The game: Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)
Sequel to: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES)
Why you didn't play it: It came out in 1994, awell-known dry spellfor the industry. Overall game sales were down that year, partly because a lot of the games were crap (Shaq Fu) or humorously overpriced ($100 Virtua Racing). When people did scrape up $60-$80 for a SNES game, it was going to be Final Fantasy III or Donkey Kong Country, not a cartoony boxing game with shirtless, pudgy men adorning the cover art. The game was unlockable in the GC version of Fight Night: Round 2, but we bet you didn't notice.
Why you should have: It's one of the greatest boxing games of all time. Everyone loves the original for its small cast of ultra-bizarre boxers, but this one threw 16 different opponents your way, each one armed with all kinds of hard-hitting attacks. Some can blind you, others can grapple and leech away life, one even breaks your hands so you literally can't hit back.
So the enemies got an upgrade - what about you? Well he's got a whole new roster of moves too, making each fight an intense lesson in pattern recognition and countermoves. It's certainly not the most realistic rendition of the sport, but in terms of sheer enjoyment, you can't do much better.
