Like Riding a Bicycle

Did you ever notice how playing NES is just like riding a bicycle?? It seems that no matter how long I go without playing my NES (though it's never very long) I am still very good at most of the games. There have been times where I have gone months without playing a certain game and come back to tear through it like it's nobody's business. One example of this is Castlevania, a game which I consider myself to be among the best players around (but I will write more on that at a later date). Another game is Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

This game is among my top games ever and I can brag of a very good accomplishment. I have, not once but twice, beaten this game without getting hit by a single opponent. The very first time can be read about on the NES Temple site under "Tales of Greatness." The second time came quite unexpectedly. I had let a friend of mine borrow the game and did not get it back for 7 months. The reason I let him borrow the game was because I had not played it in months anyway. So when I finally got the game back, it had been probably roughly 9 months since I had last played. I picked it up while talking on the phone and proceeded to play with the phone balanced between my ear and shoulder.

After a while, I realized I had not gotten hit and my excitement began to build. The first two circuits are not difficult, but to get through them flawlessly is still a good sign. After I had disposed of second Bald Bull I knew something bid was happening, and my excitement began to grow even more. Second Don Flaminco soon fell with no offense and I began to get nervous. This is the stage of the game where you must begin to take it very seriously. Though I was excited, I continued to talk on the phone as my #1 contender's bout with Sandman began. For only the third time in my life, I disposed of Sandman without being hit and I knew this thing really may happen.

My title bout with Macho Man was hardly memorable. If not taken seriously, he can get in a cheap punch and end my hopes of a perfect game, but alas I knew my foe too well and disposed of him with no problem. At this point, my excitement finally go the better of me. I suddenly yelled into my phone, "I'll call you back" and quickly hung up.

My bout with Tyson was about to begin and I was ready to once again make history. The first 1:30 passed without me getting hit by a knockout blow and I had gotten some solid jabs in on Tyson. I knocked him down in the first round and entered the second ready for victory. By this point my body was shaking with excitement. I knew I had to TKO Tyson in the second round because he is unpredictable in the third round and I would be unlikely to avoid every third round punch. Fortunately for me, Little Mac was up to the challenge. His feet were swift and his punches solid and before the bell rang to end the second round, I had TKO's Mike Tyson flawlessly. I threw the control on the ground and jumped up in celebration. I was once again the king of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

If you are interested in seeing a video of the first time I did this, back in January of 2000, check out my Youtube video.