Characters of the Punch-Out!! series

"Bear Hugger" redirects here. For the convective anti-hypothermia device, see Bair Hugger.

Punch-Out!![a] is a series of boxing video games created by Genyo Takeda and Makoto Wada, and published by Nintendo. The main protagonist and player character of the series is Little Mac, a short boxer from the Bronx who climbs the ranks of the fictional World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) by challenging various opponents. These opponents come from different countries and feature various ethnic stereotypes associated with their place of origin.

Concept and creation

In the original Punch-Out!! arcade game, the characters were named by Genyo Takeda, who chose names with the intention of appealing to the American market. The developers used the two screens in the cabinet to be able to display the opponents' face, which they intended to ensure that players would have a more vivid recollection of their faces.[1] The characters in this game were animated in conjuntion with Studio Junio, who used art by Shigeru Miyamoto as reference for the animations.[2] Many of the characters in the 1984 title Super Punch-Out!! are similar to each other by design because they are variants of the same programming; the code recycling and the lack of character differentiation outside of crude nationalistic stereotypes is a result of the game's limited development time and storage resources. For example, Soda Popinski's obnoxious laughter is also used for Mr. Sandman, Bald Bull, and Super Macho Man, and in other Nintendo games,[3] such as for Ganon in the Game Over screen of the game Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.[4]

Overview

Character Ethnicity Appears in
Punch-Out!! (1984) Super Punch-Out!! (1984) Punch-Out!! (1987) Super Punch-Out!! (1994) Punch-Out!! (2009)
Aran Ryan Irish No No No Yes Yes
Bald Bull Turkish Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Bear Hugger Canadian No Yes No Yes Yes
Bob Charlie Jamaican No No No Yes No
Disco Kid American No No No No Yes
Doc Louis American No No NPC only No NPC only[b]
Don Flamenco Spanish No No Yes No Yes
Donkey Kong Unknown NPC only NPC only No No Yes
Dragon Chan Hong Kong No Yes No Yes No
Gabby Jay French No No No Yes No
Glass Joe French Yes No Yes No Yes
Great Tiger Indian No Yes Yes No Yes
Heike Kagero Japanese No No No Yes No
Hoy Quarlow Chinese No No No Yes No
Kid Quick American Yes No No No No
King Hippo Hippo Island No No Yes No Yes
Little Mac American Yes[c] Yes[c] Yes[d] Yes[c] Yes[d]
Mad Clown Italian No No No Yes No
Masked Muscle Mexican No No No Yes No
Mike Tyson American No No Yes[e] No No
Mr. Dream Dreamland No No Yes[e] No No
Mr. Sandman American Yes No Yes Yes Yes
Narcis Prince British No No No Yes No
Nick Bruiser Unknown No No No Yes No
Piston Honda Japanese No No Yes No Yes[f]
Piston Hurricane Cuban Yes No No Yes No
Pizza Pasta Italian Yes No No No No
Rick Bruiser Unknown No No No Yes No
Soda Popinski Russian No Yes[g] Yes No Yes
Super Macho Man American No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Von Kaiser German No No Yes No Yes

Introduced in Punch-Out!! (1984)

