his punch
34:03and counterpunch.
34:05Unfortunately,
34:06this no longer applies.
34:08As the champ
34:09of the original punch-out,
34:11Sandman will absolutely
34:13wreck you
34:14a majority of the time,
34:15no matter how prepared
34:16you think you are.
34:18Oh, sure,
34:19you can learn his pattern
34:20and tricks like any boss
34:22in any video game ever,
34:24but there's very little advice
34:26I can give you
34:26other than to get good
34:28and try again.
34:30His guard is fierce,
34:32and even if you manage
34:33to break through,
34:34he'll automatically block
34:36any shots to his face,
34:38even while stunned,
34:39something the players relied on
34:41all game to rack up the damage
34:43other than in Hippo's gimmick fight.
34:46Not only that,
34:47but Sandman can dodge
34:49the almighty star uppercut,
34:51even while stunned,
34:53completely neutralizing the punch
34:55that pulverized Popinski.
34:57He starts the first round
34:59with 13 rolling jabs in a row,
35:02which give players
35:03very little in return,
35:04even if you manage
35:05to counterpunch them.
35:07There are certainly ways
35:08to improve your odds.
35:09After his hook,
35:10for example,
35:11you can stun him
35:12and then punch his gut
35:13for a bit,
35:14but nothing is just
35:15going to win you
35:16this fight
35:17but blood,
35:18sweat,
35:18and tears.
35:21But that's a whole lot of work.
35:23I mean,
35:24you look tired.
35:25Why don't you take a rest?
35:35The Dreamland Express,
35:38Sandman's most brutal technique.
35:41Piston Honda did a little dance
35:43before it started,
35:44could be easily blocked,
35:45even countered outright.
35:47Bald Bull,
35:48he has a huge windup
35:50and he only requires
35:51one punch to beat.
35:53But this?
35:54This comes out of nowhere.
35:57Sandman just standing there,
36:00menacingly,
36:01waiting for a random amount of time
36:04before giving you
36:05a 10-second slumber.
36:07Oh,
36:07but he gives a tell, right?
36:09Sure.
36:10Here,
36:10I'll show you how long it lasts.
36:14Missed it?
36:15Here it is again.
36:17This supposed tell,
36:20this mere flash,
36:22lasts a whopping two frames,
36:26meaning that at the NES's 60 frames per second,
36:29you have a mere 1 30th of a second
36:32to react to three death sentences of uppercuts
36:36in a row.
36:37It's so fast that
36:39I honestly can't recommend fighting him
36:42on a modern LCD monitor.
36:44The reduced lag
36:45on the classic CRT display
36:47is practically a requirement
36:49to dodge this bad boy on reaction.
36:53Inevitability
36:53is the greatest fear Sandman provides.
36:57And staring him down,
36:58you know the end is coming.
37:01It's just a matter of when.
37:03Hmm.
37:03Yes,
37:04if by a miracle
37:05or endless repetition
37:07you manage to dodge all of them,
37:09you can get in a few more hits than usual.
37:12But this is far from the free down
37:14it would be on lesser foes.
37:17Sandman is a war of attrition.
37:20But Mac has never given up
37:22and neither should you.
37:24Endure,
37:24and only one more fight
37:26is in between you
37:28and your greatest prize.
37:40Super Macho Man
37:42It's showtime!
37:44Players might not know
37:46what to expect
37:47from the champion of the world circuit,
37:49but those immaculate pecs
37:52likely weren't high on their list.
37:54Super Macho Man
37:56may be far more of a clown
37:58than Sandman,
37:59but he certainly knows
38:00how to put on a show.
38:02After being battered,
38:03bruised,
38:04and beaten,
38:05the image of such
38:06pectoral perfection
38:08will be burned
38:10into a player's eyes
38:11and soul
38:12and will repeat
38:14every single time
38:15they're launched down to the mat.
38:17And it's not like
38:18Macho doesn't have
38:19the skills to boot.
38:21Fast attack,
38:22strong defense,
38:22low stun time,
38:23the world circuit special.
38:25However,
38:26he's
38:26not especially
38:28harder
38:28than Mr. Sandman.
