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Glass Joe is a recurring boxer in the Punch-Out!! series. He is the first boxer to defeat in every version of Punch-Out!! he's in. Nicknamed "France's Glass Jaw", he is notable for having weak offense and defense in all of his appearances in order to help beginner players learn how to play the game. His signature move is his "Vive la France!" taunt punch. His theme in all of his appearances is La Marseillaise, the national anthem of France.

Appearances

Punch-Out!! (arcade)

Glass Joe

Glass Joe first appeared as the first opponent in the 1984 arcade game. He serves as a tutorial for beginning players, attacking very rarely and almost never dodging the player's punches. His attacks are extremely slow, he has very poor defensive skills, and he has no unique punch like everyone else in the game. His palette swap is Kid Quick, who also lacks a unique attack.

After defeating Mr. Sandman and becoming the WVBA World Champion, Glass Joe and every other boxer will now become Top Ranked and will have new attacks as well as a new outfit.

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!/Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (1987 & 1990)

Glassjoe1

Glass Joe made his next appearance in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! in 1987 as the very first opponent in the Minor Circuit. He is still extremely weak and has very poor defense. When he goes back to execute his Taunt Punch, the follow-up hook is very weak and if he is punched before returning to the center, he'll be knocked down no matter how much health he has left. He is mostly in the game for players to learn how to use punches and avoid attacks. His palette swap is Don Flamenco.

Attacks:

  • Right Hook: Winds up to Little Mac's left before following through with a right hook. Can be dodged, ducked, blocked or countered precisely with a left jab for a star (sometimes). His right hook is extremely weak, dealing only about 1/9 of Mac's health. It takes 9 right hooks to knock Little Mac down.
  • Left Jab: Glass Joe opens his mouth, then takes a step back before throwing a jab. Can be dodged, ducked, blocked, or countered precisely with a body blow for a star (sometimes). His jab is also extremely weak, dealing only about 1/9 of Mac's health. It takes 9 left jabs to knock Little Mac down.
  • Body Blow: In the arcade, Glass Joe crouches down before throwing a body blow. Can be dodged or blocked. His body blow is also extremely weak, dealing only about 1/9 of Mac’s health. It takes 9 body blows to knock Little Mac down.
  • Taunt Punch: Steps to the back of the arena and taunts Mac, before stepping back to the center and throwing a hook. Can be countered for a knockdown or knockout, depending on the timing.

Damage (NES):

  • Jab: 11 damage
  • Hook: 11 damage
  • Taunt Punch: 11 damage

Damage (arcade):

  • Jab: 13 damage
  • Hook: 16 damage
  • Body Blow: 16 damage
  • Taunt Punch: Unknown(?)

Stars (all except the last one are not 100%):

  • Counter his Right Hook with a left jab.
  • Counter his Left Jab with a body blow.
  • Punch him 20 times in the first 40 seconds of the fight. You can do this by landing 3 precisely timed left jabs before landing 17 consecutive left body blows. You'll know that you timed the jabs right if he never shifts his guard down to block the left body blows. If done correctly, you'll get a star.

Instant Knockdown:

  • Simply counter his taunt.

Instant Knockout:

  • Counter his taunt on 0:42:00 or 0:42:25. (During the 4 frame window. If you fail this window he will just get up on 1.) If done correctly, He will try to get up twice but fail. Leading to an instant KO.


Punch-Out!! (Wii)

Theme:

Music after Fight:

Contender

Glass Joe makes a returning appearance in Punch-Out!! as the first opponent in the Minor Circuit. In his slideshow, he is shown to be a somewhat nervous Frenchman with a love for croissants, baguettes and coffee. Nonetheless, he is very proud of his nationality, evident by every one of his pictures depicting famous landmarks of the city of Paris, namely the Arc De Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. He now speaks entirely in French.

As in previous appearances, Glass Joe retains his frailness and status as a tutorial fighter for beginners; all his moves are heavily telegraphed, and he can be punched in his neutral stance depending on where he guards, alternating between guarding his upper and lower torso. He does not throw punches until he performs his "Vive la France!" taunt.

If Mac loses to him, Glass Joe will say his name, march around, and show off. If the player wins with a star punch, he will be launched into the air in slow motion while croissants and baguettes fall from the air while saying "Aieeeeeeee..." in pain.

He is voiced by Christian Bernard.