Name Description
Little Mac Little Mac[h] is a 17-year-old boxer from the Bronx, New York and the main protagonist of the series. While he is quite small compared to his opponents, he makes up for it with his determination and skill. He was introduced in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, replacing the nameless, green-haired player character from the arcade games. He appears in each subsequent entry of the series, as well as a playable character in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Glass Joe Glass Joe[i] is a French boxer born in Paris. He was originally designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and was revised by Makoto Wada for the NES game. He is voiced by Christian Bernard in the Wii game. He is the player's first opponent in every game in which he appears, and is famous for his weakness and cowardice. Glass Joe has a record of 1-99. These elements are considered by critics to be stereotypes of French people.
Piston Hurricane Piston Hurricane[j] is a boxer from Havana, Cuba.[5] Piston Hurricane reappeared in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!.[5]
Bald Bull Bald Bull[k] is a Turkish boxer born in Istanbul,[6] created by Shigeru Miyamoto.[7] His next appearances were in the 1985 arcade game Arm Wrestling as "Mask X",[8] in the 1987 video game Punch-Out!! for NES as Champion of the Major Circuit,[9] in the 1994 video game Super Punch-Out!!, and in the 2009 video game Punch-Out!! for Wii. Bald Bull features an instant knockdown attack called the Bull Charge, where Bald Bull rears back and charges forward. In the first fight against Bald Bull in the NES game, the camera flash fired by a man in the audience indicates the exact moment Little Mac can counter Bald Bull's attack.[10] This detail was revealed in 2009 by Makoto Wada in an interview with the former president of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata.[11]
Kid Quick Kid Quick[l] is an American boxer from Brooklyn, New York, whose only appearance was in the arcade version of Punch-Out!!.[5]
Pizza Pasta Pizza Pasta[m] is an Italian boxer born in Napoli city, due to the controversy, his only appearance is in the arcade version of Punch-Out!.[5]
Mr. Sandman Mr. Sandman[n] is a 31-year-old black boxer from Philadelphia, United States, and was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto.[6][7] He is voiced by Riley Inge in the Wii game.[12]

Introduced in Super Punch-Out!! (1984)

Name Description
Bear Hugger Bear Hugger[o] is a Canadian boxer from Salmon Arm, British Columbia.[13] After an appearance as the second opponent in Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES, he appeared in Punch-Out!! for the Wii.
Dragon Chan Dragon Chan is a Chinese boxer from Hong Kong.[14]
Soda Popinski Soda Popinski[p] is a Soviet-Russian boxer born in Moscow.[5] He was originally called Vodka Drunkenski, but his name was changed to Soda Popinski in subsequent entries due to censorship.[15][3][16] He drinks vodka in the first game, but drinks soda in later versions in alignment with the censorship.[citation needed] He drinks soda in the Wii version to recover health, either during combat or after being knocked down. If prevented from doing so during combat, he becomes enraged.[17][3] His home country was originally listed as the USSR in Punch-Out!! video games from the 1980s, but this was changed to Russia in his most recent appearance, the 2009 game Punch-Out!! for the Wii, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.[3] A version of the character appears in an unlicensed Punch-Out!! PC game titled Frank Bruno's Boxing, where he is named "Andra Puncharedov".[18] The character is the namesake of Soda Popinski's, a bar located in Nob Hill, San Francisco, California[19][20] since 2012.[21] The bar's name is an allusion to a "USSR-era Siberian hunting lodge" which references the character's in-universe depiction, serving a double shot of Russian vodka served neat named Vodka Drunkenski.[19]
Great Tiger Great Tiger[q] is a 29-year-old Indian boxer born in Mumbai. He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for arcade,[9] and later appeared in Punch-Out!! for the NES. He did not appear in a video game again until 22 years later in Punch-Out!! for the Wii, where was voiced by Sumit Seru.[12] In the NES game, his special attack involves teleporting around the ring, which he does repeatedly. However, at the end of his attack he is unable to move for several seconds due to dizziness, which allows for Little Mac to knock him down with one punch to the head. Great Tiger wears a turban on his head accompanied by a jewel that flashes when he is about to perform an attack.[22] He also uses a flying carpet,[23] and in the NES version, the skin of a Bengal tiger is seen hanging on the post in his corner of the ring.[24] These have all been referred to as stereotypes of Indian people.[25]

Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, Great Tiger has received mostly positive reception. Both Official Nintendo Magazine and GameSpot described him as a favourite of the series.[26][27] GamePro listed him as one of the characters who most deserve to return in the Wii Punch-Out!!, stating that "may not be the most PC character from the original NES classic, but his crazy techniques will fit in well with the outlandish style Next Level Games has been known to apply."[28] Great Tiger has been described as a stereotype of Indian people. Freelance writer Sumantra Lahiri, in discussing the stereotypes of Punch-Out!!, stated that it gives players an "encyclopedic knowledge of ignorant American sentiments," mentioning the Indian stereotype that they skin tigers alive and wear turbans.[25]

