Aidan Davis

Inspired by the Punch-Out!! series of games published by Nintendo, a hand-drawn depiction of the iconic face-off between Little Mac, a short boxer sporting a black and green uniform, and King Hippo, a monstrously-sized monarch with a bandaged belly button serving as his only weak point. Little Mac delivers the final blow to the King with his signature Star Punch, lighting up the ring with a five-pointed projection.

The Punch-Out!! series of games has been a part of my life since I was a child. Every year, I’ve played through the original 1987 game on the NES, and it’s 2009 reboot on the Wii. Little Mac, as his name implies, is extremely small for a boxer. Clocking in at 5’7″ and 107 pounds, and only 17 years old, you’d expect Mac to go down in the first fight. But he pushes on through tougher and tougher opponents, eventually becoming the World Champion. The journey of Little Mac inspires me to continue on, even when the odds seem insurmountable. I’ve made many friends and memories while playing the Punch-Out!! games, and it renews me every time I do.