A hidden ‘2-player’ mode in Super Punch-Out!! has been discovered after 28 years

A cheat code has been discovered in SNES game Super Punch-Out!! which enables two players to fight against each other.

The Punch-Out!! series has been almost entirely single-player only, with the exception of the Punch-Out!! Game & Watch and a two-player mode in the Wii remake.

However, Twitter account Unlisted Cheats – which attempts to discover new cheats in retro games – has discovered two new codes for the SNES title Super Punch-Out!!, including one that essentially adds a two-player mode.

Both codes are confirmed to work not only on the original cartridge, but also the SNES app on Nintendo Switch Online and the SNES Classic Edition mini console.

The first cheat allows players to choose any opponent they wish, even those who are locked at the start of the game.

On the title screen, if players hold Y and R on a second controller, then press A or Start on the first controller, they’ll be shown a screen with all 16 opponents to choose from.

From this menu, at the character info screen, if players hold B and Y on the second controller and press A or Start on the first controller, the opponent can now be controlled with the second controller.

It’s likely that these codes were added for bug-testing purposes, allowing QA staff to quickly choose an opponent (instead of having to unlock them), then activate their moves and special abilities at will so they could test that everything worked properly.

The last game in the Punch-Out!! series was the 2009 Wii remake developed by Next Level Games, meaning there hasn’t been a new entry in more than a decade.

The series’ protagonist Little Mac was added as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, and returned again in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.