In his article on the stereotypes of Punch-Out!!, GamesRadar editor Brett Elston stated that Great Tiger embodies several Indian stereotypes, including the ability to fly on magic carpets, living in Taj Mahal-like structures, and that they wear turbans that grant them magical powers. He described him as an "over-caffeinated Jafar", adding that he "plays up in the mystical side of Indian culture so much we’re surprised they didn’t work in a snake charmer joke in there somewhere."[23] Editor Scott Jones stated that in 2009, "fighting a man from India who flies around on a magic carpet and who telegraphs his punches via a glowing jewel in his turban doesn't feel terribly dramatic."[29]

Bit Mob editor Brian Shirk commented that while "Great Tiger looked more human than King Hippo, he still doesn't seem quite human judging by the animal sounds he makes and his teleportation abilities."[30] Davey Nieves of Comics Beat commented that "Decent people in India or Pakistan have been seeing much more offensive stereotypes in the media for years." Reason for which he stated that "looking at Great Tiger with his tiger skin robe dangling behind him like he's opening a nightclub is probably not the worst they've ever seen on a screen."[31] Kakuchopurei included it in his list of the "best Indian characters videogames" citing that "he is a memorable Indian character (thanks to the aforementioned stereotypes)".[32]

Super Macho Man Super Macho Man[r] is a 27-year-old American boxer from Hollywood, California.[33] He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcades, where he was the final boss of the game. He later took this role again in the Gold version of Punch-Out!!.[33] However, in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! he appeared as the penultimate game boss.[34] Macho Man also appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES, and Punch-Out!! for the Wii, where he was voiced by Mike Inglehart.[12] An ESRB description of Punch-Out!! for the Wii mentioned a boxer who flexed his pectoral muscles and glutes, leading editor Stephen Totilo to question whether this was Super Macho Man or not.[35]

Since appearing in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcades, Super Macho Man has received generally positive reception. He is considered a memorable character of the franchise.[36][37] Super Macho Man appeared on the cover of an issue of GameFan magazine,[38] GamesRadar editor Chris Antista I include it in the list of the most embarrassing gaming magazine covers.[39] IGN editor Jesse Schedeen named Super Macho Man one of the series' top fighters, describing him as a "thinly veiled parody mash-up of "Superstar" Billy Graham and another famous fighter who goes by the nickname "Macho Man".[14]

GamesRadar editor Brett Elston states that Super Macho Man embodies the stereotypes of American celebrities of being "too tanned, narcissistic, materialistic, and obsessed with fame, money, and looks." He added that Super Macho Man was not just a parody of celebrities, but "Hollywood and American's fascination with celebrities."[40] In the video game for NES he has two versions of his signature move called Super Spin Punch. One in which he performs a spin after a few seconds to be still and another in which he performs several multiple spins that could instantly knock the player down.

Introduced in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (1987)

Name Description
Doc Louis Doc Louis[s] is a former heavyweight boxing champion (because of all the chocolates he eats) [9] and Little Mac's trainer, who stands in Mac's corner during fights. Between rounds, Doc provides Mac with advice, encouragement, or sometimes a humorous anecdote. He is the creator of the "Star Punch", the most powerful move in Mac's arsenal. In the Wii title, he has a fondness for chocolate bars. In Punch-Out!! for Wii, he is voiced by Riley Inge. Doc Louis appears as the sole challenger in the Club Nintendo exclusive Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!.[41]
Von Kaiser Von Kaiser[t] (From the Emperor) is a 42 year-old German boxer born in Berlin. He is an instructor of this same sport in an unknown military academy.[42] Von Kaiser made his first appearance in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for the NES in 1987. Years later, he returned in the installment of Punch-Out!! for Wii released in 2009, now voiced by Horst Laxon.[12] In both Punch-Out!! games, he is the second opponent Little Mac faces on the Minor Circuit, having a record of 23 wins and 13 losses. In addition, he appeared with Bald Bull in a micro game of WarioWare: Smooth Moves, in which Referee Mario has to count to ten to win.[43]

