Submission #5363: £e_Nécroyeur's Arcade Punch-Out!! in 03:26.15

Punch-Out!! is an arcade game by Nintendo, released in 1983. Back in those carefree days, while Mike Tyson was still a promising amateur, Nintendo was developing a most particular sort of boxing video game. Punch-Out!! features two monitors, digitized speech, and an early (if not the first) example of hardware-scaled sprites. Shigeru Miyamoto designed the large, colorful characters in his distinctive fashion. Koji Kondo joins Miyamoto for the first time on this project, composing and arranging the game's music. Shigeru Miyamoto and Koji Kondo would later form the creative core of Nintendo's NES-era dream team, the EAD. The game has an upbeat, nostalgic atmosphere, buoyed by the game's vocals and music. The game also features Kondo's arrangement of Mahlon Merrick's "The Gillette Look Sharp March", which should be familiar to fans of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!. Several of the game's opponents should be familiar as well. The game design itself will be familiar to fans of the Super Nintendo version of Super Punch-Out!!.

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Pure optimism.

Manipulate Opponent Hand Position:

At the beginning of a Fight, hold Down for 3 Frames on the earliest possible Frame of movement input. This causes the Hero to lower his hand position, which in turn causes the Opponent to lower his hand position. Delay for 3 Frames. Hold Up for 3 Frames and Button 1 or Button 2 for 4 Frames starting on the same Frame. After holding Up for 3 Frames, hold Down for 3 Frames. Holding Up for 3 Frames while Punch input is being entered causes the Hero to raise his hand position and Punch simultaneously. Holding Down for 3 Frames starting on the last Frame of Punch input temporarily "masks" the joystick's prior Up input, such that the Opponent perceives the Hero's hands to still be in the low position. This causes the Opponent to lower his hand position for 4 Frames. These 4 Frames provide a window of opportunity during which input can be entered in order to manipulate the Opponent to keep his hands in the low position until the Hero's Punch hits him.

Manipulate Opponent Block/Dodge:

After an Opponent has lowered his hand position, manipulation is still required in order to ensure that a Punch to the Opponent's face will not be Blocked or Dodged. Manipulation is achieved with seemingly random input. This random input might be anything, ranging from very simple (hold the Button 1 Frame longer than necessary) to quite complex (hold alternating directions on the Joystick for varying durations, with multiple overlapping Button input of varying duration). Depending on the RNG, there may not be sufficient Frames after a Punch has been thrown in order to manipulate the Opponent to keep his hands in the low position until the Hero's Punch hits him. Under such a circumstance, enter input for a Punch and then immediately afterward, hold Down for 3 Frames to manipulate an Opponent to delay before raising his hand position. This provides a window of opportunity during which input can be entered in order to manipulate the Opponent to keep his hands in the low position until the Hero's Punch hits him.

Manipulate Referee Count:

After input for a Knockdown Punch has been entered, entering input can change the count on which an Opponent recovers from the Knockdown. Such input must be entered after the Knockdown Punch input has been entered, but before the Knockdown Punch hits the Opponent. Possible counts are 3, 5, or 7. Note that this technique does not apply to a K.O. Punch, nor can it provide a 10-count on a Knockdown Punch.

K.O. Meter:

K.O. Meter begins at the minimum value of 1. As the K.O. Meter increases, the Hero's Punch damage increases. The Hero's Punch damage increases at a rate of 1 Hit Point of damage per each 2 points of K.O. Meter, starting at K.O. Meter 3, to a maximum damage as determined by the type of Punch. The K.O. Meter increments at a rate of 1 per each 8 Frames, as determined by a global timer. When the K.O. Meter has a value of 26 or greater, the Hero can use Right Hook and Uppercut, Opponents can be Stunned for much longer, and the K.O. Meter is no longer reduced when an Opponent Blocks a Punch. Hitting the Opponent 1 time increases the K.O. Meter by 2, or by 3 if it is a hit which Stuns an Opponent. After the first hit, each subsequent hit in the sequence increases the K.O. Meter by 5, to a maximum value of 30. If this sequence is interrupted, the sequence is reset, and the Hero's next hit will increase K.O. Meter by 2, or by 3 if it is a hit which Stuns an Opponent. The sequence is interrupted if either the Hero or the Opponent Blocks or Dodges a Punch. A hit which Stuns an Opponent increases the K.O. Meter by 10, or by 3 if it is the first hit in a sequence. Right Hook/Uppercut increases the K.O. Meter by 2. Dodging a Punch on the correct Frame increases the K.O. Meter by 1. If an Opponent Blocks a Punch, the K.O. Meter is reduced by 1, unless the K.O. Meter is at 26 or higher. If an Opponent Dodges a Punch, the K.O. Meter is reduced by 2. Being hit reduces the K.O. Meter by 8-12, depending on the Opponent.

