<s>
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
(	O
originally	O
titled	O
VHS	B-Application
Story	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
sporting	O
management	O
simulation	O
developed	O
by	O
Lazy	O
Bear	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
tinyBuild	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
manages	O
an	O
upcoming	O
boxer	B-Application
in	O
training	O
and	O
preparation	O
for	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
boxing	B-Application
matches	O
at	O
a	O
local	O
club	O
,	O
while	O
searching	O
for	O
clues	O
of	O
who	O
killed	O
their	O
father	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2016	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
following	O
a	O
Twitch	O
Plays	O
Pokémon-style	O
event	O
on	O
Twitch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
port	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
a	O
September	O
2016	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
January	O
2017	O
after	O
some	O
delays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ports	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
were	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
titled	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
2	O
:	O
Fast	O
Forward	O
,	O
is	O
scheduled	O
for	O
a	O
2023	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
an	O
unnamed	O
boxer	B-Application
whose	O
father	O
,	O
who	O
helped	O
to	O
train	O
him	O
,	O
was	O
murdered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
boxer	B-Application
aims	O
to	O
continue	O
his	O
training	O
and	O
become	O
the	O
best	O
boxer	B-Application
at	O
a	O
local	O
league	O
,	O
while	O
following	O
clues	O
to	O
lead	O
him	O
to	O
who	O
killed	O
his	O
father	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
manages	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
around	O
the	O
clock	O
through	O
various	O
locations	O
in	O
a	O
city	O
,	O
including	O
his	O
home	O
,	O
the	O
boxing	B-Application
gym	O
,	O
stores	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
work	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
boxer	B-Application
character	O
has	O
three	O
primary	O
attributes	O
that	O
contribute	O
towards	O
his	O
skill	O
in	O
boxing	B-Application
and	O
how	O
other	O
boxers	O
are	O
compared	O
:	O
strength	O
,	O
agility	O
,	O
and	O
stamina	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
lesser	O
attributes	O
can	O
be	O
regained	O
through	O
eating	O
,	O
sleeping	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
events	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
main	O
boxing	B-Application
attributes	O
will	O
slowly	O
degrade	O
with	O
game	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
boxer	B-Application
will	O
gain	O
friends	O
or	O
other	O
associates	O
over	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
which	O
will	O
help	O
also	O
lead	O
the	O
character	O
towards	O
resolving	O
the	O
mystery	O
of	O
his	O
father	O
's	O
murder	O
,	O
perform	O
new	O
activities	O
to	O
help	O
raise	O
the	O
primary	O
attributes	O
,	O
or	O
aid	O
in	O
boosting	O
the	O
lesser	O
attributes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
many	O
activities	O
require	O
in-game	O
money	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
earns	O
through	O
performing	O
work	O
or	O
by	O
winning	O
boxing	B-Application
matches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
determine	O
how	O
to	O
balance	O
the	O
character	O
's	O
activities	O
with	O
the	O
limited	O
in-game	O
time	O
to	O
maintain	O
sufficiently	O
high	O
boxing	B-Application
attributes	O
as	O
to	O
advance	O
up	O
in	O
the	O
boxing	B-Application
ranks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
player	O
opts	O
to	O
send	O
the	O
character	O
into	O
a	O
fight	O
,	O
or	O
when	O
the	O
character	O
is	O
forced	O
to	O
fight	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
then	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
equip	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
with	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
boxing	B-Application
skills	O
that	O
they	O
have	O
learned	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
including	O
punches	O
,	O
kicks	O
,	O
and	O
blocks	O
;	O
these	O
skills	O
can	O
be	O
swapped	O
out	O
between	O
boxing	B-Application
rounds	O
and	O
these	O
kicks	O
and	O
punches	O
crushes	O
enemy	O
stamina	O
and	O
help	O
occupy	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
slots	O
,	O
which	O
brings	O
in	O
a	O
smart	O
,	O
simple	O
and	O
strategic	O
layer	O
to	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
health	O
of	O
the	O
opponent	O
to	O
zero	O
before	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
is	O
reduced	O
,	O
or	O
before	O
twenty	O
rounds	O
are	O
completed	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
a	O
decision	O
is	O
made	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
to	O
who	O
won	O
the	O
match	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
itself	O
is	O
written	O
with	O
numerous	O
references	O
to	O
80s	O
and	O
90s	O
fighting	O
movies	O
,	O
including	O
references	O
to	O
the	O
Rocky	O
films	O
,	O
Fight	B-Application
Club	I-Application
,	O
Teenage	B-Application
Mutant	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
Turtles	I-Application
,	O
