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Piston Hondo (formally known as Piston Honda) is a 28-year old Japanese boxer born in Tokyo. His quirks include the fact that Piston Hondo's name and trademark Piston Punch/Hondo Rush are reminiscent of Piston Hurricane from the earlier Punch-Out!! arcade game and later Super Punch-Out!! Super Nintendo game. The theme music played for Piston Hondo in his appearances is a short version from Japanese folk song Sakura.

Piston Hondo has also appeared as a Hasbro Action Figure and in a Topps trading card series. Hondo also appears in the pages of the Nintendo Comics System in a story called "Outsiders" where, despite his fearsome demeanor in the game, he is shown to be an altruist who is a boxer to raise money to build hospitals and schools in poor parts of the country.

Appearances[]

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!/Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (1987 & 1990)[]

Piston Honda

Piston Honda made two appearances on the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! first as the Minor Circuit Champion and later as Little Mac's first opponent in the World Circuit. Honda has a weak defense but is much improved when compared to Glass Joe or Von Kaiser. His jab and uppercuts hit hard, and he has a series of rotating left and right jabs called the "Piston Punch".

After dispatching Piston Honda for the Minor Circuit Championship, Little Mac meets up with him again in the World Circuit. Honda returns with increased defense, aggression, a "wiggling uppercut", and an improved version of his Piston Punch. During this, if punched at the right time, he will be KO'd.

His palette swap is Mike Tyson or Mr. Dream, depending on the edition of the game.

Star Opportunities:

  • Jab him when his eyebrows twitch before he throws a jab.
  • Left jab him while he winds up his Right Hook.
    • Jab him up to 3 times right after he is stunned.
  • Counter the Piston Punch with a jab or body blow.

Instant Knockdown:

- Counter the Piston Punch with a jab or body blow (Honda 1)

Instant Knockout:

- Counter the Piston Punch with a jab or body blow. The timing window is smaller. (Honda 2)

Attacks:

-Left Jab: His eyebrows will twitch, then he will throw a quick left jab. Punch him when his eyebrows twitch for a star. Can be dodged or ducked.

-Right Hook: A right hook. Left jab him before he attacks for a star. Can be dodged or ducked.

-Right Uppercut: A strong right uppercut. Can be dodged or ducked.

-Piston Punch: Honda steps back and jumps from side to side, then comes back to the center and attacks. He does five consecutive jabs, which can be dodged or blocked. Any jabs that hit Mac will not count towards that five.

Attacks (Honda 2):

-Quick Left Jabs: Similar to his normal left jab. His eyebrows twitch but this time he does 3 Quick Left Jabs usually with two uppercuts after. This attack can't be countered for a star, but you can dodge or duck the three jabs.

-Fake Right Uppercut: He will do some fake outs, then a strong right uppercut, can be dodged or ducked.

-Supercharged Piston Punch: Honda steps back before instantly coming back to the center and attacking. In this one, he will do four jabs, and then two right uppercuts. It is possible to dodge all the attacks.

Punch-Out!! (2009)[]

Piston Hondo made an appearance in the title Punch-Out!! for the Wii. He uses the same attacks that he used in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!. The only difference from the NES "Punch-Out!!" is that Piston Hondo is the first fighter you see in the Major Circuit instead of the Minor Circuit champion. He is voiced by Japanese anime voice actor seiyuu Kenji Takahashi for this edition of Punch-Out!!. In his intro, it is revealed that he trains by meditating barefoot at his house. His lines are very formal and respectful, reminiscent of a samurai. He has only been defeated once, by Mr. Sandman. Small sushi items fly off when you punch him, and they appear again after you knock him down. Additionally, in a rather polite manner, he will bow during the beginning of the match. Although, he bows whilst looking at Mac in the eyes, which is very disrespectful in Japan in most circumstances. In the context of martial arts, however, it is considered a sign of prudence to maintain eye contact while bowing if the combatants are within striking distance. If Mac loses to him, Hondo will throw several punches and show off his muscles.

Contender[]

Stars:

  • Jab him when his eyebrows twitch before he throws a jab.
  • Jab him when he flashes yellow on his Bow taunt.
  • Throw a delayed jab after dodging his right uppercut.