Attacks:

  • Left Jab: Joe takes a step back, prepares to attack, and throws a jab with his left hand. This can be blocked, dodged to any side or ducked to stun him for 7 hits. The player can counter it with a normal punch for a Star, but the timing is slightly strict. At full stamina, it roughly takes ten left jabs to knock Mac down.
  • Right Uppercut: Joe grunts, prepares to attack, and throws a right uppercut. This can be dodged to stun him for 7 hits, but cannot be blocked or ducked. The player can counter it with a left hook for a Star, but the timing is also slightly strict for his uppercut as well. At full stamina, it roughly takes ten right uppercuts to knock Mac down.
  • Taunt: Joe lowers an arm, raises his chin, and laughs at Mac. He always does at the start of a round, and often between matches when knocked down twice in a round. Hit him when he flashes yellow for a star.
  • Vive la France: Glass Joe's signature move; he goes to the back of the mat, does a long taunt while saying "Eh, eh? Vive la France!", goes back to the middle of the mat, and throws a Right Uppercut. Hit him with either a normal punch, a Star Punch or a Two-Star Punch to knock him down in one hit. Hitting him with a Three-Star Punch will OHKO him. If he is not hit, then he will start attacking after this taunt.

Damage:

  • Left Jab: 10 damage
  • Right Uppercut: 10 damage
  • Vive la France: 10 damage
Glass Joe Wii

Glass Joe's Vive La France! in Punch-Out!! (Wii).

Stars:

  • Hit him during his regular taunt.
  • Hit him from the side he comes from while he recovers from an attack.
  • Counter his left jab with a right punch.
  • Counter his right hook with a left punch.
  • Continually attack him for the first 30 seconds of the match without him blocking an attack. This requires the player to alternate hooks and jabs in groups of three (i.e. Left Jab, Right Jab, Left Jab, Right Hook, Left Hook, Right Hook, etc.).

Instant KD Tricks:

  • Hook him as he returns from his Vive la France taunt.

Instant KO Trick:

  • Hit him with a Three-Star Punch as he returns from his Vive la France taunt.
  • Use any level star punch after his second knockdown in the same round.

Infinite:

  • Joe cannot protect both his head and chest simultaneously: which is telegraphed by how he defensively lowers or raises his hands. The combo is very simple; hit him where he is exposed, switch after 3 hits, and continue switching. For example: If Joe blocks his face; hook him 3 times, then jab him three times, and repeat the cycle.

Glitch: There is a glitch that can be performed at the start of the fight by using a specific set of moves against Joe:

  1. Hook him when he taunts.
  2. Hook him before he comes back to the center for another star.
  3. Perform another hook.
  4. Perform three jabs, three hooks, three jabs, then three hooks again
  5. Immediately use the Two-Star Punch to knock him down.

When he gets up, landing any punch before he does the taunt gives Mac a star and knocks him back simultaneously.

There is also one additional glitch:

  • If the player throws an uppercut during a specific time window when Glass Joe begins his taunt, the in-game counter will freeze.

Title Defense Mode

Glass Joe returns in Title Defense to defeat Mac and win the champion's belt. In his slideshow, he is seen with his doctor talking about his frail head. The doctor then gives him a protective headgear, which is allowed by the World Video Boxing Association (WVBA) after suffering 100 losses and blocks all incoming damage to his head.

Aside from his headgear blocking all damage from Mac's jabs, Glass Joe becomes slightly faster and has also learned some fake-out moves. Also, because his headgear will block jabs for him, he only needs to guard his stomach, meaning that his poor between-punches defense has now been fixed. Because of his headgear, damage from a Star Punch will be dramatically reduced (even more so than against most other Title Defense opponents, excluding King Hippo). Fortunately, said Star Punches knock his headgear up into the air, allowing Mac to land a certain number of jabs on him depending on the strength of the Star Punch:

  • One-Star Punch - 6 jabs
  • Two-Star Punch - 10 jabs
  • Three-Star Punch - 13 jabs

At some point, his headgear will shine yellow (two jabs before the limit, such as 4 jabs after a One-Star Punch), giving the player a signal to hook him for a star.

If Mac loses to him, Glass Joe will laugh, run to a ring corner, and joyfully proclaim his victory to the audience.