The New York Post called him a "memorable character" alongside Bald Bull and Soda Popinski,[44] Brian Lisi of New York Daily News magazine stated that «Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner made Von Kaiser's entry one of the most memorable in the entire game, far surpassing his staying power in the ring.»[45] When it was revealed that Von Kaiser would be in Punch-Out!! for the Wii, he was rated a "quirky favorite" alongside King Hippo and Doc Louis by the GameZone website.[46]

Posting and Toasting commented that although he is not the worst fighter of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! he claimed that he "is the most forgettable." He further commented that "his look at him, his fighting style and his slapping talk" is "completely unforgettable."[47] The website Paste chose it at the top of their list of "10 video games that let you punch a Nazi."[48] Uproxx rates him as one of the best villains of the series,[49] Cubed3 in their review of the Punch-Out!! for Wii I describe him as a "tough and efficient German."[50] BlockFort listed him at # 7 on their list of "Top 10 Best German Video Game Characters" describing him as a "no-nonsense strongman who looks like a typical German soldier from World War I."[51]

Piston Hondo Piston Honda[u] is a 28-year-old Japanese boxer born in Tokyo. He first appeared in Punch-Out!! (NES),[5] where he is the Minor Circuit Champion.[9] In Punch-Out!! for the Wii, his name is changed to Piston Hondo,[v] to avoid legal problems.[5] He is voiced by Japanese voice actor Kenji Takahashi.[12]
Don Flamenco Don Flamenco[w] is a 23-year-old Spanish boxer born in Madrid. His first appearance was in Punch-Out!! for the NES. He did not make another appearance until Punch-Out!! for the Wii where he was voiced by Juan Amador Pulido.[12]

Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, Don Flamenco has received mostly positive reception. He was described by IGN editor Levi Buchanan to be one of the favourites of Punch-Out!! with Soda Popinski, Bear Hugger and King Hippo.[52] GameSpy editor Ryan Scott suggested that Don Flamenco existed to "cut the players down to size" after easier opponents such as Glass Joe and Piston Honda.[53] In discussing the stereotypes of Punch-Out!!, GamesRadar editor Brett Elston stated that Don Flamenco was a stereotype of Spanish people, citing stereotypes utilized in the character such as being expert bullfighters, always having a rose in his hand, and an obsession with good looks, comparing Don Flamenco to Spanish fighting game character Vega from the Street Fighter series.[23]

The Escapist editor Sumantra Lahiri commented that while Don Flamenco was less pathetic than French boxer Glass Joe, he «radiates an effeminate "pretty boy" persona by making constant references to his perfect hair and starting off each fight with a feisty Latin dance.» He adds that this is a stereotype of Spanish people by much of the world who view Spain's culture.[54] Eurogamer France considered Flamenco's "macho poses" as a "crude caricature."[55] Brian Lisi of New York Daily Times described him as "a fiery Spaniard with a passion for punches and looks."[45]