38:30While his macho spin punch
38:32can repeat
38:33with up to 8 reps
38:34and will knock you down
38:36instantly,
38:37it's got a far slower
38:38windup
38:39than the Dreamland Express.
38:40And this showboat
38:41is far more likely
38:43to get smacked
38:43with a star uppercut
38:45than the ever-serious
38:46Sandman.
38:47Really?
38:48The toughest thing
38:49about Super Macho Man
38:50are the nerves
38:51the player brings
38:52into the ring
38:53with them.
38:54If you lose,
38:55you might have to
38:56fight Sandman again
38:58or even retire
38:59if you've already
39:00dropped two matches.
39:02Needing to go through
39:03the world circuit gauntlet
39:05again
39:05in order to even
39:06match gloves
39:07with Macho Man
39:08a second time.
39:10Stay down!
39:10The champ's
39:11a competent boxer,
39:13but in practice
39:13he's just a
39:14more well-rounded
39:16Popinski
39:16with a more
39:17orthodox stance.
39:18After coming
39:19so far,
39:21just inches away
39:22from being
39:23champion
39:23of the world,
39:25what makes
39:25the final boxer
39:27intimidating
39:27isn't what's to come
39:29but what's behind you.
39:31Why don't you love me?
39:32Oh!
39:34Overcome your nerves,
39:36smack this
39:36million-dollar moron down,
39:39and congratulations.
39:41You are the greatest
39:42video game boxer
39:44in the entire world.
39:47World circuit's
39:48all yours, Matt.
39:49In Punch-Out,
39:50first you learn
39:51the fundamentals
39:52of boxing.
39:53The major circuit
39:55teaches theory,
39:56strategy,
39:57and application.
39:59The world circuit,
40:00then,
40:00is all about
40:01execution,
40:03teaching you
40:03not only to
40:04understand the sport
40:06mentally,
40:07but intrinsically
40:08as well,
40:09letting your thumbs
40:10do the talking
40:11for you.
40:12Punch-Out becomes
40:13as much about
40:14instinct as it is
40:15about mastery,
40:16and it's safe
40:17to say that now
40:18you are a master.
40:21But you're not
40:22the only one
40:23who's reached
40:23this profound
40:24level of understanding.
40:27Join us for the finale
40:28as you face off
40:30in the battle
40:31of the century,
40:32the ultimate challenge,
40:34the toughest fight
40:35of your life.
40:37Dreams come true
40:38as you share the ring
40:40in one final match
40:42against Mike Tyson.
40:46On November 22nd,
40:491986,
40:50the champion
40:51of the World Boxing Council's
40:53Heavyweight Championship,
40:54Trevor Burbick,
40:56was slayed to fight
40:57in a bout
40:57known as
40:58Judgment Day.
41:00The man who gave
41:01Muhammad Ali
41:01his final match,
41:03Burbick had won
41:04the title
41:04in a tight-fought,
41:06but ultimately
41:07unanimous decision
41:08victory
41:09earlier that year.
41:10However,
41:11he found himself
41:12at a 3-to-1
41:14betting odds
41:15disadvantage over
41:16his challenger,
41:17who was coming
41:17into his very
41:19first title bout.
41:21This challenger
41:22had a record
41:23of 27 wins,
41:25zero losses
41:26over his
41:27professional career.
41:2825 of those
41:30wins were by
41:31knockout,
41:31and 16 of them
41:33came in the
41:34first round.
41:35Unfortunately for Burbick,
41:37this fight would end up
41:38as just another
41:39series of statistics
41:41on the challenger's
41:42rap sheet.
41:42The fight would last
41:44only to 2 minutes
41:45and 35 seconds
41:47into round 2.
41:48The challenger
41:49landed 46
41:51damaging power punches
41:53compared to the
41:54defending champion's
41:5543 total punches
41:57thrown.
41:58At just 20 years
42:00and 4 months
42:01of age,
42:02the youngest
42:02heavyweight boxing
42:04champion in the
42:05history of the sport
42:06to this day
42:08was crowned.
42:09and his name
42:11was Mike Tyson.
42:19I cannot express
42:21to you
42:21just how big
42:22of a deal
42:23Mike Tyson was
42:24during his prime.