Attacks:

  • Left Jab: He will take a step back, preparing to attack, and jab Mac. Not very different from his Contender attack, except it is faster and stronger, and the countering timing is stricter. He can also use either hand to punch (his right jab is faster than his left). He will use it when Little Mac's Star Punch is dodged. It can be dodged, ducked under or blocked. At full stamina, it roughly takes seven left jabs to knock Mac down.
  • Right Uppercut: He will grunt, preparing to attack, and strike with a right uppercut. It is evaded by dodging to either side. Not very different from his Contender attack, except it is a bit faster and stronger, and he recovers faster if he misses as well. At full stamina, it roughly takes seven right uppercuts to knock Mac down.
  • Delayed Right Uppercut: A delayed version of the right uppercut. This is his strongest move, and in comparison to his regular right uppercut, it is slightly stronger. The way to tell he is using it is by looking at his head: if it's lowered, he'll use this attack. At full stamina, it roughly takes six delayed right uppercuts to knock Mac down.
  • Quick Attack: He runs around in a flurry and then stops to throw a jab. He performs this attack after being knocked down at least twice. Blocking it lets Mac land more hooks during a stun.
  • Taunt: Different from his Contender version. He taps his helmet while saying one of his two taunt lines, bragging to Mac that he can't jab him. Hook him when he flashes yellow on his vulnerable side (the side where he raises his arm and taps his head) for a star.
  • Vive la France: He will go to the back of the mat, do a long taunt while saying, "Eh, eh? Vive la France!" (Huh, huh? Long live France!), go back to the middle of the mat, and do a right uppercut. Unlike the Contender version, Glass Joe also adjusts his headgear during the taunt, and Mac can only hook him or use a Star Punch to knock him down, and the timing to do it is a bit stricter than his Contender version.
  • Liberté: Similar to the "Vive la France" taunt, he says "Eh? Eh? Liberté!" (Huh? Huh? Liberty!) and he fakes returning to the center once before he throws a very quick punch, making timing even stricter. Instead of a right uppercut, he does a right jab, which is weaker.

Damage:

  • Left Jab: 14.5 damage
  • Right Uppercut: 15.2 damage
  • Delayed Right Uppercut: 19 damage
  • Quick Attack: Unknown(?)
  • Vive la France: 15.2 damage
  • Liberté: 14.5 damage

Stars:

  • Hook him on his vulnerable side (the side where he raises his arm and taps his head) during his taunt.
  • Hook him while he recovers from an attack. (since he has the headgear, he can't be jabbed for this star)
  • Counter his left jab with a right hook.
  • Counter his right jab with a left hook.
  • Counter his right uppercut with a left hook.
  • Counter his delayed right uppercut with a left hook.
  • While his headgear is knocked off, hook him when the headgear turns yellow. In Champion's Mode, the headgear does not turn yellow, so the player must count their jabs.

Instant KD Tricks:

  • Hit him with a hook as he returns from his Vive la France taunt.
  • Hit him with a hook as he returns from his Liberté taunt. Timing is stricter (as he finishes stepping forward a second time).

Instant KO Tricks:

  • Hit him with a Three-Star Punch as he returns from his Vive la France taunt.
  • Hit him with a Three-Star Punch as he returns from his Liberté taunt. Timing is stricter (as he finishes pulling his leg back from faking out returning to the center).
  • Land 50 jabs on him successfully.

Infinite:

  • From the start, do a left hook on his taunt to get a star, then immediately use it to knock his headgear into the air. Either do a four or five-jab combination, hook him with the opposite hand the last jab was used to earn a star, immediately use the star to knock his headgear again, and repeat. If Mac misses a Star Punch or Joe gets knocked down, countering his attacks can give Mac a star to perform the infinite again. This is vital to complete the 50-Jab challenge in Exhibition mode.

Stun Limits:

  • His Jab (if dodged or ducked): 3
  • His Jab (if blocked): 5
  • His Normal Uppercut: 4
  • His Delayed Uppercut: 6

Glitches:

  • In Glass Joe's title defense fight, there is a glitch that makes Glass Joe play two of his audio clips at the same time when Star Punched early into the fight, as seen in this video.

Exhibition Challenges

Contender:

  1. Knock Glass Joe down 3 times and let him win... by decision!
  2. Find the one-punch-knockdown weak spot.
  3. Win the fight without dodging, ducking, or blocking a punch!

Title Defense:

  1. Win the fight and land EVERY punch thrown!
  2. Land 50 jabs...
  3. Defeat Glass Joe in only 4 punches!!!

Rule Infractions

As per the unified rules of boxing established by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combat Sports:

  • His hair goes below his face which is not allowed.
  • In the NES game, during intermission, Glass Joe says he wants to give up and retire. This counts as throwing the match, which is not allowed.
  • In the NES game, during intermission, Glass Joe asks if he has enough time for a nap. This is unsporting and means he is not taking the match seriously.
  • His taunt in the Wii title would earn him an infraction. Taunting or any unsportsmanlike conduct is generally not allowed in boxing. It can result in penalties or warnings from the referee.
  • His "Vive le France" move in the Wii title is not valid and would likely result in a penalty or disqualification. In boxing, fighters are expected to engage in the match according to the rules and maintain a professional and sportsmanlike demeanor.