Stun:

If an Opponent is hit under certain circumstances, he will be Stunned for several Frames. When an Opponent is Stunned, his Stun Timer and Stun Punch Counter are set to a value determined by the circumstances under which the Stun occurred. If the Stun was caused by using a right cross against a Left Jab, the Stun Punch Counter is set to 3. If the Stun was caused by dodging a Right Hook or right body blow and then retaliating, the Stun Punch Counter is set to a value determined by how quickly the Opponent is hit after a Dodge. The more quickly the Opponent is hit, the higher the Stun Punch Counter value. The Stun Punch Counter value is an odd number ranging from 1 to 32. If the Hero hits a Stunned Opponent before the Opponent's Stun Timer has expired, the Opponent's Stun Punch Counter is reduced by 1, his Stun Timer is reset to its starting value, and the Opponent remains Stunned. This sequence can continue until the Opponent's Stun Timer has expired, or until the Opponent's Stun Punch Counter is reduced to 0. After a Stun Punch sequence has been completed, the Opponent's hands briefly remain in the low position. Through manipulation, the Opponent's hands can be forced to remain in this post-Stun lower position while the Hero uses Punches to the Opponent's head. A Stunned Opponent can not be hit by a Body Blow.

The Hero and the Opponent both begin with 112 Hit Points.

Bonus decreases by 30 once per each 8 Frames.

If an Opponent attempts to use Left Jab, he can be Stunned with a Right Cross Counterpunch before the Opponent's Left Jab has been completed. For all other types of Punch, the Hero must Dodge the Opponent's Punch and then Punch after the Dodge has been completed in order to Stun an Opponent. It is possible to hit an Opponent before other types of Punch have been completed, but doing so does not cause Stun.

If an Opponent is scheduled to use a particular Punch in a sequence but he is unable to use that Punch on the scheduled Frame, the Opponent will immediately begin the next scheduled Punch in the sequence on the first Frame that he is able.

It is possible for the Hero's Punch "tie" with an Opponent's Punch. There are 2 types of "tie". The first type of "tie" has both the Hero and the Opponent take damage from their respective Punches, though damage and K.O. Meter decrease are halved. The second type of "tie" has both the Hero and the Opponent miss their respective Punches.

Even if the Hero does not actually do anything, Just 1 Frame of joystick or button input can manipulate the RNG.

If The Hero has sustained damage, he regains 2 Hit Points per hit against the Opponent, to a maximum of 48 Hit Points remaining.

An Opponent will act to some degree according to the Hero's hand position. For example, Glass Joe will almost never use a Body Blow if the Hero's hand position is low.

Time does not elapse while an Opponent is moved away from the Hero.

The game allows for 1 Rematch.

Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. all have a cameo in this game, sitting ringside to the right and left of the ring. Mario himself would later return to the ring as a referee in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!.

Left Jab does from 3 to 6 Hit Points of damage, as determined by the K.O. Meter. Left Jab requires 19 Frames to hit an Opponent. Left Jab requires 30 Frames overall.

Right Cross does from 3 to 9 Hit Points of damage, as determined by the K.O. Meter. Right Cross requires 24 Frames to hit an Opponent. When the K.O. Meter is below 50%, Right Cross requires 30 Frames overall. When the K.O. Meter is at or above 50%, Right Cross requires 36 Frames overall.

Body Blow does from 3 to 9 Hit Points of damage, as determined by the K.O. Meter. Body Blow requires 23 Frames to hit an Opponent. When the K.O. Meter is below 50%, Body Blow requires 36 Frames overall. When the K.O. Meter is at or above 50%, Body Blow requires 44 Frames overall. Right and Left Body Blow do the same amount of damage and require the same number of Frames.

