When I forget the code in the title I know that Alzheimer's is kicking in. I entered that code so many times that I can remember the sound each tick made as I entered it and the confirming wave of sound when you pressed enter. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out is my favorite game of all-time. I played it more than any other single game, ever. I still recall every big moment in the game.
I used to take pride in beating a game. Games used to be much harder back then to complete. I first played Punch-Out in the arcades. That was an awesome game. I remember seeking it out every time I went to a new arcade. Seaside Heights' boardwalk took many of my quarters. I would pound away at that game for hours. Mr. Sandman was my nemesis. It took me forever to get past him and finally get those red trunks.
When Mike Tyson's Punch-Out came out I just had to have it. All those hours I spent playing it in the arcade will now be at home for me. I sat and waited to open the box. I was too excited for it. Of course, that was short lived. Like Punch-Out in the arcade, I played Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for hours on end. The toughness ramped up the same as the arcade. The fighters that would give me trouble in the arcade gave me trouble at home. Eventually, I reached Mr. Sandman!
There he was, Mr Sandman. My nemesis from Seaside Heights and arcades from around the east coast. I got destroyed. I got destroyed often. I got destroyed quick. He was just as hard as he was in the arcade. Like the arcade version of Punch-Out, it took me many... many tries. I remember it was a Thursday morning before school when I beat Mr. Sandman. I jumped for joy waking up my brother and sisters, "YES! YES! YES! I finally made it to Mike Tyson," I yelled. Wait, what the hell? Super Macho Man?!!?!! Where was my Mike Tyson?!!!?! As with Mr. Sandman it took a long time until I finally got through to him.
Mike Tyson was up next. Being so excited at finally reaching him I don't remember much from the first the first fight except me losing. That pretty much echos Mike Tyson's real opponents. I would lose over and over and over again to Tyson. It was always a pain in the ass to get back to him because Mr. Sandman and Super Macho Man were always tough opponents. Then, one day, I get a phone call.
007 373 5963 is all I heard. I replied, "What? Is this a prank call?" Again, the caller said, "007 373 5963." I knew it was my friend Anthony. I said, "Anthony, what the hell are you talking about?" "Bring Mike Tyson's Punchout over right now and I'll show you something," he said. I ran over to his house and he put in the code. There he was, Mike Tyson, without having to fight anybody else to get to him. That big bastard was mine. It took what seemed like 5000 times putting that code in and fighting Tyson before he fell to my mighty fingers. I beat him. I didn't scream. My friend screamed. I was reserved and enjoying my accomplishment, reflecting on the hours, days and weeks it took to reach that point.
It was a pretty cool feeling beating Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Beating a game now doesn't bring the same joy and sense of accomplishment that it did back in my youth. I don't know if it's because I'm older or if it's because games have gotten easier. Of course you can turn up the cheese in most games but the one size fits all level of toughness games in the past had aren't touched with anything current. Some digital distribution throw back games do, such as Super Guacamelee.
I wrote this piece because I saw a video today of Mike Tyson playing himself in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on The Tonight Show. It brought back some fun memories that I'm sure others had as well. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out is the game for me. It offered everything, fun, anger, sense of accomplishment and difficulty. It's a blast from the past that I will always remember. 007 373 5936 forever!
I used to take pride in beating a game. Games used to be much harder back then to complete. I first played Punch-Out in the arcades. That was an awesome game. I remember seeking it out every time I went to a new arcade. Seaside Heights' boardwalk took many of my quarters. I would pound away at that game for hours. Mr. Sandman was my nemesis. It took me forever to get past him and finally get those red trunks.
When Mike Tyson's Punch-Out came out I just had to have it. All those hours I spent playing it in the arcade will now be at home for me. I sat and waited to open the box. I was too excited for it. Of course, that was short lived. Like Punch-Out in the arcade, I played Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for hours on end. The toughness ramped up the same as the arcade. The fighters that would give me trouble in the arcade gave me trouble at home. Eventually, I reached Mr. Sandman!
There he was, Mr Sandman. My nemesis from Seaside Heights and arcades from around the east coast. I got destroyed. I got destroyed often. I got destroyed quick. He was just as hard as he was in the arcade. Like the arcade version of Punch-Out, it took me many... many tries. I remember it was a Thursday morning before school when I beat Mr. Sandman. I jumped for joy waking up my brother and sisters, "YES! YES! YES! I finally made it to Mike Tyson," I yelled. Wait, what the hell? Super Macho Man?!!?!! Where was my Mike Tyson?!!!?! As with Mr. Sandman it took a long time until I finally got through to him.
Mike Tyson was up next. Being so excited at finally reaching him I don't remember much from the first the first fight except me losing. That pretty much echos Mike Tyson's real opponents. I would lose over and over and over again to Tyson. It was always a pain in the ass to get back to him because Mr. Sandman and Super Macho Man were always tough opponents. Then, one day, I get a phone call.
007 373 5963 is all I heard. I replied, "What? Is this a prank call?" Again, the caller said, "007 373 5963." I knew it was my friend Anthony. I said, "Anthony, what the hell are you talking about?" "Bring Mike Tyson's Punchout over right now and I'll show you something," he said. I ran over to his house and he put in the code. There he was, Mike Tyson, without having to fight anybody else to get to him. That big bastard was mine. It took what seemed like 5000 times putting that code in and fighting Tyson before he fell to my mighty fingers. I beat him. I didn't scream. My friend screamed. I was reserved and enjoying my accomplishment, reflecting on the hours, days and weeks it took to reach that point.
It was a pretty cool feeling beating Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Beating a game now doesn't bring the same joy and sense of accomplishment that it did back in my youth. I don't know if it's because I'm older or if it's because games have gotten easier. Of course you can turn up the cheese in most games but the one size fits all level of toughness games in the past had aren't touched with anything current. Some digital distribution throw back games do, such as Super Guacamelee.
I wrote this piece because I saw a video today of Mike Tyson playing himself in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out on The Tonight Show. It brought back some fun memories that I'm sure others had as well. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out is the game for me. It offered everything, fun, anger, sense of accomplishment and difficulty. It's a blast from the past that I will always remember. 007 373 5936 forever!
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