While his boxing helmet would count as headgear, a normally illegal item (unless Little Mac wears one too), it's under doctor orders (and also the orders of the WVBA, as Little Mac can also receive headgear after losing 100 times), which makes it legal.

Glass Joe has 5 infractions.

Appearances in Super Smash Bros.

GlassJoeTrophy

SSB4 - Glass Joe

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, Glass Joe appears as a trophy. He has two different descriptions depending on the player's console region:

NA: It's either very brave or very silly for a boxer to have a name so close to "glass jaw." When this French boxer takes a serious hit, he'll see croissants instead of stars. To his credit, Glass Joe never gives up—he's lost more bouts than most have fought in, and yet he never surrenders.

PAL: Glass Joe might not sound exactly like 'glass jaw', but you've got to admit, it takes guts to go into the ring with a name that tells everyone your weak point. Knock him out and... it'll rain croissants. Weird things aside, there's one thing you can say about Glass Joe: he's a man who doesn't give up, no matter how many times he loses.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Glass Joe appears as a spirit.

Other Appearances

Glass Joe captain n

Glass Joe's cameo in Captain N: The Game Master

Glass Joe has also appeared as a Hasbro Action Figure, in a Topps trading card series, and on a Punch-Out!! garbage can. He also made a cameo appearance in Captain N: The Game Master in the episode Videolympics, where he is seen fighting against and losing to his own shadow.

Quotes

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!/Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES)

  • "Do I have time to take a nap before the fight?"
  • "Make it quick... I want to retire!"
  • "This is my last match! I'm too old for fighting!"
  • "Watch the jaw!! Don't hit my jaw!"

Punch-Out!! (Wii)

  • "Ha ha." (When you select him in Contender)
  • "Bonjour, bonjour! Je suis Glass Joe! Ha-ha!," meaning "Hello, hello! I am Glass Joe! Ha-ha!" (Contender intro)
  • "Bonjour, bonjour! Ahhh! Heheheh..." meaning "Hello, hello! Ahhh! Heheheh..." (alternate Contender intro)
  • "Eh, eh? Vive la France!" meaning "Hey-hey! Long live France!" (during taunt)
  • "Oh zut!" meaning "Oh damn!" (After being knocked to the side)
  • "Les mains me font mal, les gants boxe sont trop serrés." meaning "My hands hurt, the boxing gloves are too tight." (Contender intermission)
  • "Attention à mon menton! Ne frappe pas mon menton!" meaning "Watch out for my chin! Don't hit my chin!" (Contender intermission)
  • "Ha! Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, KO!" meaning "Ha! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, KO!" (When starting a new round in Contender)
  • "Glass Joe! Aah, aah, ooh..." (When Glass Joe wins in Contender)
  • "AAAHH!!!" (When you use a star punch)
  • "HEY!" (When you use a star punch)
  • "Alors, vous aimez?" meaning "So, do you like it?" (When you select him in Title Defense)
  • "Je viens te chercher!" meaning "I'm coming after you!" (Title Defense intro)
    • After this line, he begins to sing La Marseillaise.
  • "Eh? Eh? Liberté!" meaning "Hey! Hey! Liberty!" (during taunt)
  • "Mon docteur a déclaré que tu es mauvais... pour ma santé." meaning "My doctor said that you are bad... for my health." (Title Defense intermission)
  • "Ma tête est en pleine forme, mais mon estomac est en bouillie..." meaning "My head is in great shape, but my stomach is mush..." (Title Defense intermission)
  • "Oups" meaning "Oops" (When dodging a star punch in Title Defense)
  • "Alors, t'es en forme?" meaning "So, you in good shape?" (Title Defense, adjusting his headgear)
  • "Alors, ça te plait?" meaning "So, do you like it?" (Title Defense, adjusting his headgear)
  • "HA HA, HA! J'AI GAGNÉ!" meaning "HA HA, HA! I WON!" (When Glass Joe wins in Title Defense)

Doc Louis Tips

  • "Dodge! Dodge! Dodge and counter! Dodge and counter!! You got it?"
  • "Whaddya say, Mac baby?! Let's welcome Glass Joe to the Big Apple. Greet this sucka with the Star Punch!"
  • "Savor this moment. Knock Glass Joe into retirement."
  • "Glass Joe!? What kinda name is that? Let's greet this sucka with the Star Punch."
  • "Listen, Mac. If your punches are blocked, you're gonna tire out."
  • "Woowee, Mac baby. Let's give Glass Joe a little respect here, okay? He can always take a whoopin'!"
  • "Alright champ, Glass Joe's trying to fool you with his hooks. Wait for him to punch, and then get out of the way."
  • "Say "Au revoir", Glass Joe's jaw is headed into retirement."
  • "Check it out, son. That headgear is protecting his jaw. There's gotta be a way to knock it off. Find it, Mac!"

