Piston Hondo
Encyclopedia
, originally known as in the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Punch-Out!! video game, is a Japanese
boxer from Tokyo
, Japan
. He was originally designed by Makoto Wada for the NES Punch-Out!!, and then later by Eddie Viser in the Wii
Punch-Out!!
. He is portrayed by Kenji Takahashi in the latter game. He has been noted as being similar to Piston Hurricane, with IGN
describing him as the NES version's answer to him. He is depicted as a traditional Japanese person, and features several stereotypes of Japanese people, including a high sense of honour and an affinity for sushi
. In the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, his name was changed from Honda to Hondo by Nintendo. This was as part of a preventive measure because there is a car company named Honda
. While Kotaku
editor Michael McWhertor stated that this was wise, GameSpy
editor felt it unnecessary because Honda is a common Japanese name.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, Piston Hondo has received positive reception. He has been included as part of multiple pieces of merchandise, including Topps
trading cards and action figure
s. PC World
listed him as one of the familiar characters in the Punch-Out!! series, while IGN
listed him as one of the top fighters in the series. One of the producers of the Wii Punch-Out!! chose him as his favourite character. However, he has been noted as a racial stereotype of Japanese people. Sumantra Lahiri of The Escapist
commented that while stereotypes such as referencing sushi and kamikaze felt nostalgic, these stereotypes have aged poorly since the 1980s. GamesRadar
editor Brett Elston cited several things, including his skills with blocking a sword with his bare hands, eating nothing but sushi, and bowing frequently. Though he added that Punch-Out!! was developed in Japan, and the Japanese are notorious for laughing off stereotypes.
boxer from Tokyo
, Japan
. He was originally designed by Makoto Wada in the NES
Punch-Out!!, where he was known as Piston Honda. He was later designed by Eddie Viser in the Wii
Punch-Out!!
. In the Wii Punch-Out!!, he was voiced by Kenji Takahashi. To date, he has only appeared in these two games. He has several Japanese stereotypes, including a high sense of honour and an affinity for sushi
. Honda has similar fighting styles to Piston Hurricane, who appeared in the original arcade version. Piston appears again in the Wii remake, though his surname was changed to Hondo. When asked by GamesRadar
the reason for this name change, editor Brett Elston commented that their response indicated that car company Honda
may have factored into the alteration, though noting that it was a preventative measure and not a response from Honda.
trading cards and action figures. He has been described as a notable character to the series by media outlets including the Official Nintendo Magazine and the New York Daily News
. One of the producers of Punch-Out!!
for the Wii
chose Piston Hondo as his favourite character in the game. IGN
editor Jesse Schedeen listed him as one of Punch-Out!!s top fighters. In the article, he calls him Japan's "resident superstar boxer". He adds that while Hondo was the answer to Piston Hurricane for the NES version, he doesn't see much resemblance outside of the fighting style. Bit Mob editor Andrew Fitch commented that as a child, he viewed Piston Hondo as being "seemingly invincible." In discussing the improvements to the character design in the Wii Punch-Out!!, citing how he would "bow bow and utter trite Japanese while you fight." MeriStation commented that Hondo was not a dangerous opponent. GameDaily
listed him as one of the greatest Japanese patriots in video games, stating that he is one of the series' "most determined combatants."
In discussing the visual presentation of Punch-Out!!, Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod cited how sushi would float around his head when he becomes dizzy as one of the things that gave Punch-Out!! for The Wii its graphical charm. PC Magazine
editor Daniel S. Evans stated that while the game is much smoother, it retains much of the old school flavour, citing Piston Hondo's eyebrow movements as an example. In response to Nintendo changing his name from Piston Honda to Piston Hondo, GameSpy
editor Ryan Scott commented that someone should tell Nintendo that Honda is a common family name in Japan. Kotaku
editor Michael McWhertor, however, commented that this was the wisest thing to do. Humour web site The Onion
wrote an article about a series of interviews with Mike Tyson
and other Punch-Out!! characters. The author suggests that a part of this documentary included a clip of Mike Tyson landing a knockout blow on Hondo's "Bonzai Attack." In a humour article, ESPN
created several parodies of Punch-Out!! characters based on real-life "punch-worthy palookas", including one of Piston Hondo called "Piston Hank".
