Arcade Longplay #36: Arm Wrestling

Arm Wrestling is a 1985 arcade game developed by Nintendo and released only in North America, and is 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 and quirky computer opponents. It was the last arcade game Nintendo independently developed and released before switching over to third-party arcade developers. The arcade game's announcer uses some voice samples of Han (Shih Kien) from the 1973 film Enter the Dragon, as well as original ones.
The goal of the game is to become the World Arm Wrestling Champion by defeating as many opponents in arm wrestling as possible. In order to achieve this title the player must compete against five different computer opponents and pin them in a timed match. The opponents are:
Texas Mac, a stereotypical Texan in a cowboy hat
Kabuki, a Japanese sumo wrestler
Mask X, actually Bald Bull from Punch-Out!!
Alice & Ape III, a little girl controlling a monkey robot via remote
Frank Jr., an homage to Frankenstein's monster as popularized in the 1930s films
A match begins when the player taps left on the joystick. During the match the player must attack the computer character by pressing right on the joystick and tapping the button to increase the power of the attack. The game foreshadows a counterattack when computer character makes a strange face. In order to win a match the player must move the joystick back and forth and "surprise" the computer player before it has a chance to counterattack. After Kabuki is defeated, the player plays a bonus game which requires the player to catch a sack of money for extra points by pulling up on the joystick when the bag is near the protagonist's head. After the player defeats the fifth and final opponent the game begins again with increased difficulty.

[@angelsfoodcake9631]

Hoh Hikaho Pbbth Pbbth Pbbth Faffago faffago faffago hoola pbbth pbbth pbbth Faffago faffago faffago

[@PseudonymLoLoL]

Angelsfoodcake96 BOOP BOOP BOOP BOOP.

[@TheBlackPigeon]

W A I T

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Fun fact, David Mamet wrote the dialogue for this game.

[@kranbywashere9874]

TheGreyPigeon OHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@Ninetails2000]

BAA-B-BA-BA-BAAAAALED BULL!

[@snessi_land]

They didn't even TRY to hide it was Bald Bull. The image of Mask X is literally just an arcade photo of Bald Bull with a red mask, lol.

[@minecraftsteve1593]

Anyone who played the older games would know with that single image lol

[@bolt2056]

Except it looks like Wii bald bull

[@WXVA9]

Well, the character is literally just Bald Bull with a mask!

[@ericzh9984]

Pretty sure that was the joke lol

[@gloriarivera8415]

And they removed the gloves

[@IonicHyperspace]

BALL-BU-BALL-BU-BALD-BULL

[@lamelpizo2349]

YOU WIN WOAH YAHOO YAHOO

[@swandarudananjaya3058]

Ah Be!

[@SONICBOOM1889]

LMAO

[@missingtexture921]

*I am the way of life and death, no one comes to the father except me*

[@bonniethebunny4780]

KO

[@kinghippo9159]

Imagine if the opponents from this game appeared in some Punch-Out game

[@danerniedan442]

bald bull (mask x) does!!

[@jajajaun]

everytime king hippo does the rock eyebrow!

[@alexv3375]

That could be cool! *Alice and Ape III* would make for especially interesting opponents; with the robot doing the actual boxing, and Alice (who in my headcanon is from Amsterdam, the Netherlands) manually controlling him from just outside the ring. In particular, I could see her using modified Nintendo controllers to do so; an NES Advantage joystick in the Contender bout, and a Virtual Boy (with a more powerful *Ape IV* upgrade) in the Title Defence one. Likewise, I could see *Kabuki* working well as a power/defense-orientated contender (hailing from either Kyoto or Osaka, referencing the cities being the early hotbeds of modern sumo), who could be a boisterous and pragmatic counterpart to the more serious and fair-minded Piston Hondo. In particular, being resistant to body blows and willing to use techniques such as grapples, palm thrusts and ground-shaking stomps (that can stun you for short periods, ala Rick Bruiser) in his bouts.

[@alexv3375]

@Toaast Well, there was the NES Punch-Out (and if you _really_ want to be technical, the Captain N cartoon), where he spoke. :v

[@Ark...........]

I don't think most of them would work but I could see Texas Mac appearing in a punch out game with a name change.

[@PharoahsKingdom]

I never saw this in the arcade back in 85. Learn something new everyday.

[@filmmotiveprince8746]

4:27 Frank Jr really had a good start

[@mudkipdan]

RACK AND RAFF....RATAGO, RATAGO, RATAGO HESAHO HESAHO, HESAHO HESAHO Best. Video. game. voices. ever

[@HIDEFACES]

Im out of the loop. Why is this video getting views all of a sudden ? Is there a new Boxing game out or something ?

