Soda appeared as Vodka Drunkenski in Super Punch-Out!! as the third opponent. He is fought very similiar to Super Macho Man, except that his speed and reflexes was higher (at the expense of lower attacking power) and utilized a special punching move called 'Drunken Punch'. he also uses hooks against the player very often but doesn't have any kind of uppercut He's a lot tougher than the two previous opponents and has really high defense but he rarely blocks the player's punches. He'll use a lot of attacks which are hard to avoid and that makes him one of the hardest opponents in the game.
When vodka appeared in this game, he was probably serving an even more offensive role than he did in any other punch-out game he was in, not only because his name suggested alchoholism but because he was never seen doing anything that involved soda or vodka, which can send a message that he is an alchoholic merely because he is Russian.
He winks when he knocks the player out.
Vodka made his second appearance in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,though he was renamed "Soda Popinski" in order to avoid the stereotype that Russians are all drunks and to avoid alcoholic references. In the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game Punch-Out!!, Soda is the #4 ranked competitor in the World Circuit. Interestingly, despite removing the alcoholic reference from his original identity from the arcade game Super Punch-Out!!, some of his quotes suggest that he still drinks alcohol, rather than soda. He is known for his infamous laugh, which was also used in the Game Over sequence in Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link. The laugh is also used by Bald Bull and Mr. Sandman.
He can be beaten with basic 'stick and move' tactics, but with his hard hits and great defense, he can be quite a challenge for newer competitors. Popinski throws massive uppercuts, quick hooks, the trotting triple jab and his sporadic jab, which has no warning before it is unleashed.
Soda Popinski returned in Punch-Out for the wii and has been promoted to the #3 contender of the World Circuit. A chance for you to get a Star Punch from him is where he takes out a soda to try and drink it. If you knock it away, it earns a Star Punch, but at the expense of Soda having to use his Soda Fury (Uppercut combo) technique. Soda will also use the Soda Fury when he gets hit by a Star Punch (that doesn't result in a Knockdown) or if he has to get up from a Knockdown drinking a drop of soda he keeps handy at all times (however, when he gets knocked down five times, the soda is completely dry, causing him to be KO'd). After 2 Knockdowns, he changes his jab to a side-stepping jab (identified by when he moves left). Little Mac will get hurt if he tries to dodge both of Soda's jabs (both the standing and the side-stepping jab) at the wrong direction. In his bio, he is shown to have some remnants of Soviet uniforms and to be constantly drinking soda while training. He is voiced by Ihor Mota, who speaks legitimate Russian in the game.
Role in Super Smash Sisters[]
Soda Popinski is a non-playable Russian in SSS. He fights with a strange style of boxing and likes to drink soda. He can also throw a glass soda bottle to damage his opponent. He can also give his personal bottle while giving a cheers in Russian for his ally to heal herself (or himself when fought).