Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out!!

I am reviewing the new Wii Punch-Out!!

The revival of the Punch-Out!! series is about as awesome as Family Guy. The original Punch-Out!! came out for the NES in 1984, and it was a great boxing game, with many lovable characters and a super high difficulty. Speaking of super, the sequel, Super Punch-Out!! came out for the SNES back in 1994 and featured new graphics and vibrant colors.

The new Punch-Out!! for the Wii console, is generally the same as the NES original, with a few twists thrown in. It's main selling point is the addition of motion controls, and with a few jabs from the Wiimote or Nunchuck, you'll be flying through the circuits in no time. Of course, in old NES ways, you can set the Wiimote on its' side and play it like a classic controller, using 1 and 2 to deliver punches. You can also play with the Balance Board, but why would anyone want to do that?? Haha

Of course, if this Punch-Out!! is supposed to be "NEW," what's so new about it. Other than the sweet character animations and graphics, which by the way are fantastic, this new game features star punches, which Little Mac receives by jabbing the opponent and the right time (or when they flash red, you have to be quick!!). You can get up to 3 at once, and the more you have, the more devastating the uppercut will be. Once you get hit, though, you lose all the stars you've collected. Another new addition is the inclusion of Disco Kid, a new fighter from New York who seems a little.........off (*cough* gay *cough*). He is included, along with 12 other characters from the original NES and SNES titles, and they couldn't be better represented.

So what makes this new Punch-Out!! for the Wii so great? Well, other than vibrant graphics, and new and old elements, the other fantastic thing that made the original so great, is it's high difficulty level. You'd think Nintendo would tone it down so your 70 year old grandma, or 5 year old son could play without frustration. NO! This game is definitely one of the most difficult Wii games out there, and hardcore gamers will be in for a treat.

Luckily, with that being said, I went through the 3 circuits hoping they would be a cinch and I was beaten senseless countless times after Bear Hugger. ROFL. Luckily, Doc Louis, you're trainer, who gives you funny advice, sets up holograms for you to practice on, without screwing up your record.

The game consists of 3 main modes. Career, which has you advance through the Circuits as Little Mac, and eventually claim the Champion Belt. However, after that, you have to battle every opponent once more, this times with new moves and costumes. This was a very welcome addition for me. Another mode is exhibition, where you can face-off against any opponent you choose. Also, every opponent has a set of 3 challenges to complete, which was very cool. The other mode is multiplayer, which I haven't tried yet, though.

Each match consists of 3 rounds and each round is 3 minutes long. You try to TKO or KO your opponent by the last round, or the referee will decide the winner. A TKO is where you knock down your opponent 3 times in one round (wow, 3 is the magic number here). A KO is where the opponent does not get up after a count of 10, or you deliver a one-hit KO punch, which has a cool cinematic ending.

Overall, this is a fantastic revival of a classic series. The only reason it gets a 9.2 is because I would've liked more characters. And, other developers, if you're looking for a way to revive classic games, take a look at Punch-Out!! Wii.

Pros:
Great Revival
Beautiful Graphics
Neat Controls

Cons:
Not Enough Characters

Overall - 9.2/10