[@LovesickDemon]

Arms, probably

[@clairem.gagnier2944]

Bald bull is on the thumbnail

[@ProfessorHeavy1]

0:26 Kicks-ass Mac?

[@crazy_buffalo_balrog_02]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Stud-Horse, Kick-Ass Max!

[@Rutawind]

The facial expression are killing me lol

[@Sh1nrin_Yoku]

I remembered this game, and loved it too. Still can't get past bald bull. Thanks for sharing!

[@yannic3341]

0:03 wE hAve BeEN waITiNG FoR YOu

[@carranz4]

Some of these characters should make an appearance as an opponent or at least a cameo on a new Punch Out game

[@mikec3260]

What a great arcade game! Nice job!

[@ElephantMariotheRHDNhater3293]

What's interesting about _Arm Wrestling,_ is that, despite being made by Nintendo, it was never released in Japan, although I'm pretty sure Doc Louis still references it in the japanese version of the Wii game.

[@Jeffreyover-9000]

BAL-BA BAL-BA BALD BULL! *thud* You win! Whoa yahoo yahoo!

[@scottl.1568]

I haven't seen this in 35+ years 😮

[@Renne308]

CRACK-A DOME CRACK-A DOME CRACK-A DOME CRACK-A DOME

[@HumanPersonYes]

You win! :D *bitcrushed fart minigun*

[@DrumsVRDUS]

There is a 2022 arm wrestling game for PC called Arm Wrestling Reborn.

[@Ghostguy693]

"MACADON, MACADON, MACADON!"

[@danthesupplyman4113]

They really wanted to fit as many audio files into this game as possible

[@leroyvisiongames2294]

This was one of 3 arcade games not made for VS system hardware to use the NES APU for sound, and the game barely uses it. At least Punch-Out!! and Donkey Kong 3 had several short musical cues

[@zachsmith3903]

I wish more games featured characters from other games. It gives the host game more...character lol.

[@manueladelitta6497]

Boss list: Texas Mac Kabuki Mask X Alice & Ape III Frank Jr.

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

This would be a pain for Hamster to properly emulate. If they couldn't make a proper conversion of the original arcade port of Punch Out, then it's clearly not worth the trouble releasing this as an Arcade Archive.

[@drybones3657]

Texas Mac Kabuki Mask X/Bald Bull Alice & Ape III Frank Jr.

[@michaelstroman6759]

We have been waiting for you.

[@ibanezgrind]

got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go got-ta go

[@conntoons_4848]

It’s weird seeing Bald Bull here

[@jacobwright5469]

0:47 SUPER MACHO MAN

[@KoopaMedia64]

Just going by this video, I have absolutely no idea how this game is played

[@michaelstroman6759]

I'm a punch out fan maybe i should play this game...

[@john-sp8jk]

I wonder if this game is on the Nintendo switch arcade archives??🧐👍

[@DavidBurgessMechanicalMusic]

I checked, and it's not sadly.

[@rocketjumpmaster34]

Taxes mac remind of little mac father, I think

[@TheAzureNightmare]

Hu-wah, aah-aah! Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe!

[@SONICBOOM1889]

Kabuki looks like E. Honda.

[@chris0611]

What emulator do you use?

[@HIDEFACES]

It's been a while. Think i used mameui64 for th is one.

[@R-D-zw2zv]

Nice vid

[@benibodoke5959]

thanks!!! i couldnt defeat mask X, but with your advise i will!!!

[@HIDEFACES]

Good Luck! Play it at 0.5x speed for a better understanding of the tactics ;)

[@SammyTheOrange]

This machine makes some weird sounds man

[@ethanchannel153]

Who is Mask X?

[@Qulxotic]

FRANK JR WAS FRANKIN STEIN

[@KlonoaPrime]

Did Nintendo get Bonzi Buddy to voice this shit

[@independentquebec3500]

WILL WILL WILL WILL WILL WILL Will:what what WHAT

[@owlface5023]

Who chiga Who chiga Who chiga Who chiga MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO BALD BULL BALD BALD BULL **BALD BULL!!!!**

[@jonathanleepenleyjr.8850]

It's bald bull!!!!!!! 3:41

[@ducktail4068]

WACK A DOME WACK A DOME WACK A DOME....TTRRSSHH TRSH TRSH WUDU WACK A DOME A WACK A DOME....WUDU WUDU WACK A DOME WACK A DOME... YOU WIN. WOW, YAHOO YAHOO

[@supermetroid009]

Anybody else find this game Kind of creepy lol.

