The Wii has been drowned in a deluge of poor quality titles but this revival of the Punch-Out!! Franchise bucks the trend. It features beautiful cartoon visuals, terrific animations and characters and some fast, enjoyable gameplay.
The original Punch-Out Game was an arcade release and Nintendo later developed versions for their consoles. The first one for the NES was Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Needless to say his name is unlikely to ever grace another game and he is absent from the Wii version. It was followed by Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES and then there was a break of fifteen years until now. Get ready for a beating down memory lane as Little Mac comes out of retirement to undertake his bid for the title under your control.
The gameplay in Punch-Out!! is like a caricatured version of what you may remember from the original. Each boxer you face represents a distinct challenge. They each have their own timing, special moves and a unique rhythm that you have to discern in order to beat them. Keep a vigilant eye out for the opening and make sure you strike when you get the chance. You’ll need to defeat each opponent by knock out or decision if you want to go the distance.
The basic progression in Punch-Out!! is still there but developers, Next Level Games, have added more content. You start out on the Minor Circuit and have to fight your way through the Majors to the World Title. Things don’t end there though and you’ll be expected to defend your crown from various challengers. The Title Defense mode kicks things into overdrive just when you thought you’d made it and previously defeated opponents return faster and stronger than before.
The attempt to introduce special Wii controls is there and you can throw punches and use the Balance Board for ducking and dodging. There is no doubt that the original NES style controls are easier to handle and you may prefer to switch to them. You’ll also get knackered throwing punches and dodging around your living room. The controls are simple and very easy to pick up but they offer satisfying gameplay with some depth.
There is also an Exhibition mode in Punch-Out!! and defeated fighters are unlocked in here. You can take on various challenges which give a specific focus. You may have to get a knock down three times or defeat an opponent in under a minute. These additional challenges add replay value and successfully completing them unlocks more content.