GENRE
	Boxing/Puzzle
	DEVELOPER
	Next Level Games
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
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Punch-Out!! burst onto the scene more than 20 years ago, with a colorful roster of boxers, a celebrity endorser and hours of fun on the NES. Chances are, if you were born before 1985 you’ve played this game or it’s sequel on SNES. If not, this is your chance to find out what you've been missing. Nintendo's signature boxing series has returned, with an even more colorful cast of boxers and plenty of hours more of enjoyment. It’s a boxing game, a puzzle game and a party game all wrapped up together in one beautiful package that players of all types are sure to enjoy.

visuals

Many of the beloved characters from the first game have returned, all of them with a graphical facelift. Previous iterations of the game had already given the boxers a lot of personality, but the upgrade to the Wii has increased that exponentially. Before each fight the characters are introduced in a four-frame story that gives some background on the character. While it would have been nice if these had been fully animated, they are still clever and even elicit a laugh from time to time.

The backgrounds of the game are reminiscient of previous editions. Crowds cheer and flashes from cameras happen constantly, but never distract from the action in the ring. Damage is now reflected to the characters in semi-real time. Damage is now reflected with bruises, bumps and bandages (in addition to the health meter) in areas where attacks are most concentrated.

audio

Punch-Out!! has one of the most recognizable themes in gaming and it has been updated and enhnaced for Wii. Each boxer has his own version of the song that plays during matches, and it is themed towards that character's background. The differences in each version of the song make you realize how good the music really is. The music is the sort that invariably winds up being hummed along, while the variation between boxers keep things fresh.

There is also some real voicework this time around. Foreign-based boxers like Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, or Great Tiger all speak in their native languages and do it convincingly. Doc Louis, your trainer, also has a voice, belting out nonsensical advice and an unhealthy love of chocolate between rounds.

gameplay

It’s been fifteen years since Little Mac entered the boxing ring and now he’s ready to make the charge to the top once again. Many of his previous opponents are still around and stand in his way. The staple premise of the underdog trying to fight through bigger, tougher opponents to win the title returns.

Punch-Out!! is not a boxing game. It’s never really been a boxing game. It’s a puzzle game wrapped around the guise of a boxing game. Each of the different boxers has a pattern that muust be learned in order to avoid hits and effectively counterattack. Each fighter has a distinctive tell that players have to figure out before they begin their punches. Some of them are obvious, such as Disco Kid telling you, “Here it comes!” Others are less so, like the gem on Great Tiger’s turban blinking a moment before throwing a punch. Each boxer also flashes red a split second before their punch, giving players one more chance to avoid the rain of blows.

Players have a couple of different options in controlling Mac on his road to the championship. Wii has been about it’s motion control since the beginning. Players can use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, somewhat like Wii Sports boxing. The control stick is used to help Mac dodge, duck and dive away from opponents’ fists, which are as big as your head. Swinging the Wii Remote or Nunchuk will cause Mac to punch his opponents. Pushing up on the control stick will land an uppercut. Well timed blows will award Mac with a Star, which can be used for a Star Punch that will deal extra damage by pressing the A button during a punch. This method works well, and there never seemed to be an issue with timing using this control scheme.

For those not comfortable with the motion controls, or those who feel that Punch-Out!! should be played old school, NES-style controls are available by holding the Wii remote sideways. Pushing the 1 & 2 buttons will cause Mac to throw punches, and the d-pad is used to control movements. Players can also use the Wii Balance Board to dodge left and right in combination with either of the control schemes mentioned.

There are three different circuits and thirteen boxers that players must fight through in order to be the best boxer in the World Video Boxing Association. The Minor Circuit is the first stop, followed by the Major Circuit and finally the World Circuit. The boxers get progressively harder as players get into the higher circuits. The difficulty in Punch-Out!! starts pretty mildly and shouldn’t post much trouble for most gamers until later in the Major Circuit. Make it to the World Circuit and the game may get frustratingly hard to the point of controller tossing.

Each fight lasts three rounds that have a three minute time limit each. The object, of course, is to repeatedly punch the opponent and wear down their health bar. When the health bar runs out a boxer is knocked down. As in traditional boxing, players can win either by knocking out an opponent for ten seconds or by knocking an opponent down three times in a single round. Additionally, a player can regain health while an opponent is knocked down by quickly hiting the 1 & 2 buttons or by shaking the Wii Remote & Nunchuck. One time, between rounds, you can hit the minus button to regain a larger portion of your health. Early on, this won’t be too much of an issue, but in later rounds these become crucial to success.

The game doesn't end with the title belt. If a player finishes all three circuits and wins the titles in each they get to play through Title Defense Mode. Players then fight every character again, though this time it will be much harder to defeat them. Their patterns and tells change, and they have compensated for whatever weakness they may have. For example, Glass Joe comes to the ring wearing headgear to protect his vulnerable jaw and King Hippo sports a manhole cover over his belly that you have to remove before it becomes his weakness again.

For players having trouble defeating a certain opponent, trainer Doc Louis will set up an exhibition match to face off against a holographic version of your opponent. They cannot hurt Little Mac during these training sessions so it gives players a chance to learn their various tells and weaknesses without fear of a loss on your record or permanent damage to one's psyche. Also, after defeating an opponent, players can go back in exhibition mode where they are given three objectives to accomplish during the fight. These can be anything from knocking an opponent out in the first round, winning a match without blocking a punch or dodging, or defeating an opponent with only five punches. These objectives add a lot of replay ability to the game and make you think hard about different ways of beating the different boxers.

multiplayer

For the first time ever, Punch-Out!! can be played competitively. Players can go head-to-head in a one on one match via split-screen multiplayer. Each player chooses a Mii that then becomes the name of that character. Taking too long to throw a punch, or missing a punch will cause one's boxer to turn blue and become frozen momentarily, while hitting a frozen opponent will award you with a bit of Giga Mac juice. If players gain enough of this juice they turn into a hulked up version of Little Mac. When this happens the game reverts to a traditional single screen game where the juiced-up player essentially becomes a Punch-Out!! character. That becomes more powerful, but if the non-juiced player dodges those attacks they can counter with a flurry of blows to deal a large amount of damage.

This mode does not add a lot to the game, but it is a fun mode to have when you have friends over or if you’ve ever wanted to play Punch-Out!! with a human opponent.

overall

Punch-Out!! is more than just a remake of the original game. Next Level Games has taken the best elements of the previous two installments, mixed it all up and thrown it together to create a wonderful nostalgic game for fans of the series. They have also created a game that stands up well with today’s generation of gamers. The only things that could have made this a better experience than it already is would be the inclusion of online play and some additional characters. Given the fact that the developer did a solid job with online play for Mario Strikers Charged, it is a bit of a curious omission. It would have been nice to see the inclusion of a few more new characters to add to the plethora of stereotypes already in the game.

Gamers looking for an in-depth boxing sim will not find it here. Those looking for wonderful puzzles to solve, characters to fall in love with, and music that will stick for years, this is your game. Punch-Out!! is going to be easily regarded as one of the stand out titles of this year on any system and is a must-own game for Wii owners.

9.0/10