IGN has lately been passing the time by writing editorials about what they want to see in the future for games on Wii, since there really isn't much left to do during the holidays in terms of games, and they just made a new one, this time for Punch-Out!! And I actually agree with the whole thing. Well almost.

Punch-Out!! was one of my first games I downloaded on the Wii Virtual Console, and I discovered just exactly what it was that made this game special in many other Nintendo fan's hearts. The characters, the gameplay, the style, all the great memorable segments and details strewn throughout the game made it a great package, and another example of what games should be: "easy to pick up, difficult to master"

Here's IGN's article. My commentary is in bold.

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December 16, 2008 - 2008 has come and gone. Old news. Here at the IGN NintendoTeam secret headquarters (it looks sort of like Skull Mountain from Mighty Max, by the way) we're already looking to the future, and one of the brightest stars in Nintendo's line-up for '09 is the Next Level Gamesdeveloped Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out!! has been around since the dawn of Nintendo time, and for that reason nearly every closet N-fan out there has been getting hyped for its eventual 2009 release. The game recently beat out The Conduit in a "Vs. Poll" on our front page, and since then we've been preparing for the inevitable storm of old school goodness that's sure to come next year.

But what's needed in a Punch-Out!! game? No, we're not talking about Wii MotionPlus, online, voice chat, or any of that. Sure, we want it, but that's not the point.

These are the true, must-have, Fundamental Elements of Punch-Out!!. 20 years later, NES still sets the standard. Check out our list, and fire back in our comments section below. As far as we're concerned, this is what old school Punch-Out!! is all about, and Wii's version will need to really deliver to carry on this classic's tradition of excellence.

   10: Pink Jumpsuits, Lots of Running

If we know anything about the stereotypical boxing superstar, it's that the guy needs to get his butt kicked, receive an inspirational speech of some sorts, and then decide to train like he's never trained before. We're not sure when Punch-Out!!'s own Little Mac hit his lowest low, but we sure as hell can see his training montage in action in the original NES Punch-Out!!, and it's complete with not only the Statue of Liberty in the background (featuring a road to nowhere… creepy), and bike riding trainer Jerome "Doc" Louis, but also a sexy little pink jumpsuit. Normally we'd instantly dismiss pink as a girls color, and go back to drinking beer, chopping wood, and eating live animals while farting, but in this case, Little Mac pulls of the pink with gusto. Oh hell yes, bring that back.

I sure remember that part. Quite entertaining to watch Mac run with the music playing in the background. It's an awesome part of the game, and maybe one way to make it more entertaining is to have some way of allowing interaction during the scene. It could help you increase your stamina and make you lose less damage than normal. This could be done by moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck back and forth. Yes, you heard me, but really, the Wiimote is meant to be like an extension of your hand as a controller. So, if you were joggin for real, you sure would be moving your arms as you keep running. Shaking the controllers for anything else, THEN I would call it waggle.

9: Post-Round One Liners

There are some pretty great little nuggets of personality in Punch-Out!!'s design back on NES, and if it's done right, the Wii version (which is already looking like a remake of sorts) will have some of its own. We're talking about the random Bald Bull obsession with Doc ("Doc can't help you now. Will you beg me for help?" and "Zip your lip, Doc. Little Mac is mine now."), the borderline racist Piston Honda ("I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo." And "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi…"), and the borderline intoxicated ramblings of "Soda Popinski", or so he's now called. You know, the killer lines like "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" or "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!" That's drama you can't build in the ring, so hopefully some sort of rebirth of that mechanic is kept. It's awesome to beat the hell out of a smug-nosed Don Flamenco, but it adds a whole new dimension when he steps to his corner and says "Carmen, my love… I dance so sweet for you!" Who is this mysterious Carmen, and why is such a beautiful man risking all in a fight for dear life?

Need I say anymore? Really sums it up, and is one of the best ways to learn about a character's personality.

