Punch-Out! Returns

Punch-Out Returns, known as Punch-Out Rebirth in Japan, is a 2019 fighting game for the Nintendo Switch. Its storyline is a direct sequel to the Wii Punch-Out! game, and features several original characters as well as a few returning characters from previous Punch-Out! games.

Gameplay

Unlike previous Punch-Out titles, this game is a fighting game in the vein of Street Fighter, The King of Fighters, Tekken, and Guilty Gear. Gameplay revolves around depleting the opponent's HP through attacking with light, medium, and heavy attacks, which can be thrown to the body or to the head depending on whether or not the player tilts the joystick towards the opponent. The fourth face button allows the player to jump, and the directional pad allows them to move around the three-dimensional ring (tapping twice allows them to dash in the direction pressed, while holding the joystick or directional pad in the down direction allows the character to crouch). Fighters possess two to four special moves in the vein of Street Fighter and other 2D fighting games as well as several chain-based special moves in the vein of Tekken and other 3D fighting games. The game's claim to fame is its many forms of defense, as fighters can block attacks by counter-attacking, dodge them by well-timed control stick inputs, guard by holding down one of the attack buttons (Light for low guard and Medium or Heavy for High Guard), or "bob and weave" by moving the control stick in a circular fashion. Good defense and offense raises the Star Meter, which is crucial for performing enhanced versions of normal special moves, a combo breaker special called the "Blow-Away," and Star Punches, powerful attacks that, if they connect, decrease the opponent's Star Meter in addition to damaging them. Unlike most fighting games, in which taunts are mere emotes with the rare practical taunt thrown in for flavor, every character's taunt serves a practical purpose, such as a stat bonus or healing HP. To win a match, players must KO their opponent. KO'd characters can recover up to two times by rapidly mashing the three attack buttons, but will lose by TKO upon being KO'd a third time. Types of matches include standard, four-way brawl, and two-on-two, and can vary between no-time limit fights as in traditional fighting games or multiple timed rounds as in most Punch-Out games.

Story

The game's story begins after Little Mac's retirement at the end of the previous game. Four years after Little Mac retired from the WVBA, he adjusted to a normal life in college, his tuitions paid in full by the money he gained as the WVBA's champion. Little Mac is approached by Dapper Dan, the current WVBA champion, who feels that he cannot truly claim the title of champion until he defeats Little Mac. Little Mac approaches Doc Louis to be trained, but is ultimately unable to defeat Dapper Dan, though he does manage to be the first to land several punches to Dan in the latter's entire career. This upsets Dan greatly, and he demands that Little Mac give him a rematch at the Video Fighting eXpo, or VFX, where some of the world's greatest boxers, wrestlers, and martial artists will be competing for the title of the greatest fighter on the planet. With his fighting spirit reawakened, Mac eagerly accepts Dan's challenge and goes to the VFX to fight all manner of opponents!

Arcade Mode Endings

Each fighter, upon completing Arcade Mode and defeating both their rival and the two final bosses, Manny the Mangler and Hanzo, has their own ending depicting what happened after winning the VFX.

• Little Mac's Ending: Little Mac defeats Dapper Dan in the final round of the tournament, reclaiming his title as the champion of both the WVBA and the VFX.
• Dapper Dan's Ending: Dan once again defeats Little Mac, having realized that his previous claim to fame of being entirely untouchable was the reason for his previous near-loss at the hands of Little Mac, as it caused him to think he was completely invincible and thus underestimated his opponents. Vowing to fight without his pride clouding his judgment, Dan went to Von Kaiser for more training, in the hopes of rebuilding himself as a true champion.
• Glass Joe's Ending: Glass Joe finally won a battle against Little Mac, and it felt glorious. This new burst of confidence inspires him to return to the WVBA, where he wins far more victories than he ever did before.
• Tetsuo Honda's Ending: Tetsuo met and fought Little Mac, understanding why his older brother spoke of him as a living legend after defeating him--Little Mac battled the two brothers in honorable, clean fights and won through sheer determination and force of will. Tetsuo departs back to his university to donate the money to the new gym, and is pleasantly surprised to find Mac there thanks to a foreign exchange program.
• King Hippo's Ending: King Hippo fought and defeated Glass Joe. Impressed by his best friend's growth into a powerful fighter, King Hippo joins Glass Joe in his return to France, greatly enjoying the local cuisine.
• Saurian's Ending: Saurian wins the tournament by vanquishing all of Earth's champions, but his report to his homeworld argued against an invasion. "The warriors I fight on this planet, particularly the mighty King Hippo you order me to observe when I begin my mission, force me to improve my strength, willpower, and fighting instincts. I owe them far too much to destroy this planet."
• Manny the Mangler's Ending: After defending his title as the Champion, Manny begins to wonder how much longer his knowledge of Brazilian jiu-jutsu will last him. Deciding that it would be best to take on an apprentice like Doc Louis, Manny chooses to impart his knowledge onto the young Tetsuo Honda in the hopes that he will one day become a champion worthy of succeeding him.
• Hanzo's Endings: Hanzo is the only character with two different endings. If he defeats his rival Saurian without using his weapons, he will look back on his former battles and realize that the reason he was forbidden from participating in the VFX was not because he used weapons, but because he relied on them too much for combat, and dedicate himself to re-training so that he may come back to the VFX and fight with his own strength, but if he wins using his weapons, he will instead decide that fighting opponents in the VFX is not the kind of fighting he wishes to pursue and wages a one-man war against Saurian's people.