Right Hook/Uppercut does 5, 7, or 14 Hit Points of damage. Right Hook/Uppercut requires 34 Frames to hit an Opponent. Right Hook requires 55 Frames overall. Uppercut requires 56 Frames overall. Generally, Right Hook/Uppercut will not hit for full effect unless the Opponent is in the process of executing an action. If the Opponent is not in the process of executing an action, Right Hook/Uppercut does 7 Hit Points of damage. If the Opponent is in the process of executing an action, Right Hook/Uppercut does 14 Hit Points of damage. During the first 3 Frames when an Opponent begins a Punch, Right Hook/Uppercut does only 5 Hit Points of damage. Immediately following these 3 Frames (and for several Frames thereafter), Right Hook/Uppercut does 14 Hit Points of damage. Right Hook/Uppercut pushes an Opponent 17 pixels to the left. Right Hook/Uppercut can not be Blocked, but it can be Dodged. The Hero is allowed to use 1 "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut on an Opponent during a Fight. A "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut is simply a Right Hook/Uppercut that hits an Opponent while the Opponent is not is in the process of executing an action. After an Opponent has been hit by a "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut, the Opponent will Dodge any subsequent "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut. Note that this does not apply to a Right Hook/Uppercut used while the Opponent is in the process of executing an action; an Opponent that has been hit by a "normal" Right Hook/Uppercut can still be hit with a "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut. It is the ultimate power in the universe.

1 unit of Time expires per each 36 Frames.

Glass Joe uses only Scheduled Punches. Unfortunately, he Telegraphs his Punches for so long that he can not be hit with successive Right Hook/Uppercut without delaying for a significant number of Frames between them.

If Glass Joe is knocked down without the Hero having been hit, the result is a K.O.

At 2:15, Glass Joe moves away to taunt the Hero. Fortunately, this is avoided in this TAS.

Time remaining: 2:45

1 unit of Time expires per each 32 Frames.

Piston Hurricane uses only Scheduled Punches. Unfortunately, he Telegraphs his Punches for so long that he can not be hit with successive Right Hook/Uppercut without delaying for a significant number of Frames between them.

Interestingly, the series of Punches that were used to defeat Glass Joe can likewise defeat Piston Hurricane. For variety's sake, this TAS uses different Punches for the Piston Hurricane fight.

If Piston Hurricane is knocked down without the Hero having been hit, the result is a K.O.

Piston Hurricane can duck under Left Jab and Right Cross.

At 2:30 remaining, Piston Hurricane uses Hurricane Rush. Left Jab, left Body Blow, right Body Blow, Uppercut, or Right Hook can instantly knock down Piston Hurricane when he moves in to use Hurricane Rush. The window during which to use Uppercut or Right Hook is only 9 Frames in duration. Fortunately, this is avoided in this TAS.

Time remaining: 2:43

1 unit of Time expires per each 32 Frames.

Bald Bull must be knocked down 3 times.

Bald Bull has a longer introduction from the ring announcer than any other Opponent except Mr. Sandman.

Glass Joe and Piston Hurricane are not strong boxers and can be defeated rather easily, even by a novice on Hardest Difficulty. Bald Bull, however, will promptly humble an overconfident newcomer.

Bald Bull uses no Scheduled Punches at the beginning of the fight, instead opting to Taunt the Hero into attacking him. Unlike Glass Joe and Piston Hurricane, if Bald Bull Blocks an attack, he will almost always retaliate immediately.

Bald Bull taunts the Hero by rapidly alternating between high hand position and low hand position, beginning with high hand position. It is possible to hit Bald Bull during this time by Punching high or low accordingly.

Bald Bull can not be manipulated to taunt on a later Frame without sacrificing Frames, but he can be manipulated to begin the taunt in the high or low hand position as desired. Hold Up or Down for 3 Frames after the last Punch prior to Bald Bull's scheduled taunt to manipulate his initial hand position. Note that this does not apply to Bald Bull's first scheduled taunt.

Using Right Hook/Uppercut on the appropriate Frame will immediately knock Bald Bull down just before he moves back to use Bull Charge. The window during which to use Uppercut or Right Hook is only 1 Frame in duration.

