Soda Popinski made his first appearance in the arcade as the 'Champion of the USSR' in the 1984 game Super Punch-Out!!; although back then he was formally known under the less family-friendly name of Vodka Drunkenski. He was re-christened 'Soda Popinski' to avoid feeding the stereotype that Russians are all drunks. Interestingly, despite having his named changed, some of his quotes suggest that he in fact has been drinking alcohol.

"I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!"
"I'm going to make you feel punch drunk!"
"I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!"
"After you lose, we'll drink to your health! Ha, ha, ha!"
"Would you like some punch to drink? Ha, ha, ha!"






The intro theme played at the beginning of the bout is a stanza from "The Volga Boatmen's Song", a well-known traditional Russian folk song. The song was inspired by a famous painting by Ilya Yefimovich Repin. It depicts the suffering and misery of the people who hauled barges and other vessels down dry or shallow waterways in old Tsarist Russia.