Little Mac is Back, "Dance like a fly, bite like a mosquito"
User Rating: 9 | Punch-Out!! WII
Ah its good to see a great franchise make a triumphant return and punch out does just that. For those who experienced Mike Tyson's Punch Out in the 80's you pretty much know what to expect from this game, and thats plain fun gameplay that will keep you coming back for more. At first when I heard Next Level Games was gonna tackle the new punch out I was a bit worried, but I can honestly say they did a great job and it exceeded my expectations. The Game starts you off as pint sized pugilist Little Mac, and with the aid of his trainer Doc Louis you will attempt to rise to the top of the WVBA boxing league. Story has never been the main focus of punch out but there is just the right amount to show the characters motivations and the world around him. Punch Out is not a boxing simulator so no one should ever expect that from it, but what you can expect is an awesome arcade boxing/puzzle game that creates an experience like no other. Now as far as game modes go Punch Out has enough but not too many to choose from, but its what's within these modes that will keep you busy for quite some time. First off there is the Career mode, in this mode the player will work his way through each circuit of which there are 3 of and each one contains 4 fighters with 13 in total and one bonus but I wont spoil who it is. At the end will be the dream fight with the champion, but it doesn't end there and ill get to why in a minute. Next there is exhibition mode which lets you face any boxer you have previously faced whenever you want. You can also try to attempt three different challenges for each boxer such as "take out this guy in 5 hits or less", this aspect adds a lot of replay and requires you to see the fight from a different point of view. You can also practice against hologram versions of characters your having trouble beating in career mode which helps greatly since you can figure out a characters fight patterns before you take the plunge in a full blown match. The next mode would be multiplayer mode, while not a staple of the series it does a decent job and is pretty fun but by no means is it the main attraction but more of the icing on the cake. In the options mode you can watch cut-scenes and audio that you've unlocked through various challenges.
Now onto the boxers who are a wonderful cast of weirdo's and bully's. Each character oozes personality and still retains what they had in the original game while expanding upon it. As you can tell each character is a caricature of a nationality and they are hilarious, some are very pompous and some are just lovable dopes but they create the perfect cast and are a blast to fight. Now You might be thinking 13 characters isn't very much, but when you account for the mode after the original career you'll have 27 fights total but you can also fight them as many times as you want to for challenges. Once the career mode is finished Mac will now have to defend his title from the same characters he just beat in the new mode called "Title Defense", but these fighters are nowhere near as weak as they once were. For example King Hippo Now wears a manhole lid over his gut in an attempt to cover his weakness which drastically changes the way you have to fight him. Each fight is now much harder and you will need a completely different strategy to take to them on. Difficulty has always been one of punch out's best qualities and its in no short supply here which is a breath of fresh air since most games nowadays are far too easy. Once Title Defense mode is finished Mac will now face random fighters in "Mac's Last Stand" which is a mode that allows the player to fight until they lose three times which will result in Mac's retirement. If successful in 10 fights you will unlock a new feature known as champions mode, which essentially makes every fighter in the game like mike tyson in the original since one hit from them will take you down instantly. All in all punch out is a fun game that plays great and stays true to the series, although online and a few other features would be nice it doesn't detract from the overall experience. Great job Nintendo and Next Level Games, now lets hope it doesn't take another 15 years for the next Punch Out to make a return.