[@hamsterhuey3880]

BULBABULBA BALD BULL

[@esthergonzalez9887]

3:41👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉💖

[@nakamanga5412]

The punch out prequel

[@ΘανοςΠετρέλαιο]

"Alice & Ape III" These start to sound more like Stands than actual armwrestlers.

[@ArjunTheRageGuy]

Stands arm wrestling when?

[@HypercatZ]

Yare yare daze!

[@ThunderFist1978]

Alice looks like a normal kid in the portrait, but in the game window I always find myself thinking, “That’s the ugliest child I’ve ever seen.” And don’t get me started on the Woody Woodpecker on crack laugh.

[@iantaakalla8180]

And Ape III secretly uses a magnet to cheat so it makes it like a Stand battle

[@leroyvisiongames2294]

Nice to see female nerds being represented in such an old game though……… and in a positive manner, too!!

[@AllRightPinguinoRodriguez]

The sound fx in this game are glorious.

[@wille.2215]

All Right Pingüino Rodrigez B A L D B U L L

[@ryfyyt171]

How about when the player is laughing

[@saulgoodman4634]

We hah ben waeting for youe

[@TheAzureNightmare]

W A I T

[@acetrey8018]

"Fist bump. Fist bump. Nasty ho! Nasty ho! Nasty ho! Nasty ho!"

[@NebulaMXC]

CRACKAGOAT CRACKAGOAT CRACKAGOAT CRACKAGOAT

[@jeffcarroll1990shock]

Faster! Go Faster! Go Faster! Go Faster! Go

[@turbogeiserkaiser9385]

Fart noises.... Hahahahah

[@Idkwhatiam]

Rapadoe rapadoe rapdadoe rapadoe rapadoe rapadoe

[@tylerwicks4895]

METHODONE METHODONE METHODONE METHODONE

[@mikec62978]

HAHAHAHAH thats what I was hearing too @@tylerwicks4895

[@jbthmt]

3:40) Top Ten Face Reveals In Films

[@rageinternet9391]

BALD BULL IS REVEALED

[@TheFanatAB]

Bald Bull For punch out

[@neotheshadowwarrior4082]

@@TheFanatAB wh-

[@somerandomgameranimator4481]

@@TheFanatAB are you fucking stupid...

[@Blingmonkey123]

@@somerandomgameranimator4481 what are fucking stupid

[@CountryRoadist]

The noises in this game are insane. All the characters sound like they are pooing themselves.

[@HIDEFACES]

lmao, now i cant hear anything else

[@CountryRoadist]

Interesting game though. Do you know what the arcade cabinet was like? Was it a button basher? Or you had to waggle the joystick or something? Or did it have an actual arm you wrestled with?

[@HIDEFACES]

Sadly it was just your regular 8 ways stick and 2 buttons. Though there's another arm wrestling arcade game that has just that.

[@CosmicGecko]

As I recall, the joystick had no buttons, but had a 5th switch on it that was activated when you pull the stick upwards. That was how the player was to pull off Bald Bull's mask.

[@SONICBOOM1889]

LMAO 😂😂😂😂😂

[@esands36]

Is it me or does Kabuki look like E. Honda?

[@ShosuCeladon]

uh... not sure

[@FluffyGameplay]

More like E. Honda looks like Kabuki.

[@UninstalledGamer]

Engel78 Don‘t you mean A Honda?

[@bigsmyles1008]

@@UninstalledGamer it's E. Honda

[@artenitalewis1541]

He is E.hunda!

[@M.J44]

This is actually pretty fun-looking, aside from the auditory clusterfuck. Also, Mac's surprised laugh at the ENORMOUS bag of cash is the best.

[@crazy_buffalo_balrog_02]

44 Calibre Little Mac? More like Big Mac, Mac's father.

[@123TauruZ321]

That's not why he was laughing you dumb nut, it was because he went crazy because the bag hit him in the head.

[@yomama9390]

@@123TauruZ321 the one who threw the bag is the one laughing.

[@123TauruZ321]

@@yomama9390 No.

[@yomama9390]

@@123TauruZ321 extremely yes you dumbfuck

[@harrisonmoore3841]

1:26 The face kills me every time.

[@TheEmilyFravel]

:|)

[@rianmela3825]

He arm wrestled so many buff foes, and easily beat every single one, only to be crushed by a bag of cash.