, the ability to intercept swords with one's bare hands, and always bowing to one's opponent. He added that the game came from Japan, a country notorious for laughing off stereotypes. However, in the Canadian
-developed Punch-Out!! for Wii, Elston states that Hondo engages in several "wink-wink-poke-poke Japanese moments", citing the appearance of byobu
screens in his corner of the ring and him having sushi fly around his head when he becomes dizzy. Kotaku editor Michael McWhertor stated that the characters of Punch-Out!! border on the edge of stereotype, and that it was great. He added that the Wii version improved upon this, citing how sushi floats around Piston Hondo's head. Bit Mob editor Brian Shirk commented that some of Hondo's phrases were offensive.
In commenting on the 2009 Wii remake, Sumantra Lahiri of The Escapist
pointed out the stereotypes exhibited by Piston (such as randomly referencing sushi or kamikaze between matches); and suggested that while it did hold some nostalgic value, what seemed harmless in the 1980s version did not age well when early 21st century attitudes towards cultural and racial sensitivity were taken into account.
IGN editor Mark Bozon discussed the various "nuggets of personality" that characters have in the series, specifically mentioning Piston Hondo as a borderline racist, citing his lines "I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo" and "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi". The Guardian
stated that the genius of Punch-Out!! lies in its "shamelessly politically incorrect
" characters, citing Piston Hondo as one of these characters. He made reference to the line "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi" in demonstrating Hondo's political incorrectness.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
Punch-Out!! video game, is a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
boxer from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was originally designed by Makoto Wada for the NES Punch-Out!!, and then later by Eddie Viser 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...
. He is portrayed by Kenji Takahashi in the latter game. He has been noted as being similar to Piston Hurricane, with 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...
describing him as the NES version's answer to him. He is depicted as a traditional Japanese person, and features several stereotypes of Japanese people, including a high sense of honour and an affinity for sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
. In the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, his name was changed from Honda to Hondo by Nintendo. This was as part of a preventive measure because there is a car company named Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
. While Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
editor Michael McWhertor stated that this was wise, GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
editor felt it unnecessary because Honda is a common Japanese name.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, Piston Hondo has received positive reception. He has been included as part of multiple pieces of merchandise, including 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 action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s. PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
listed him as one of the familiar characters in the Punch-Out!! series, while 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...
listed him as one of the top fighters in the series. One of the producers of the Wii Punch-Out!! chose him as his favourite character. However, he has been noted as a racial stereotype of Japanese people. Sumantra Lahiri of The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
commented that while stereotypes such as referencing sushi and kamikaze felt nostalgic, these stereotypes have aged poorly since the 1980s. 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 cited several things, including his skills with blocking a sword with his bare hands, eating nothing but sushi, and bowing frequently. Though he added that Punch-Out!! was developed in Japan, and the Japanese are notorious for laughing off stereotypes.
Concept and appearances
Piston Hondo is a JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
boxer from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was originally designed by Makoto Wada 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!!, where he was known as Piston Honda. He was later designed by Eddie Viser 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...
. In the Wii Punch-Out!!, he was voiced by Kenji Takahashi. To date, he has only appeared in these two games. He has several Japanese stereotypes, including a high sense of honour and an affinity for sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
. Honda has similar fighting styles to Piston Hurricane, who appeared in the original arcade version. Piston appears again in the Wii remake, though his surname was changed to Hondo. When asked by 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...
the reason for this name change, editor Brett Elston commented that their response indicated that car company Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
may have factored into the alteration, though noting that it was a preventative measure and not a response from Honda.
