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The Strategy Section: TKO Mr. Dream in Round 1

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Written by RedTom (tomspunchout@freenet.de)

Attention 8-bit Nintendo community!!!

It is possible to TKO the final opponent in Punch-Out!! (NES) in the 1st Round. Yes, it`s true.
Read about how I did it:

Note: This strategy covers the final opponent of Punch-Out!! Mr. Dream. Meanwhile it is proven to work on Mike Tyson also !

To TKO Mr. Dream in Round 1 you need more than that simple "dodge and counter punch". Timing is the ultimate key to success.

PHASE 1:

For the first 1:30 Dream does his gravedigger punches. You should know already that you have to counter them with the proper hand. That means when he punches with his right glove Mac should dodge left then counter punch with his left twice to the head, when Dream punches with his left, than dodge left and answer with to right face counters.

But here the tricky thing begins:
You have to be very quick with your first counter punch after you have dodged!!! That means that you have to press UP when Mac is dodging to speed up Mac`s ability to directly counter punch. After you have landed your first counter you have to wait a little bit before you land the second counter punch, but continue to hold the UP direction on your pad! "Wait a little" means wait to the very last moment that Dream accepts a second counter punch. When you wait too long, he will block your second counter punch. Then you know that you have waited an idea of a second too long. But it is very important to wait with your second counter (after the very quick first one) to the maximum because this does a lot (well, a little bit, but you need that) more damage to Mr. Dream. Unfortunately sometimes Dream waits very long between two gravedigger attacks. When he waits that long you have got no chance to TKO him in Round 1!! But I have discovered this long waiting does appear less often when you do the wait-to-the-max routine. You should deliver every second counter extremely late but it seems to be not that bad when Dream blocks one ore two of your second counters unless he immediately continues with his gravediggers and does not wait very long. So this is PHASE 1 as I call it. You should be able to knock down Mr. Dream with this routine for the first time at 1:06 (well, that is my absolute best time!). But when I have TKOed Dream in Round 1 I had him down for the first time at 1:16. You should have got 1220 or 1240 points when you send him down.

Phase 1 is difficult because you really always should counter him after the first quick one in the very last moment to gain maximum damage and you depend on Dream that he punches always quick and does not wait between two attacks.

Now PHASE 2:

When he gets up you should land another three (!!) counter attacks with the Phase 1 routine on him after he changes to his less powerful eyebrow indicated punches. Also answer them with the proper hand (same as above). Now it is most important to wait with your counter punch to the maximum because there is a very big difference: When you wait extremely long with the counter punch, Dream will block it (very bad!! Not recommended!), when you counter to early then you will be able to give him two counters (seems to be good but ineffective! A quick first one and a delayed second one routine is also ineffective as it produces not more damage than two quick ones!!), so you have to wait with your counter punch that long that he does not block it. When you got the right moment you will give him one (and only one!!) face jab that is a little bit different from the normal counter punches and produce more damage. It is a very powerful routine but extremely difficult to handle as the proper moment is so short. But when you want to TKO Dream in Round 1 you have to master this one-power-punch-counter routine at least four times! The other counter attacks should be normal one-two counter punches (it is more recommended to hit him an idea to early than a little bit of a second too late as he will then block and you have effected no damage but lost time!). So you should be able to knock him down for the second time at 2:05!!! I know that this is REALLY hard. Most tries send him down at 2:17 or 2:20 (often achieved with the one-two counters, but no chance to TKO him!). So try hard to get this PHASE 2 routine working.

PHASE 3:

Well, to be honest, I was very nervous when I had sent Mr. Dream down at 2:05. I was that nervous that I just thought to myself: "Forget about that (very difficult) PHASE 2 routine now, you have got almost one minute left! Concentrate on his eyebrows and do those old-fashioned one-two counter punches!"

I did it! I TKOed Dream at 2:53 Round 1. I am convinced that by continuing PHASE 2 routine it is possible to make it even quicker but it is so dangerous (when you are too late, he blocks and you loose time).
 

So what is important:

After PHASE 1 Dream should never block your attack, you loose to much time
PHASE 2 is the most important key to success. You have got to learn the power one counter punch.
No hit from opponent, for sure (should be known)
Quick first counter and very delayed second counter in PHASE 1.

December, 24^th 2001, 23.30 UMT
Updated May, 2002
Updated August, 7th 2003