Great Job, Internet!: An uncovered prototype reveals early version of Nintendo's Punch-Out

Frank Cifaldi, founder and director of the VGHF, explores the differences found in the prototype in the video. He also explains why this is a notable find; it’s rare to come across in-development records like this, and practically unheard of for one of Nintendo’s first-party NES games. As one of the few Nintendo games of the 1980s made primarily with the American market in mind, Punch-Out was always a rarity, and now video game historians can get a better understanding of how Nintendo’s development processes worked at the time through this prototype.

Another cool thing in this video: Cifaldi shares a Nintendo ad that features early box art mock-ups for Punch-Out and the original Legend of Zelda in Nintendo’s mid ’80s black box house style. The company ditched that familiar design with Zelda, which launched in a classy golden box to match the color of its cartridge; when Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out came out later the same year, it obviously used a photo of Iron Mike himself on the box. The Video Game History Foundation routinely uncovers cool, weird stories and artifacts from gaming history just like this; you can find more at its website and official YouTube channel.