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Punch-Out enters ring on Wii

Nintendo's fan-favorite boxing franchise returns for another title shot on popular console next year.

Punch-Out!!

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Whereas some publishers are prone to provide daily or weekly updates on their upcoming plans, Nintendo has shown a proclivity to dam up all of those announcements for one monumental reveal. Today, the news levee broke, with the announcement of the new DSi and dates and details for games like Animal Crossing: City Folk, Sin and Punishment 2, The Conduit, and Mario & Luigi RPG 3.

As part of today's presentation, Nintendo gave nostalgia-seeking gamers a knockout punch of good news, announcing a brand-new installment in the NES classic franchise Punch-Out. The game will be available exclusively for the Wii in 2009. Nintendo released the original Mr. Dream's Punch-Out through the Wii's Virtual Console last year.

Details on the new Punch-Out are slim, but it will play heavily to themes established in the 1987 original. Players will again don the mitts of scrawny up-and-coming pugilist Little Mac as he takes on a host of hyperbolic fighters. Reenacting their own Rumble in the Jungle, Little Mac will touch gloves with a few familiar foes, including jittery Glass Joe and corpulent powerhouse King Hippo.

Check back Monday for GameSpot's first look at Punch-Out and a variety of other games being shown today from Nintendo's press event.

182 Comments

  • Land-0-Funk

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 2:36 pm GMT

    Doesn't anyone remember Punch-Out in the arcade? That was the true classic!

  • TheSmitto

    Posted Oct 21, 2008 3:05 pm GMT

    09 is looking great!

  • BLuFAlc0n

    Posted Oct 10, 2008 1:03 pm GMT

    Nintendo are always good at super awesome secret announcement! I bet in 09, It's going to be EVEN BETTER!!!

  • reckeweg

    Posted Oct 10, 2008 8:37 am GMT

    WOW this looks great!! Talk about bringing back memories. I remember my greatest feat on this game wasn't beating Mike Tyson. It was getting a TKO on Super Macho Man in the 1st round. It was glorious and of course there was no one there to see me do it. I'm definitely getting this for my wii

  • cristhiansj_1

    Posted Oct 10, 2008 8:35 am GMT

    oh yes, a true nintendo wii game (very vad 4.0)

  • phimseto

    Posted Oct 10, 2008 8:01 am GMT

    If it doesn't have Mike Tyson, I don't want it. Punch-Out Tyson is as much a part of Nintendo lore as Mario and Link!

  • FalsePlacebo

    Posted Oct 9, 2008 6:54 pm GMT

    Hmmm, maybe I won't sell my wii after all....

  • coulman

    Posted Oct 9, 2008 10:31 am GMT

    Mike Tyson's Punch Out... Greatest boxing game ever...

  • Grouchy_Dude

    Posted Oct 9, 2008 7:33 am GMT

    Please, PLEASE Nintendo...no motion controls!!! Just keep the classic gameplay but with improved graphics!

  • rbenns2

    Posted Oct 7, 2008 2:00 pm GMT

    Looks good so far. Now, let's hope they learned their lesson with Wii Boxing, and don't screw this up!

  • gearjammer188

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 3:17 pm GMT

    Great News about time.

  • xxAgerinxx

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 2:18 pm GMT

    80'S RULE

  • xxAgerinxx

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 2:18 pm GMT

    80'S RULE

  • enix165

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 12:49 pm GMT

    Maybe selling my Wii's not a wonderful idea after all...this looks pretty good...

  • iron_fist86

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 8:10 am GMT

    Fudawg45: i'll admit to liking this trend of classic games getting remakes and sequels that aren't solely based on flash and shine. but i have to say, with each passing day, i regret my purchase of the wii. it loses the novelty after a few weeks. i keep looking for interesting new releases and find them lacking. the vc isn't useful to me, for those of you who know what i mean about the dreamcast being an incredibly underrated little engine that could ^_^
    but maybe that will change. i don't care about the lack of graphic superiority, but fresh and challenging games would be very welcome. maybe a straight-up sequel to mario rpg or actraiser or crystalis, if they have run out of new ideas. or an actual multi-player rpg that allows both players to have a real impact on the story and gameplay. something innovative. the industry has gotten sloppy and lazy, and the wii console is the most misleading part of it. sure, it has brought in casual gamers, but it has sacrificed those who want to stick around after the novelty of flaying about like a rooster caught in an electric fence.

  • fredwv

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 12:26 am GMT

    hope the control system is better than Wii Boxing. Cause Wii Boxing was extremely disappointing.

  • DrewBlood08

    Posted Oct 5, 2008 2:26 pm GMT

    This is a game I will gladly welcome. I'm still waiting for pilotwings. I prefer it on the wii but I'll take both the snes and 64 versions on the VC.

  • rachkovsky

    Posted Oct 5, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    rey

  • fudawg45

    Posted Oct 4, 2008 9:17 pm GMT

    I love all the trolls on here bashing the Wii. Give you a nice ego boost to rip on the best selling system of this generation? I think the Wii has the best idea of all - make new next gen games, while having old games available at the same time. Plus, now there's this new nolstalgic wave happening (Mega Man 9, and maybe this depending on how it comes out), and I think that's frikkin awesome. A good game is a good game, it doesn't have to look like a movie. For all you "gamers" out there who have forgotten that, I sincerely apologize.

