(Happiness is fleeting.) (You got a Punch Card.)

Text upon retrieving a Punch Card from the box

The Punch Card is an item obtainable when buying Nice Cream from the Nice Cream Guy in Waterfall. It appears to be an index card with a hole punched in it, begging the protagonist to come back and buy more Nice Cream. If the Tough Glove is equipped, using the Punch Card in battle allows the protagonist to deal more damage. However, each Punch Card used in battle after the first gives less and less AT. Three Punch Cards can also be redeemed for a Nice Cream.

It can still be obtained in Waterfall while on the Genocide Route.^[1]

Flavor Text

• (It's a box for storing Punch Cards.) (It's empty right now.) [No Punch Cards in the box]
• [1–2 Punch Cards in the box]
  • (The box contains <number> cards.)
  • (Take a card?)
    • (You got a Punch Card.) [Take]
• [3–4 Punch Cards in the box]
  • (Two bugs in the box are playing a <number>-card game.)
  • (Take a card?)
    • (All games must end one day.) (You got a Punch Card.) [Take]
• [5–6 Punch Cards in the box]
  • (There's a smiley face made of <number> cards in the box.)
  • (Take a card?)
    • (Happiness is fleeting.) (You got a Punch Card.) [Take]
• [7–12 Punch Cards in the box]
  • (A house made of <number> cards sits in the box.)
  • (Take a card?)
    • (The house collapses.) (You got a Punch Card.) [Take]
• [13 or more Punch Cards in the box]
  • (The box is overstuffed with cards.)
  • (Take a card?)
    • (You got a Punch Card.) [Take]
• (You're carrying too much.) [Full inventory]

Trivia

• There is a glitch called the "Punch Card Exploit" or "PCE" that allows the protagonist to walk during cutscenes. It also allows them to launch "out of bounds" if used on the trigger of a steam vent in Hotland, and skip Muffet's battle and Mettaton's interactions. It can also be used to transport the protagonist into the default position in a room.
  • Various use cases of the Punch Card Exploit are more difficult or impossible on different versions due to changes in the way inputs are handled.
• Since the Punch Card can be sold for up to 21G, the protagonist can buy a Nice Cream by selling only one or two Punch Cards.
• The AT bonus given by the Punch Cards does not persist upon switching to a different weapon.
• The cry in the Use text might be a reference to JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, as Jotaro Kujo's Stand, Star Platinum, often cries "ORA ORA ORA!" while rapidly punching.
  • The fact that the Punch Card is used with the Tough Glove makes this more likely.

References