Gaming Meme History: Falcon Punch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Super Smash Bros for Wii U.

 

Falcon... PUNCH!!!

Hi, have you played Super Smash Bros.? If yes, you must be familiar with this meme. As the name said, this meme is about Captain Falcon. Want to know more about this? Please read...

 

Description

The move consists of Captain Falcon throwing a powerful punch, with his fist engulfed in flames shaped like a falcon. It is one of the most powerful moves in all four Super Smash Bros. games, with the highest knockback of any of Falcon's attacks (including charged smashes). This move is one of the few attacks in the game that is more powerful than the Home-Run Bat at high damages (and since Captain Falcon's home-run attack has an upward trajectory in Melee, it is always more useful), and thus players use it in Captain Falcon's world record Home-Run Contest strategies. However, the Falcon Punch is very slow. It is also very noisy, especially since Captain Falcon has to announce it with a "Falcon...PUNCH!" every time he uses it, making it even more predictable.

 

Origin

The move originated in the Super Smash Bros. series and is generally considered part of the SSB universe. However, after SSB's release, Captain Falcon famously performed a Falcon Punch in the F-Zero animated series, F-Zero: GP Legend, where he uses it to defeat Black Shadow.(see below)

 It has become quite memetic, as the clip makes it appear that the Falcon Punch causes an explosion that can be seen from space, when in reality, Captain Falcon is merely using the Falcon Punch to prevent Black Shadow from escaping said explosion. The meme also involves Falcon Punch imitations of some sort, with voice clips inserted (though special effects are not necessary). This is reinforced in a Subspace Emissary cutscene, when Captain Falcon performs a Falcon Punch on a giant R.O.B. in a very similar fashion to the clip from the animated series. The meme has crossed all the way back to Super Smash Bros. and is referenced in Captain Falcon's codec with Snake.

As a testament to the move's popularity, it seems to have come full circle and crossed back over into F-Zero canon: it is mentioned in F-Zero GX's ending song, specifically in the line "When a mighty illusion threatens your lunch / Falcon will be unleashing the Falcon Punch."

 

Source: SmashWiki