8: Single Player Focus

Wait, what? IGN, (says you, to us), you're crazy! It's Wii! Wii is all about multiplayer! Oh so right you are, loyal Nintendite, but Punch-Out!! is all about killer pattern recognition and the battle for the top. We wouldn't be pissed if some kind of vs. mode was included, but the point is that it isn't needed. If connectivity comes with time trials for each fight, online rankings through multiple difficulties and the like, we really don't need a two-player mode as much as other titles of its kind. If it can be pulled off, more power to Left Field games, but if it's about getting the true arcade feel of the game, we really don't need to bring a friend over and make our Punch-Out!! experience better; it already kicks plenty of ass, thank you very much. Fight us on that one though… it'll be fun.

Okay, I'm all for a good single player focus, but for crying out loud, this is 2008. This isn't the mid 80s where the tech had limitations and other things. I'm not as big of a fan for multiplayer as other people, but quite frankly, once you have memorized everyone's patterns and signiture attacks, then what will you do after that? That's where a human controller character could come in. Two non-computer individuals could make the most interesting match as they would try to outsmart each other, and it could provide another layer of depth to the already amazing formula established by Punch-Out!!

7: Inaudible Mario Referee

When he isn't fixing pipes, Mario frequents a local boxing arena and refs part-time in the Bronx, New York. The greatest part about his 8-bit offering specifically though, was his random, not real voiceover. We love the idea of a ref that counts by saying "Bink, bink, bink…….bink-king-koo" and delivers that TKO line with such eloquence and charm. Don't get us wrong. We love Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario). The guy is cool, and we'll gladly play some Punch-Out!! with him over a couple of beers, but the last thing we want when we boot up Punch-Out!! Wii is to hear "Oh a-hello! Welcome to Punch-Out!! Thank-a-you for playing! Coo-coo-crazy-yippie!" We'd punch ourselves in the face.

Some reason, even though Next Level Games did the Mario Strikers games, I don't really see Mario coming in as the referee. If he did, though, it would be just weird to have him speak some weird gibberish, to be honest. If he ever showed up, he'd probably only have to say the countdown and other things. He wouldn't go around announcing or explaining everything about the game.

6: The Star Punch

We know this one is in the game already, but that doesn't make it less "fundamental" in the least. The star punch is classic, and is one of the determining factors in some regular, two-bit boxing trash, and Nintendo's arcade great. Remember the Power Glove commercials where the kid jumps and delivers a huge star punch to put the final touches on a well-fought match? That sold, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, elevinty-billion copies of the game. The star punch separates the men from the boys. It's Little Mac's caged dog. Screw with him, and he'll make you see stars. Refuse to back down, and your punk-ass is kissing canvas. Just pray to the boxing gods that the green-gloved gladiator doesn't have two more in the bank.

HECK YEAH! No way this can ever be left out.

5: Pattern-Based Bosses

Every schmuck that calls themselves a true gamer knows that Don Flamenco isn't beaten with regular punches. The "L,R,L,R" combo has been engraved into our heads, and it's that type of boxer-to-boxer strategy that made Punch-Out!! so cool in the first place. If it was about stepping into the ring and just beating the hell out of a guy until he fell, the game wouldn't have the legs it does. With so many returning boxers already announced for Punch-Out!! Wii though, it's obvious this vital step is being taken once again. Fighters need tells, they need style, personality, and strategic elements. That goes hand-in-hand with why two-player just wouldn't have the same feel. It's you vs. an idea in Punch-Out!!, and a large part of that comes with giving each opponent direct strengths and weaknesses in the squared circle.

If King Hippo's presence in the trailer is of any indication, we can expect these type of bosses to appear. Not only do we hope for new fighters, but that with the addition of classic, returning fighters that all their patterns and weaknesses are all intact.

4: Quick, Responsive Animations

If you're a fan of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcasts, you've heard us say that we're worried about poor motion control in Punch-Out!! Wii, and that we'd be down for classic controls (at least as an option) even if Next Level goes with Wii MotionPlus. There's another side to the controls though, which comes with the animations and character movement. Punch-Out!! has always been a quick, almost rhythm-based fighter at times, and snappy, fluid animations are the key reason for that feeling mid-battle. If the game is too sluggish, or focuses too much on providing eye candy instead of properly-timed punches, blocks, and ducks, it won't play as well as the originals. Our hope is that we'll sit down with Punch-Out!! Wii, and find that same classic feeling as we did on NES, and that comes with quick animations, responsive characters, and a "no-BS" take on game design.