Instant Knockdown:

  • Throw a Star Punch when he bows.
  • Counter the Hondo Rush.

Instant Knockouts:

  • Throw a Three-Star Punch when he bows.
  • Counter the Hondo Rush with a Three-Star Punch.

Four Punch TKO

  1. Counter his first jab to earn a star.
  2. Throw your star punch on his Bow taunt to instantly knock him down.
  3. Counter the Hondo Rush to knock him down again.
  4. When he gets up, counter the Hondo Rush to win.

Moves:

  • Bow Taunt: Hondo bows at Mac. Jab him for a star.
  • Jab: Hondo's eyebrows twitch, and then he throws a quick jab. Jab him when his eyebrows twitch for a star.
  • Uppercut: A strong uppercut with his right hand. Used after some of his health is gone.
  • Hook: A fast hook, with Hondo's right hand. Dodge left or duck. Stun must be started with a right punch.
  • Hondo Rush: Piston Hondo's signature move. He will throw 3 jabs, and follow up with an uppercut or hook.

Stun Limits:

  • His Jab (if dodged or ducked): 3
  • His Jab (if blocked): 4
  • His Hook (if ducked): 4
  • His Hook (if dodged left): 3
  • His Uppercut (if dodged left): 4
  • His Uppercut (if dodged right): 3
  • Hondo Rush (Blocking every jab): 8

Glitches:

  • Throwing a punch just before the Bow taunt causes him to drop his guard. Right jabs keep his guard dropped longer, allowing an infinite that can be done by using only right jabs when his guard drops.
  • If a Three Star Punch knocks Piston Hondo down immediately when he gets up, the clock will still run and some of the ropes disappear. If the clock reaches 0:00 and Hondo is still down, he will have no health and any punch will knock him down again.
  • Attempting to counter his uppercut at a certain time (unless the punch will result in a knockdown) will make the punch go through, but Piston Hondo will not react to the punch, and instead continue with the punch and hit Little Mac.

Title Defense[]

Piston Hondo returns to fight Little Mac once again in Title Defense to win the champion's belt. His clothes change from red and black to full white this time, and he gains some new moves from his training. Since the last time he was fought, he has trained more vigorously, having learned how to eat without gaining weight, catching swords with his bare hands and outrunning a bullet train as well as rewarding himself with tea breaks at the back of his house overlooking a zen garden.

His existing moves also become faster. When he bows, he can be punched for an easy star. However, this only works if his eyebrows are twitching while he bows and if you punch him with the right timing. Otherwise, he will dodge your punch and counter with a quick jab. However, you will get a star if you block this jab and counter it.

After getting knocked down he'll start to use his new delayed uppercut, where he'll often switch left and right, smiling and an eyebrow twitching indicating which side he'll attack from. Hooking him while he's alternating can earn you a star and using a Star Punch during his alternation can instantly knock him down. A Three-star Punch will instantly KO him. Also, his Hondo Rush will contain more jabs with every knockdown and, after being knocked down once, a delayed jab halfway through his combo. Every time he gets knocked down, he'll switch sides more often before his uppercut and his Hondo Rush becomes faster.

If Mac loses to him, Hondo will show off his strong toughness and face the camera.

Stars:

  • Jab him when he flashes yellow on his Bow Taunt.
  • When you hit him when he is doing his taunt, throw two delayed punches. The second punch must be delayed more.
  • If Hondo counters you when bowing or twitching his eyebrows, block the jab and hit him with a jab of your own.
  • Counter his right uppercut, left uppercut or hook and land two delayed punches. The second punch must be delayed more.
  • When Hondo changes sides for a delayed uppercut, hit him when he's in the center.
  • Land a delayed punch after any of his right uppercuts.
  • Counter the Hondo Rush early.

Instant Knockdowns:

  • Throw a Three Star Punch when Hondo actually bows.
  • Counter the Hondo Rush. The timing window is extremely short.
  • Throw a Star Punch when he switches sides for a delayed uppercut.
  • Throw a Star Punch when his eyebrow twitches during his faster Hondo Rush. The punch before the twitch must be ducked using the Star Punch.

