Punch Out! (Compatible with Wii Fit Balance Board)
One of the biggest names in boxing returns after a 15-year hiatus. In Punch-Out!! the Wii video game you play as young up-and-coming fighter Little Mac who, with the help of his ringside trainer Doc Lewis, is working his way through the ranks of a wide variety of boxing caricatures, each with their own patterns of attacks. Grab a Wii Remote controller in one hand and a Nunchuk controller in the other and step back into the ring with a modern update of the classic Punch-Out!!
“You’re making progress kid! Every loss is a small win”
For those of you who are new to the gaming world it is likely that you may have missed out on one of the most colourful and fun boxing games to ever grace a console.
Making its debut back on the NES, and then subsequently getting a sequel on the SNES, Punch-Out!! was a classic gem which stuck in the hearts of most Nintendo gamers worldwide.
In case you did miss the Punch-Out!! era, then fear not, because Nintendo has brought Little Mac out of retirement for the Wii and the result is one stunningly badass game!
Graphics and Presentation
Punch-Out!! (Wii) Has always been a very stylized game, but the Wii version will have you pondering “Is this a Wii game?!!”. Each character is brought to life with individual style, the animations are so slick and smooth, with the fighters bobbing and weaving with style and grace.
Punch-Out!! Makes use of a very eye popping visual style with characters bulging with colour and modelled with such clarity it’s a treat to look at and play. Each ring is well lit, with cameras from the watching crowd flashing up the screen reflecting of the characters skin and the rings floor. Its apparent that the people over at Next Level Games have tried to make the visuals as close to an Xbox 360 as possible, and seriously, they succeeded.
Sound
Some fun Rocky inspired tracks which will make you smile as you bob and weave through your opponents punches. Voices are well thrown in, with each character given full voice work and immaculate lip syncing, and it’s nice that each character speaks the language of their country of origin.
Gameplay If you have ever played a Punch-Out!! Game then you will feel right at home from the moment you fire up the game, with fighters retaining their signature moves and strategies, and the control scheme harkening back to the NES days. Again for those who haven’t, Punch-Out!! Places you in the role of Little Mac, an up and coming underdog, who want to rise through the circuits to become title champion.
Punch-Out!! is played with the Wii Remote on its side in classic NES style, the D-Pad used to duck, dodge and block, whilst the 1 and 2 buttons are used for left and right punch respectively. Whilst the control scheme sounds simple and easy (which it is), it will take a lot of skill and well timed punches to best your opponent, if your throw punches wild and randomly you will find yourself getting knocked onto your backside constantly.
The key is to watch your opponents subtle moves as they are the give away to what type of punches they will throw, if you can dodge then the enemy will be open for you to lay into them, also if you hit your rival at the right moment you can earn a star punch which can be executed with a quick push of the A button to send your opponent flying.
Even if you have played Punch-Out!! previously there is plenty to keep the hardcore occupied, after you have rose to the top you then unlock Title Defence Mode, which pits against the whole roster of fighters, each coming back at you twice as powerful and renewed crafty strategies and moves which will have the most seasoned fans retrying again and again. Thrown into the mix is a multiplayer mode, which lets you and a friend battle it out against each other and while it was a nice addition it is a shame they didn’t go all the way and give us an online mode.
Closing Comments
A very tight and wholesome package, with beautiful graphics and a well realized roster of fighters. Its important to point out that this is not Fight Night Round 4, it is however a completely different beast, and you will have fun with it, guaranteed!
The Wii has seen lot’s of remakes and sequels to classic games that have featured on Nintendo’s previous consoles of the years. Mario Kart, Mario Strikers, Dr Mario and Super Smash Bros Brawl have all been released so far on the console, amongst others, but out of all the games Nintendo could choose to remake on the Wii, why choose Punch-Out!!?
There have already been numerous Boxing titles so far, including Wii Sports boxing that every Wii owner can play, since it came bundled with the console, and the two previous Punch-Out!! Titles from the NES and SNES consoles are also available on the Wii Shop Channel for a few pounds with a Nintendo Points card. After playing the game for myself though, it appears that the Wii revival was certainly worth it.
The basic premise of Punch-Out!! is just as you’d expect for a game of boxing. The aim is to knock down your opponent enough times so that they are too exhausted to stand up again, or knock them down three times during a three minute round. If you fail to complete either of these objectives, the winner will be revealed as the person who fought the best over the three rounds.
