History Main / RocketPunch

[- [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeMXV2zdZ18 Click to watch]]-] ]]

* Kurtis, whether in human (cyborg) or Prinny form, has at least one variant of this as an attack in each of his appearances throughout the ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea}}'' series. He also yells it out in 3 and 4, though only with the Japanese audio on.

** ''{{Gaiking}}: The Legend of Daikyuu Maryuu''. The 2005 revival includes a playful subversion: Daiya uses the "Puncher Grind" in his second fight only to find the fist isn't equipped to return on its own, and he has to recover it manually or by using Gaiking's Zector Hooks. In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsK'', Daiya only uses the Hooks for a Dynamic Kill where he retrieves the fist, then punches the enemy with it and immediately fires it again.
*** [[spoiler:And one of the greatest upgrades the super-powered combined form Gaiking the Great gets? Rockets built into the arm to bring it back. He of course uses this to beat up and embarrass Proist during the initial fight.]]

* In the second season of ''CodeGeass'', Kallen's new and improved [[SuperPrototype Guren SEITEN]] is upgraded to fire its radiation wave arm at enemies while still remaining connected to the mecha through a cable.
** In the first episode, Kallen's Glasgow takes critical damage to one of its arms and she attempts a Rocket Punch by weaponizing the system that automatically purges useless limbs. Sadly, it doesn't work.
** ''Geass'' also has the slash harkens, bladed projectiles on wires that are equipped on practically every Knightmare Frame. The ones that get closest to being Rocket Punches are all incarnations of the Lancelot (mounted in its arm shields), Gawain and Galahad (all ten fingers) and the Shen-Hu (mounted in the forearms and explicitly based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rope_dart rope dart]]).

* Lady X uses this as a FinishingMove in ''VideoGame/RumbleRoses'', but it doesn't look nearly as cool as you'd think.

* The MEC Trooper from the "Enemy Within" expansion to ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' has a "Kinetic Strike" module as an optional weapon. As a backup melee weapon, it's highly effective, especially against its Alien counterpart, the Mechtoid.

** ''{{Gaiking}}: The Legend of Daikyuu Maryuu''. The 2005 revival includes a playful subversion: Daiya uses the "Puncher Grind" in his second fight only to find the fist isn't equipped to return on its own, and he has to recover it manually or by using Gaiking's Zector Hooks. In ''SuperRobotWarsK'', Daiya only uses the Hooks for a Dynamic Kill where he retrieves the fist, then punches the enemy with it and immediately fires it again.

* The Grungust series of mechs in ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation'' have the BOOST KNUCKLE ability, which launches their entire forearm at an enemy like a missile. It returns afterwards. The Type-3 Grungusts combine tropes with ThisIsADrill in the form of the Drill Boost Knuckle, as does the Thrudgelmir.

** The Garmraid from ''SuperRobotWarsMX'' attaches it's shoulder guard to it's fist before launching it. The guard then opens up, revealing MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily.
** The Coustwell from ''SuperRobotWarsJ'' launches fists made of HardLight. Its upgraded form Brachium makes copies of itself to fire three huge ones.

** A Mechanical Beast -Dian N4- was equipped with a Rocket Punch variant. Dian used its oversized, flying hands to grab, crush and lift things, or to deflect enemy fire.

* KamenRiderFourze has his Rider Rocket Punch, performed while equipped with the Rocket Module that covers his right arm; unlike the classic example, however, it's just a jet-propelled punch.

* KamenRiderOOO can launch the forearms of his Gorilla Medal-powered arms at enemies, making them a rocketless Rocket Punch.

* Series/{{Ultraman}}-ripoff {{Inframan}} receives a new weapon called "Thunderball Fists" before the final confrontation in his self-titled film. Two guesses what they do. Strangely, the original Ultraman didn't have a rocket punch, and isn't exactly a robot either.

* {{Ultraman}}-ripoff ''{{Inframan}}'' receives a new weapon called "Thunderball Fists" before the final confrontation in his self-titled film. Two guesses what they do. Strangely, the original Ultraman didn't have a rocket punch, and isn't exactly a robot either.

-->--'''President Michael Wilson''', ''MetalWolfChaos''

* The page quote comes from a ''literal'' RocketPunch in ''VideoGame/MetalWolfChaos'', where the main character grabs a single missile out of a MacrossMissileMassacre, and ''punches his enemy in the face with it''.