I'm not worried about the motion controls, but to be honest, what I see happening is that Motionplus isn't really gonna be used, nor are you gonna have to aim the remotes to hit some where. My guess is a combination of button presses. Hey, atleast the wiimote and nunchuck still act as your fists, and while you aren't gonna aim precisely where you want, I'm pretty sure it would be for the better to just jab the controllers rhythmicly as you try to take down everyone.

3: Epic Music

Little has been said so far about the music in Punch-Out!! Wii, but we did have a chance to hear some of it at Nintendo's press summit a few months ago. During the showing of the first video clip (the day after the game's announcement in Japan), Nintendo showed off not only the visual style, but also the return of some of the franchises most epic tunes, completely redone. The main song – the montage music from NES; think pink jogging pants once again – was a Rocky-inspired choir mixed with a classic rock "montage" feel. It blew us away, and if that's just one track of music in the game, we've got continued hope that the rest of the package sounds as epic and fully-premastered as Little Mac's most memorable tune. If the music stays consistent with it's "Punch-Out!! meets Gonna Fly Now" design, we're so on board.

Ah, yes, the trailer music. The remix was definetely done some justice for sure. Let's hope the rest of the themes hold up just as much.

2: Magic, Tigers, and Underpants

Little Mac may be five feet of business in the ring, but Punch-Out!! is far from grounded in reality, or even semi-serious for that matter. Any game where players punch a fat, orange king in the mouth while he barks, and then proceed to jab him in the stomach while be pulls up his shorts is fine by us, and we can only hope that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about it's crazed style. We've already seen some great Punch-Out!! moments from the Glass Joe fight (most recent screens), but this is hopefully just the beginning. Apparently magic is not only legal, but entirely encouraged in the world of Punch-Out!!, and if Great Tiger can bring his pet to the ring, we're excited to see what type of new fighters –if any – are included in the game, and what type of tricks they have up their sleeve. May we suggest a cutie-pie girl fighter that poses sexy and then ducks in for a quick "knock your head off" uppercut? That might rock at least a little bit…

My God, I remember Great Tiger. And, I don't have much else to add for this, other than that some new characters have some reality-breaking tricks and awesomeness.

1: Simple, Classic Controls.

This one's a given, but it also plays into the whole "don't screw it up with motion" argument we've got. Sure, if there's a way to make an awesome Punch-Out!! with Wii MotionPlus (and we believe there is), then blow gamers away with a new "virtual boxing" experience. At the end of the day though, Punch-Out!! has gained popularity for being fast, simple, but extremely challenging, and that's all due to the title's "easy to pick up, impossible to master" controls and fighting mechanic. If we attempt to punch high and end up punching low, or waggle only to find that the throw didn't go in even just once, it's going to really hurt the experience, and take away from what Punch-Out!! is all about. Toy with motion control, and if it's possible to work it in, use it. At the end of the day though, we'll want the option to fall back on good old two-button goodness that made Punch-Out!! awesome in the first place. Hopefully it's there to greet us with open arms.

Again, look at my commentary for Essential #4, but one thing I have to add on the whole "classic control options," I really, REALLY wanna punch Sakurai in the face for encouraging other developers to allow support for classic and gamecube for controllers. Okay, just adding those into new current wii games COMPLETELY eliminate the purpose of the console in the first place, and it just gives haters another reason to bash it. If I wanna play Virtual Consoles games, I'll use the Classic Controller. If I wanna play Gamecube games, I'll use a Gamecube controller, thank you very much! If there are classic control options in the game, It wont keep me from purchasing the game, but I just wish that Sakurai never gave other game devs a lazy excuse to cheat out of utilizing motion controls (and is the reason why I'm waiting for someone to attempt to use the wiimote and nunchuck in a manner that works for a 3D fighter).