Characters

Playable:

• Little Mac: The returning champion, Little Mac retired a few years after the previous game. After being challenged by the current WVBA champion Dapper Dan, he straps on his boxing gloves for one final match, but is soundly beaten by Dapper Dan, although this stirs in him a fighting spirit he thought was long gone. Setting out to the Video Fighting eXpo, Little Mac is determined to have a rematch with Dapper Dan and reclaim his former glory. Little Mac plays similar to Jotaro Kujo in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage for the Future, possessing both a rapid-fire punch move and a dashing punch, which can launch enemies across the ring if used at close range. His Star Punch is a Shoryuken-type move that gives the otherwise grounded boxer some much-needed aerial agility, and his taunt has Doc Louis give him some advice on his opponent. Little Mac is voiced by Josh Keaton in English and Native Languages mode and by Kazuyuki Okitsu in Japanese.
• Dapper Dan: The blond hero of Super Punch-Out!, Dapper Dan hails from London, England. Between the events of Punch-Out! (Wii) and this game, he gained the title of WVBA champion by defeating the undefeated Nick Bruiser. He takes his nickname "Dapper Dan" from never once taking a hit in his entire career until Little Mac landed several blows on him in the prologue battle. This has left him with a burning hatred of Little Mac, and he has vowed to defeat him in the Video Fighting eXpo to reclaim his title as the untouchable Dapper Dan. Dan is the "Dio" to Little Mac's "Jotaro", possessing a rapid-fire punch move and a dashing cross that launches the opponent across the ring like Little Mac. Unlike Little Mac, his Star Punch is a ki blast that allows him to blast opponents at distance, and his taunt has Von Kaiser shout "Remember your training!", causing him to gain a power boost in attacking power, damage resistance, or running speed. Dapper Dan is voiced by Matt Smith in English and Native Languages mode and by Koji Yusa in Japanese.
• Glass Joe: Little Mac's long-time punching bag Glass Joe quit the WVBA and became a savateur in his homeland of France, quickly building up an impressive win count that he never enjoyed in standard boxing. Glass Joe is determined to take revenge on the years of humiliation at the hands of Little Mac at the Video Fighting eXpo with his new arsenal of killer kicks, as well as avenge his student Gabby Jay's crushing and humiliating defeat at the hands of Dapper Dan. Glass Joe is a defensive "charge" fighter in the vein of Guile from Street Fighter II, possessing a sliding kick, a somersault kick, and a diving kick. His Star Punch is a nine-hit combo of punches and kicks, which is incredibly powerful but has poor range, and his taunt (involving a declaration of his determination to win) raises his super meter. Glass Joe is voiced by Troy Baker in English, Christian Bernard in Native Languages mode, and by Tomokazu Sugita in Japanese.
• Tetsuo Honda: Piston Honda's younger brother, a karateka and judoka who, like Mac, is currently in college. His reason for competing in the VFX is twofold: To meet and fight the man spoken of in high regard by his older brother, and to raise money for a new gymnasium for his university. Tetsuo is a combination rekka/grappling character who has a lunging block and a lunging punch technique, both of which can be followed up with several other techniques, including a rapid-fire punch move that is stronger than Little Mac's or Dapper Dan's but has inferior range, another lunging punch, a side kick that launches the opponent across the ring, a roundhouse kick that dazes the opponent, or a judo throw which can in turn be followed up by an armbar that decreases the opponent's attacking power or a leg-lock that decreases the opponent's walking speed. His Star Punch is the Brother's Rush, a tribute to his older brother involving a series of lunging and rapid-fire punches, and his taunt has him bow to his opponent, resetting his Star Meter to match that of his opponent. Tetsuo is voiced by Dan Green in English and by Banjo Ginga in Japanese and Native Languages mode.
• King Hippo: Returning from Hippo Island, King Hippo entered the VFX to see the world outside of Hippo Island, sample the many foods of the world, and see his friend Glass Joe, who is also competing. King Hippo speaks in grunts provided by Patrick Seitz in all languages. King Hippo is unique in the sense that he cannot dash or dodge, though he makes up for this by having several defensive techniques unique to him, including the "Hippo Guard" which is unbreakable and can be followed up by a powerful counterpunch, the "Hippo Scissors", a powerful two-handed hook technique that dazes the enemy, and the "Hippo Cyclone," a spinning punch that knocks opponents away from him. His Star Punch is the Hippo Phalanx, and involves him taking a step forward, putting up a Hippo Guard, and automatically punching any enemy in range, and can be chained up to three times in succession, and his taunt has him eat a pineapple and regenerate some health. As in previous Punch-Out!! games, King Hippo cannot recover from a KO and only has to be knocked down once to be defeated.
