Playing with Power: A bout with the world champion

“Now you’re playing with power.”

I remembered the cheesy slogan from an old Nintendo Entertainment System commercial back from the mid-1980s when I found and bought one of Nintendo’s NES Classic Editions recently. Sure, video games look much better and shinier than they did 30-plus years ago, but I have fond memories sprawled out on the living room floor playing “Super Mario Bros.” and “Donkey Kong.” Decades later, these games still put a smile on my face. As I make my way through the system’s 30-game collection, it’s been fun to reminisce about games in an era before complicated control schemes and high-definition displays.

Punch-Out!!

Like many games released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, “Punch-Out!!” had its roots in the arcade. Long before focusing their business in home video game consoles, Nintendo established itself in the arcade scene. The first arcade “Punch-Out!!” was originally released in 1984 and was so successful a sequel, “Super Punch-Out!!” was released not long after.

A home version of “Punch-Out!!” was first released in 1987. While the game itself is a fun, basic recreation of the arcade game, something else helped ingrain it in the memories of video game players: “Iron” Mike Tyson.

Tyson was one of the most feared heavyweight boxers in the late 1980s. Highlight reels of Tyson’s early fights are short and feature the boxer brutally pounding his opponents to a knockout. He is still the youngest boxer to ever win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years, four months and 22 days old.

While Tyson’s legacy is tarnished by his later actions in and out of the ring, he was one of the most exciting athletes on the planet during the 1980s and a perfect mascot for the upcoming NES version of “Punch-Out!!.” When first released, “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!” featured the champion as the last opponent players would face. Nothing prepared players for the challenge Tyson would bring. Beating him required nothing less than perfect reactions to his onslaught as one of Tyson’s swift uppercuts instantly sends the player’s little boxer kissing the mat. Tyson was the pinnacle of Everest and one of the ultimate Nintendo challenges. I could never beat him.

Unfortunately, the NES Classic Edition has a later version of the game that removed Tyson in favor of a character named Mr. Dream. Nintendo’s licensing deal with Tyson expired in 1990 and the company decided not to renew it as Tyson had recently lost his titles. And so, one of the most iconic boxers of a generation was whitewashed and transformed into the generic-looking Mr. Dream, who looked more at home in WWE’s squared-circle than a boxing ring. Mr. Dream copied Tyson’s movements and has the devastating punches, but lacked the flair Tyson brought to the game.

For gamers of a certain age, Tyson will be the one and only king of “Punch-Out!!,” regardless of what happened with him in his later years.