Nintendo Moving Away from One Classic Franchise is Sad But Understandable

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 12, 2025 3 Views 7 Min Read
Nintendo Moving Away from One Classic Franchise is Sad But Understandable

Nintendo has consistently brought its A-game with its first-party lineup on the Nintendo Switch. Many of the most iconic Nintendo franchises have had some of their best and most popular entries on the Switch and have contributed to the platform becoming a cultural phenomenon. The Switch has also been a playground for Nintendo to revive some long-dormant franchises, including even obscure games like Endless Ocean and Famicom Detective Club.

Naturally, though, not every Nintendo franchise has seen a revival on the Switch. No matter how much demand there is, some games simply exist as a product of the time and environment they are released in, and can’t hold as much water in the modern gaming climate. One such example comes in the form of Punch-Out!!, a franchise whose latest development may be disappointing for longtime fans of the series.

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Nintendo May Not Bring Punch-Out!! Back Anytime Soon

Punch-Out!! Is A Cult Classic In Nintendo’s Library

Originally released as an arcade game in 1984, Punch-Out!! became a big hit prior to Nintendo’s jump into the home console market. This boxing game eventually saw its way to the NES and Super NES and became very successful, but the franchise fell into dormancy and “cult” status for years after. It eventually got a reboot on the Wii in 2009 that proved successful in capturing the old-school charm of the classic entries.

Sadly, the franchise never got a new mainline title after that, and it doesn’t appear that will change anytime soon. Gaming industry insider Imran Khan recently revealed that Nintendo is unlikely to revisit the franchise anytime soon. He cited that the Wii reboot proved controversial because of the characters leaning into stereotypes, while also noting that other Nintendo franchises came with greater sales potential than the Punch-Out!! IP.

Sales And Stereotypes Sink Punch-Out!! Significantly

As unfortunate as this news is, it’s probably for the best that Punch-Out!! stays on the sidelines, as there isn’t really much the publisher can do with the series. Punch-Out!! has always rested on its old-school appeal and charm, and it would probably be challenging for Nintendo to bring the franchise back without it feeling like a relic from the past. As far as Nintendo’s boxing-related franchises, 2017’s ARMS is a more developed title that appears more ripe for a proper sequel.

Furthermore, as Khan noted, it would be hard to put out a new Punch-Out!! game given that its cast of characters centered so heavily around stereotypes. Khan pointed out that even with assurance from the development team that the Wii title wouldn’t be controversial, the backlash surrounding these stereotype-heavy characters was greater than expected. This isn’t to say that Nintendo can’t do a Punch-Out!! game without relying on stereotypes, but rather, the publisher may be stuck in a rock and a hard place in terms of how faithful they can be to past titles.

Punch-Out!! has always rested on its old-school appeal and charm, and it would probably be challenging for Nintendo to bring the franchise back without it feeling like a relic from the past.

Punch-Out!! Developer Has Moved Onto Other Games

It’s worth pointing out that the Wii’s Punch-Out!! title was also developed by Next Level Games, a team that has simply moved on to other franchises that have proven more successful. Next Level is now the primary developer of the Luigi’s Mansion series, and 2019’s Luigi’s Mansion 3 was the highest-selling title in the franchise with over 14 million copies sold. From a business perspective, it makes sense for Nintendo to have the team focus on that franchise instead of reviving a niche title that may not perform nearly as well.

It’s unfortunate that Punch-Out!! seems to be gone for the time being, and fans may only hear of it because of Little Mac’s appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. Still, it’s understandable why Nintendo would back off of it for the time being and focus its attention on other franchises. Besides, Nintendo has a lot to choose from on the Switch at the moment, and the publisher is sure to still have a packed lineup once the next platform is ready to go.

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