Punch-Out fans shouldn't hold their breath for a new game anytime soon

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Summary

  • Next Level Games is unlikely to revisit the Punch-Out franchise anytime soon, as it is considered dead due to sales and stereotypes.

  • Backlash over stereotypes played a major role in preventing the continuation of the Punch-Out franchise.

  • Despite being beloved, Punch-Out did not reach the same sales potential as other Next Level Games titles.

Gaming insider Imran Khan has said that Next Level Games is unlikely to revisit Punch Out series soon, says the cult classic Nintendo series is actually dead. The Punch Out the series is one of Nintendo's more niche titles, with the first title released in 1984 for the arcades. The series is better known for its home console counterpart, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on the NES in 1987, with many players claiming it was one of the most challenging yet rewarding titles on the system. The game then received a sequel on the SNES in 1994, which played closer to its arcade iteration.

Most fans will probably be familiar with Next Level Games 2009 Punch Out revival, rebooting the series and pitting Little Mac against some really tough and cartoony boxers. Next Level Games' Punch Out the reboot was both a critical and commercial success and helped cement the studio as a reliable partner with Nintendo. Next Level Games has since been acquired as a first-party developer for Nintendo, working on games such as Luigi's Mansion 3 and Mario Strikers: Battle League. Despite Nintendo being its parent company, there appear to be no plans to revisit Punch Out anytime soon.

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In a recent ResetEra thread, Imran Khan talked about how he spoke to someone “a while ago” who was involved in the recent Punch Out title by Next Level Games and if there was a new one in the works. According to the person Khan spoke to, despite the popularity of Nintendo's cult classic series, there was a lot of backlash Punch Out received over the characters and stereotypes represented was more than expected. The development team apparently assured Nintendo that they weren't leaning on bad stereotypes that would give them a bad reputation. Khan notes that it is not a case of either Punch Out teams that don't want to use stereotypes, but rather they can't “completely cut from the past” without backlash. “I guess it’s less “We can’t do it without stereotypes so let’s not bother!” and more a World Warrior problems where they can't completely cut themselves from the past without people rioting,” Khan said. “That and other games from the studio sell about 14 million more copies, so why bother.”

Sales and Stereotypes Crippled Punch-Out Wii

Khan also comments on the sale of Punch Out series compared to other titles developed by Next Level Games. While Punch Out on the Wii sold over a million copies, it didn't have the same sales potential as Next Level Games' Mario Strikers and Luigi's mansion spin-offs. These titles in particular excelled Punch Out also, seemingly destined to be another niche Nintendo series.

I guess it's less “We can't do it without stereotypes so let's not bother!” and more a World Warrior problems where they can't completely cut themselves from the past without people rioting. That and other games from the studio sell roughly 14 million more copies, so why bother.

Punch Out is still loved to this day. Some indie games like Thunder Ray have strong Punch Out vibes in their playing and presentation. Little Mac is still a prevalent character in Super Smash Bros. also, debuted in Brawl as an Assist Trophy and was promoted to playable fighter in 3DS/Wii U and Final game. The entire ResetEra thread was complaining Punch Outs fate, many say that Next Level Games did a spectacular job with the 2009 Wii game.

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