* Jedah, everyone's favorite [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} self-harming vampire,]] not only fires his arms off in bloody geysers, but also his fingers and his ''goddamned head''

* Lady X uses this as a FinishingMove in ''Rumble Roses'', but it doesn't look nearly as cool as you'd think.

* ''Persona3's'' [[RobotGirl Aigis]] has this as one of her weapons. By the time you get it, however, it's usually outclassed.
* Aschen Broedel, the Lamia {{expy}} from ''Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Wars OG Saga'', has a wired rocket punch, which is generally [[CallingYourAttacks announced]] by her GenkiGirl "released" personality: "Aschen PUNCH!"
* Area, a MadScientist (even though she looks more like the daughter) from the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' '[=EX=] games has something similar. Instead of launching her arm, she wields a huge mechanical gauntlet (named 'Cancer' for some reason). Some of her attacks feature it launching in various manners. Her most powerful attack fires it off and then detonates it; while the move does excellent damage, you then lose the gauntlet for the rest of the match, which basically kills her offense.
* Several weapons from the ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' series give the Blue Bomber the ability to do this, starting with ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'''s Hard Knuckle.
** ''V'' (Game Boy) replaced the usual Mega Buster with this as its charged attack. Megs can also do this in ''6'' with the Rush Power Adapter.

** UnbuiltTrope: The Mazinger's design also kept in mind several things later shows neglected: the mechanisms of launching AND retrieval were clearly visible, Mazinger was built to be able to use any of its weapons even though it was missing its arms (hence, Kouji was not hindered when a {{Robeast}} picked, disabled or shattered the Mazinger's fists, which happened so often like you would expect), and Prof. Yumi ensured there always was at least a pair of Mazinger's spare fists in the Institute to launch at Mazinger in case of Kouji needed them urgently.
** DeconstructedTrope: Ironically, the Trope Maker series also deconstructed the trope. In one episode, Boss cajoles Prof. Yumi's assistants to build him his own HumongousMecha (Boss Borot)... using junk. When he ''eagerly'' asked if Boss Borot will have a RocketPunch, Prof. Morimori's answer was: "Are you out of your mind? Your robot is made of SCRAP METAL. The fist would shatter upon impact."

** ''Manga/MazingerAngels'': The {{Fem Bot}}s of Sayaka and her team combine their TorpedoTits attacks with the RocketPunch of the series where the characters piloting them were born (Sayaka's Aphrodite combines its Oppai Missiles with Iron Cutter, and so on). Minerva-X is the exception, wielding a regular RocketPunch.

* ''Anime/TheBigO'': Big Fau uses its entire ''forearms'' as missiles in the GrandFinale. Since the MegaDeus robots in Big O have forearms that are about as big as their torso, this would seem like a more formidable attack than the typical super robot's. Fortunately, since it's piloted by the BigBad, it fails, resulting in it being literally 'disarmed'. Big O [[AvertedTrope averts this]] with its piston punch, though, which is as RocketPunch-y as you can get without actually being a Rocket Punch.

* ''{{Compiler}}'': In one story of this manga from KiaAsamiya, appears a humanoid robot is a blatant ShoutOut to ''Anime/MazingerZ''. It has ALL its weapons (EyeBeams, ChestBlaster, missiles stored inside its midsection...), including a RocketPunch ([[AffectionateParody and even a Rocket Boot]]).
* ''Anime/DaiGuard'' pays homage to the idea in one fight by having its robot team pick up and hurl their robot's disconnected arm like a javelin. Since Akagi is an AscendedFanboy has wanted to pilot a Humongous Mecha his entire life, to the point of taking an otherwise useless college course to learn how to do it and spending years in a dead-end job just to be around the only one in existence, it is unsurprising he came up with the idea.

* ''Manga/DragonHalf'': One of the robots built by Rogue Fin -BigBad elder son- is equiped with one. Parodied because the robot is so incompetently built that [[CallingYourAttacks it screams "Rocket Punch!"]] and shoots its head instead.

