On a whim, I purchased Punch-Out!! for the Wii yesterday. Let me give you a quick backstory on my history with Punch-Out!! Way back when, my family had a NES, which I consider to be my first game console. Every weekend or so, we would rent a game to play all weekend long. One weekend in particular, we had rented some random boxing game. I do remember plenty of times in school where kids would talk about Punch-Out!!, which apparently was some kind of boxing game. Somewhere in my head, I made the connection that the boxing game we had rented was Punch-Out!!. Only years later, with the advent of the internet, did I find out this was incorrect. Now, I still have no idea what the other game is, but I do know that eventually I did play Punch-Out!! (Mike Tyson's) to be exact.

Now, let's get the comparisons out of the way. Original Punch-Out!! had 12 fighters to go up against and that was it. With Punch-Out!! Wii, there's 16 characters, and more modes than the original. This is a very good thing, as people have come to expect a lot more from their games these days. Not to mention that the Wii game is more forgiving, featuring such modern enhancements like Saving and Rematching as much as necessary. Purists may not prefer this, but honestly this makes the game a lot more accessible and is cause for less frustration.

Gameplay is the one factor that absolutely defines the Punch-Out!! series. I admit, when I first heard of a new Punch-Out!! game, I expected something akin to Wii Sports Boxing (it's bad). Thankfully, Punch-Out!! Wii is nothing like that, allowing you to turn your Wii remote on its side to play it just like the Punch-Out!! of old. There is a few other options outside of this, such as Motion-Punching and Balance Board dodging. I haven't tried the motion controls, but I imagine they are not as precise as the NES-style controls. You are required to have split-second reflexes, and with the motion controls, I can't imagine that being easier. Overall, the gameplay rocks just as much as you would expect it to, as landing uppercuts and star punches has never been more satisfying.

Along with the basic gameplay of jabbing and uppercuts, there is a few extra power-ups to give Little Mac the upper hand. First off, there' is the Star Punches that you earn by hitting an opponent off guard or while taunting. These Star Punches take quite a bit more health than a normal punch and when strung together in a pair of three, are an instant knockdown. The Star Punches are satisfying to pull off and in some of the later fights, they are absolutely essential. There is also a few additional power-ups new to this iteration that are also designed to help out Little Mac. When Mac manages to knock down an opponent, rapidly tap the 1+2 buttons (or waggle like crazy with the motion controls) to regain some health. If you're low on health at the end of the round, hit the minus button for Doc to chow a chocolate bar for extra health. The final power-up is a KO or TKO recover that also has you tapping the 1+2 buttons like a mad man. These all feel as if they add an extra little touch to the experience.

As with the original game, it all boils down to pattern recognition and knowing when the opponent is going to strike then dodge or counter. One thing that I'm glad they included from the original game is the monstrous sense of accomplishment. After defeating Mr. Sandman, I honestly felt like the king of the world. Not many games manage to do that these days, and is part of what makes it really special. After defeating the main cast, the game turns itself on its head with Title Defense mode. In this mode, it's your duty to defend that title belt against all the fighters again. The twist is that they all have new patterns, new defenses and new looks. This should prove to be interesting and a lot more difficult for Punch-Out!! veterans, as some may find the main circuits to be too easy.

There is also an exhibition mode where you have the chance to fight holograms of the actual fighters with no consequences. This allows you to learn the fighter's patterns before going at them in career mode. A multi-player mode is also included, allowing you to take on your friends. You can even become Giant Mac and attack your friends with the same fury as one of the main bosses in career mode.

The music in Punch-Out!! has always been note-worthy and classic. This iteration is no exception, as it mixes old with new culminating in an excellent soundtrack. Who can forget the awesome Training sequence melody? The characters are all excellently and humorously voice acted as well. The sound effects sound just as one would expect, with massive jabs packing quite an audible punch.

Graphically, Punch-Out!! looks stunning for a Wii title. Running in 480p Widescreen makes it almost look like it belongs on one of the HD consoles. The good looks along with the animations give this game a certain charm that is rarely seen these days.

Overall, Punch-Out!! is an excellent game that deserves to be in any Wii owners collection. It takes every element from the past Punch-Out!! games, adds more to it with extra challenge and a few new modes. The main circuit will probably only take about 4-5 hours to complete depending on skill, but the Title Defense mode will take probably double that to master. The game is extremely difficult to master, but offers a rewarding experience that is rarely seen these days. If you have a Wii, here's your reason to dust it off.