Punch-Out
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Switch Online adds 'Punch-Out' and 'Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'
Nintendo's ever-growing library of NES classics that are playable on Switch will add two more entries on the 10th: Punch-Out!!!, Star Soldier and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Punch-Out!!! swaps in Mr. Dream for the game's original boss Mike Tyson -- hopefully without the Wii's scaling-induced lag issues on HDTVs and with all of the Easter eggs -- while SMB: The Lost Levels makes the original 8-bit release (which was released in Japan as SMB 2) playable, but now with easy cloud saves so you don't have to call your brother to get past a tough level. Star Soldier is a classic scrolling shoot-em-up, and all of them will be available if you subscribe to Switch Online. As a reminder, if you have Amazon Prime, you can unlock a free year of access via Twitch, whether or not you've already paid for online service to the console.
‘Arms’ is the successor to ‘Punch Out’ the Nintendo Switch needs
The original Punch Out may be heralded as a classic 8-bit NES game, but it's one I didn't play until I was in college. I'd heard it mentioned as I grew up but always dismissed it out of hand. Sports games, particularly those with celebrity endorsements, meant nothing to me as a child. When I eventually picked up a battered copy at a local flea market, I discovered the game was a masterpiece of simple, but challenging, gameplay. My experience with Arms on the Nintendo Switch is almost identical. It looked underwhelming until, of course, I played it.
'Punch-Out' reveals a surprise nearly 30 years later
More than a few games have extremely obscure Easter eggs that might take months or years to uncover, but this one might just set a record. Reddit user Midwesternhousewives has discovered an egg in Punch-Out (aka Mike Tyson's Punch-Out) that tells you when to deliver a knockout blow to two fighters. See that bearded man in the front row of the crowd, to the left? If you're in your second fight with either Piston Honda or Bald Bull, he'll duck at the exact moment you need to punch -- you only have to watch him to guarantee victory. Believe it or not, no one caught this secret in the 29 years since the boxing game reached the NES.
New Nintendo eShop releases: Half-price Punch-Out!!
You can grab a Little Mac takeaway right now, because Punch-Out!! is on the Wii U eShop with a $10 price tag. Like last week's Wii re-releases, the 2009 boxer is available at 50 percent off in its first week, but be warned: After 9AM PT/12PM ET on January 29 it goes up to $20. That offer is part of Nintendo's Throwback Sale, which you can check out here along with the last week of the current Super Indie Collection Sale. Otherwise, you'll find the complete list of this week's new eShop releases by ducking and weaving below the break.
Full-size downloadable Wii games come to the Wii U
If you own a Wii U and wish you hadn't missed out on years' worth of classic games for the original Wii, you're in luck. Nintendo has revealed that full-size downloadable Wii games are coming to the Wii U's eShop, starting today. Only Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be available at first, but that'll soon be followed up by Punch-Out on the 22nd and Metroid Prime Trilogy on the 29th. It'll probably be a while (if ever) before you're playing an epic like Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword without finding a hard copy, but you have to start somewhere.
Little Mac enters the Super Smash Bros. ring
During this afternoon's Nintendo Direct livestream, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata introduced a new character for Super Smash Bros., Little Mac. The Punch-Out!! series protagonist joins the cast on both 3DS and Wii U. You can see a variety of his attacks and special moves in the trailer above. We just hope the trainer doesn't talk that much in the actual game, because that would be super distracting. [Image: Nintendo]
Wii U Virtual Console launch: Punch Out, Excitebike, F-Zero, 5 more
The Wii U Virtual Console launch list is slim and trim, largely mirroring the initial list of games we got earlier this month: Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Kirby's Adventure, Punch Out, F-Zero and Super Mario World. A handful of these games were already available on the Wii U, via the Virtual Console's early preview.If you've forgotten what all of these games look like (it has been a long time, after all), check out some screens on the Wii U Facebook page. Virtual Console is scheduled to launch this week.
