Von Kaiser made his first appearance on the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as Little Mac's second opponent in the minor circuit.
Nicknamed "The German Steel Machine", Von Kaiser is a militant German ring veteran and also a boxing teacher at the military academy but is a novice challenge for Little Mac. He is easily stunned and floored with one of Mac's big uppercuts. However, Kaiser can still attack with his flurry of left and right uppercuts, but with any skill at all his celebration will be short-lived. In fact, Von Kaiser can be defeated simply by alternating left and right punches to his face after he misses an uppercut. Unlike most opponents, you can alternate left and right punches until he falls down; usually, the limit is 5 or 11. As shown in Punch-Out!! on the Wii, he suffers some emotional trauma and possible acute stress disorder, stemming from when he was beaten by a group of children in one of his boxing classes.
The theme music played for Von Kaiser is the opening of Richard Wagner 's Ride of the Valkyries.
Appearances
Von Kaiser first appeared in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! in 1987 and after years of absence, he returned in the Wii installment of Punch-Out!! in 2009. Kaiser has also been featured as a Hasbro action figure and in a Topps trading card series.
Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (1987–1990)
Von Kaiser made his first appearance on the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as the second opponent in the Minor Circuit. Von Kaiser is generally regarded as harder than Glass Joe, although some may argue that the fact that his OHKD is much quicker and more accessible than Glass Joe's and the fact that he has an infinite makes him easier. However, his punches are noticeably faster than Glass Joe's and his defenses are much better, along with the fact that his punches do much more damage. He can be a challenge for new players, especially if they're bad at dodging or countering. However, he still doesn't pose that big of a challenge.
Attacks:
Left Jab: Von Kaiser shakes his head before throwing a left jab, which can be dodged, ducked, or blocked. It can also be countered with a left punch.
Right Uppercut: Ducks down to Mac's left before throwing a devastating uppercut. Can be dodged in either direction or ducked but not blocked. Also very easy to counter with a left punch for a star.
Stars:
- Precisely counter his Left Jab with a left punch.
- Counter his Right Uppercut with a left punch.
Instant Knockdown:
- Throw a star punch while Von Kaiser is stunned.
Infinite: After he misses a Right Uppercut, alternate the pattern "left, right" to his head. The stun will last until he gets knocked down; however, it is much easier to simply counter the uppercut and TKO him with the Instant Knockdown.
Punch-Out!! (2009)
Von Kaiser appears in Punch-Out!! as the second opponent in the Minor Circuit. Here it was revealed that he suffers emotional trauma as a result of being defeated by children. During a match, he defends his face fully, but because of his trauma, he'll take a peek and cry: "Mami!". When peeking, the player can punch his face to earn a Star. Star Punching him at any moment where he's open will knock him to the ground instantly. Kaiser also regained his previous attacks from his previous appearance. Here, he is voiced by Horst Laxton and speaks legitimate German.
Contender
Stars:
- Counter his Left Jab with a jab while his head is twitching.
- Hit him after he dodges.
- Counter his Right Uppercut with a hook.
- Jab him when he says "Mami!" after cowering.
- When he shakes his head when knocked down, when he steps back into the middle of the ring, Jab him.
Instant KO Trick: When he is cowering, and then peeks out to say "Mami!", use a three-star uppercut. Not only do you win the fight really quickly, but his face gets damaged badly.
Infinite: Hit him with this pattern, delayed hook, jab, jab, delayed hook, jab, jab. Repeat for KD. But it is very slow. If you hook too early, he will block the second jab.
Instant KD Tricks:
- Hit Von Kaiser with a Star Punch while he is stunned.
- Hit Von Kaiser with a One- or Two-Star Punch when he says "Mami!".
Attacks:
- Left Jab: Von Kaiser's basic move. He twitches his head to let you know it's coming and then he punches. You can duck or block it, like Glass Joe's Left Jab. You can also punch him when he twitches his head to get a Star Punch.
- Right Uppercut: Von Kaiser bends over to his right, says a small word in German while cocking his head, and punches. This attack is very similar to Glass Joe's Right Uppercut. You can't block this attack; you can only dodge it. You can also hit him when he twitches his head to get a Star Punch.
- Mami: After you Star Punch him or daze him (at times), Von Kaiser will cover his face and cower. You can't punch through his defense. Wait until he pops his head and says "Mami" before punching him, where you can get a star. Also, if you have a Three Star Punch, use it on him when he says "Mami" for an OHKO.
- Laugh: Von Kaiser only does this when he keeps on blocking your punches. He will dodge your punch, moving towards a corner, and laugh at you. If you punch him, you'll earn a Star Punch.
5-punch KO:
- Counter a "clicking" jab when Kaiser turns red for a star.
- Counter another jab (or uppercut) for a star.
- Counter one more jab (or uppercut) to finish building up a 3-star punch.