Instant Knockout:

  • Throw a Three-Star Punch when Hondo switches sides for a delayed uppercut.

Moves:

  • Bow Taunt: The same as his Contender bow, but he will do a bow taunt that flashes yellow at the start of the match if you have thrown an odd number of punches, allowing you to earn a star (provided you don't punch too early or too late).
  • Fake Bow Taunt: Unlike his other taunt he'll smile and dodge your attack and counter with a quick jab. The fake taunt happens if the number of punches you have thrown is even. This can be blocked and countered for a star.
  • Jab: A faster, stronger version of his Contender jab. His eyebrows will still twitch, but he will dodge and counter with a jab if you try to hit him.
  • Uppercut: A faster, stronger uppercut that can come from either side.
  • Delayed Uppercut: Similar to his normal uppercut, but he will delay the attack. He may switch the side where he attacks from up to three times. Watch his punching hand; when he twirls it, he's about to punch. Hondo will switch sides based on the number of times he's been knocked down in the match. If he's been knocked down once, he will switch sides once, and if he's been knocked down twice or more, he will switch sides up to three times.
  • Hook: A faster, stronger version of his Contender hook.
  • Supercharged Hondo Rush: This is much faster and has much more punches than its Contender counterpart, and the timing window for countering is shorter. Hondo will change the Hondo Rush pattern every time he is knocked down. In order:
    • 0 Knockdowns: 4 jabs, uppercut.
    • 1 Knockdown: 4 jabs, eyebrow twitch, 3 jabs, uppercut.
    • 2 or more knockdowns (version 1): 3 jabs, eyebrow twitch, 5 jabs, side switch uppercut.
    • 2 or more knockdowns (version 2): 5 jabs, eyebrow twitch, 3 jabs, uppercut.
    • Instead of trying to dodge this, it is best you block the 4-8 jabs, then dodge his uppercut, or counter his delayed uppercut with a 3-Star Punch.

Glitches:

  • If you make him block right before he twitches his eyebrow, he will jab afterwards, but it strangely does no damage (and doesn't even knock you down in Champion's Mode). It only takes stars and hearts away. If you block the glitched jab and punch him, he will drop his guard, but he won't be registered as stunned (the camera angle remains the same, it won't show sushi flying around his head), and you can only hit him twice, but if you only hit him with right jabs, it will last forever (As long as you keep hitting him quickly).
  • Dodging an uppercut early can sometimes allow you to get a star from punching him, like if you dodged correctly and delayed a punch.
  • The third Contender glitch can happen in Title Defense as well, but if it is done in the Hondo Rush uppercut after blocking all the jabs, Piston Hondo will be registered as stunned.

Stun Limits:

  • His Quick Uppercuts (dodging his way): 4
  • His Quick Uppercuts (dodging the other way): 3
  • His Delayed-Uppercut (Both sidestep version and normal version, dodge his way): 5
  • His Delayed Uppercut (dodge the other way): 4
  • His Hook (if dodged): 3
  • His Hook (if ducked): 4
  • His Jab (if blocked. Dodging will not result in a stun): 3
  • Hondo Rush (Blocking every jab. This can come from countering the uppercut): 9

Exhibition Challenges[]

Contender:

  1. Defeat Piston Hondo and land EVERY punch thrown!
  2. Find both one-punch-knockdown weak spots.
  3. Win the fight with 34 or more remaining hearts!

Title Defense:

  1. Knock Piston Hondo down in under a minute!
  2. Block 44 jabs!
  3. Defeat Piston Hondo and never lose a Heart!

Rule Infractions[]

As per the unified rules of boxing established by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combat Sports:

  • Hondo brings these foreign objects to the ring:
    • In Contender Mode, he brings sushi ingredients into the ring as nourishment. Only water is allowed to be consumed during corner breaks.
      • This may not even be nourishment, as Hondo never actually eats any of it. This could mean that the board of ingredients is are actually fake props for characterization purposes.
    • In Title Defense Mode, he reads a manga during corner breaks. His book counts as a foreign object and he might be getting illegal information from it.
  • While his hachimaki would count as headgear which is normally illegal, the Major Circuit is equivalent to medium circuit professional boxing which makes his hachimaki legal in Contender. However, Hondo still wears it in his Title Defense match. Since the World Circuit is equivalent to big circuit professional boxing, this makes the hachimaki illegal.

