Summary
Gaming insider Imran Khan has stated that Next Level Games likely won’t be revisiting thePunch-Outseries soon, saying the cult classic Nintendo series is effectively dead. ThePunch-Outseries is one of Nintendo’s more niche titles, with the first title released in 1984 for the arcades. The series is more well-known for its home console counterpart,Mike Tyson’s Punch-Outon the NES in 1987, with many gamers claiming it to be one of the most challenging but rewarding titles on the system. The game then got a sequel on the SNES in 1994, which played more closely to its arcade iteration.
Most fans will likely be familiar withNext Level Games' 2009Punch-Outrevival, rebooting the series and pitting Little Mac against some truly difficult and cartoonish boxers. Next Level Games’Punch-Outreboot was both a critical and commercial success, helping cement the studio as a trusted partner with Nintendo. Next Level Games has since been acquired as a first-party developer for Nintendo, working on games likeLuigi’s Mansion 3andMario Strikers: Battle League. Despite Nintendo being its parent company, there appear to be no plans to revisitPunch-Outany time soon.
In arecent ResetEra thread, Imran Khan spoke about how he talked to someone “a while back” who was involved with the lastPunch-Outtitle by Next Level Games and if there was a new one in the works. According to the person Khan spoke to, despite the popularity ofNintendo’s cult classic series, the amount of backlashPunch-Outreceived over the characters and the stereotypes represented was more than expected. The development team were apparently assuring Nintendo that they weren’t leaning into bad stereotypes that would earn them a bad reputation. Khan notes it’s also not a case of thePunch-Outteam not wanting to use stereotypes, but rather, they can’t “fully cut from the past” without backlash. “I guess it’s less ‘We can’t do it without stereotypes so let’s not bother!’ and more aWorld Warriorsproblem where they can’t fully cut from the past without people rioting,” said Khan. “That and other games from the studio sell like 14 million copies more, so why bother.”
Sales and Stereotypes Crippled Punch-Out Wii
Khan also comments on the sales of thePunch-Outseries compared to othertitles developed by Next Level Games. WhilePunch Outon the Wii sold over a million copies, it didn’t have the same sales potential as Next Level Games’Mario StrikersandLuigi’s Mansionspin-offs. Those titles in particular outperformedPunch-Outas well, seemingly dooming it to be another niche Nintendo series.
I guess it’s less “We can’t do it without stereotypes so let’s not bother!” and more aWorld Warriorsproblem where they can’t fully cut from the past without people rioting. That and other games from the studio sell like 14 million copies more, so why bother.
Punch-Outis still beloved to this day. Certainindie games likeThunder Rayhave strongPunch-Outvibesin their gameplay and presentation. Little Mac is still a prevalent character inSuper Smash Bros.as well, debuting in Brawl as an Assist Trophy and being promoted to playable fighter in the 3DS/Wii U andUltimategames. The whole ResetEra thread lamentedPunch-Out’s fate, many saying Next Level Games did a spectacular job with the 2009 Wii game.
WHERE TO PLAY
Get ready for some head-to-head punching action!Little Mac is back and ready to step into the ring once more! Our favorite underdog from the 1980s joins the best of the original Punch-Out!! fighters, including Glass Joe, King Hippo, Von Kaiser, and more. These boxers come to life in cel-shaded 2-D, complete with hilarious fighting animations and backstories that capture all the fun and flair of the original Punch-Out!! games.Hook, jab, swing, then flawlessly execute a Star Punch to take down your opponent. Train with Doc to prepare for the next match, then get back into the ring to face your next challenger. Some defeated opponents may return for a rematch, but come out victorious and you’ll be one step closer to winning the Championship Belt!The following controllers are required to play this game: Wii Remote.