42:25In the closest
42:26analog to
42:27gladiatorial combat
42:28that the modern
42:29world would allow,
42:30Tyson wasn't
42:31just a beast,
42:33he was an
42:33unstoppable force,
42:35the likes of which
42:37the sport
42:37hadn't seen.
42:38and the media
42:39was absolutely
42:41rabid over his
42:42success.
42:43Tyson becoming a
42:44household name
42:45to the caliber
42:46of Michael Jordan,
42:48children all over
42:49America
42:50and potentially
42:51even the world,
42:53knowing that he was
42:54the most fearsome
42:55force in the
42:56squared circle.
42:57Tyson would go on
42:58to claim the
42:59WVA and IBF
43:01championships
43:02through 1987,
43:04becoming the first
43:05man to hold
43:06every single
43:07major heavyweight
43:08US boxing
43:09championship
43:10at the same time.
43:11By the time
43:12Mike Tyson's
43:13punch-out was
43:14released in
43:14October of that
43:15year,
43:16he had an
43:17undefeated
43:1831 fight
43:19victory streak.
43:20All of the belts
43:21and a media
43:22frenzy the likes
43:23of which the
43:24world had never
43:25seen.
43:26He was truly
43:27and absolutely
43:30the baddest
43:30man on the
43:31planet.
43:33Now beat him.
43:34As closer I get
43:35to the ring,
43:35I'm more confident.
43:36Once I'm in the
43:36ring, I'm a
43:37guard.
43:38No one can beat
43:38me.
43:39I walk around
43:39the ring, but I
43:40never take my
43:41eyes off my
43:42opponent.
43:42I keep my
43:43eyes on him.
43:44Then once I see
43:44a chink in his
43:45arm, boom!
43:46Then when he
43:46comes to the
43:46center of the
43:47ring, he still
43:48looks at me with
43:49his piercing look
43:50as if he's not
43:50afraid, but he
43:52already made
43:52that mistake when
43:53he looked down
43:54for that one
43:54tenth of a
43:55second.
43:55I know I
43:56had.
43:56I know I
43:57already broke
43:57his spirit.
43:59Nintendo's
43:59Minoru
44:00Arakawa caught
44:01one of Tyson's
44:02fights during the
44:03Consumer Electronics
44:04Show of 1986 and
44:07struck a three-year
44:08licensing contract
44:09with the young
44:10fighter.
44:11Tyson wasn't yet
44:12champion at this
44:13point, but Arakawa
44:14saw an utterly
44:16electrifying force
44:17that would elevate
44:18Punch-Out to the
44:19next level, and
44:21his instincts paid
44:22dividends as Tyson
44:23earned greater and
44:25greater acclaim.
44:26But Nintendo
44:27was not satisfied
44:28to merely ride
44:29Mike's success.
44:31They did
44:31everything in their
44:32power to build him
44:34up as the greatest
44:35challenge their
44:36console could offer.
44:37Tyson dominates the
44:39box art, the star
44:40of not only the photo
44:42but the first bullet
44:43point, with his
44:44actual signature on
44:46the title to give it
44:47a personal touch.
44:48Every time a player
44:50boots up the game,
44:51they're greeted with
44:52Tyson grinning,
44:53looking down at them,
44:55the game telling them
44:56that Mike is waiting
44:58for your challenge.
44:59The entire game is a
45:01build-up to this one
45:03fight, earning the
45:04right to issue Tyson a
45:05challenge just as he
45:07gave you the means to
45:08do so.
45:09After becoming the
45:10world circuit champion
45:11and earning the same
45:12number of belts as
45:14Tyson had, you can
45:15enter a code to take
45:16you straight to
45:17Macho Man by looking
45:18at this password right
45:19next to this article
45:20about Mario being an
45:21illegitimate father, or
45:23tap into some real
45:24Nintendo power and
45:25head straight to the
45:27Tyson fight.
45:28It's just you and
45:29Kid Dynamite in the
45:31fight you've always
45:33been dreaming of.
46:05previous fights were about
46:07crafting an insurmountable
46:10foe that, with enough
46:11dedication, anyone could
46:13defeat.
46:13But beating Mike Tyson
46:15requires a special kind of
46:17person.
46:18Someone that's not only
46:19skilled, not only
46:21dedicated, but one that
46:23can take a whooping.