King Hippo King Hippo[x] is an obese boxer who hails from a fictional island in the South Pacific. In Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!, his navel is taped over providing a target for Mac, and once hit in the body, he constantly tries to pull his shorts up. Hippo is the only opponent in the game who never gets up once Mac puts him on the mat. In the Wii version's title defense, he uses a manhole cover to protect his torso. King Hippo appeared blue in cartoon Captain N: The Game Master, where he is played by Garry Chalk.
Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream Mike Tyson[y] is the final opponent of the original release of Punch-Out!! for the NES, titled Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, whom Little Mac faces in a bout called "The Dream Fight", in which his boxing record is 31-0 with 27 KOs. After Tyson's contract with Nintendo expired, he was replaced with Mr. Dream[z],[56] a boxer from Dreamland and with a total record of 99-0 with 99 KOs. Writer Kevin Wong described him as a "completely broken video game character who can knock you out with a single uppercut," adding that "that's just fun and meaningful when you're fighting Iron Mike himself. With Mr. Dream, it's just pathetic."[5] Writer Jesse Schedeen criticized the character, saying that "he has never given us the same sense of joy and accomplishment."[14]

Introduced in Super Punch-Out!! (1994)

Name Description
Gabby Jay Gabby Jay[aa] is a 56-year-old French boxer from Paris, whose record is 99 losses and 1 win against Glass Joe.[5] Bit Mob editor Andrew Fitch criticized Gabby Jay, calling him a "wannabe" of Glass Joe.[57] Allgame editor Skyler Miller agreed with this sentiment, commenting that while humorous, he is not quite as "out there".[58] In his article "One and Done: Nine Videogame Characters Who Were Never Heard From Again", editor John Teti listed Gabby Jay, stating that it was "not easy to replace a legend, but that was the bum hand dealt to Gabby Jay". He added that Gabby Jay not appearing in the Wii Punch-Out!! in favor of Glass Joe was something that Star Trek fans would deem "the Dr. Pulaski treatment".[59] Uproxx writer Nathan Birch described him as a "truly consummate coward."[49]
Bob Charlie Bob Charlie[ab] is a 26-year-old boxer from Kingston, Jamaica, whose only appearance was in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!.[5] Kevin Wong criticized the character saying that "not only does he suck as a fighter, but he dances during his match while his manager yells 'shuck and jive' at him."[5]
Masked Muscle Masked Muscle[ac] is a 29-year-old former Luchador masked man from Mexico City, whose only appearance was in Super Punch-Out!!. His main attack is to spit in Little Mac's eyes to temporarily blind him. Writer Kevin Wong described it as "a missed opportunity," commenting that "the developers could have done something really cool with a professional wrestling character, but instead opted for a lazy joke."[5]
Aran Ryan Aran Ryan[ad] is an Irish boxer born in Dublin. His first appearance was in Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES, and most recently appeared in the Wii video game Punch-Out!!, where he was voiced by Stephen Webster.[12] While he was more sedate in Super Punch-Out!!, cheating occasionally, the Wii version depicts him as a loud, boisterous cheater.[23] The developer Bryce Holliday describes him as the game's "resident hooligan".[60] In discussing Ryan's fighting style, GamePro editor Will Herring described it as being momentum-based.[61]

Since appearing in Punch-Out!!, Aran Ryan has received mixed reception. In their review, GameTrailers bemoaned his inclusion over Super Punch-Out!! character Dragon Chan.[62] In his review, editor Scott Jones criticized Ryan's inclusion in the Wii Punch-Out!!, calling him "one of the most banal characters in the game." He questioned why Nintendo included him and called him "forgettable."[29] Complex ranked him as the "sixth-douchiest video game character."[63]

In their article of racial stereotypes in Punch-Out!!, GamesRadar editor Brett Elston commented that his uncontrollable rage, his disposition to cheating, his love for fighting, and his penchant for adorning his clothing with four-leaf clovers was a strong stereotype of the Irish people. They added other qualities of Irish stereotypes, which includes red hair and excitability.[23] GamesRadar editor Michael Grimm listed him as one of the six most offensive Irish stereotypes describing him as a "babbling madman".[64] Eurogamer editor Oli Welsh cited Ryan as a "idiotically violent Irishman."[65]

