Bald Bull
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character in the Punch-Out!!
series. He was originally designed by Shigeru Miyamoto
for the arcade game Punch-Out!!, and was designed by Makoto Wada and Eddie Viser for the NES
Punch-Out!! and Wii
Punch-Out!!
respectively. In the latter game, he is voiced by Erse Yagan. To date, he and Little Mac, a fellow boxer in the series, have appeared in more games in the series than any other character has, including an appearance in the arcade game Arm Wrestling, where he is disguised as a character called "Mask X". He is well-known for his Bull Charge, an attack that can instantly knock out anyone it hits; conversely, it also knocks him out if he is hit while doing the attack. This is accomplished by observing a camera flash, which occurs when it is time to punch him. This trick was only known to Wada, until he revealed it in an interview.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!!, Bald Bull has been considered a notable character in the series, included in a series of Topps
trading cards and a series of Punch-Out!! figurines. He has been described as a ""monster built of power power", as well as a "veteran of the series". Freelance writer Scott Jones cites Bald Bull as a reason for his nervousness while playing Punch-Out!! for the NES when he was young, stating that it made his hands shake. He has been described as a stereotype of Turkish people
by several people, including members of the Retronauts podcast.
for the arcade Punch-Out!!, while his later designs were created by Makoto Wada and Eddie Viser. Bald Bull is a Turkish
boxer from Istanbul
, and as his name implies, he is bald. He is known for his signature attack, the "bull charge", which cannot be blocked and will instantly knockdown anyone with whom he hits with it. However, if he is hit in the stomach at the right moment, it will instantly knock him down. Wada revealed in an interview that, in the NES
Punch-Out!!, the right time to punch is indicated by a camera flash in the audience, a fact that at the time had been unknown since its release 22 years ago, even to other developers of the game. While he originally spoke fluent English, the Wii Punch-Out!! had him speak only in Turkish
. As revealed in the NES Punch-Out!!, Bald Bull appears to have some level of animosity with Little Mac's trainer, Doc Louis, often chiding Doc. Bald Bull has a large temper, reflected in his attacks.
Bald Bull first appeared in the arcade game Punch-Out!! as one of the boxers. Since this appearance, he would appear in Punch-Out!! for the NES
, Super Punch-Out!!
for the Super NES, and Punch-Out!!
for the Wii
. The NES version received a rare gold catridge, only in Japan, featuring Bald Bull on the cover. He can also be found on the cover of several other games in the series, including the original Punch-Out!! for the arcades alongside Glass Joe
and Mr. Sandman
and the Super NES Super Punch-Out!! alongside Super Macho Man
and Mr. Sandman. He also made a cameo appearance in the spin-off Arm Wrestling
, under the nickname "Mask X"; when he is defeated, his mask falls off, and the game says "Wow!! Bald Bull!!". To date, he and Little Mac have appeared more than any other character in the series, with a total of five appearances in the Punch-Out!! series. The only game he has not appeared in in the series is Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade.
series. He has appeared in promotional items, including a series of figurines and a series of Topps
trading cards. A statue of Bald Bull constructed with Lego
blocks was offered as a door prize at the Child's Play
charity, along with Mega Man
and Sonic the Hedgehog
statues. ESPN
editor Jon Robinson, in an interview with Senior Product Specialist Nate Williams, commented that he was "always a big Bald Bull fan," asking if he would return in the Wii
Punch-Out!!
. GameDaily
listed Bald Bull as the fifth best baldy in video games. In an article on the evolution of the Punch-Out!! series, GameDaily praised the graphics, citing Bald Bull's surprised expression when punched as an example of its "simple yet humorous" graphics. IGN
included him in their list of the top fighters they want to see in the Wii Punch-Out!!, describing him as a "true veteran of the series". GamePro
editors Patrick Shaw and Dave Rudden chose him as one of the four boxers that they most want to return, due to his high number of appearances in the series. UGO.com editors Russell Frushtick and C. Radtke stated "there have been damn good boxing games from EA recently, but nothing comes close to the thrill of knocking out Bald Bull for the first time." In a humour article, ESPN created several parodies of Punch-Out!! characters based on real-life "punch-worthy palookas", including one of Bald Bull called "Bald Bullmarket," referencing economic analyst Jim Cramer. Allgames editor Skyler Miller commented that while humorous in Super Punch-Out!!
, Bald Bull is not quite "out there" compared to the boxers in the NES Punch-Out!!.