- Dodge the next attack, and jab once. If you finish the stun, this won't work. If performed correctly, Kaiser will recover and immediately perform the "Mami!" taunt.
- Hit Kaiser during the "Mami!" taunt and enjoy the awesome knockout animation.
Stun Limits:
- His Jab: 4
- His Right-Uppercut: 6
Title Defense
Von Kaiser returns in Title Defense to try to take Little Mac's title. His attire changed little, except for a military haircut. He also got over his emotional trauma and learned to fake out his opponents. He adds a charge attack nicknamed the "Von Kaiser Wave". It's an OHKO attack (much like Bald Bull's Bull Charge attack), but can be dodged by reading his movements. His uppercuts are accompanied by the sound of a shotgun being fired. He no longer gets knocked down by a single Star Punch, and to add insult to injury, it doesn't even do much damage, like most Title Defense opponents. Additionally, his uppercuts will sometimes be faked and he will dodge some punches. Later in the fight, if he dodges any punch, he will sometimes respond with an uppercut of almost impossible speed. It can be evaded however if you're cautious enough. If you lose to him, he'll simply look at Little Mac (who's tired after taking a beating) and then laugh at him in amusement.
Stars:
- Jab him while his head is twitching before his normal jab.
- Hit him when he laughs after dodging a Star Punch.
- Hit him when he laughs after you do a delayed jab after a stun.
- Counter his Fast Right Uppercut with a hook.
- Counter his Delayed Left Uppercut with a hook.
- Counter his Fake Right Uppercut with a hook.
- Counter his Fake Left Uppercut with a hook.
Instant KO Tricks:
- Use a Three-Star Punch while Von Kaiser is stunned.
- Use any uppercut after you have found all the star opportunities.
Semi-Infinite Combo Trick:
Get a star by countering Von Kaiser's first punch, then wait for him to return to his idle stance before immediately using the star punch, causing him to duck to a side. Wait for the screen to re-brighten then quickly hook him to the side he ducked to get another star. Wait for him to become idle again and repeat. This will only be broken if he is knocked down or if Von Kaiser uses the "Kuckuck/Punsch" punch (See Below), which is the only punch he is able to use instantly after returning to an idle stance. If he uses this punch, he will not be able to dodge in time and the star uppercut will make contact.
Attacks:
- Von Kaiser Spin Attack (AKA: The Kaiser Bomb or The Von Kaiser Wave): After being knocked down, he stands back up, punches his head multiple times and yells "ATTACKE!" and then does a spinning punch in one general direction. It is a dangerous move to contend with in early attempts at the match, but later on, It's more predictable and all you have to do is dodge to the other side, but dodging the wrong way or staying in the middle will result in an instant Knockdown. At times, he goes to the back of the ring and does his battle cry, and then attacks multiple times in a row.
- Fast Right Uppercut: Von Kaiser's original move except much faster and stronger. If you punch him quick enough after he talks, you could get a Star. If he is going to attack for real, you'll hear a shotgun go off.
- Delayed Left Uppercut: Von Kaiser steps to right and laughs at you, and then punches. This is an especially tricky move because it takes him so long before he punches. If you time it right, hitting him when he finishes speaking will give a Star Punch. If he's going to attack for real, you'll hear a shotgun go off.
- Fast Jab: A cuckoo sounds, Von Kaiser says "Kuckuck!" or "Punsch!", and then immediately punches. This attack can be blocked.
- Jab: Von Kaiser's original twitching of the head and then punching attack except that it is a tad bit faster and stronger. If you hit him when he twitches his head, you can get a Star Punch. Jabs work better for the star.
- Fake Right Uppercut: Von Kaiser says his line in German and moves to the right but doesn't punch you as a fake. If you punch him quickly after he speaks, you can get a Star Punch. You'll know this is fake because you won't hear a shotgun go off.
- Fake Left Uppercut: Von Kaiser steps to the left and says a line in German but doesn't punch. You can punch him quickly after he speaks for a Star Punch. You'll know this is fake because you won't hear a shotgun go off.
- Laugh: Von Kaiser only does this when you use a star uppercut when he is idle or when you perform a delayed jab as he recovers from a stun. He will dodge your punch, moving towards a side, laugh at you, and sometimes (but not always) attempt to punch you. If you punch him, you'll earn a Star. (The two sides are considered 2 separate moves, so earning a star for both counts as 2 stars for the 7-star challenge.)
Stun Limits:
- His Jab: 3
- His (Real) Right-Uppercut: 4
- His Fast Jab: 2
- His (Real) Left-Uppercut: 5
- His Spin Attack: 6
Von Kaiser's military haircut
Exhibition Challenges
Challenger:
- Win the fight and land EVERY punch thrown!
- TKO Von Kaiser... in under a minute!
- KO Von Kaiser throwing only 5 punches!
Title Defense:
- Win the fight and evade EVERY Spin Attack!