Although it may not sound too special so far, Punch-Out!! still does it’s part to become unlike any other boxing game you’ve played before. For starters, the game feels more like a rhythm action game, rather than a sports title. In order to land some successful hits, you need to watch your opponent’s movements carefully in order to spot the opportune moments for swinging a punch. This is usually after your opponent has aimed for you, or when they’re just about to take a punch, although it varies depending on which of the thirteen opponents you are playing against. This is where another trademark of Punch-Out!! comes into action.
Each character clearly has it’s own personality and way of doing things, for example, new character Disco Kid will often punch with a groove, and Arabian style character Glass Tiger sometimes uses his spiritual prowess to create a ghostly duplicate of himself in order to confuse you. This takes away the generic style you might get from playing the game over and over again, and it always keeps the game fresh, no matter how long you’ve been playing for.
The features don’t stop there though, with another unique point about Punch-Out!! being the control system. Like you’d expect for a boxing game on the Wii, the option to swing the Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers is available, but in order to throw uppercuts or dodge attacks, you need to use a combination of swings and button presses. Although this may sound a little awkward, it actually works really well when put into action, and is a great way to ensure different kinds of movements aren’t mistaken for each other if the system doesn’t fully recognise your swings.
If you’d rather, a control scheme almost identical to that of the classic Punch-Out!! games is also available, where you hold the Wii remote on it’s side, using the 1 and 2 buttons to swing a punch, and the D-pad to dodge attacks and throw uppercuts. The standard configuration is undoubtedly great fun, however if you’re aiming for pinpoint accuracy (which is greatly needed once you’re about halfway through the game), you’ll no doubt want to switch to the classic style so that you know exactly when you’re swing will be activated.
In addition to the above points that single out Punch-Out!! from any other boxing title, there are a few more notable differences to the game that you’re sure to love. In addition to the usual two punching styles, there is also the option to throw a star punch during the game, dealing a large amount of damage to your opponent. To use these, you must first gain stars during play, which you find after hitting your opponent at a certain time, or after performing a particularly impressive wallop. You can hold up to three of these at a time, each one making the star punch all the more powerful, but once you yourself get hit, you lose them all.
Another addition to the play that you don’t see in other boxing games is the heart meter. This gauges how much energy you have left, and drops every time your opponent blocks one of your attacks or when you yourself get hit. Once this drops to zero, you are temporarily unable to throw any punches, and the only way to continue play is to avoid a single punch in order to gain your energy back. These may sound like unnecessary complications to the gameplay, but they make up for some of the depth lost by not having the ability to roam free around the ring, and won’t even confuse newcomers to the franchise.
If you haven’t played a Punch-Out!! game before though, then there are a couple of options to help you out. First of all, you can practice playing against any opponent without receiving any damage, allowing you to recognise their different attacks easier before the real game.
In addition to this, there is also the option to receive extra health after any of the three rounds in a game with just a tap of the minus button. Once the next round begins, your health meter will immediately fill with a bit of extra health in case you’re not performing particularly well.
If you’re a more skilled player, then there are a few features dedicated to you as well. Once you complete the standard mode, an expert difficulty mode will be unlocked in which your opponents have an extra handicap such as a shield or protective device of some kind, or some new moves and tactics. There is also the option to play against each fighter in the game with three special objectives. These may ask you to complete tasks such as KO-ing your opponent in a certain amount of time or finding particular weaknesses that they may have, but they will definitely challenge you to a new extreme if you want to gain them all. In addition to these features, there is also an additional mode and secret character to be unlocked, but I won’t spoil them here.
In addition to the fantastic single player mode, there is also a somewhat lacklustre two player mode, where the screen is split into two halves as you and a friend battle it out. In addition to the normal rules, there is also an additional feature that allows you to transform into a “Giga” version of yourself, where your punches will be more powerful than before for a limited period of time. To transform into this figure, you simply have to land a series of punches to fill up a special meter at the top of the screen, and there is no way to turn this feature off. Sure, it does sound like a great feature, and for the first few games, it really adds to the excitement, but it soon gets old, and makes you wish there was the option to switch it off so that you can have a normal game. Another disappointment with this mode is the fact that you have to play as the same character every time, which is a shame, since playing around with the extra characters from the game would have been great fun.
As it is, though, the multiplayer is the only disappointing part of the game. That’s not to say you won’t get any fun from it though, because you will, and then there’s always the excellent single player mode to run through as well. Despite the fact that other boxing games already exist on the Wii, and the fact that you can get the first Punch-Out!! games on the Virtual Console, this game still manages to stand out from the crowd with it’s simple yet fun gameplay, outstanding cel-shaded visuals, over the top personality, catchy music, and above all, the different options and features to allow anyone to get some enjoyment out of the game. Whether you’re a boxing fan or not, Punch-Out!! on the Wii is well worth a look, and is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys having fun.