Punch-Out!! consists of working your way through three different boxing circuits for a chance at a bout with Mike Tyson. Along the way you'll encounter many colorful characters, some of which will challenge you to a rematch in later circuits. As you advance in the game, the fights naturally get progressively harder. Passwords are given after each circuit so you don't have to complete the game in one sitting. Your record of wins, losses and KOs is only tracked throughout a single play session. If you use a code to jump to a circuit, you'll start with a perfect record.
Rounds[edit]
| Hit | Points |
|---|---|
| Normal punch | 10 |
| Get a star | 110 |
| Uppercut | 500 |
| Knockdown | 1,000 |
| Star knockdown | 1,500 |
Each fight is divided into three rounds of three game minutes each. Time in the game moves faster than normal, although it slows down for counterpunches and some animations, and it stops completely for knock downs. At the end of round 1 and round 2, your number of hearts is reset to the number you started the fight with, and your number of stars is reset to zero. If you knock down your opponent three times in a round, you get an automatic technical knockout (TKO), which means you win and get another KO added to your KO record. Be aware that your opponents can also win by TKO if they knock you down three times in a single round. If round 3 ends before one of you is knocked out, you might be able to win by decision.
To win by decision, you need to have a certain number of points. The number of points depends on the opponent and is listed in the walkthrough. Circuit champions can never be beaten by decision, and neither can Mr. Sandman or King Hippo. Winning by decision does not add to your KO record, but does allow you to proceed to the next fight.
Countering an attack[edit]
The mechanics of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! is heavily based upon a dodge-counterpunch system. If you successfully dodge an opponent's attack, you will earn the opportunity to counter attack and stun them. Once stunned, you can get in several free punches before they come to their senses. Throughout most fights, you will not be the aggressor. Instead, you will wait for your opponent to make a move and exploit the opening in his defense.
There are three ways to counter an attack:
- Blocking and countering
- Dodging and countering
- Interrupting it
Blocking causes you to take a small amount of damage and also uses up a heart. Dodging costs nothing but if your timing is off you will get hit by the full force of the attack. In either case you will usually get to hit your opponent multiple times in the face (they will usually block their body when stunned). You can keep hitting him until you hear and see a punch that looks particularly forceful: this signifies that your chain of hits is over and your opponent has recovered.
Interrupting an attack will usually, but not always, earn you a star (but it won't if you knock your opponent down). It depends on the attack and the timing. Generally, you want to hit your opponent while they are preparing their attack, not the moment they actually begin their move. This is risky, and may backfire if you are too slow. Although stars are valuable, you don't need to master this technique to be good at the game.
A few of your opponents have special moves which can be interrupted. These will be detailed in the description of your opponent. Interrupting your opponent's special move will occasionally knock down your opponent, so it is a valuable technique to learn.