Heike Kagero Heike Kagero[ae] is a 19-year-old Japanese boxer born in Osaka. His only appearance in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!.[5]
Mad Clown Mad Clown[af] is a 27-year-old Italian clown from Milan who decided to take up boxing. He made his only appearance in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!. Mad Clown began his life as a famous opera singer, however he suffered from a nervous breakdown. Later he dedicated himself to being a clown, and after failing at that as well, he decided to dedicate himself to boxing.[5]
Narcis Prince Narcis Prince[ag] is a 20-year-old British boxer from London that appeared for the first and last time in the SNES video game Super Punch-Out!!. Kevin Wong commented on this by saying that "the privileged handsome boy from across the pond definitely has the most elegant boxing style of all the fighters in Super Punch-Out!!."[5]
Hoy Quarlow Hoy Quarlow[ah] is an 78-year-old Chinese boxer born on Beijing, whose first and last appearance was in Super Punch-Out!! for SNES. Hoy Quarlow is the only boxer who carries a weapon in his hands, in this case a stick, he also has a "sick arsenal of special moves".[5] He is one of the lightest boxers in the series, weighing in at a mere 100 pounds.[66]
Rick Bruiser Rick Bruiser[ai] is a boxer and brother of Nick Bruiser. Rick has 41 wins on his record and 1 loss from his brother. Both Rick and Nick can use the "Arm Breaker", a special move that temporarily takes Little Mac's left or right arm out of action.[5]
Nick Bruiser Nick Bruiser[aj] is the final opponent of the game, and holds a record of 42 wins and 0 losses.[5]

Introduced in Punch-Out!! (2009)

Name Description
Disco Kid Disco Kid[ak] is a 20-year-old American boxer from Brooklyn, New York.[5] He was voiced by Donny Lucas.[12] Disco Kid is one of only two new characters to appear in the Wii video game Punch-Out!!, which consists of mostly characters from Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System. He was one of the first characters revealed in the Wii Punch-Out!!.[67] He is characterized as flamboyant with a high-pitched voice and an affinity for clubbing.[68]

Disco Kid has received generally positive reception. Numerous critics said that Disco Kid fit in well with the characters returning from previous games, including Craig Harris, Oli Welsh, Ricardo Madeira, and DJPubba.[69][70][71][72][73] GameSpot's Tom Mc Shea believed that he lacked the charm of the returning characters but had a flashy style.[74] The Escapist's John Funk said that more could have been done to make him feel "disco", such as the addition of "sequins on his shorts."[75] 1UP.com's David Ellis and an editor for ESPN.com compared Disco Kid to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character Carlton Banks; Ellis added that he was a "flamboyant dancer who uses awkward timing as a distraction" and a greater challenge than other early game characters due to his unique pattern.[76][77] GamePro's Will Herring wrote that his design was "masterfully modeled and animated".[78] GameDaily's Chris Buffa described him as a "dancing fool" and a humorous character with a distinctive personality.[79]

Disco Kid has been described as flamboyant, and as a stereotype of black Americans by critics such as Kotaku's Michael McWhertor.[80] An editor for GameTrailers suggested that Nintendo was aiming for a certain segment of people with Disco Kid.[81] GamesRadar's Brett Elston described Disco Kid as a stereotype due to his appreciation of cars, bass, and clubbing. He believed that these stereotypes were comparatively mild compared to other Punch-Out!! characters, with the exception of Mr. Sandman.[68] One of the Retronauts stated that Disco Kid was a stereotype new to Punch-Out!!, and that it was "unnerving."[82]

Donkey Kong Donkey Kong appears as a secret opponent in the game's Title Defense mode.[83] He previously made a cameo in the background of the arcade games Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! alongside Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong Jr.

Merchandise

Topps and Nintendo of America made a series of trading cards featuring characters from the Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Double Dragon, and the NES Punch-Out!! series. The Punch-Out!! cards depict Little Mac's various opponents. The cards have scratch-off spots on them, which determine loss or win. As in real boxing, but not in this video game series, a "cow blow" is slang for the highly illegal blow to the kidneys and causes the scratch-off card to be an instant loss.[84]

Stereotypes

Punch-Out!! extensively utilizes racial and ethnic stereotypes, particularly in the opponents faced by the player character. The stereotypes featured in the games are an important facet of Punch-Out!!'s visual and aesthetic identity and have received substantial recognition and criticism.