Nintendo reveals exact dates for Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign games
Nintendo's celebration of the Famicom's 30th birthday – the Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign – kicked off last week with the release of Balloon Fight on the Wii U eShop. Each month, Nintendo will release a classic game at a special $.30 price, for 30 days until the next eligible game debuts. Today, Nintendo released the schedule for the discount promotion: February 20: F-Zero (SNES) March 20: Punch-Out!!! Featuring Mr. Dream (NES) April 17: Kirby's Adventure (NES) May 15: Super Metroid (SNES) June 12: Yoshi (NES) July 15: Donkey Kong (NES)The Virtual Console doesn't officially launch on the Wii U until this spring, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed during the latest Nintendo Direct event last week. Despite that, Balloon Fight as well as several other games can be acquired through the Wii U eShop.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Kickstarter compendium is neat (if it gets by Nintendo)
Daniel Lanciana has created a Kickstarter to bring his 240-page hardcover tome on Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! to the masses. He's currently halfway to his goal of $25,000, with 20 days left to go. We'd heard about this project a week ago, but were concerned about giving it attention, since it was sure to activate Nintendo's ever-ready lawyers."Haha. I want to activate their attorneys because at least I'll know where I stand! Plus it's currently at the proposal stage, so 'no harm no foul'," Lanciana told us. "The passion behind the project was to print myself a copy, which I've done. Getting it to a wider audience would be great, but if it's crushed by Nintendo I won't mind at all as I would have given it my best shot."Asked how the project was coming along otherwise, he told us the community has been overwhelmingly supportive and it looks like he'll hit the funding goal."The decision to make the book was just something I'm kinda compelled to do. I have a knack for finding, absorbing and simplifying info on any topic that interests me...and there's a lot that interests me. Applying that information to a beautifully designed book makes it meaningful and gives closure."We wish Daniel all the best, as the lawyers should be contacting him in 3...2...1...[Thanks Eric!]
NintendoWare Weekly: Punch-Out!!, King of Fighters '97
We have a coveted double Virtual Console event today, in which emulated retro games appear on both 3DS and Wii. On 3DS, you can experience the thrill of being beaten severely by enormous people in Punch-Out!! And on Wii ... pretty much the same thing (beatings, enormous humans) from a different perspective in King of Fighters '97.DSiWare now features Zuma's Revenge, just the latest in PopCap's widespread assault on every platform ever.
3DS eShop releases: Punch-Out!! on March 8, Game Gear games on March 15, more
Nintendo decided to let us all in on what's happening on the eShop in the next couple of months, and we couldn't be happier with the advance notice. This Thursday, 3DS owners (even non-Ambassadors) can buy the NES Punch-Out!! -- the Mr. Dream version, of course. It'll be followed a week later by a trio of Sega Game Gear games, including Shinobi, Sonic Triple Trouble, and Dragon Crystal.There's also new new stuff coming to eShop. Ketzal's Corridors, coming "soon," seems to be the game known in Japan as Speedthru, a 3D puzzle game like the Wii's ThruSpace -- in which players rotate Tetris-like shapes to go through oncoming walls. In April, the DS homebrew drawing app Colors! becomes a for-real, official thing on 3DS as Colors! 3D. Other releases include Fun! Fun! Minigolf Touch! and a demo for Rhythm Thief. Find the full schedule after the break.
Nintendo Selects budget line adds Super Mario Galaxy, Punch-Out!!, and more
Faced with drooping sales and waning retail interest in its platforms, Nintendo's been exercising its price-cutting muscle with some regularity. Before the unexpected 3DS price cut, there was the $50 Wii price cut that also included a bundled copy of Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel accessory. At the same time, Nintendo introduced the budget-priced Nintendo Selects game lineup and, on August 28, it's dropping four more games to the $19.99 price point. Super Paper Mario, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, and Super Mario Galaxy join The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers, and Wii Sports in the bargain aisle. While it's hard to argue with the new, lower price, our secret, inner box-art snob wonders, "Is a measly $30 savings worth the shame of having that on the game shelf?" A look at the art for the latest Nintendo Selects selections is after the break.
TUAW's Daily App: Pilgrim's Punch Out
Comic-Con starts in San Diego today, and I'm down here wandering the aisles, looking for geeky gear and cool games. Scott Pilgrim is already one of the stars of the show, with the excellent comic series having finished up, a new console game coming out soon, and of course the Michael Cera-enhanced movie in theaters in a few weeks. To celebrate, NBC Universal has released this free retro Punch-out game starring the characters from the movie. It's not quite as good as the upcoming console game, but it's an amusing little retro distraction that fans of the movie will get a kick out of. The app's also connected up for Comic-Con -- it's got news and updates straight from the convention floor, and there is a trailer and gallery from the movie to unlock. Yes, it's adware -- if you have no interest in the movie, there's not really a reason to download the app. But if you're already interested in Scott Pilgrim and want a little more fun from the franchise on your iPhone during Comic-Con, definitely check this one out.