46:24Tyson is a maestro of
46:26power hits, crouching
46:28before a hook or
46:29uppercut to add an extra
46:30spring to his punch, with
46:32his signature KO touch
46:34being a right hook to
46:35the body, followed by a
46:36right uppercut to the
46:37chin.
46:38His defense was no less
46:40excellent, using the
46:41incredibly tight peekaboo
46:43style to protect his face
46:45and making a career out of
46:47punching through complaints
46:48that the stance was
46:49offensively weak.
46:51What's amazing about
46:52Punch-Out is how well this
46:54plucky little NES game was
46:56able to adapt Tyson's
46:58fighting style into a boss
47:00fight.
47:00Tyson throws nothing but
47:02dynamite punches for the
47:04first 90 seconds of the
47:05fight, instantly knocking
47:07Mac down if even one of
47:09them lands.
47:10Previous fights had some
47:12kind of super move, some
47:14kind of overpowered
47:15technique with a special
47:17tell to get the player
47:18afeard of a rallying
47:19opponent.
47:20But Tyson's super move is
47:22being Mike Tyson, relying
47:24only on fundamentals polished
47:27to an absolutely deadly
47:29degree.
47:30You see this?
47:31Trying to weather the storm,
47:33make a comeback, get filled
47:35up with Doc's secret backrub
47:37technique?
47:38Completely worthless.
47:40Kid Dynamite sending you
47:42back to the mat in one punch.
47:45Mike Tyson's fight is
47:46uniquely humbling, because it
47:49doesn't even seem fair,
47:51giving you no chance to even
47:53react or grasp at an opening.
47:55No man has ever weaponized
47:58fear in sports quite as
47:59effectively as Mike Tyson,
48:01and his pixelated counterpart
48:03upholds his legacy perfectly.
48:06Tyson himself even thinks
48:08you're a joke, wondering where
48:10the real challenger is.
48:12The code 007-363-5963
48:17is burned into the minds
48:19of Tyson's challengers,
48:20as even after surviving
48:22Tyson's famous first round
48:24onslaught, Iron Mike will
48:26mix in brutal crosses,
48:28lightning fast jabs, and even
48:30a faster Honda Rush variant,
48:33while keeping his guard tight,
48:35never leaving his body open,
48:36and recovering from a stun
48:38incredibly quickly.
48:39The only reward many players
48:42will ever see,
48:43the final image of their
48:45boxing careers,
48:47will be their retirement
48:48at the gloves of Tyson,
48:50just like dozens of boxers
48:53before them.
48:56But even Iron Mike has a weakness.
49:00In one of the biggest upsets
49:01of sports history,
49:03Mike Tyson would lose his
49:05first professional match
49:06in 1990 to underdog
49:08Buster Douglas.
49:10The secret?
49:11Douglas was not afraid,
49:13and pushed the fight
49:14all the way to the 10th round,
49:17finally getting a decisive
49:19victory by KO.
49:20Tyson put such explosive force,
49:24precision, and speed in
49:25at the start of the fight
49:27that most boxers would
49:28easily fall to his assault.
49:30But if the fight managed to drag on,
49:33he would become exhausted.
49:35Almost prophetically,
49:37just by seeing the writing on the wall
49:39based on his closer matches,
49:41Nintendo absolutely nailed this style.
49:45Tyson's first round is all about survival,
49:48but if you manage to escape
49:50with your life,
49:51well he doesn't become easy,
49:53but he goes from
49:54basically impossible
49:55to merely
49:56oh god please send help.
49:58His punches are still meaty,
50:01but no longer down you instantly.
50:03He'll do his now famous wink
50:05to let you know his cross is coming,
50:07and he'll blink rapidly
50:09before the Honda Rush plus Ultra,
50:11giving you one of your only chances
50:13to earn a star.
50:14Just don't waste it getting hit
50:16immediately after.
50:17Everything has led up to this moment.
50:20Glass Joe's embarrassment,
50:22Von Kaiser's confidence,
50:25Piston Honda's speed,
50:27Don Flamenco's baiting,
50:29King Hippo's defense,
50:30Great Tiger's tricks,
50:32Bald Bull's power,
50:33Popinski's unpredictability,
50:36Sandman's dread,
50:37Macho Man's status,
50:39and Mike Tyson's challenge.