History

Graphical advancements in the early-mid 1980s enabled the Punch-Out!! arcade game to display human-like characters with exaggerated features and animation.[85] Writing for Kotaku, journalist Kevin Wong wrote that the 1984 Punch-Out!! "lacks cultural sensitivity, to put it mildly — the characters range from being slightly offensive caricatures to highly offensive caricatures."[86] Notable stereotypical characters in the 1984 arcade game include Glass Joe, a French boxer who is easily defeated in combat,[87] and Pizza Pasta, whose name was described by Wong as "just incredible; a shining testament to just not giving a shit. It’s like naming a Chinese boxer Chop Suey Wonton, or a Thai boxer Pad Thai Curry Puffs.[86]

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! continued the trend of using characters with "distinct stereotypical exaggerations."[88] The 1987 game is widely recognized as a landmark of racial stereotyping in video games: Brandon Mendelson described the boxer opponents as "a cavalcade of racial and ethnic stereotypes,"[89] and Sam Machkovech described them as "a veritable United Nations of stereotypes."[90] Writing for The Escapist, Sumantra Lahiri detailed the Japan-developed[91] NES game's extensive stereotyping:

As you go through the game, you gain an encyclopedic knowledge of ignorant American sentiments: The French are weak and cowardly; the Germans are ultra-militaristic; the Japanese are sneaky and untrustworthy; the Spanish are flamboyant and vain; Samoans are fat and stupid; Indians skin tigers alive and wear turbans; Russians love their vodka; and black people are ruthless and a bit ignorant.[92]

An illustration of Soda Popinski hauling crates of glass bottles in the snow, reflecting stereotypes of Russians.

Of particular note in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is the stereotypical Soviet Russian character Soda Popinski, representing the stereotype of Russians as brutish alcoholics obsessed with vodka.[93] In Soda Popinski's entry for the 2017 publication 100 Greatest Video Game Characters, Rahima Schwenkbeck analyzed the character's Russian tropes within the context of contemporary international relations in tandem with localized pressures faced by Nintendo in their attempts to penetrate the American consumer market.[94] Noting the pervasiveness of unflattering tropes about Soviet or Russian people in popular culture in the West, Schwenkbeck pointed out that this is not a phenomenon unique to American media, citing the historically turbulent Japan–Russia relations and the predominantly negative image of Russia among Japanese society based on the findings of a Pew Research Center survey in 2015.[94] Schwenkbeck observed that Popinski's continued depiction as a caricature of a vodka-loving Russian, regardless of changing political climates and expectations of improved character development with the advancement of technology, reflects a larger narrative about long-standing negative stereotypes of Russians prevalent in both American and Japanese culture.[95]

The 2009 Punch-Out!! game for the Wii heavily uses ethnic and national stereotypes like its predecessors, largely through the use of recycled boxers from previous games.[96] In addition to old stereotypical characters such as Glass Joe and Soda Popinski, the newest Punch-Out!! game also features the stereotypical boxer Disco Kid, portrayed as a Black American preoccupied with music and clubbing.[97]

Reception

In contrast with Punch-Out's mainstream popularity, critical reception to the series' stereotypes has generally been negative. Davey Nieves and Wong condemned Punch-Out!!'s ethnic and national stereotypes as offensive and mean-spirited.[98] John Speerbrecker described the stereotypes as "much worse" than those featured in Street Fighter II,[99] another popular fighting game whose stereotyping is often compared with that in Punch-Out!!.[100] Machkovech characterized Punch-Out!!'s ethnic and national stereotyping as part of a broader lack of meaningful racial diversity in Nintendo video games and general bias in favor of white characters.[90] Schwenkbeck unfavorably compared Soda Popinski to the Street Fighter character Zangief, calling the former "pure stereotype" while the latter is referred to as a "solid character."[95]