• Saurian: Saurian is a lizardlike alien from the Andromeda Galaxy, who entered the VFX to challenge the fighters of Earth to see if Earth can easily be invaded by his people. Saurian's playing style is aggressive and animalistic, incorporating bites, tail swipes, and the "Dino Kicks", a series of powerful kicking techniques inspired by Taekwondo. His Star Punch is the "Law of the Jungle", where he gets down on all fours, pounces on the enemy, and delivers several mounted claw swipes, and his taunt has him roar, decreasing the opponent's attacking power. Saurian is voiced by Scott McNeil in English, where he speaks in "Runyonese" (a form of slang popularized by writer Damon Runyon in which no contractions are used and everything is spoken in the present tense), and by Daisuke Ono in Japanese, where he instead speaks very formally (e.g. saying "de gozaru" or "de arimasu" at the end of his sentences). He has no Native Languages voice actor due to not speaking any Earth languages.
• Manny the Mangler: The first unlockable character and final boss of the story mode Manny is the former champion of the VFX, a pro wrestler and jujutsu master who once defeated Doc Louis in the ring. For over 30 years, Manny has defended his title as the champion of the VFX, though this time around he has decided to instead compete from the beginning to show that age hasn't rusted his mastery of submission holds, which he boasts are powerful no matter the strength of the performer. Like Tetsuo Honda, Manny is a grappler through and through, having an armbar and leglock technique like Tetsuo's alongside a chokehold and backbreaker that do more damage the longer he holds his opponent in, though the opponent is able to break his holds by rapidly pressing the jump button and turning the joystick in a full circle motion. These submission holds are the bread and butter of Manny's strategy, as his punches and kicks are weaker than the rest of the cast and he's unable to guard, dash, or dodge and must instead use the holds as counterattacks. Manny's Star Punch is the Omega Lock, a series of holds that do rapid damage and lower the opponent's attacking strength and running speed, and his taunt, if used when close to the opponent when the opponent is knocked down, pulls them up to their feet. Manny is voiced by Corey Burton in English, by Marcos Palmeira in Native Languages mode, and by Wataru Takagi in Japanese.
• Hanzo: The second unlockable character after Manny the Mangler and secret boss, Hanzo is a ninja master who is banned from fighting in the VFX due to his use of illegal weaponry. Furious at being refused an opportunity to fight the world's greatest warriors, Hanzo challenges whoever wins the title of the VFX champion (in his own story mode, he instead fights all VFX contestants). Hanzo is the only character who uses weapons, using shuriken as projectiles and a smoke bomb as a teleportation mechanic, and aerial attacks like a divekick or an izuna drop. His Star Punch is the Hide and Sneak Attack, in which he dashes towards the opponent, disappears, and reappears behind his enemy to attack him from behind, and he is the only character in the game without a taunt. Hanzo is voiced by John DiMaggio in English and by Shozo Iizuka in Japanese and Native Languages mode.

NPCs:

• Doc Louis: Little Mac's support character, who once again trains him and gives him advice, as in Little Mac's taunt he describes each fighter's strengths and weaknesses. Doc is initially reluctant to allow Little Mac to fight in the Video Fighting eXpo, as he had a very unsuccessful career in the VFX himself. Doc is voiced by Riley Inge in English and by Norio Wakamoto in Japanese.
• Von Kaiser: Dapper Dan's support character, he found his calling as a coach after numerous failures in his boxing career. Unlike Doc Louis, he doesn't give Dapper Dan much advice, instead training him through difficult mini-games in Dan's story mode and focusing on improving his power, speed, and technique so that no one can stop him (this is represented in the standard gameplay, where Dapper Dan's taunt has Von Kaiser shout "Remember your training!", giving Dan a random power boost in attacking power, damage resistance, or running speed), and encourages Dan to hit "the big leagues" by entering the VFX unlike Doc who is initially reluctant to allow Little Mac to fight in the tournament. Von Kaiser is voiced by Nick Landis in English, Horst Laxon in Native Languages mode, and by Wataru Takagi in Japanese.