Piston Hondo has 3.5 infractions.

Super Smash Bros for Wii U (2014)[]

In this game, Piston Hondo appears as a trophy. He has two different descriptions depending on your console region.

NA: This classy Japanese boxer bows before every match. He's so polite, in fact, that he cues you to his oncoming attack by twitching his eyebrows. Landing solid hits on him will pit him in a daze. He must have forgotten to eat before the match - instead of little birdies, Piston sees sushi floating around his head!

PAL: This classy Japanese boxer bows before every match. He's so polite, in fact, that he lets you know when he's about to attack by twitching his eyebrows. Land solid hits on him, and sushi will fly out from...somewhere... it's just an illusion though, so you can't eat it. Sad times.

PistonHondoTrophy

SSB4 - Piston Hondo

Quotes[]

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!/Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES)[]

  • "I still remember our first fight. Now I'm gonna pay you back.. Banzai!!" (World Circuit fight)
  • "I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo!"
  • "Sushi, kamikaze, fujiyama, nipponichi..."
  • "You should wear a helmet when you fight me."
  • "Where is my camera crew? Hello Tokyo!" (In the current version of Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream available for the Virtual Console, this quote replaces "Where is the NHK TV camera? Hello Tokyo!" which Honda utters in NES pressings of the game.)

Punch-Out!! (Wii)[]

  • "Sessha, Hondo to mousu." (拙者、ホンドーと申す。) meaning "This humble one is called Hondo." (Contender intro, said in a very humble way, proper of a samurai; sessha is an archaic pronoun used to refer to oneself)
  • "Ichi, ni, orya!" (一、二、おりゃっ!) meaning "One, two, orya!" (before throwing an uppercut - orya is just a shout)
  • "Shimatta!" (しまった!) meaning "Oops!" (Missing a jab)
  • "Iyaru!" (いやる!) meaning "Oh no!" (Missing a hook)
  • "Nani!?" (何!?) meaning "What?!" (Occasionally, when he gets hit)
  • "Dame da!" (だめだ!) meaning "Not good!" (Occasionally, when he gets hit with a Star Punch or knocked down)
  • "Masaka!" (まさか!) meaning "Impossible!" (Before getting hit with a Star Punch in Contender)
  • "Dou da?" (どうだ?) meaning "How was that?" (After knocking down Mac)
  • "Amai, amai!" (甘い、甘い!) meaning "Naive, naive!" (After knocking down Mac)
  • "Omoi shitta ka!? (思いしったか!?) meaning "What were you thinking?!" (After knocking down Mac)
  • "Osoi!" (遅い!) meaning "Too slow!" (Dodging a normal punch)
  • "Yossha!!" (よっしゃあ!) meaning "All right!!" (Right before the Hondo Rush)
  • "O sushi... O sushi..." (おすし...おすし...) meaning "Oh, sushi... Oh, sushi..." (Knocked down with a jab)
  • "Tamago... Tamago..." (卵...卵...) meaning "Egg... Egg..." (Knocked down with a hook)
  • "Mada mada!" (まだまだ!) meaning "I'm not done yet!" (Getting up from a knockdown)
  • "Mou ippon!" (もう一本!) meaning "Another go!" (Getting up from a knockdown)
  • "Shintō mekkyaku sureba, hi mo mata suzushī." (心頭滅却すれば、火もまた涼し。) meaning "If the heart and mind are at peace, the fire will stay cool." (Contender intermission)
  • "Niku o kirasete, hone o tatsu." (肉を切らせて、骨を断つ。) meaning "Let them cut your flesh, and you will break their bones." (Contender intermission)
  • "Ninjin, shiitake, renkon, kanpyou." (人参、椎茸、蓮根、干瓢。) meaning "Carrot, mushroom, lotus root, gourd shavings." (Contender intermission)
  • "Shouyu murasaki, gari shouga." (醤油紫、ガリショウガ。) meaning "Soy sauce, sushi ginger." (Contender intermission)
  • "Te o agete, ōdan hodo o watarimashou." (手を挙げて、横断歩道を渡りましょう。) meaning "Raise your hand, and then cross the road." (Contender intermission)
  • "Ichi, ni, san! Orya!" (一、二、三!おりゃ!) meaning "One, two, three! Orya!" (Start of a new round in Contender - as above, orya is just a shout)
  • "Katte kabuto no, o shime." (勝って兜の緒を締め。) meaning "Tighten the helmet of victory." (Title Defense intermission)
  • "Ko ketsu ni irazunba, ko ji o ezu." (虎穴にいらずんば、虎児を得ず。) meaning "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't get the tiger's cubs." (Title Defense intermission)
  • "Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, shichi, hachi!" (一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八!) meaning "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!" (Start of a new round in Title Defense)
  • "Munen..." (無念···) meaning "Regrettable..." (during the KO/TKO animation)

