Punch-Out: good write-up. Absolute classic, timeless game. For some reason the NES version has never been topped even if later iterations had their strengths. I even tried to get into some games like that Wade Hixton thing on GBA. Perfectly fine game, but it doesn't have that Punch-Out magic that's just pure lightning in a bottle.
Never played the other two games. Alpha Mission's cover seems like the kind of thing I could stare at as a kid for 30 minutes and not get bored. But I don't recall ever seeing it.
Lunar Pool's cover though, I do remember seeing as a kid, and I HATE, HATE, HATED it. Even as a small child, I remember always having a strong disgust response towards androgyny. Not based on any particular experience, just always felt that way. Maybe that's a lot to unpack, probably says something about my personality.
Yeah I appreciate the Wii version, and the SNES one is OK, but the NES Punch-Out!! just feels so right.
Not sure what the Wade Hixton game is? Is it Punch-Out lite or something?
Haha, I love your hatred of the Lunar Pool cover. It's so 80s and, yes, hyper androgynous which is... a choice for a simple pool game. I first played Lunar Pool on a bootleg cartridge so I never saw the cover until years later.
Also you just know they're playing "You Spin Me Round" on repeat in that club.
I wouldn't call it "Punch-Out lite". I honestly think the game was a legitimate effort and, sort of like the SNES and Wii Punch-Outs, it does some things better than NES Punch-Out. But it just doesn't come together in the same magical way.
I think there was also another Punch-Out-like game for GBA that wasn't as good as Wade Hixton, and I can't even remember what it was called. So maybe I'm imagining it.
It is a huge shame I didn't know about Lunar Pool back in my NES days. I would have loved it.
It was a childhood favorite of mine for sure! It's very surreal, at least by mid-80s standards...
It certainly looks like it! The cover certainly embraces the 80s aesthetic
You can be certain I would be spending a lot of time messing with the friction settings. 😂
Oh yeah, the friction settings are a blast, haha
Punch-Out: good write-up. Absolute classic, timeless game. For some reason the NES version has never been topped even if later iterations had their strengths. I even tried to get into some games like that Wade Hixton thing on GBA. Perfectly fine game, but it doesn't have that Punch-Out magic that's just pure lightning in a bottle.
Never played the other two games. Alpha Mission's cover seems like the kind of thing I could stare at as a kid for 30 minutes and not get bored. But I don't recall ever seeing it.
Lunar Pool's cover though, I do remember seeing as a kid, and I HATE, HATE, HATED it. Even as a small child, I remember always having a strong disgust response towards androgyny. Not based on any particular experience, just always felt that way. Maybe that's a lot to unpack, probably says something about my personality.
Thanks Thomas!
Yeah I appreciate the Wii version, and the SNES one is OK, but the NES Punch-Out!! just feels so right.
Not sure what the Wade Hixton game is? Is it Punch-Out lite or something?
Haha, I love your hatred of the Lunar Pool cover. It's so 80s and, yes, hyper androgynous which is... a choice for a simple pool game. I first played Lunar Pool on a bootleg cartridge so I never saw the cover until years later.
Also you just know they're playing "You Spin Me Round" on repeat in that club.
Ah, well it's the sort of game you definitely need to play. Because boy is this description brief:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wade_Hixton%27s_Counter_Punch
I wouldn't call it "Punch-Out lite". I honestly think the game was a legitimate effort and, sort of like the SNES and Wii Punch-Outs, it does some things better than NES Punch-Out. But it just doesn't come together in the same magical way.
I think there was also another Punch-Out-like game for GBA that wasn't as good as Wade Hixton, and I can't even remember what it was called. So maybe I'm imagining it.
Such a random game. I can't imagine this sold more than a couple dozen copies, even though it's apparently pretty decent?
That Luna Pool cover is so rad. Wonder what space snack they're heating up in the microwave behind them.
Gotta be a tofu dish of some sort.
Space Tofu™
With just a thin layer of space slime for flavor!
Thank you, friend!