Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! series of boxing video games debuted in the coin-operated dusky arcades of the mid-1980s and ever since, the series has been popular with pugilists and fighting game aficionados; one instalment was even endorsed by the famed undisputed
heavyweight champion of the world “Iron” Mike Tyson.
The series’ fourth instalment, Super Punch-Out!!, released in North America in 1994 and was praised upon release, with ratings of 8/10 by IGN, 9/10 by Game Informer, and 18.25/20 by GamePro. Furthermore, Complex rated the game the 18th best on their 2018 listicle – “The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time”, beating out (knocking out if you will) games like Star Fox, Contra 3, and Donkey Kong Country.
Despite this enduring popularity, it is surprising that Super Punch-Out!! is making gaming news 28 years after its release. Retro games from beloved series often make headlines when remastered or rereleased on newer hardware, however, what makes Super Punch-Out!! newsworthy is even more exciting.
A diehard fan of the game has uncovered a secret feature, long hidden in plain sight: the ability to compete in a two-player mode (a rarity in the series) without the need for hacking or ROM editing.
Twitter account @new_cheats_news – a devotee of uncovering hidden features in retro video games – discovered two new cheat codes for the SNES classic. The first allows the player to choose which of the 16 opponents they wish to fight, and the second adds the
unprecedented two-player mode.
Although these features are commonplace in Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, Soulcalibur and essentially every modern fighting game, these discoveries (especially multiplayer) are monumental for the series, with the exception of the latest mainline entry Punch-Out!! (Wii) is single-player exclusive.
In order to do so, players need only input a simple series of button combinations. After firstly entering into a free match mode by holding Y and R and then pressing the A button, you can then repeat this combination with a second joypad to gain access to the two-player mode.
Fortunately for those wishing to try this out, ownership of the SNES and the original cartridge is not the only way to enjoy Super Punch-Out!!. The game is available on the SNES Classic Edition mini console and also on the SNES app via Nintendo Switch Online. Both codes are confirmed to work on all three platforms.
Words by Luke Horwitz