College Humor reveals the 'super easy' modes of classic games
You might find College Humor's latest video game parody clip, posted just past the jump, a hilarious look at what might have been had classic games been laughably more accessible. We see it as a haunting vision of things to come. That easy mode included in Mega Man 10? That's how it all starts.
2009 Club Nintendo rewards have arrived!
Several Joysitq staffers were pleased to discover that the 2009 Club Nintendo rewards have begun to arrive today. For those that need a reminder of what the gifts are, Platinum members got to choose between a real life Mario hat or a download of Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, a special version of Punch-Out!! featuring Little Mac's trainer, Doc Louis. Meanwhile, Gold members were limited to one gift, a 2010 Nintendo calendar. Check out the gallery below for images of all the different gifts. %Gallery-77329%
Mega64 goes into the ring with Punch-Out!!
Admittedly, the connection to video games in the Mega64 video we've embedded after the break is threadbare at best. Sure, it's a take off on Punch-Out!! in theory, but it's basically just a guy yelling at people (not that we have a problem with that). Even though it's a bit of a stretch, we're happy that we get to post it, if only so you can watch as it devolves into madness at the end. Madness.
Mario used in original Punch-Out without Miyamoto's permission
For fans of the NES' flagship pugilism sim Punch-Out!!!, the latest edition of Iwata Asks is chock-full of tidbits about the game that you probably didn't know. For instance, Nintendo Entertainment and Analysis Division's Makoto Wada reveals a long-hidden secret that makes fights against Bald Bull go much easier. Also, Glass Joe? He's got osteoporosis. Yeah, you should feel bad. Poor guy.However, the most entertaining unearthed secret is the fact that Shigeru Miyamoto never signed off on the use of Mario as the game's mustachioed referree. In Miyamoto's own words, "we didn't have an approval system when using Mario images back then and it went right past my check." The interview transcript adds that he laughed after saying this, but we imagine at least one stink-eye was shot across the table.[Via GameSetWatch]
Punch-Out!! exclusive to one retailer in Australia, Excitebots excluded entirely
Demand for upcoming first-party Wii games doesn't seem to be high in Australia -- and if it is, it just means a lot of people are about to be disappointed. Nintendo Australia managing director Rose Lappin told Kotaku AU that Aussie gamers can expect Punch-Out!! in stores late August, but only if those stores are JB Hi-Fi locations."To be honest we didn't have a lot of requests for the game," Lappin said. "There's a few people ... there's a lot of noise but not a lot of sales, that sort of thing." JB Hi-Fi, Lappin suggested, was the only retailer that showed significant interest.But at least Punch-Out!! is getting some kind of release. Not so for Excitebots, which won't come out in Australia at all. Lappin told Kotaku AU that there just wasn't enough demand for the game from retailers or consumers.
Nintendo reveals American Club Nintendo bonuses [update]
Nintendo loyalists that have been diligently registering their games can now pick up a reward through the Club Nintendo loyalty program. Those who have earned 300 or more Coins (equivalent to 6 Wii game purchases) are granted Gold status, while those who have earned 600 or more Coins are granted Platinum status. These members are now entitled to an exclusive members-only bonus.Platinum members have the choice of two prizes: Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! -- this downloadable WiiWare game is available exclusively to Club Nintendo Platinum members. In this special download, you'll be able to fight one-on-one against your coach, Doc Louis. Update: Screenshots now added. Mario Hat -- a "true-to-life" replica of Mario's signature headpiece. Nintendo notes that the hat "may be big for small children." Gold members will receive a special 2010 calendar. See more images after the break.%Gallery-67921%
King Hippo's boxers half off with Punch-Out!! purchase
This morning, Amazon sent out an exclusive e-mail offer for the Wii Punch-Out!! and the Amazon-exclusive Heavyweight Contender Kit. From now through July 15, if you purchase the game, you can get the accessory set for 50% off its normal, excessive $29.99 price by entering the code PUNCHKIT at checkout.In case you've forgotten (though how could you), the Heavyweight Contender Kit contains a miniature King Hippo crown, a punching bag, a Doc Louis Remedy Chocolate Bar, and King Hippo boxer shorts. Unfortunately, the Little Mac boxing glove remains at full price. What a punch in the (bandaged) gut.
