[Valigarmander]

Mario Included in NES Punch-Out!! Without Miyamoto's Permission

Nintendo has released the latest installment of their Iwata Asks series (where president Satoru Iwata speaks with other Nintendo developers about their high profile games), and this time, all the focus is on the Punch-Out!! series (via GameSetWatch). While topics ranged from the creation of the series up to the latest game recently released on Wii, the most interesting revelations came from designer Makoto Wada, as he finally revealed two of the greatest secrets never before known about Punch-Out!! on the NES.

For starters, Wada admitted for the first time that Mario was included as the referee without getting consent from Shigeru Miyamoto:


Wada: ...Mario became the referee after the NES version, and I drew that myself without permission.

Iwata: You could get away with a lot then. (laughs)

Miyamoto: We didn't have an approval system when using Mario images back then and it went right past my check. (laughs)

Wada: That's why it is a slightly strange looking Mario.


There you have it -- the true reason behind Mario's brief reffing career... and why he looked slightly deformed during it. But that wasn't the only juicy tidbit Wada revealed about the 22-year-old game.


Wada: This is a great opportunity, so I have something I'd like to say. In Punch-Out!!, the game gives you a lot of hints about effective timing of punches. There is a big boxer called Bald Bull in the NES version as well and a light flashes to the right in the audience when he charges. If you punch when it flashes you will land a body blow.

Tanabe: What? Really?

Wada: No one has known about that for about 22 years...

Everyone: (laughter)

Wada: I was wondering when I would have a chance to tell people that.

Iwata: You've been holding that information for 22 years since the release. (laughs)

Wada: Now that I had the chance. (laughs) There are a lot of hidden elements in the NES version.


So if after 22 years you still were never able to beat Bald Bull, now you know the ultimate secret technique. Now fish out your NES, blow into your old copy of Punch Out!! until your face turns blue, beat the bald bastard, and make the 8-year-old version of yourself proud, once and for all.

Interesting. I never would've guessed that.