[@aguythatexists8318]

I feel that Ape III would be an interesting pick for a new punch-out opponent

[@DaBOOMKid]

Arm Wrestling is one weird game to look at with all the characters except Mask X/Bald Bull

[@megamanbrplay8743]

Bald Bull from Mike Tyson's Punch Out

[@nancynungaray8084]

You mean the first punch out

[@ShiekyBaby69]

+Megamanbr play Technically Bald Bull was from the ARCADE game Punch Out that came out in 1984, the NES port with Tyson came out in 1987 and had a lot of differences from the original arcade game

[@dalspin7761]

3:42 Bald Bull is behind the mask!? Same universe as Punch-Out confirmed?

[@Nicius-]

Little Mac have a father.

[@kinghippo9159]

@@Nicius- That Green Little Mac can be his brother, called *Little Matt* (is not his official name, it was invented by me)

[@Nintentoni]

@@kinghippo9159 why did you go from speaking English to hippo grunts to speaking English again?

[@myflyisopen.8732]

This and Track and Field were the two most noisiest games in my local arcade in 1985. The abuse those two cabinets got was immense. Those were also the two most watched games.

[@kensi8188]

I am old enough to remember this in the arcade...a 'conversion kit' to punch-out, it had two monitors screens on top of one another. Not nearly as popular as punch-out, it left many arcade owners wishing they had not converted it.

[@mr.pavone9719]

I was 12 or so at the time this came out. There were a few teens who could play this forever on a single quarter. It was popular to watch but for the arcade owner it may have been a pain.

[@ph03n1xm9]

AHH!AHH!AH!UH! AHHANO!AHHANO!AHHANO! AHHANO! AHHANO! AHHANO! WEIT! WUDDO! WUDDO! WUDDO! WUDDO! WUDDO! *SPARK**SPARK* *SPARK**SPARK*

[@latexu95]

Oh god, those opponents' faces during the match are just the best, especially Kabuki and Mask X.🤣

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

Exactly

[@smiley1722]

mask x goes ÖöÖöÖ when you hit him

[@joe_youtube]

This is an auditory mess

[@SamtheBravesFan]

It's an entertaining auditory mess though. You won't forget it.

[@FoolishNobody]

*W A I T !*

[@fredricgreenblott283]

The clarity of the voice synthesis is amazing for the time. You can even hear the Japanese-English accent of the announcer at 3:49 - “Nao challenge: Arise and Ape Sree.”

[@AstralStriderZ]

Furanku Juniā !

[@leroyvisiongames2294]

You can also hear the announcer in Nintendo’s Wild Gunman has a Japanese accent-he says “FIYAH” when he yells “FIRE!!”. This is because in Wild Gunman, it’s actually a sample of a real person, and there’s a common misconception that it sounds this way due to digital compression (the NES actually had very good sampling capabilities, and audio only sounded scratchy due to most programmers being unfamiliar with a quirk in the hardware that caused data to be read differently, so most games had corrupted sound samples that sounded “rough”).

[@fredricgreenblott283]

@@leroyvisiongames2294 The NES’s 2A03 really did make for some fantastic PCM samples, and some… not-so-fantastic ones. xD

[@KHAOE1]

Sound effects sounds like 2 chickens f***ing

[@ThePhonequeen3]

That is literally one of the funniest KZbin comments I have ever seen in my life you magnificent bastard. I salute you!

[@M.J44]

4:00 screw you Alice, that's LOUD!

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

LMAO

[@Biscuit-Triscuit]

No one: Still no one: Not a freakin soul: Announcer: baldbul BAlDbuL BALDBULL

[@AdrianTheScoopz44]

Also why charlie(green hair)gotta look like that-

[@thelegendinhisownmind7038]

Yes, I obviously realize that Mask X is Bald Bull, but I am almost 100% certain he was the inspiration behind the boxer Masked Muscle from Super Punch Out (SNES, not arcade). I mean, c'mon he even cheats the same way complete with the random headbutt and all.

[@Ziontrainism]

Had this at my local bowling alley. LOVED this game!

[@HIDEFACES]

A quarter lasted most people a couple seconds with this cabinet haha. Who said Dark Souls is hard

[@gnarlymcgnarlson6952]

I've been a long time punchout player and never knew of this game. Mask X def drops head butts like Masked Muscle on SNES.

[@superpowergamers.p.g.8558]

Some Of The Characters That Appear In This Game Can Be Perfectly Used In A Punch Out Switch Game.

[@mikeax24]

I hope they add that bald bull guy to one he seems pretty cool

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

Frank Jr would be a nice addition for the Special Circuit!

[@TyX25]

Texas Mac for the Minor Circuit, Frank Jr and Ape III (controlled by Alice) for the Special Circuit

[@superpowergamers.p.g.8558]

@@TyX25 ¡Nice Idea!