If Bald Bull is knocked down for the 1st time with a normal Punch, he recovers with 88 Hit Points. If Bald Bull is knocked down for the 1st time with Right Hook/Uppercut, he recovers with 64 Hit Points.

If Bald Bull is knocked down for the 2nd time with a normal Punch, he recovers with 48 Hit Points. If Bald Bull is knocked down for the 2nd time with Right Hook/Uppercut, he recovers with 28 Hit Points.

If Bald Bull has 10 or fewer Hit Points remaining when he is knocked down for the 1st time during Bull Charge, he can be knocked down again by the next successful Punch after he recovers from the Knockdown, regardless of the number of Hit Points he has remaining.

Using this input, Time would advance to 2:36 remaining on Frame 5644, but Bald Bull takes final damage on Frame 5643, so Time is stopped at 2:37. Using other input, Time can advance to 2:36 remaining on the same Frame that Bald Bull takes final damage, despite the fact that the Fight ends on the exact same Frame.

At 2:40 and 2:15, Bald Bull uses Bull Charge. Left Jab, left Body Blow, right Body Blow, Uppercut, or Right Hook can instantly knock down Bald Bull when he moves in to use Bull Charge. The window during which to use Right Hook/Uppercut is only 9 Frames in duration. Fortunately, this is avoided in this TAS.

Time remaining: 2:37

1 unit of Time expires per each 20 Frames.

Unlike other Opponents, Kid Quick can be hit with more than 1 "surprise" Right Hook/Uppercut.

Time remaining: 2:35

1 unit of Time expires per each 30 Frames.

Pizza Pasta must be knocked down 2 times.

If Pizza Pasta is knocked down for the 1st time with a normal Punch, he recovers with 104 Hit Points. If Pizza Pasta is knocked down for the 1st time with Right Hook/Uppercut, he recovers with 96 Hit Points.

At the beginning of the Fight, Pizza Pasta uses a Left Jab-Left Jab-Right Hook series of Punches. However, Pizza Pasta can be manipulated somewhat to continue to attack beyond the normal Left Jab-Left Jab-Right Hook series. This is useful as it allows for a longer series of Right Hook/Uppercut to be used to Counterpunch these attacks as they emerge, with minimal delay between them.

At 2:30 remaining, Pizza Pasta enters a special status. While Pizza Pasta is in this status, he will not throw a Punch. If Pizza Pasta Blocks a Punch while he is in this status, he will Clench the Hero. Fortunately, this is avoided in this TAS.

Time remaining: 2:30

1 unit of Time expires per each 30 Frames.

Mr. Sandman must be knocked down 2 times.

Mr. Sandman uses no Scheduled Punches at the beginning of the fight.

If Mr. Sandman is knocked down with a normal Punch, he recovers with 88 Hit Points. If Mr. Sandman is knocked down with Right Hook/Uppercut, he recovers with 64 Hit Points.

Time remaining: 2:34

Final Score is 181,530.

This is one of the games I have always wanted to TAS. I'm grateful to have the opportunity! :) I have been enthralled with boxing games ever since Activision's Boxing for the Atari 2600, and the games of the Punch-Out!! series are certainly my favorite.

feos: Okay, let's judge this!

feos: It was a common practice to create neverending games back in the days, and the situation about this one might seem unclear, as it loops with some changes in your opponents ordering and with increasing difficulty, as the players use to notice. But it's not perfectly clear what constitutes this increasing difficulty for this game, and when exactly it really stops rising.

However, difficulty capping out and the game actually looping (producing the same final opponent order over and over) doesn't seem to be relevant here. The only special event in this game that is unique to what goes before and after it, and that does not loop, is the cutscene of obtaining the champion belt. Beating Mr. Sandman, the current champion, for the first time gets you that belt and the fanfares, and changes the main character's appearance as well. This looks like a legit ending to me.

The feedback was also decent, accepting to Moons.

Note to publisher: put the ROM in /roms, and the movie near the executional, then run:
mame-rr punchout -aviwrite punchout.avi -playback punchout.mar
Whenever you close the emulator, the movie will be properly dumped, using uncompressed AVI writer.

fsvgm777: Oh boy, this is gonna be fun.