Title: Punch-Out
Release: May 18, 2009
Genre: Boxing
Developer: Next Level Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Wii
Rating: E (Everyone)
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Punch-Out-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001TOQ8K2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1243182983&sr=8-1
Website: http://punchout.nintendo.com/
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Nintendo has been an unstoppable force in gaming for the last thirty years due to what they have described as “evergreen titles.” These titles are quality franchises that continue to grow year after year such as Mario Bros., Zelda, Star Fox, etc. Today, we are thankful to be reunited with a franchise that has not been viable since the Super Nintendo era. Punch-Out!! recreates the original first-person boxing game with a much needed refresh of the mechanics and a stunning new art direction.
Although closely related to the NES classic, Punch-Out!! for the Wii acts as a microcosm of the relatively small Punch-Out universe with boxers from Super Punch-Out as well as the original. Little Mac once again has to battle his way up the ranks to achieve the World Circuit Championship belt. The ultra-stylized visuals will grab your attention immediately. Implementing cell-shading masterfully, Next Level Games is able to generate personality and energy within every character. The level of detail and animation expertise helps the presentation thrive from start to finish.
The music is a nice collection of remixed older themes and original scores that fit perfectly with the overall tone of the game. The voice work is often funny. The words of wisdom from your trainer Doc range from sound strategic advice to bizarre references to chocolate bars and club Nintendo registration. Something that is completely unnecessary but absolutely welcome is the voice work for the individual boxers recorded in their native tongue—Von Kaiser speaks German, Don Flamenco speaks Spanish and King Hippo…growls for some reason. It is the culmination of these details and minutia that characterize the polish found in Nintendo’s stable of exclusive franchises.
Most fights are intensely entertaining despite some incredibly frustrating rounds. The controls mimic the same setup found in the Virtual console’s emulation of the original Punch-Out so fans can immediately jump in and play with little adjustment. The alternative control setup which implements the nun-chuk as well as the waggle moves is too unreliable for game play that is solely based on precise movement and timing.
The game throws thirteen fighters at you along with a head to head mode that allows you to fight a friend. The initial two circuits are fairly underwhelming in terms of difficulty. Since most of the fighters are from previous Punch-Out titles, their routines and secrets are already common knowledge. New players may be challenged slightly but will ultimately breeze through the Minor and Major Circuits. The World Circuit offers the greatest challenges with fighters like Soda Popinski and Mr. Sandman. The game is fairly short if you only play through it once, but after you gain the World Championship belt you will have to defend your title against every fighter again. The boxers come prepared with altered fighting techniques and new tricks which effectively double the play time. You also unlock exhibition matches that allow you to set records for how fast you can down an opponent and earn belts for boxer specific challenges for each character.
The only real drawback in this title is the lack of new fighters. The only original boxer is Disco Kid which is an interesting addition but still, the promise of new opponents is always exiting and instead we are given the same boxers from previous games. Aside from the recycled boxers, Punch-Out!! for the Wii is an excellent game that we will no doubt see again in Nintendo’s future.
Overall Rating: * * * * / 5
M. Michael Chwedyk "The Gamekok"- MuzikReviews.com Sr. Video Game Reviewer
May 24, 2009
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