IGN has lately been passing the time by writing editorials about what they want to see in the future for games on Wii, since there really isn't much left to do during the holidays in terms of games, and they just made a new one, this time for Punch-Out!! And I actually agree with the whole thing. Well almost.

Punch-Out!! was one of my first games I downloaded on the Wii Virtual Console, and I discovered just exactly what it was that made this game special in many other Nintendo fan's hearts. The characters, the gameplay, the style, all the great memorable segments and details strewn throughout the game made it a great package, and another example of what games should be: "easy to pick up, difficult to master"

Here's IGN's article. My commentary is in bold.

------

December 16, 2008 - 2008 has come and gone. Old news. Here at the IGN NintendoTeam secret headquarters (it looks sort of like Skull Mountain from Mighty Max, by the way) we're already looking to the future, and one of the brightest stars in Nintendo's line-up for '09 is the Next Level Gamesdeveloped Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out!! has been around since the dawn of Nintendo time, and for that reason nearly every closet N-fan out there has been getting hyped for its eventual 2009 release. The game recently beat out The Conduit in a "Vs. Poll" on our front page, and since then we've been preparing for the inevitable storm of old school goodness that's sure to come next year.

But what's needed in a Punch-Out!! game? No, we're not talking about Wii MotionPlus, online, voice chat, or any of that. Sure, we want it, but that's not the point.

These are the true, must-have, Fundamental Elements of Punch-Out!!. 20 years later, NES still sets the standard. Check out our list, and fire back in our comments section below. As far as we're concerned, this is what old school Punch-Out!! is all about, and Wii's version will need to really deliver to carry on this classic's tradition of excellence.

   10: Pink Jumpsuits, Lots of Running

If we know anything about the stereotypical boxing superstar, it's that the guy needs to get his butt kicked, receive an inspirational speech of some sorts, and then decide to train like he's never trained before. We're not sure when Punch-Out!!'s own Little Mac hit his lowest low, but we sure as hell can see his training montage in action in the original NES Punch-Out!!, and it's complete with not only the Statue of Liberty in the background (featuring a road to nowhere… creepy), and bike riding trainer Jerome "Doc" Louis, but also a sexy little pink jumpsuit. Normally we'd instantly dismiss pink as a girls color, and go back to drinking beer, chopping wood, and eating live animals while farting, but in this case, Little Mac pulls of the pink with gusto. Oh hell yes, bring that back.

I sure remember that part. Quite entertaining to watch Mac run with the music playing in the background. It's an awesome part of the game, and maybe one way to make it more entertaining is to have some way of allowing interaction during the scene. It could help you increase your stamina and make you lose less damage than normal. This could be done by moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck back and forth. Yes, you heard me, but really, the Wiimote is meant to be like an extension of your hand as a controller. So, if you were joggin for real, you sure would be moving your arms as you keep running. Shaking the controllers for anything else, THEN I would call it waggle.

9: Post-Round One Liners

There are some pretty great little nuggets of personality in Punch-Out!!'s design back on NES, and if it's done right, the Wii version (which is already looking like a remake of sorts) will have some of its own. We're talking about the random Bald Bull obsession with Doc ("Doc can't help you now. Will you beg me for help?" and "Zip your lip, Doc. Little Mac is mine now."), the borderline racist Piston Honda ("I'll give you a TKO from Tokyo." And "Sushi, Kamikaze, Fujiyama, Nipponichi…"), and the borderline intoxicated ramblings of "Soda Popinski", or so he's now called. You know, the killer lines like "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" or "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!" That's drama you can't build in the ring, so hopefully some sort of rebirth of that mechanic is kept. It's awesome to beat the hell out of a smug-nosed Don Flamenco, but it adds a whole new dimension when he steps to his corner and says "Carmen, my love… I dance so sweet for you!" Who is this mysterious Carmen, and why is such a beautiful man risking all in a fight for dear life?

Need I say anymore? Really sums it up, and is one of the best ways to learn about a character's personality.