Doc Louis Tips:

  • "Be careful in there, Mac! Watch out for the Hondo Rush! Keep your blocks up, baby! Keep your blocks up!"
  • "You're still in this, Mac. Counterpunch when you see the Hondo Rush coming baby!"
  • "Hey, Mac baby. It's time to send Hondo back to his dojo, baby."
  • "This sucka needs an oil change! Flatten him out with a one-two star punch, Mac! You got it, baby!
  • "Hey, Mac baby. It's time to repay the favor... Send him a TKO for Tokyo!"
  • "This sucka's got quick moves! Stay sharp, and remember to use your blocks."
  • "Hey son! It's time to say sayonara! This sucka is overheating baby! Let's send him to the scrapyard!"
  • "Hey, hey! Did you eat some of my chocolate bars?!"

Mid-Round Intermission[]

Punch-Out!! (Wii):[]

Piston Hondo has six confirmed "Intermissions". They appear in pairs, but only the first two are usually seen.

1 & 2: Sitting down and speaking. (Contender)

3 & 4: Standing and speaking. (Contender)

5 & 6: While sitting down again, he holds up one of two items (both of which are sushi ingredients), and speaks, before putting them down again. (Contender)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In Career mode, his bio shows that he's the first of Mac's opponents to take his training at least somewhat seriously, as Glass Joe is seen spending time eating baguettes and drinking coffee in Paris instead of training, Von Kaiser getting thrashed by his young students (though he is putting in an attempt to train, and the sequence is implied to actually be a nightmare that he experienced before the match, leading to his trauma), Disco Kid would rather be showing off his dance contest trophies, dancing and partying, and King Hippo eats one half of the day and sleeps the other half. In Hondo's Contender intro, he is seen meditating in his private dojo/gym and in Title Defense he is seen sword-catching, speed-eating at a sushi train, racing against a bullet train and meditating at his dojo again with a cup of herbal tea.
  • If Piston Hondo is expecting a star punch in Contender, he will look cautiously at Little Mac and speak before getting hit.
  • Two of Doc Louis' quotes in the 2009 Wii version reference Hondo's original name, specifically, "This sucka needs an oil change! Flatten him out with a one-two star punch, Mac! You got it, baby!" and "Hey son! It's time to say sayonara! This sucka is overheating baby! Let's send him to the scrapyard!"
  • In Contender, it's possible to dodge the entire Hondo Rush. However, it's not really worth it, as you can only do 3 to 4 hits afterward.
  • In the NES game, Honda's hachimaki read 日本一 ("Nippon'ichi", which was also one of the words he said in one of his break banters), meaning "Japan's number one"; In the Wii game, Hondo's hachimaki now reads 一番 ("ichiban"), which means simply "number one".
    • Notably, in the NES, Honda did not wear said hachimaki during the fights, unlike the Wii.
  • In the Title Defense intermission, Hondo is seen reading a manga. By using camera cheats, one can see that Hondo is actually reading manga with a similar appearance to that of the popular series Sailor Moon (albeit upside down).
  • Piston Hondo's all-white attire in Title Defense has similar connotations to the color black in Western cultures, like Don Flamenco's ensemble in his own Title Defense bout.
  • Counting all games in the Punch Out!! series, Piston Hondo and Bald Bull are the only characters to be featured in the Minor, Major and World Circuits, not counting their Title Defense bouts in Punch Out!! (Wii).
  • Interestingly, although Hondo is ranked at the bottom of the Major Circuit, he has the best record of said circuit and has only been defeated by Mr. Sandman, much like Super Macho Man, the #1 contender of the World Circuit.
  • In Japanese and Chinese cultures, the number four is associated with bad luck, as it can be pronounced identically to the word for "death" or "die" ("shi" in Japanese, "si" in Mandarin, and "sei" in Cantonese). This is referenced by the second Exhibition challenge in Title Defense, in which Little Mac must block 44 jabs from Hondo.
  • When Piston Hondo bows to Little Mac in the Wii version, he looks him in the eye, which in normal circumstances would be a sign of disrespect in Japan. However, martial arts combatants bow without breaking eye contact if they are within striking distance. This is simply being prudent and has nothing to do with the etiquette of bowing.
  • In the Wii game, he is renamed to Piston Hondo due to legal reasons regarding vehicle manufacturer Honda.
Piston Hondo bow