50:45The fight can end in any number of ways.
50:48Through a flashy star uppercut,
50:50through a desperate tap after repeated blows,
50:53coming all the way down to decision,
50:56but however you manage it,
50:57if you don't give in to fear,
51:00eventually,
51:01Tyson will go down.
51:03And even more than the victory,
51:06even more than beating the game,
51:08what's most special is the congratulations you receive,
51:12directly from the champ himself,
51:15Grapefightin' Mac.
51:19The legacy of Punch-Out is one that has extended far beyond its release,
51:24with the Tyson fight in particular commonly listed as one of the best,
51:28and hardest,
51:30final bosses in gaming.
51:32Perhaps Tyson might not have the physical strength of a dragon,
51:36or a giant robot,
51:37or an elder god,
51:39but what he does have is feeling like a very real challenge,
51:44with a real boxing record,
51:46real writings,
51:47real difficulty,
51:49and a real fighting style.
51:51When Nintendo's licensing agreement with Tyson expired in 1990,
51:55he was replaced with Mr. Dream in future printings of the game.
51:59And despite being technically identical,
52:01I don't think it even remotely compares to the fight with Tyson.
52:06The legacy of fighting Mike Tyson,
52:09the era he emerged from,
52:11the fear that the baddest man on the planet naturally exuded,
52:15that's something that can only be captured when the stars align.
52:19There will perhaps never be another force so perfectly executed
52:24as Mike Tyson is in this title,
52:27and every future attempt will have Tyson to answer to.
52:30Every box of Mike Tyson's punch-out contained a letter from Tyson himself,
52:35which I'll read aloud in just a moment,
52:38outlining his struggles to become champion,
52:41and encouraging the player to be their best in all they do.
52:45I'd like to think it gives a message that not only elevates players,
52:50but video games as a whole,
52:52into being and experiencing more than they ever thought possible,
52:57through sheer force of will.
52:59Not everyone can become a real professional boxer.
53:03Even fewer get a chance to face Tyson in his prime.
53:07But Mike Tyson's punch-out stands as a reminder
53:10that you can still get a piece of that feeling,
53:13no matter who you are,
53:15and no matter how many years pass.
53:18The challenge is always there,
53:21waiting,
53:21as long as you stand up to the design
53:25for intimidation.
53:28Good job, son.
53:30Good job.
53:36Dear player,
53:38Becoming boxing's heavyweight champion of the world
53:41was the greatest challenge of my life,
53:44one that required a great amount of discipline
53:46and philosophies that enabled me to grasp
53:49the confidence and strength needed to attain such a goal.
53:53I would like to share these with you
53:55so that you may benefit from them
53:57in your personal life encounters.
53:59Never be intimidated by someone,
54:02regardless of appearances.
54:04Insecurities make us feel intimidated.
54:06We see someone bigger than us,
54:08and we immediately feel at a disadvantage.
54:11Or we hear someone who speaks in a harsh tone of voice.
54:15We should not allow a person's size or attitude
54:18to inhibit us in any way.
54:20We should stand up for what we believe.
54:23Nobody is born the best.
54:25Practice and training makes you the best.
54:29We are all born with certain abilities,
54:31but these abilities need to be fostered.
54:34To be the best is a goal that you must work toward.
54:39Never become angry.
54:40It will inhibit your ability.
54:43Anger affects performance.
54:44It causes a lack in concentration
54:47which inevitably leads to default.
54:50Anger is never positive,
54:52and therefore never results in a positive outcome.
54:56In essence, boxing is 10% physical
54:59and 90% mental and emotional.
55:03Preparation for any sport requires deep mental concentration.
55:07You must take the time to mentally prepare yourself
55:11for the challenge, whatever it may be.
55:13The one who emerges as the winner
55:15is always the one with the stronger state of mind.
55:20Don't quit.
55:21Quitting is for those who are not serious about their goals.
55:25If you give up trying,
55:27you will never achieve your goal.
55:29Life is full of eager people
55:31who try to succeed at everything they do.
55:34What all these people have in common
55:36is that they never quit.
55:39Much success.
55:40Mike Tyson.
55:42World Heavyweight Champion.