8: Single Player Focus

Wait, what? IGN, (says you, to us), you're crazy! It's Wii! Wii is all about multiplayer! Oh so right you are, loyal Nintendite, but Punch-Out!! is all about killer pattern recognition and the battle for the top. We wouldn't be pissed if some kind of vs. mode was included, but the point is that it isn't needed. If connectivity comes with time trials for each fight, online rankings through multiple difficulties and the like, we really don't need a two-player mode as much as other titles of its kind. If it can be pulled off, more power to Left Field games, but if it's about getting the true arcade feel of the game, we really don't need to bring a friend over and make our Punch-Out!! experience better; it already kicks plenty of ass, thank you very much. Fight us on that one though… it'll be fun.

Okay, I'm all for a good single player focus, but for crying out loud, this is 2008. This isn't the mid 80s where the tech had limitations and other things. I'm not as big of a fan for multiplayer as other people, but quite frankly, once you have memorized everyone's patterns and signiture attacks, then what will you do after that? That's where a human controller character could come in. Two non-computer individuals could make the most interesting match as they would try to outsmart each other, and it could provide another layer of depth to the already amazing formula established by Punch-Out!!

7: Inaudible Mario Referee

When he isn't fixing pipes, Mario frequents a local boxing arena and refs part-time in the Bronx, New York. The greatest part about his 8-bit offering specifically though, was his random, not real voiceover. We love the idea of a ref that counts by saying "Bink, bink, bink…….bink-king-koo" and delivers that TKO line with such eloquence and charm. Don't get us wrong. We love Charles Martinet (the voice of Mario). The guy is cool, and we'll gladly play some Punch-Out!! with him over a couple of beers, but the last thing we want when we boot up Punch-Out!! Wii is to hear "Oh a-hello! Welcome to Punch-Out!! Thank-a-you for playing! Coo-coo-crazy-yippie!" We'd punch ourselves in the face.

Some reason, even though Next Level Games did the Mario Strikers games, I don't really see Mario coming in as the referee. If he did, though, it would be just weird to have him speak some weird gibberish, to be honest. If he ever showed up, he'd probably only have to say the countdown and other things. He wouldn't go around announcing or explaining everything about the game.

6: The Star Punch

We know this one is in the game already, but that doesn't make it less "fundamental" in the least. The star punch is classic, and is one of the determining factors in some regular, two-bit boxing trash, and Nintendo's arcade great. Remember the Power Glove commercials where the kid jumps and delivers a huge star punch to put the final touches on a well-fought match? That sold, if Wikipedia is to be trusted, elevinty-billion copies of the game. The star punch separates the men from the boys. It's Little Mac's caged dog. Screw with him, and he'll make you see stars. Refuse to back down, and your punk-ass is kissing canvas. Just pray to the boxing gods that the green-gloved gladiator doesn't have two more in the bank.

HECK YEAH! No way this can ever be left out.

5: Pattern-Based Bosses

Every schmuck that calls themselves a true gamer knows that Don Flamenco isn't beaten with regular punches. The "L,R,L,R" combo has been engraved into our heads, and it's that type of boxer-to-boxer strategy that made Punch-Out!! so cool in the first place. If it was about stepping into the ring and just beating the hell out of a guy until he fell, the game wouldn't have the legs it does. With so many returning boxers already announced for Punch-Out!! Wii though, it's obvious this vital step is being taken once again. Fighters need tells, they need style, personality, and strategic elements. That goes hand-in-hand with why two-player just wouldn't have the same feel. It's you vs. an idea in Punch-Out!!, and a large part of that comes with giving each opponent direct strengths and weaknesses in the squared circle.

If King Hippo's presence in the trailer is of any indication, we can expect these type of bosses to appear. Not only do we hope for new fighters, but that with the addition of classic, returning fighters that all their patterns and weaknesses are all intact.

4: Quick, Responsive Animations

If you're a fan of the Nintendo Voice Chat podcasts, you've heard us say that we're worried about poor motion control in Punch-Out!! Wii, and that we'd be down for classic controls (at least as an option) even if Next Level goes with Wii MotionPlus. There's another side to the controls though, which comes with the animations and character movement. Punch-Out!! has always been a quick, almost rhythm-based fighter at times, and snappy, fluid animations are the key reason for that feeling mid-battle. If the game is too sluggish, or focuses too much on providing eye candy instead of properly-timed punches, blocks, and ducks, it won't play as well as the originals. Our hope is that we'll sit down with Punch-Out!! Wii, and find that same classic feeling as we did on NES, and that comes with quick animations, responsive characters, and a "no-BS" take on game design.