Despite the generally negative reception to Punch-Out!!'s stereotypes, some critics have also expressed more forgiving views of the stereotypical characters. Brett Elston characterized the depictions as "friendly jabs at everyone’s equal expense,"[97] and Wong argued that "the developers took a 'scorched earth' approach to their stereotyping; every ethnicity was equally lampooned, which pre-empted any accusations of 'singling out' anyone."[86]

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: パンチアウト!!, Hepburn: Panchi-Auto!!
  2. ^ Doc Louis appears as an opponent in Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!, which is based on the Wii Punch-Out!! engine. It was made available for a limited time as a Club Nintendo reward.
  3. ^ a b c As a playable character; Unnamed
  4. ^ a b As a playable character
  5. ^ a b Mike Tyson appears only in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, replaced by Mr. Dream in later releases
  6. ^ As Piston Hondo
  7. ^ As Vodka Drunkenski
  8. ^ Japanese: リトル・マック, Hepburn: Ritoru Makku
  9. ^ Japanese: グラス・ジョー, Hepburn: Gurasu Jō
  10. ^ Japanese: ピストン・ハリケーン, Hepburn: Pisuton Harikēn
  11. ^ Japanese: ボールド・ブル, Hepburn: Bōrudo Buru
  12. ^ Japanese: キッド・クイック, Hepburn: Kiddo Kuikku
  13. ^ Japanese: ピッツァ・パスタ, Hepburn: Pittsa Pasuta
  14. ^ Japanese: ミスター・サンドマン, Hepburn: Misutā Sandoman
  15. ^ Japanese: ベア・ハッガー, Hepburn: Bea Haggā
  16. ^ Japanese: ソーダ・ポピンスキー, Hepburn: Sōda Popinsukī
  17. ^ Japanese: グレート・タイガー, Hepburn: Gurēto Taigā
  18. ^ Japanese: スーパー・マッチョマン, Hepburn: Sūpā Matchoman
  19. ^ Japanese: ドック・ルイス, Hepburn: Dokku Ruisu
  20. ^ Japanese: フォン・カイザー, Hepburn: Fon Kaizā
  21. ^ Japanese: ピストン本田, Hepburn: Pisuton Honda
  22. ^ Japanese: ピストン・ホンドー, Hepburn: Pisuton Hondō
  23. ^ Japanese: ドン・フラメンコ, Hepburn: Don Furamenko
  24. ^ Japanese: キング・ヒッポー, Hepburn: Kingu Hippō
  25. ^ Japanese: マイク・タイソン, Hepburn: Maiku Taison
  26. ^ Japanese: Mr. ドリーム, Hepburn: Misutā Dorīmu
  27. ^ Japanese: ガビー・ジェイ, Hepburn: Gabī Jei
  28. ^ Japanese: ボブ・チャーリー, Hepburn: Bobu Chārī
  29. ^ Japanese: マスクド・マッスル, Hepburn: Masukudo Massuru
  30. ^ Japanese: アラン・ライアン, Hepburn: Aran Raian
  31. ^ Japanese: 平家 陽炎, Hepburn: Heike Kagerō
  32. ^ Japanese: マッド・クラウン, Hepburn: Maddo Kuraun
  33. ^ Japanese: ナルシス・プリンス, Hepburn: Narushisu Purinsu
  34. ^ Japanese: 回 鍋肉, Hepburn: Pinyin: Huí Guō Ròu
  35. ^ Japanese: リック・ブルーザー, Hepburn: Rikku Burūzā
  36. ^ Japanese: ニック・ブルーザー, Hepburn: Nikku Burūzā
  37. ^ Japanese: ディスコ・キッド, Hepburn: Disuko Kiddo

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Bibliography of stereotypes