- Win the fight without dodging or ducking ANY fake uppercuts!
- Find 7 different ways to earn Stars.
Quotes
Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES):
- "I was a boxing teacher... at the military academy!"
- "I'll teach you a lesson. You will fall down!"
- "Surrender! Or I will conquer you!!"
- "Your punch is soft... just like your heart!"
Punch-Out!! (Wii):
- "Bumms!", which is the German version of "Boom!"
- "Achtung!" meaning "Attention!" (Contender introduction)
- "Ich bin eine Kampfmaschine! Mein Name: Von Kaiser!" meaning "I am a fighting machine! My name: Von Kaiser!" (during intermission in Contender)
- "Kuckuck! Kuckuck! Deine Stunde hat geschlagen!" meaning "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Your time is up!"[Literal translation: "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Your hour has been struck!"] (during intermission in Contender)
- "Ich geh nach links? Ich geh nach rechts? Ha ha ha!" meaning "I go to the left? I go to the right? Ha ha ha!" (Contender winning animation)
- "Weitermachen!" meaning "Keep going!" (After getting up from being knocked down in Contender)
- "Wo bist du denn? Mami!" meaning "Where are you? Mommy!" (when he cowers)
- "Hilfe!" meaning "Help!" (When Mac throws a Star Punch)
- "Oh nein..." meaning "Oh no..." (When Mac throws a Star Punch)
- "Oh hilfe!" meaning "Oh help!" (When Mac throws a Star Punch)
- "KAMPFSTIEFEL!" meaning "COMBAT BOOTS!" (Title Defense intro)
- "Kuckuck!" meaning "Cuckoo!" (When throwing his fast jab)
- "Haha, reingefallen!" meaning "Haha, you fell for it!" (Right uppercut)
- "So nicht!" meaning "Not this way!" (Left uppercut)
- "Ich: Deutsche Präzision. Du: Windmühle!" meaning "Me: German Precision. You: Windmill!" (during Title Defense intermission)
- "Das ist boxen, Little Mac, und kein Tantenkaffee!" meaning "This is boxing, Little Mac, not a tea party!" (during Title Defense intermission)
- "ATTACKE!" meaning "ATTACK!" (seconds before the Kaiser Bomb explodes)
Doc Louis Tips:
- "Hey, Mac baby. He twitches before he punches. Watch out for his attack!"
- "Hey, Mac baby. Teach Von Kaiser a lesson. Send him back to boot camp!"
- "You gotta butter Kaiser with your jab. Then toast him with your Star Punch!"
- "Hey, Mac. Von Kaiser used to be a fighting instructor. Maybe he should have been the student!"
- When Kaiser gets all wound up, he's gonna knock everything outta his way! You gotta dodge the right way, or you gonna get hit!
- This sucka's uppercuts are destructive! Just get out the way, Mac!
- Why is this sucka always yellin'?! Time to teach him some punch-uality!!!
Trivia
- Von Kaiser's theme in all of his appearances (except Punch-Out!! (Wii), shared by Super Macho Man and Great Tiger in Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream) is a part of the classical composition "Ride of the Valkyries".
- His visual appearance may have been inspired by Wilhelm II, German Emperor during WWI. Likewise; his impressive fighting record could be a reference to Germany's history of military success, but his current weakness reflect's Germany's political fragility after both World Wars.
- He's the only opponent in the game (only on the Wii edition in Title Defense) that has a KD attack that is impossible to counter, not even with a three-star uppercut.
- Von Kaiser's one-hit knockdown move in Title Defense mode is referred to in Exhibition mode as a "Spin Punch" (not to be confused with Super Macho Man's version). Fans have taken to calling it "The Von Kaiser Wave" after a special move used in the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters game series, used by Wolfgang Krauser and Rugal Bernstein.
- In Title Defense, it is possible to hit Von Kaiser with a star punch without him being in a stun. Dodge any of his attacks, and if a star punch is performed, he won't try to dodge but gets scared instead.
- Of all the challengers of the Minor Circuit, Von Kaiser has come the closest to actually training for his Contender match (As Von Kaiser was at least seen trying to teach his students boxing, which is close to training. Glass Joe mainly just ate bread and drank Coffee in Paris, Disco Kid seemed to just disco and party all the time, and King Hippo spent most of the day eating, and the rest sleeping.).
- Von Kaiser is placed below Disco Kid in Punch Out! for Wii, but he has the best record in the Minor Circuit. It's possible that Von Kaiser was a good boxer until he was beaten by his students, starting his losing streak; or he was made second for nostalgia reasons.
- "Kaiser" is the German word for "emperor" and "Von" translates to "of/from"; thus, his name literally means "Of/From Emperor."
- He resembles the embodiment of a typical World War I German soldier.
- His battle theme In Punch-Out!! (Wii) sounds similar To Soda Popinski's battle theme.