Reception
Since appearing in Punch-Out!!, Piston Hondo has received mostly positive reception. He has been featured as part of merchandise by Nintendo, including being a part of a series of ToppsTopps
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 action figures. He has been described as a notable character to the series by media outlets including the Official Nintendo Magazine and the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
. One of the producers of 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...
chose Piston Hondo as his favourite character in the game. 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...
editor Jesse Schedeen listed him as one of Punch-Out!!s top fighters. In the article, he calls him Japan's "resident superstar boxer". He adds that while Hondo was the answer to Piston Hurricane for the NES version, he doesn't see much resemblance outside of the fighting style. Bit Mob editor Andrew Fitch commented that as a child, he viewed Piston Hondo as being "seemingly invincible." In discussing the improvements to the character design in the Wii Punch-Out!!, citing how he would "bow bow and utter trite Japanese while you fight." MeriStation commented that Hondo was not a dangerous opponent. 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 him as one of the greatest Japanese patriots in video games, stating that he is one of the series' "most determined combatants."
In discussing the visual presentation of Punch-Out!!, Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod cited how sushi would float around his head when he becomes dizzy as one of the things that gave Punch-Out!! for The Wii its graphical charm. PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
editor Daniel S. Evans stated that while the game is much smoother, it retains much of the old school flavour, citing Piston Hondo's eyebrow movements as an example. In response to Nintendo changing his name from Piston Honda to Piston Hondo, GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
editor Ryan Scott commented that someone should tell Nintendo that Honda is a common family name in Japan. Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
editor Michael McWhertor, however, commented that this was the wisest thing to do. Humour web site The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
wrote an article about a series of interviews with Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
and other Punch-Out!! characters. The author suggests that a part of this documentary included a clip of Mike Tyson landing a knockout blow on Hondo's "Bonzai Attack." In a humour article, 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....
created several parodies of Punch-Out!! characters based on real-life "punch-worthy palookas", including one of Piston Hondo called "Piston Hank".
Racial stereotyping
Piston Hondo has been viewed as a racial stereotype of Japanese people. In discussing stereotyping in the Punch-Out!! series, GamesRadar editor Brett Elston commented that Piston Hondo utilizes several Japanese stereotypes, including a love for sushiSushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
, the ability to intercept swords with one's bare hands, and always bowing to one's opponent. He added that the game came from Japan, a country notorious for laughing off stereotypes. However, in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-developed Punch-Out!! for Wii, Elston states that Hondo engages in several "wink-wink-poke-poke Japanese moments", citing the appearance of byobu
Byobu
are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels bearing decorative painting and calligraphy, used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses.- History :...
screens in his corner of the ring and him having sushi fly around his head when he becomes dizzy. Kotaku editor Michael McWhertor stated that the characters of Punch-Out!! border on the edge of stereotype, and that it was great. He added that the Wii version improved upon this, citing how sushi floats around Piston Hondo's head. Bit Mob editor Brian Shirk commented that some of Hondo's phrases were offensive.
In commenting on the 2009 Wii remake, Sumantra Lahiri of The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
pointed out the stereotypes exhibited by Piston (such as randomly referencing sushi or kamikaze between matches); and suggested that while it did hold some nostalgic value, what seemed harmless in the 1980s version did not age well when early 21st century attitudes towards cultural and racial sensitivity were taken into account.
IGN editor Mark Bozon discussed the various "nuggets of personality" that characters have in the series, specifically mentioning Piston Hondo as a borderline racist, citing his lines "I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo" and "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
stated that the genius of Punch-Out!! lies in its "shamelessly politically incorrect
Politically incorrect
The phrase "politically incorrect" may refer to:* Someone or something which does not meet a standard of political correctness* Politically Incorrect, a late-night U.S. political talk show* Politically Incorrect, a German political blog...
" characters, citing Piston Hondo as one of these characters. He made reference to the line "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi" in demonstrating Hondo's political incorrectness.