After a long hiatus, Punch-Out is back with plenty of nostalgic boxing fun.
THE GOOD
-Excellent control scheme
-Challenging career mode
-Nostalgic gameplay
-Fired-up audio
-Intense multiplayer
THE BAD
-Balance board play is terrible
-Could have used some more new characters
OVERVIEW
Punch-Out is a game that screams nostalgia. If you've been a fan of the series, like I am, you'll know what I'm talking about. From the music to Little Mac's pink jumpsuit, yes he's still got it, there are plenty of things that will have many old fans yelling, "Oh snap!" Even though Punch-out offers plenty of nostalgia, this game has an undeniable charm that's appealing to almost anyone.
This time around Little Mac and his faithful, chocolate loving trainer Doc Louis are on a quest to become the greatest boxer of all-time. Little Mac, who weighs in at 107 lbs, will have to go up against some of the biggest opponents in the business. It's interesting how Little Mac made it into the heavy weight division, but hey what do I know. You'll encounter many familiar faces like Glass Joe, King Hippo and Bald Bull. In fact, there is only one new contender; the Disco Kid. This isn't a big problem but they could have put some more new faces in this game. Aside from that, this Punch-Out game is a lot of fun to play and is probably one of the most challenging games for the Nintendo Wii.
GAMEPLAY
There are three main modes of play in Punch-Out: Career, Exhibition, and Head to Head. There is also a helpful tutorial and gallery filled with audio sounds and movies. The Career mode is where you can unlock new fighters and win championship belts. There are three different circuits to battle through: Minor, Major and World. Each match consists of three, three minute rounds. The match can end one of three ways: Technical Knockout (TKO), Knockout (KO) and Decision. If you or your opponent suffers three knockdowns in one round the match will end with a TKO. A KO will occur when a fighter suffers a huge beating, gets knocked down and doesn't get up after a count of ten. Lastly, if both fighters are let standing at the end of the third round the referee will make a decision, based on performance, whether which contender should win.
As a long time fan of the series you can trust me when I say that this game is tough. At first glance the thirteen fighters that stand in your way may seem easy to handle but this game gives quite a challenge; a rewarding challenge. Plus, once you finish the career mode you're mission doesn't end there because each opponent you defeated wants a rematch. In this Title Defense mode, your enemies have gone into some better training and now they all have to new fighting techniques. Once you go through each boxer again and defend your title you'll unlock the final part to the career mode which is called Mac's Last Stand. This final mode is the ultimate test of your strength because you'll have to go through many opponents at random and they're going to get it their all. If you lose three matches your profile will be forever retired.
The Exhibition mode is a great place for you to brush up on your techniques by letting you fight each of the boxers that you've unlocked in the Career mode. Characters not unlocked will just have you fighting a hologram. For the unlocked fighters, you have the option to achieve three unique challenges throughout the match. These achievements include things like knocking down an opponent with a certain amount of punches and limiting the amount of dodges you can do. This just like the Career mode is lots of fun and extremely challenging, even for the experienced boxer.
The final main mode, for Punch-Out, is the Head to Head or multiplayer mode. This mode is great for parties because it's not only fun to play but it's exciting to watch. The screen is split and you and a friend get to play as Little Mac. You have a few different types of punches which include hooks, jabs and uppercuts. Stars (used for a special charged up attack) are given out at random if you land certain punches and if any player fills up their blue attack gauge, they'll turn into Giga Mac for limited time. This is where things get crazy. The split screen is eliminated and the player as Giga Mac appears in the background just like your opponents in Career mode. As Giga Mac you'll be able to dish out some serious damage to your opponent. The match ends when one player knocks the other down three times. If you're playing with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk you're definitely going to get a workout.
There are few ways to control Little Mac in this game and two of them work extremely well while the third option fails miserably. The first control scheme uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. You swing the remotes forward to attempt punches and use the control stick to dodge, block and duck. This mode works quite well and it's actually fairly easy to work up a sweat which gives this game some fitness merit. The second scheme is the nostalgic, old school NES style. Here you use the Wii Remote sideways and use the 1 and 2 buttons to perform left and right handed punches respectively. The final method utilizes the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to throw punches but dodging and ducking is performed with the Wii Balance Board. This method was a great idea but unfortunately the Balance Board isn't as responsive as you would like it to be. Most of the time you'll but moving too slowly or in the wrong direction.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The cartoonish style graphics fit the mood of the game very well. The clarity isn't the best but it's not bad by any means. The colors are vibrant and the character design is fairly decent. There are a few cut scenes in the game for the nostalgic gamer like the popular scene where Mac is running in his pink jumper behind Doc riding a bicycle.
The sound effects in Punch-Out are fantastic. It's very satisfying when you land your punches and watch as your opponent stumbles face first on the mat. I especially enjoy the sound of the super star punch making contact with the other fighter's jaw. The soundtrack in this game has a rock type of feel. There are a few old songs from the original Mike Tyson's Punch-Out that have been remixed and they all sound great.
CONCLUSION
Punch-Out is a flat out fun experience. The Career mode is quite difficult so the hardcore gamer will definitely enjoy the challenge. However, this may turn away some casual gamers. The multiplayer experience is a great new feature for the series and increases the replay value of the game immensely. I would recommend this game anyone but be advised that this game isn't easy like most of your other Nintendo Wii games. So, you've won the championship belt for Little Mac before, some 10+ years ago, but are you ready for Mac's new challenge?