and	O
other	O
works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
childhood	O
,	O
his	O
father	O
was	O
murdered	O
by	O
an	O
unidentified	O
gunman	O
wearing	O
a	O
trench	O
coat	O
in	O
an	O
alley	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
orphaned	O
boxer	B-Application
is	O
adopted	O
by	O
a	O
police	O
officer	O
named	O
Frank	O
until	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
hits	O
adulthood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
attempting	O
to	O
look	O
for	O
work	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
gets	O
beaten	O
in	O
a	O
street	O
fight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Witnessing	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
potential	O
,	O
an	O
old	O
man	O
named	O
Mick	O
approaches	O
him	O
and	O
guides	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
into	O
training	O
at	O
a	O
local	O
gym	O
owned	O
by	O
Silver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
boxer	B-Application
undergoes	O
training	O
and	O
participates	O
in	O
a	O
minor	O
boxing	B-Application
league	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
underground	O
fight	B-Application
club	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
participating	O
in	O
the	O
matches	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
in	O
the	O
trench	O
coat	O
,	O
identified	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
man	O
in	O
black	O
"	O
was	O
briefly	O
seen	O
by	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
owner	O
of	O
the	O
underground	O
fight	B-Application
club	I-Application
explains	O
to	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
that	O
the	O
man	O
in	O
black	O
is	O
looking	O
for	O
the	O
best	O
fighters	O
to	O
compete	O
in	O
a	O
tournament	O
on	O
a	O
remote	O
island	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
actions	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
can	O
follow	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
two	O
paths	O
:	O
One	O
is	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
a	O
boxing	B-Application
championship	O
tournament	O
to	O
gain	O
a	O
professional	O
fighting	O
card	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
fully	O
complete	O
the	O
underground	O
fighting	O
circuit	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
curry	O
favor	O
for	O
a	O
local	O
crime	O
boss	O
named	O
Don	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
completed	O
the	O
championship	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
sustains	O
an	O
injury	O
,	O
prompting	O
fellow	O
competitor	O
Roy	O
Jackson	O
to	O
fight	O
in	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Roy	O
is	O
killed	O
while	O
fighting	O
a	O
Russian	O
fighter	O
,	O
prompting	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
to	O
fight	O
in	O
Russia	O
after	O
recovering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
completed	O
the	O
underground	O
ring	O
,	O
he	O
is	O
incarcerated	O
after	O
a	O
failed	O
black	O
market	O
deal	O
,	O
and	O
fights	O
for	O
his	O
release	O
after	O
participating	O
in	O
prison	O
fights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regardless	O
of	O
the	O
path	O
taken	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
learns	O
from	O
a	O
friend	O
of	O
Mick	O
's	O
that	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
father	O
was	O
in	O
possession	O
of	O
a	O
medallion	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
father	O
had	O
split	O
it	O
into	O
two	O
halves	O
with	O
disastrous	O
consequences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
completing	O
the	O
fight	O
in	O
Russia	O
or	O
the	O
prison	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
builds	O
up	O
his	O
reputation	O
as	O
a	O
fighter	O
by	O
either	O
working	O
under	O
Din	O
Kong	O
as	O
a	O
professional	O
boxer	B-Application
,	O
or	O
as	O
an	O
enforcer	O
for	O
Don	O
's	O
criminal	O
organization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
beating	O
the	O
champions	O
of	O
the	O
respective	O
path	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
is	O
invited	O
to	O
the	O
man	O
in	O
black	O
's	O
island	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
final	O
fighter	O
determined	O
by	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
chosen	O
path	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
professional	O
fighter	O
route	O
is	O
taken	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
fights	O
the	O
underground	O
fight	B-Application
club	I-Application
owner	O
,	O
revealed	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
brother	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
working	O
under	O
Don	O
's	O
wing	O
was	O
taken	O
,	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
fights	O
a	O
blue-colored	O
ninja	O
(	O
as	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
Sub-Zero	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
beating	O
the	O
final	O
fighter	O
,	O
the	O
man	O
in	O
black	O
reveals	O
himself	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
boxer	B-Application
's	O
father	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
ends	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Russia-based	O
,	O
three-person	O
Lazy	O
Bear	O
Studios	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
