Boxing is a sport of speed, stamina and strategy. And, oh yes, beating the crap out of your opponent. Nintendo brought the excitement of the boxing ring to arcades in 1984 with Punch-Out!! (with two exclamation marks, so you knew it was double the fun).

The player controled a green wire frame boxer that went up against a variety of opponents in his quest for the title belt. The computer-controlled boxers varied in skill level from low to high and difficulty increased after the player won the belt.

The first boxer to defeat was Glass Joe and as the name implies, he wasn't much of a challenge. Joe just stood around the ring, waiting to be punched and content to be a bruised stepping stone on your way to the top. Piston Hurricane came next and he was a better fighter, followed by Bald Bull, Kid Quick, Pizza Pasta and Mr. Sandman.

The game cabinet featured a dual monitor set-up, with the top screen displaying stats, like points and time and the bottom screen showing the actual fight. There were also full crowds sounds and an announcer that would chime in during the fight, all the better to put the player in the mood for the match.

Punch-Out quickly became a favorite--and by now, a classic--game that was followed by many sequels like Super Punch-Out!! and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!