Wade Hixton's Counter Punch
Wade Hixton's Counter Punch is a 2004 boxing game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Inferno Games and Engine Software and published by Destination Software in North America. It uses the behind-the-boxer view made famous by Punch-Out!!, and critics at the time compared the two favourably. Wade's car breaks down in a small town, and while he waits at the local pub he ends up taking on a string of odd challengers, from a pimp called Sweetness to a gorilla in a tuxedo.
Controls
What Wade Hixton's Counter Punch is
Counter Punch was known as Sadistic Boxing and later Sucker Punch during development before it got its final name. It arrived on the Game Boy Advance in March 2004, a time when the handheld had no Punch-Out!! of its own, and it filled that gap well. It holds a score of 78 on Metacritic, and GameSpot named it the best Game Boy Advance game of March 2004.
The story is played for laughs. Stuck in town while his car is repaired, Wade gets challenged by increasingly strange locals. Opponents include Rocco McScrub, the witch doctor Jobu, a demon named Gus Incubus, and eventually an evil double of Wade himself. Each one has habits and tells you need to learn.
How it plays in your browser
The game runs in a Game Boy Advance emulator on this page. You throw left and right punches aimed high or low, land uppercuts, block and dodge to either side. Blocking works by direction, so you hold down to guard low punches, much like the arcade Punch-Out!!.
Three meters sit on screen: health, a power meter that grows as your punches connect, and a fatigue meter. Throwing punches without a break wears Wade out, leaving him unable to attack for a moment. Winning matches earns cash, which you spend on new moves before your next fight.
Tips worth knowing
- Watch your fatigue meter. Swinging nonstop leaves Wade too tired to attack, which is exactly when opponents punish you.
- Dodge first and hit back after. Punches that land straight after an opponent misses are much safer than trading blows.
- Match your block to the height of the incoming punch, since guarding low and high are separate.
- Spend your prize money on new moves between fights. Later opponents take a lot of punches to knock down.
- Treat early losses as scouting. Each boxer has patterns and tells you can learn before the rematch.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wade Hixton's Counter Punch like Punch-Out!!?
Yes, it uses a similar behind-the-player view with dodging, blocking and timed punches, and reviewers compared it favourably to Nintendo's series.
Who developed Counter Punch?
Inferno Games and Engine Software developed it. Destination Software published it in North America in March 2004, and Zoo Publishing released it in Europe later that year.
What do the meters on screen do?
One tracks health, one is a power meter that fills as your punches land, and one tracks fatigue, which stops you attacking if you overdo it.
Can I play it for free here?
Yes. The game runs in your browser through an emulator with no download needed.
More games like this
Robots, Smuggler's Run, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe. You can also browse the full games library or read the guides on the blog.