Bald Bull is cited as being a difficult boss in Punch-Out!!. Freelance writer Scott Jones commented that playing Punch-Out!! made him nervous, citing how Bald Bull's laugh after Little Mac loses made his hands shake. GamePro
editor Will Herring described Bald Bull as a "monster built of power power". Destructoid
editor Matthew Razak commented that the reveal of Bald Bull's weakness could have come sooner, cursing Makoto Wada as well as demanding that he owes him "two new controllers and a ton of band-aid
s." Worth Playing editor Brian Dumlow described the second encounter with Bald Bull in the NES Punch-Out!! as being cringe-worthy, due to players getting "hammered". Game Informer
used Bald Bull as an example of a boxer from Punch-Out!! who requires "paced pugilism". Operation Sports editor Matt Gagnon commented that Bald Bull in Punch-Out!! for the Wii was still a challenging opponent. Fellow Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod commented that "as intimidating as Bull looks in 480p, he really is no more difficult than his previous incarnations from the NES and SNES versions of the series." GamesRadar
editor Brett Elston suggested that the difficulty of Bald Bull was high enough to make people "swear you’re going to break the controller in half, smash the disc and throw the Wii into the deepest volcano on Earth." GamePro Germany
commented that Bald Bull was a "true heavyweight," and that his Bull Charge is "feared."
Punch-Out!!
is a 1983–1984 boxing arcade game by Nintendo. It was the first in a series of successful Punch-Out!! games that produced an arcade sequel known as Super Punch-Out!!, a spin-off of the series titled Arm Wrestling, a highly popular version for the NES originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,...
series. He was originally designed by Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
for the arcade game Punch-Out!!, and was designed by Makoto Wada and Eddie Viser for the NES
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
Punch-Out!! and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
respectively. In the latter game, he is voiced by Erse Yagan. To date, he and Little Mac, a fellow boxer in the series, have appeared in more games in the series than any other character has, including an appearance in the arcade game Arm Wrestling, where he is disguised as a character called "Mask X". He is well-known for his Bull Charge, an attack that can instantly knock out anyone it hits; conversely, it also knocks him out if he is hit while doing the attack. This is accomplished by observing a camera flash, which occurs when it is time to punch him. This trick was only known to Wada, until he revealed it in an interview.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!!, Bald Bull has been considered a notable character in the series, included in a series of Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
trading cards and a series of Punch-Out!! figurines. He has been described as a ""monster built of power power", as well as a "veteran of the series". Freelance writer Scott Jones cites Bald Bull as a reason for his nervousness while playing Punch-Out!! for the NES when he was young, stating that it made his hands shake. He has been described as a stereotype of Turkish people
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
by several people, including members of the Retronauts podcast.
Concept and characteristics
Bald Bull has had several different designers over the years; his original design was created by Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
for the arcade Punch-Out!!, while his later designs were created by Makoto Wada and Eddie Viser. Bald Bull is a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
boxer from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and as his name implies, he is bald. He is known for his signature attack, the "bull charge", which cannot be blocked and will instantly knockdown anyone with whom he hits with it. However, if he is hit in the stomach at the right moment, it will instantly knock him down. Wada revealed in an interview that, in the NES
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
Punch-Out!!, the right time to punch is indicated by a camera flash in the audience, a fact that at the time had been unknown since its release 22 years ago, even to other developers of the game. While he originally spoke fluent English, the Wii Punch-Out!! had him speak only in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. As revealed in the NES Punch-Out!!, Bald Bull appears to have some level of animosity with Little Mac's trainer, Doc Louis, often chiding Doc. Bald Bull has a large temper, reflected in his attacks.
Appearances
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
, Super Punch-Out!!
Super Punch-Out!!
is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It is a boxing game with the same gameplay and digitized speech of its arcade precursor, Punch-Out!!. This second game in the Punch-Out!! series introduced recurring video games characters such as Bear Hugger, Dragon Chan, Vodka Drunkenski, Great Tiger and Super...
for the Super NES, and Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. The NES version received a rare gold catridge, only in Japan, featuring Bald Bull on the cover. He can also be found on the cover of several other games in the series, including the original Punch-Out!! for the arcades alongside Glass Joe
Glass Joe
is a fictional boxer from Nintendo's video game series Punch-Out!! He first appeared in the arcade game Punch-Out!! in 1984, and three years later made his home console debut with the Nintendo Entertainment System game of the same name. His most recent appearance was in Punch-Out!! for the Wii...
and Mr. Sandman
Mr. Sandman (Punch-Out!!)
is a fictional character in the Punch-Out!! video game series. He is an African American boxer hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. He was first created by Shigeru Miyamoto in the Punch-Out!! game for the arcades, and then by Makoto Wada in the Nintendo Entertainment System...