  • BlueFlameBat

    Posted Oct 4, 2008 3:17 pm GMT

    I know it's not likely, but I hope they include traditional controller options, especially if there are going to be as many response problems as I think there are going to be when using the motion controls. I don't know what the reviewer here who did Zack and Wiki was smoking, but the controls in that game were crap, so I can't trust any reviews on GameSpot for this game.

  • Phazevariance posted Oct 4, 2008 11:52 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Phazevariance

    Posted Oct 4, 2008 11:52 am GMT (hide)

    Meh, to little too late, Nintendo has lost me as a customer, i'm most likely going to sell my wii... once my fiance gets bored with it. OR if they announce a new zelda coming soon.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Oct 4, 2008 8:29 am GMT

    Alot of comments for Tyson. Well Punch doesn't need Iron Mike to be successful. Remember Super Punch Out!! it had no Tyson and was awesome. This game just needs a good playcontrol scheme(which is hit and miss on the Wii) and it could be the best boxing game out. I think it's going to be great.

  • Tom00Si

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 4:18 pm GMT

    Would have been nice to have a Punch Out for the Gamecube. NO, I'm stuck playing the SNES version and the poor excuse known as,"Counter Punch", on the SP.

  • ckat609

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 2:27 pm GMT

    Punch out is in my top 5 NES games... I really do hope they don't screw it up. Oh well... who cares... got rid of my Wii last month 'cause there is NOTHING on that console that makes it worth keeping.

  • destrozz

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 2:19 pm GMT

    Bout time, ive been waiting for this game on wii. If they properly use the wiimote and nunchuck this should be a classic.

  • irongutvi

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 1:29 pm GMT

    give us this and super punch out for VC!

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 1:20 pm GMT

    Punch out was amazing. I had Mike Tyson's before he went to jail and they dropped him from it.

    Super Punch out was an amazing sequel.

  • Saphire_Kitsune

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:53 pm GMT

    I'm sensing a "Most popular bad game" soon to come.

  • Craig410

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:42 pm GMT

    YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs. im still playing punch out on virtual console lmao.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:36 pm GMT

    I hope this has online so I can knock the **** out of all the GS users that ever reported my posts. You know who you are!

  • Israels_Son

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:33 pm GMT

    I always thought the Mr. Dream version was the original one?

    This will be excellent.

  • 789shadow

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:31 pm GMT

    I sure do hope it works with WiiMotionPlus...

  • LostSoul1974

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 12:29 pm GMT

    I guess this could be defined as "cute".....

  • Prime05

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:58 am GMT

    No Mike Tyson. If they bring back Don Flamenco I wanna see Iron Mike throw down too.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:55 am GMT

    Sweet. I enjoyed the Punch-Out series more than most fighting games. Or boxing games really.

  • stereotype14

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:51 am GMT

    They should put Muhammed Ali in the game and call it Muhammed Ali's Punch-Out!! Who could disagree with that.

  • cooldude03

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:23 am GMT

    Finally some Punch-Out!! love. Should be perfect on Wii.

  • majestikk

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:12 am GMT

    No Mike Tyson..what's the point?!

  • buffdaddy69

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 11:01 am GMT

    "TXMostWanted

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 3:57 pm PT

    THIS is the reason why I don't own a Wii, too many g/d Wii Sport ripoffs & party games..."

    If anything, Wiiboxing and all other boxing games that came out were a rip off of Punch Out.

  • buffdaddy69

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 10:58 am GMT

    "Nintendo released the original Mr. Dream's Punch-Out!! through the Wii's Virtual Console last year. "

    It was Originally MIKE TYSONS Punch Out. I know, i know. Tyson wants money and Nintendo don't want to give it to him, But never say the Oringal, without saying the Originals, Original Name.

  • Quezakolt

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 10:48 am GMT

    where's mike tyson?

  • Redgarl

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 10:36 am GMT

    I want to have fun... like I was playing Punchout when I was younger

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 10:30 am GMT

    It looks like it'll be the most FUN boxing game to come out in a long time.

  • raahsnavj posted Oct 3, 2008 9:43 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    raahsnavj

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 9:43 am GMT (hide)

    Yeah, I know nintendo can't sell anything based on the 'graphics' selling point, but these are just horrible. It's kind of like an artsy cell-shaded barf fest.

    This is a WiiWare game right? Otherwise, the only thing preventing flopitude would be adult gamers with money wanting to relive some of their childhood.

    thumbs down me now.

  • silencers3

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 9:30 am GMT

    lmao why does max look like a mixture of white,mexican,black haha

  • necronaux

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 9:19 am GMT

    Is there really going to be enough 'new' stuff to make this worth buying? Where "details are slim" I'll hold judgement until it's released.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 9:11 am GMT

    lol Nintendo gives into your demands and make the games that you want and what do you do? Complain!

    I dont know why they bother with you lot since you are clearly never satisfied.

    I for one look forward to trying out the finished version.

  • SilentCard

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 9:07 am GMT

    Looks just like the old one! Hope it plays the same; maybe they'll have a couple different control types to choose from, like Brawl did.

  • Bread_or_Decide

    Posted Oct 3, 2008 8:59 am GMT

    I really hope you don't box using any motion sensing. It just doesn't work. Didn't work with Wii Sports Boxing. Won't work here. Keep control basic.

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