An Early Version of the NES Classic Punch-Out!! Has Been Discovered

A prototype version of what would eventually become Nintendo’s 1987 classic, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, has been auctioned off, and the ROM is now available online for everyone to explore. To clarify, this isn’t the Japanese-exclusive “Gold Version” of Punch-Out!! without Mike Tyson, nor is it the 1990 U.S. release that swapped Tyson for Mr. Dream. This is a true prototype of the English version from 1987, minus the iconic boxer.

The auction concluded on March 27, 2026, with the prototype fetching an impressive $45,000. Collectors were initially skeptical about the listing, as the board shown in the auction photos didn’t align with other known NES prototype boards from that time. Additionally, the artwork on the cartridge resembled that of a retail NES game, which is unusual since most prototype carts typically feature generic placeholders.

However, as highlighted by the Video Game History Foundation in their coverage, the existence of this prototype isn’t as surprising as it may seem. The Gold Version of Punch-Out!!, featuring Super Macho Man as the final boss, was given to winners of Nintendo’s Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course tournament just a month before Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! hit the market. Nintendo had actually announced Punch-Out!! for the NES at the 1987 Winter Consumer Electronics Show in January of that year.

Fortunately, we don’t have to guess about what the prototype contains, as the buyer kindly shared its ROM with the community, uploading it to The Cutting Room Floor. According to TCRF, there are numerous intriguing differences between this prototype and the final game. For example, the opening credits mention two fighters named Rockyhead and Mongol Khan, who don’t appear in any other titles in the series. Additionally, the credits refer to the character who would later be known as Soda Popinski in the NES version by his original name from the 1984 arcade game Super Punch-Out!!, Vodka Drunkenski.

The prototype also includes some interesting debug options. One of the most notable allows players to control unfinished opponents and cycle through their movesets, leading to a variety of quirky visual glitches since many of these characters are incomplete.

Overall, this prototype offers a captivating glimpse into one of Nintendo’s most beloved NES games and serves as a reminder of what the game’s cover art might have looked like if Nintendo of America’s president, Minoru Arakawa, hadn’t witnessed Mike Tyson’s impressive performance during the 1986 Heavyweight World Series.