Ready to get punch-drunk? Nintendo is ready to oblige– or, at least Nintendo of Europe is.
Today, Nintendo of Europe has released Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES on the Virtual Console. There’s no word on when/if Nintendo plans to release this in North America any time soon, though one can only hope that we’ll see something on Monday.
In addition to that bout of good news, it seems a number of details have surfaced as well, some new, some old. Unfortunately, it seems Nintendo of Europe has removed the page that the game info was posted on, but not before the almighty power of the internet copied it and spread it around.
First up, the news from today’s news item, along with the Super Punch-Out!! info:
19 March 2009 – The legendary Punch-Out!! is back with a vengeance on Wii, but this time it packs an even bigger punch! Featuring all of the well-known characters from Glass Joe to Von Kaiser, superb duck and weave action, and the addition of enhanced functionality for Wii, the game returns for another assault on Europe on 22 May 2009.
After a flawless fight record on the NES and Super NES, Punch-Out!! revives the story of Little Mac as you follow his journey from up-and-coming boxer in the Bronx, NY to undisputed World champion. The game reunites the much-loved mean men of the World Video Boxing Association, who Little Mac must challenge and defeat one-by-one. The truly international line-up of characters includes all the wacky favourites from Von Kaiser, to King Hippo and tireless trainer Doc Louis.
The game brings the tactics and skills of boxing to Wii as you spot weaknesses in your opponent’s armoury – such as changes in their body position – and exploit them with your best upper cuts, hooks and jabs. However, this time the game packs even more power with bold new 3D graphics and the introduction of the motion sensing controls of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to give a more instinctive boxing experience as you weave, bob and duck your way to the top!
Punch-Out!! on Wii offers great new control opportunities, utilising both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to let you mimic the movements of the left and right hands as you let the leather fly. Meanwhile, the “classic” control system, invites you to use the Wii Remote in a sideways position to simulate the original NES controller and gives the real retro fight feel that Punch-Out!! fans love.
Punch-Out!! Will certainly bring the thrills of the big ring to Wii and will give you the chance to experience fight night in the comfort of your own living room. It’s seconds out and time for round one!
Super Punch Out!
For those who want to get into training for the upcoming Wii game, the Super NES sequel to Punch-Out! Super Punch-Out! will be available via Virtual Console from Friday 20 March!Face your favourite opponents from the arcade and NES versions, along with a roster of all-new foes, on your way to the top of the WVBA (World Video Boxing Association) rankings. Take on 16 opponents in Championship Mode, learning their techniques and weak points to take them down, or practice your skills on single opponents in Time Attack Mode!
Bold, colourful graphics and dramatic sound effects set the scene for what promises to be the fight of your life in Punch-Out!! which will be available for Wii across Europe from 22 May. — Nintendo of Europe
And from the phantom webpage:
Get your gloves on and return to the ring – Punch-Out!! is making a comeback! Originally a hit on the Nintendo Entertainment System back when boxers still fought for 15 rounds, the newest installment in the series comes out swinging on Wii.
An intuitive control scheme takes you closer to the action in the ring than ever before! Unleash hooks, uppercuts and Star Punches by swinging the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, or flip your controller sideways to enjoy the classic NES control scheme.
As big-hearted Bronx brawler Little Mac, you’ll have to launch a one-man assault on the boxing world as you bid to become undisputed champ of the Minor, Major and World ranking organisations. Along the way you’ll lock horns with the likes of Glass Joe, Don Flamenco and the hard-hitting King Hippo. A total of 13 flamboyant fighters stand in your path, every one with a creative new way of trying to make sure you end up face-down on the canvas.
Thankfully, Little Mac can fight back. Armed with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, punching is a simple case of taking a swing at your opponent whilst holding different combinations of buttons. Soften them up with jabs by pressing up on the Nunchuk Control Stick when you punch, or crash home a super-charged Star Punch by holding the C or A Buttons as you let your hands go.
Of course, if you intend to master the sweet science you’ll have to learn how to hit and not get hit. Punch-Out!! calls on you to keep a close eye on your opponents and learn their attack patterns – hopefully leaving them swiping at fresh air and open to a crashing counter. If it all sounds like a lot to remember when the leather starts flying, you’ll be glad to know the game features a helpful tutorial mode to make sure you get to grips with the basics before you climb through the ropes.
Ultimately, you’ll no doubt want to make sure you’re rightfully recognised as the pound-for-pound king of the ring. Punch-Out!! includes a multiplayer mode that lets you and a friend slug it out to the bitter end. As in the single player mode, you’ll want to land punches at the right moment to build up Star Punch points that translate into almighty haymakers! Landing and dodging blows in Head-to-Head mode also builds up a Giga Mac gauge. Once full, your fighter is ready to inflict some serious damage.
Have you always thought you could have been a contender? Then get ready to rumble in the all-action Punch Out!! for Wii.
* Fight it out in Career and Exhibition modes or challenge a friend in Head-to-Head mode.
* Play using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for a hard-hitting and immersive experience!
* Go retro by holding the Wii Remote sideways like a NES controller and pounding home punches with a simple press of the 1 and 2 Buttons.
Thanks to GoNintendo for archiving the page’s text.
I’m not sure of the exact source of all this info, such as Little Mac vs. Little Mac in multiplayer (though it makes sense), but the following is added from NeoGAF:
-2 players mode (Little Mac vs Little Mac)
-It seems ALL the nes boxers will come back, however with all the info collected in the past months its confirmed that we will see:1. Glass Joe
2. Von Kaiser
3. King Hippo
4. Don Flamenco
5. Soda Popinski
6. Super Macho Man-13 boxers in total, there were 10 in Punch-Out!! (11 if you count Mr Dream or Mike Tyson), as I think that they will take Mr. Dream, because it had a s****y design (just a pallete swap of Mike Tyson), we are going to see 3 new characters, one of them confirmed in the box art.
-Doc Louis is confirmed
-Rings will be bigger as you pass to new circuits (You can see a pic from possibly the Major Circuit or World Circuit in the web punch-out!! banner)
-Lots of intros possibly telling the lifes of the boxers.
I wonder who the new boxers would be… what’s more, I’m a little disappointed that it sounds as though few, if any, of the characters from Super Punch-Out!! will be in the new game.
As for Mac-on-Mac multiplayer, it would be neat if they managed to use other versions of Mac, such as the green arcade guy or the Super Punch-Out!! version. That is, assuming those are even Little Mac– I don’t think I’ve ever seen them properly named. In any case, it would be better than two near-identical Macs going back and forth.
I wonder how different ring sizes might affect things… past Punch-Outs!! never really had a tremendous degree of movement to begin with. Well, not for the player, anyway; now that I think about it, some of those Super guys really used the size of the ring, didn’t they?
As for the intros, those sound fun– I hope they add a lot of flash and dazzle, some remixed themes from the original game. As for bios, those will definitely be neat, assuming they account for any amount of time passing between the NES game and today.