Piston Hondo bowing to Little Mac; note the one eye focused on him.

  • Doc Louis's quote in Punch-Out!! (Wii), "Send him a TKO for Tokyo!", is a reference to one of Piston Honda's quotes from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, "I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo!"
  • Piston Hondo's signature move, the Piston Punch/Hondo Rush, varies slightly between games. In Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, it consists of four jabs, plus two additional uppercuts during his second match. In Punch-Out!!(Wii), it's differences can be seen above.
  • Piston Hondo is one of various boxers featured in the live-action promos for Punch-Out!! (Wii), alongside Little Mac, Doc Louis, Great Tiger, and King Hippo. Here, Hondo is seen running a restaurant.
  • In Punch-Out!! Wii, Hondo's Title Defense perfect time is faster that the perfect time in contender. He shares this trait with Disco Kid and Aran Ryan.
  • In the files of the Wii game, Piston Hondo has an unused right jab, which is a mirror of his left jab.
    • His eyebrow twitch animation for this attack does not consist of him opening his mouth slightly, and when the punch is dodged, Hondo will clench his teeth instead of speaking.
    • Attempting to counter the right jab will make Hondo drop his guard to allow his right jab infinite.
    • The windup animation still allows him to dodge Star Punches.
  • The NTSC-J version of the Wii game adds a wind sound effect to Piston Hondo's knockout animation.
Punch-Out!! characters
Punch-Out!! (1984) Challenger · Glass Joe · Piston Hurricane · Bald Bull · Kid Quick · Pizza Pasta · Mr. Sandman
Super Punch-Out!! (1985) Challenger · Bear Hugger · Dragon Chan · Vodka Drunkenski · Great Tiger · Super Macho Man
Arm Wrestling Challenger · Texas Mac · Kabuki · Mask X · Alice & Ape III · Frank Jr.
Punch-Out!! (1987) Little Mac · Doc Louis · Glass Joe · Von Kaiser · Piston Honda · Don Flamenco · King Hippo · Great Tiger · Bald Bull · Soda Popinski · Mr. Sandman · Super Macho Man · Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream
Super Punch-Out!! (1994) Little Mac · Gabby Jay · Bear Hugger · Piston Hurricane · Bald Bull · Bob Charlie · Dragon Chan · Masked Muscle · Mr. Sandman · Aran Ryan · Heike Kagero · Mad Clown · Super Macho Man · Narcis Prince · Hoy Quarlow · Rick Bruiser · Nick Bruiser
Punch-Out!! (2009) Little Mac · Doc Louis · Glass Joe · Von Kaiser · Disco Kid · King Hippo · Piston Hondo · Bear Hugger · Great Tiger · Don Flamenco · Aran Ryan · Soda Popinski · Bald Bull · Super Macho Man · Mr. Sandman · Donkey Kong
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