Gallery

Trivia

  • His name comes from the boxing term "glass jaw", a vulnerability where a boxer can easily be knocked out via a hard blow to the chin or jaw.
  • In Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!, the sprites for Glass Joe and Don Flamenco are missing part of their right foot, likely due to size limitations.
  • In August 2013, Mike Tyson played his own game, Mike Tyson's Punch Out!!, for the first time. Ironically, he did not have the gaming experience to even beat Glass Joe.
  • Glass Joe and Gabby Jay share many characteristics:
    • They serve as the first boxer fought in their respective games.
    • They are both from Paris, France.
    • They both weigh in at 110 lbs.
    • They both use the "Taunt Punch" attack.
    • They have the same initials (G.J.)
    • Their names are both 8 letters long, 5 in the first name, 3 in the last name.
    • They are tied for fight experience, each of them having fought 100 bouts.
    • Their records are the same, with a record of 1-99.
  • The Official Nintendo Magazine claims Glass Joe defeated Nick Bruiser in an accident, supported by the fact that he is on the fastest score list. However, Nick Bruiser has an undefeated 42-0 record, although this could be because of Glass Joe's win being accidental, so they didn't give Nick Bruiser a loss in his record, while still giving Glass Joe a win in his record.
  • In Punch-Out!! (Wii), Glass Joe is the only opponent who has a challenge requiring the player to lose the fight.
  • Glass Joe will occasionally stumble during his intro in Contender Mode, cutting off his usual introduction. This intro is more common than the full intro.
  • Much like Von Kaiser, he can be defeated within 30 seconds if using the right methods.
  • Little Mac can obtain a protective headgear similar to Glass Joe's by suffering 100 defeats like Glass Joe did when he got his own. Glass Joe gaining his headgear possibly hints at this being part of the WVBA's regulations. However, Little Mac's headgear diminishes all damage completely as opposed to only negating head damage like Glass Joe's.
    • Glass Joe and Little Mac are the only characters who can receive headgear during the course of the game.
    • This also makes Glass Joe one of two opponents in to utilize a gameplay mechanic usable by the player, the other being Doc Louis for his use of the Star Punch.
  • Glass Joe can be knocked down up to 5 times in both Contender mode and Title Defense, unlike higher-ranked fighters in the Minor Circuit (except for King Hippo, as he'll be defeated once after getting knocked down), who can only get knocked down 4-6 times in Contender mode, then 5-6 times in Title Defense depending on their set knockdown limit.
  • At full health, without ever finishing a stun or countering, he can take up to 34 punches.
  • He is the boxer with the most total fights played, being 100.
  • He makes a cameo appearance on a painting in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), alongside Little Mac, Doc Louis, and Bear Hugger.

Navigation

Punch-Out!! characters
Punch-Out!! (1984) Challenger · Glass Joe · Piston Hurricane · Bald Bull · Kid Quick · Pizza Pasta · Mr. Sandman
Super Punch-Out!! (1985) Challenger · Bear Hugger · Dragon Chan · Vodka Drunkenski · Great Tiger · Super Macho Man
Arm Wrestling Challenger · Texas Mac · Kabuki · Mask X · Alice & Ape III · Frank Jr.
Punch-Out!! (1987) Little Mac · Doc Louis · Glass Joe · Von Kaiser · Piston Honda · Don Flamenco · King Hippo · Great Tiger · Bald Bull · Soda Popinski · Mr. Sandman · Super Macho Man · Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream
Super Punch-Out!! (1994) Little Mac · Gabby Jay · Bear Hugger · Piston Hurricane · Bald Bull · Bob Charlie · Dragon Chan · Masked Muscle · Mr. Sandman · Aran Ryan · Heike Kagero · Mad Clown · Super Macho Man · Narcis Prince · Hoy Quarlow · Rick Bruiser · Nick Bruiser
Punch-Out!! (2009) Little Mac · Doc Louis · Glass Joe · Von Kaiser · Disco Kid · King Hippo · Piston Hondo · Bear Hugger · Great Tiger · Don Flamenco · Aran Ryan · Soda Popinski · Bald Bull · Super Macho Man · Mr. Sandman · Donkey Kong
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