[@ryqueezy6327]

@@mikeax24 yeah he is a really cool addition I heard he was added to the Wii version but I don’t know if that rumor is true.

[@Youtuber-xi6qo]

Bald Bull: they won’t notice me if I rename myself Mask X and wear a mask...

[@mariojudahsdad7333]

0:28 Texas Mac 0:54 Kabuki 3:08 Mask X 3:50 Alice and Ape 3 4:19 Frank JR.

[@vankhorne]

Clealry many assets of this game (sfx, characters, dodging system) were utilized to make Punch-Out.

[@terrycrewser4th]

Same engine is used but was released after both punch-out games. It was also the last arcade game Nintendo made themselves.

[@vankhorne]

@@terrycrewser4th Nice to know. Thanks.

[@MariovsCapcom]

1:41 what happened to his thumb

[@rhyth_twisted]

So Little Mac did arm wrestling?

[@brushrolla8379]

SuperRegg345 Maybe not little mac, but "challenger" from the arcade games.

[@crazy_buffalo_balrog_02]

No, Big Mac, Mac's father did. The guy looks like a grown man while mac is seventeen.

[@brushrolla8379]

Douglas McDade Is that his canon father? I know it is not little mac himself, but is the challenger called big mac and is his father?

[@douglaspantz]

Brush Rolla McDonald's copyrighted "Big Mac", So Sadly, No.

[@brushrolla8379]

Douglas Pantz Okay. So this is not, according to canon, Mac's father. I think he is the unrelated boxer from the arcade games. Little Mac was from the NES story with Doc Louis.

[@byebyebabyblue]

3:41 BALDA BALDA BALD BULL!! you win! (wow!) Yahooyahoo!

[@GamerScottYT]

Playing punchout!! On wii rn and doc said "if ya cant beat bald bull in boxing why not ask for a arm wrestling match!? Ha ha!" Thought it was agreat joke and came to this video to see him lmao

[@loopthedoop]

Bald Bull from punch out? :o

[@alejandroquiroz420]

yeah

[@HIDEFACES]

Yup lol

[@minecraftsteve1593]

Top 10 Anime Plot Twists

[@xbox_toastersystem1386]

0:27 and 5:38 Texas Mac 0:53 Kabuki 1:44 Bald Bull 3:49 Alice and Ape III 4:19 Frank. Jr

[@sissylonglegsd207]

THATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOATTHATSABOAT

[@tylerwicks4895]

CATCHACOLDCATCHACOLD CATCHACOLDCATCHACOLD

[@tilwon1818]

Oh shit!!!! It is!!!!

[@SONICBOOM1889]

AHU O AHU O AHU O AHU O AHU O AHU O AHU O AHU O

[@jackson2531]

RAPADOERAPADOERAPADOERAPADOE

[@TheAzureNightmare]

Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe! Frack-a-Doe!

[@MrHam6]

*_one time, doc said: hey mac baby! If you cant beat bald bull in a boxing match, how about an arm wrestle!_*

[@HenriqueBatata]

I love how Frank Jr. just stops his own fight

[@doubleas2380]

Love the channel, man. Keep it up! Subbed. Love watching all these old games played to completion. That stupid headbutt is so hard to dodge.

[@Shadoboy]

What if you wanted to go to heaven but God said WOH PLAPAGOAT PLAPAGOAT PLAPAGOAT PLAPAGOAT

[@FrenchFriesGamer398]

This game definitely has the most unique sound effects…

[@crazy_buffalo_balrog_02]

So this is what Little Mac's father has been doing all this time... what's his name, like Vinnie? 'Cause he has a v on his shirt.

[@thesmilingman7576]

4:20 you can pause an arcade game?

[@IRASHINAL]

Extra Ordinary. We have been waiting for you. Gentlemen, let the tournament begin. All voice clips from the villain in Enter the Dragon. Believe his name is Han in the movie.

[@sera404]

If real life arm wrestling championships was like this, I would be watching this every day haha

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Wait, how the hell does the blonde with the Japanese voice manage to shoot bullets *out of her fingers?!*

[@Kingstoncrumpp]

I Like The Blonde Woman In Pink Clothes Tho She's Pretty 😍

[@roberthunter479]

I'd like to see Nintendo add all these characters to the next Punch Out game. I don't know if they'd allow a Texas Mac and a Little Mac. They'd probably change his name, as they did with Vodka Drunkinsky.

[@mikewazoskiii285]

3:40 bald bull? JAW DROPPED