and the Super NES Super Punch-Out!! alongside Super Macho Man
Super Macho Man
is a fictional character in the Nintendo-produced Punch-Out!! series of video games. He is an American boxer, hailing from Hollywood, California. He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcades, and again in Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System , Super Punch-Out!! for the Super...
and Mr. Sandman. He also made a cameo appearance in the spin-off Arm Wrestling
Arm Wrestling
Arm Wrestling is a 1985 arcade game developed and released only in North America by Nintendo and a spin-off of the Punch-Out!! series. Since it was created by the same development team that made the Punch-Out!! series, Arm Wrestling features many of the same features such as a dual-monitor system...
, under the nickname "Mask X"; when he is defeated, his mask falls off, and the game says "Wow!! Bald Bull!!". To date, he and Little Mac have appeared more than any other character in the series, with a total of five appearances in the Punch-Out!! series. The only game he has not appeared in in the series is Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade.
Reception
Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the arcades, Bald Bull has received positive reception, and has been cited as a notable character to the Punch-Out!!Punch-Out!!
is a 1983–1984 boxing arcade game by Nintendo. It was the first in a series of successful Punch-Out!! games that produced an arcade sequel known as Super Punch-Out!!, a spin-off of the series titled Arm Wrestling, a highly popular version for the NES originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,...
series. He has appeared in promotional items, including a series of figurines and a series of Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
trading cards. A statue of Bald Bull constructed with Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
blocks was offered as a door prize at the Child's Play
Child's Play (charity)
Child's Play is a charitable organization founded by the authors of the popular computer and video games-based webcomic Penny Arcade that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins founded Child's Play in 2003 to improve the lives of sick children by...
charity, along with Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
and Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
statues. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
editor Jon Robinson, in an interview with Senior Product Specialist Nate Williams, commented that he was "always a big Bald Bull fan," asking if he would return in the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed Bald Bull as the fifth best baldy in video games. In an article on the evolution of the Punch-Out!! series, GameDaily praised the graphics, citing Bald Bull's surprised expression when punched as an example of its "simple yet humorous" graphics. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
included him in their list of the top fighters they want to see in the Wii Punch-Out!!, describing him as a "true veteran of the series". GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
editors Patrick Shaw and Dave Rudden chose him as one of the four boxers that they most want to return, due to his high number of appearances in the series. UGO.com editors Russell Frushtick and C. Radtke stated "there have been damn good boxing games from EA recently, but nothing comes close to the thrill of knocking out Bald Bull for the first time." In a humour article, ESPN created several parodies of Punch-Out!! characters based on real-life "punch-worthy palookas", including one of Bald Bull called "Bald Bullmarket," referencing economic analyst Jim Cramer. Allgames editor Skyler Miller commented that while humorous in Super Punch-Out!!
Super Punch-Out!!
is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It is a boxing game with the same gameplay and digitized speech of its arcade precursor, Punch-Out!!. This second game in the Punch-Out!! series introduced recurring video games characters such as Bear Hugger, Dragon Chan, Vodka Drunkenski, Great Tiger and Super...
, Bald Bull is not quite "out there" compared to the boxers in the NES Punch-Out!!.
Bald Bull is cited as being a difficult boss in Punch-Out!!. Freelance writer Scott Jones commented that playing Punch-Out!! made him nervous, citing how Bald Bull's laugh after Little Mac loses made his hands shake. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
editor Will Herring described Bald Bull as a "monster built of power power". Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
editor Matthew Razak commented that the reveal of Bald Bull's weakness could have come sooner, cursing Makoto Wada as well as demanding that he owes him "two new controllers and a ton of band-aid
Band-Aid
Band-Aid is a brand name for Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become a genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States....
s." Worth Playing editor Brian Dumlow described the second encounter with Bald Bull in the NES Punch-Out!! as being cringe-worthy, due to players getting "hammered". Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
used Bald Bull as an example of a boxer from Punch-Out!! who requires "paced pugilism". Operation Sports editor Matt Gagnon commented that Bald Bull in Punch-Out!! for the Wii was still a challenging opponent. Fellow Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod commented that "as intimidating as Bull looks in 480p, he really is no more difficult than his previous incarnations from the NES and SNES versions of the series." GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
editor Brett Elston suggested that the difficulty of Bald Bull was high enough to make people "swear you’re going to break the controller in half, smash the disc and throw the Wii into the deepest volcano on Earth." GamePro Germany
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
commented that Bald Bull was a "true heavyweight," and that his Bull Charge is "feared."