VHS	B-Application
Story	I-Application
,	O
which	O
stood	O
for	O
Video	O
Hero	O
Super	O
Story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sviatoslav	O
Cherkasov	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
said	O
that	O
their	O
whole	O
team	O
,	O
in	O
2015	O
,	O
were	O
around	O
thirty	O
years	O
old	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
grown	O
up	O
around	O
Nintendo	O
Entertainment	O
System	O
and	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Genesis	I-Operating_System
titles	O
,	O
cartoons	O
like	O
Teenage	B-Application
Mutant	I-Application
Ninja	I-Application
Turtles	I-Application
,	O
and	O
action	O
movies	O
of	O
the	O
80s	O
and	O
90s	O
distributed	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
on	O
VHS	O
tapes	O
from	O
stars	O
like	O
Arnold	O
Schwarzenegger	O
,	O
Sylvester	O
Stallone	O
,	O
and	O
Jean-Claude	O
Van	O
Damme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
fans	O
of	O
strategy	O
games	O
,	O
they	O
sought	O
to	O
combine	O
these	O
features	O
,	O
coming	O
up	O
with	O
what	O
they	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
Street	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
manager	O
,	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
Rocky	O
movies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
fighting	O
portion	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
studio	O
found	O
that	O
having	O
the	O
player	O
lack	O
direct	O
control	O
of	O
their	O
boxer	B-Application
fit	O
well	O
with	O
their	O
tycoon	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
selection	O
of	O
moves	O
made	O
it	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
strategy	O
required	O
for	O
collectible	O
card	O
games	O
,	O
giving	O
the	O
player	O
ways	O
to	O
adjust	O
their	O
strategy	O
based	O
on	O
how	O
well	O
their	O
boxer	B-Application
matched	O
with	O
a	O
competitor	O
even	O
during	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
a	O
fight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
lacked	O
interaction	O
during	O
the	O
boxing	B-Application
rounds	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
will	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
watch	O
the	O
fight	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
believed	O
was	O
more	O
entertaining	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
entered	O
its	O
alpha	O
release	O
in	O
December	O
2014	O
,	O
with	O
original	O
plans	O
to	O
release	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
potential	O
for	O
other	O
platforms	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
cross-platform	O
Unity	B-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
help	O
fund	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
looked	O
to	O
spur	O
pre-release	O
sales	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
other	O
funding	O
sources	O
,	O
and	O
used	O
Steam	B-Application
's	O
Greenlight	O
feature	O
to	O
gauge	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Greenlight	O
process	O
in	O
January	O
2015	O
successfully	O
approved	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
within	O
five	O
days	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
fastest	O
Greenlit	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
2015	O
,	O
tinyBuild	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
helping	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
now	O
titled	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
,	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
mobile	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Twitch	O
Plays	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
"	O
event	O
was	O
started	O
on	O
January	O
7	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
promising	O
viewers	O
that	O
once	O
they	O
completed	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
they	O
would	O
release	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
or	O
otherwise	O
release	O
the	O
title	O
on	O
January	O
25	O
,	O
2016	O
regardless	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
tinyBuild	O
's	O
Netherlands	O
studio	O
helped	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
which	O
were	O
released	O
on	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
currently	O
has	O
a	O
Metacritic	O
aggregate	O
score	O
of	O
73/100	O
from	O
30	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
March	O
2016	O
,	O
Alex	O
Nichiporchik	O
of	O
tinyBuild	O
who	O
published	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
,	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
300,000	O
copies	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
have	O
reported	O
piracy	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
exceeding	O
1.6	O
million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
disputed	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
controversy	O
on	O
the	O
legitimacy	O
of	O
key-reselling	O
by	O
the	O
online	O
store	O
G2A	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2023	O
,	O
a	O
sequel	O
was	O
announced	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
Punch	B-Application
Club	I-Application
2	O
:	O
Fast	O
Forward	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
set	O
for	O
a	O
2023	O
release	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
.	O
</s>