I'm not worried about the motion controls, but to be honest, what I see happening is that Motionplus isn't really gonna be used, nor are you gonna have to aim the remotes to hit some where. My guess is a combination of button presses. Hey, atleast the wiimote and nunchuck still act as your fists, and while you aren't gonna aim precisely where you want, I'm pretty sure it would be for the better to just jab the controllers rhythmicly as you try to take down everyone.

3: Epic Music

Little has been said so far about the music in Punch-Out!! Wii, but we did have a chance to hear some of it at Nintendo's press summit a few months ago. During the showing of the first video clip (the day after the game's announcement in Japan), Nintendo showed off not only the visual style, but also the return of some of the franchises most epic tunes, completely redone. The main song – the montage music from NES; think pink jogging pants once again – was a Rocky-inspired choir mixed with a classic rock "montage" feel. It blew us away, and if that's just one track of music in the game, we've got continued hope that the rest of the package sounds as epic and fully-premastered as Little Mac's most memorable tune. If the music stays consistent with it's "Punch-Out!! meets Gonna Fly Now" design, we're so on board.

Ah, yes, the trailer music. The remix was definetely done some justice for sure. Let's hope the rest of the themes hold up just as much.

2: Magic, Tigers, and Underpants

Little Mac may be five feet of business in the ring, but Punch-Out!! is far from grounded in reality, or even semi-serious for that matter. Any game where players punch a fat, orange king in the mouth while he barks, and then proceed to jab him in the stomach while be pulls up his shorts is fine by us, and we can only hope that Nintendo hasn't forgotten about it's crazed style. We've already seen some great Punch-Out!! moments from the Glass Joe fight (most recent screens), but this is hopefully just the beginning. Apparently magic is not only legal, but entirely encouraged in the world of Punch-Out!!, and if Great Tiger can bring his pet to the ring, we're excited to see what type of new fighters –if any – are included in the game, and what type of tricks they have up their sleeve. May we suggest a cutie-pie girl fighter that poses sexy and then ducks in for a quick "knock your head off" uppercut? That might rock at least a little bit…

My God, I remember Great Tiger. And, I don't have much else to add for this, other than that some new characters have some reality-breaking tricks and awesomeness.

1: Simple, Classic Controls.

This one's a given, but it also plays into the whole "don't screw it up with motion" argument we've got. Sure, if there's a way to make an awesome Punch-Out!! with Wii MotionPlus (and we believe there is), then blow gamers away with a new "virtual boxing" experience. At the end of the day though, Punch-Out!! has gained popularity for being fast, simple, but extremely challenging, and that's all due to the title's "easy to pick up, impossible to master" controls and fighting mechanic. If we attempt to punch high and end up punching low, or waggle only to find that the throw didn't go in even just once, it's going to really hurt the experience, and take away from what Punch-Out!! is all about. Toy with motion control, and if it's possible to work it in, use it. At the end of the day though, we'll want the option to fall back on good old two-button goodness that made Punch-Out!! awesome in the first place. Hopefully it's there to greet us with open arms.

Again, look at my commentary for Essential #4, but one thing I have to add on the whole "classic control options," I really, REALLY wanna punch Sakurai in the face for encouraging other developers to allow support for classic and gamecube for controllers. Okay, just adding those into new current wii games COMPLETELY eliminate the purpose of the console in the first place, and it just gives haters another reason to bash it. If I wanna play Virtual Consoles games, I'll use the Classic Controller. If I wanna play Gamecube games, I'll use a Gamecube controller, thank you very much! If there are classic control options in the game, It wont keep me from purchasing the game, but I just wish that Sakurai never gave other game devs a lazy excuse to cheat out of utilizing motion controls (and is the reason why I'm waiting for someone to attempt to use the wiimote and nunchuck in a manner that works for a 3D fighter).