** ''{{Gaiking}}: The Legend of Daikyuu Maryuu''. The 2005 revival includes a playful subversion: Daiya uses Puncher Grind in his second fight only to find the fist isn't equipped to return on its own, and he has to recover it manually or using Zector Hooks. In ''SuperRobotWarsK'', Daiya only uses the Hooks for a Dynamic Kill where he retrieves the fist, then punches the enemy with it and immediately fires it again.
*** [[spoiler:And then one of the greatest upgrades the super-powered combined form Gaiking the Great gets? Rockets built into the Counter Punch to bring it back. He of course uses this to beat up and embarrass Proist during the initial fight.]]
* ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'': BROKEN MAGNUM was a combination of this trope and [[ThisIsADrill the other most notable Super Robot Weapon]], due to the high-RPM spinning of the fist. In GaoGaiGar's case, the fist pilots itself back to the main arm.

* ''Manga/GetterRobo'': Neo GetterRobo has the "Chain Knuckle", which as the name suggests, is a RocketPunch on a chain; inspired by Getter Robo Go, which had a normal RocketPunch.

* Parodied in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. In the segment of ''Teach Me, Miss Litchi!'', Kokonoe installed a RocketPunch in Iron Tager (it's not part of his actual moveset). However, she's not satisfied with the result and was thinking to move it somewhere else. Maybe on his chest... or his -- '''[[ThisTropeIsBleep GIGANTIC]] [[FreudWasRight TAGER!!!!]]'''

* ''Film/PacificRim'':
** The American Jaeger (Gipsy Danger) literally has a giant thruster in its elbow, and it's shown in the trailer for one HELL of a sucker punch.
** The Russian Jaeger (Cherno Alpha) has Tesla-coil infused fists that give it ''electro-punches''.

* ''KamenRiderFourze'' has the titular character [and a female copy, Kamen Rider Nadeshiko] able to conjure a large, orange rocket [similar to the type used to launch shuttles into orbit] around his forearm. It doesn't fire off, though, but he does punch with it.
** ''KamenRiderOOO'' doesn't use literal rockets, but can fire the fists of any form using the gorilla-medal arms to the same effect.

* As a love letter to {{Kaiju}} and HumongousMecha films, ''PacificRim'' naturally features a Rocket Punch as a money shot in its trailer.

* ''SuperRobotWars'', in addition to pretty much all of the above, also features many original mecha with rocket punches, such as the Grungust series and its Boost Knuckle.
** The Type-3 Grungusts combine tropes with ThisIsADrill in the form of the Drill Boost Knuckle, as does the Thrudgelmir. [=KoRyuOh=], having been made from Kusuha and Bullet's Type-3, also sports a Rocket Punch in the form of the Tiger Knuckle.
** Or Soulgain's [[strike:Rocket Soul Punch]] [[TheFourGods Genbu Goudan]]

* The OVA ''Z-Mind'' had a variation where the title mecha created a wormhole which it punched through. Ion-shooting arm at the enemy, while still connected to the Guren through a cable.[[/folder]]

* The Grungust series of mechs in ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation'' have the BOOST KNUCKLE ability, which launches their entire forearm at an enemy like a missile. It returns afterwards.

[[caption-width-right:350:Or, if you're watching the TropeMaker, "[[GratuitousEnglish ROKETTO PANCHI!]]" [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeMXV2zdZ18 Click here to actually watch]]]]

** Not to be confused with ''Anime/VoltesV'''s own Chain Knuckle, which swaps the fist out for a nasty-looking mace.

** ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'': Camille gets his own Rocket Punch [[http://www.dra-mata.com/manga/4koma/old/a2-35.jpg in]] [[http://www.dra-mata.com/manga/4koma/old/a2-36.jpg these]] ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' {{Yonkoma}} strips. Of course, ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Amuro]], ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Judau]]'' and other mobile suit pilots instantly plead him equipping their mobile suits with them.

* One of Vash's opponents in an early episode of ''Trigun'' has a rocket punch attack: Gofsef Nebraska, a 23 feels-tall cyborg mutant whose dad rides on his shoulder. His fist has a retractable cord, enabling him to bring it back and shoot it repeatedly. Vash takes it all in stride, though. He taunts the brute after one attack by scrawling graffiti onto the fist. He then proves his dominance by deflecting the fist in mid-flight by firing five precise shots at it.

[[caption-width-right:350:Or, if you're watching the TropeMaker, "[[GratuitousEnglish ROKETTO PANCHI!]]"]]