Punch-Out!! – WII – Review

There’s no game like Punch-Out. Many
have tried to capture its essence, but the end result is never comparable. We
could speculate for hours on what it would take to meet or beat the Nintendo
classic, but I figure if some of the industry’s brightest minds can’t solve this
problem, we probably won’t either.

Considering this, there has been a
tremendous amount of hype surrounding the long-awaited, motion-controlled
Punch-Out sequel for Wii. If this game doesn’t get it right, then what? Wii
Boxing was a tease – a mere mini-game to show off the console’s potential. Wii
needs a real boxing experience, and not one hampered by a lame attempt at
realism. Fun – the thing Wii is supposed to be about – needs to come first.

And it does. In a nutshell,
Punch-Out!! is a grand-scale upgrade of the original. You could call it a
sequel, but with many of the original game’s physics, characters and attack
patterns back for another round, the game isn’t too far beyond the NES original.
It is, however, ridiculously fun to play, offers impressive motion controls (and
Balance Board support), and features a comedic twist that makes the game – and
its crazy cast – very enjoyable.

As expected, the motion controls are
fairly primitive, at least by MotionPlus standards, a device Punch-Out!! does
not support. Despite this, the mechanics work really well. Shake the Nunchuk or
the remote to throw a left or right hook. Push up on the thumbstick while
shaking one of the controllers to turn your punch into a jab. With the Balance
Board hooked up, you can dodge by leaning left or right, or duck by pushing your
body into the board. Without the Balance Board, those same actions are performed
with the thumbstick.

Punch-Out!! features a super attack
called Star Punch. These attacks can only be performed when you possess at least
one star. Stars are acquired by striking your opponent at a key moment, such as
when he’s taunting you or just before he’s about to throw an uppercut (or a
special punch of his own). Once a star is in Little Mac’s possession (he can
store three of them at one time but will lose them the moment he’s attacked),
hold the A or C button while throwing your next punch.

This probably sounds too easy for
words, but remember that you aren’t supposed to be shaking the controllers (even
though that’s all it takes to execute a move) – you’re supposed to punch your
fist forward to simulate the moves of a boxer. All motions are accepted since
the game can’t differentiate between the two, allowing lazy players to be lazy
and more energetic players to get a workout.

Also, Punch-Out!! has never been
about complicated controls. Like the others, this one begins with
pick-up-and-play mechanics and a few cakewalk battles. After that, the gloves
come off.

The fighter lineup consists of Glass
Joe, Von Kaiser, Disco Kid, King Hippo, Piston Hondo, Bear Hugger, Great Tiger,
Don Flamenco, Aran Ryan, Soda Popinski, Bald Bull and a couple others who might
just give you nightmares. Their patterns are essential to your success. But as
you’ll quickly discover, not all of them are predictable.

Ryan is a weak fighter that relies
on sporadic movements to confuse the player. Popinski may have the power of cola
on his side (something I personally am very jealous of), but it’s his super-fast
attacks that are most deadly. Trying to predict Bald Bull’s next move is
especially difficult; at any time, he may switch between a very slow attack to a
very fast attack. The former is used to get you to doge too soon, allowing his
punches to make contact. The fast attacks are used to trap players that are too
overwhelmed to react.

These and other boxing styles make
the game interesting, challenging, and occasionally cheap. Whether or not the
game is truly cheap is hard to say, but you are bound to feel that way whenever
Little Mac is pounded unexpectedly.

Punch-Out!! is given a comical edge
with characters that are infused with unique personalities. Their stories are
told through a series of paintings that depict the way each boxer trains. The
results are often laugh-out-loud hilarious, making this one of the few games
whose story you won’t want to skip.

In addition to the new motion
controls, Punch-Out!! can also be played using the Wii remote alone. Hold it
sideways like an NES controller and you’re good to go. Every motion is mapped to
one of the buttons, mirroring the motionless controls of the original.

This is a nice alternative, but it
is my recommendation that you stick with the remote and Nunchuk combo.
Punch-Out!! is a fun game regardless of the control style that you use. But when
playing with the Nunchuk, the game is much more aggressive and interactive. Even
if you don’t throw any real punches – even if all you do is flick the
controllers forward, it’s still a more engrossing experience than the old-school
control style, which is very repetitive and makes the game easier to finish.

Punch-Out!! may not be a
breathtaking step ahead of its predecessors, but it is still a game every
Punch-Out fan will want to play. The gameplay is incredibly fun, the boxers are
hilariously inventive, and the replay value – while nowhere near a fighting game
like Street Fighter IV – is strong enough to warrant a purchase.

Gameplay: 8.7
Fans of the original won’t be disappointed by this addictive,
pick-up-and-play upgrade of the NES classic.

Graphics: 8.7
Punch-Out!! is a visual treat with stellar cel-shading effects, hilarious
story images, top-of-the-line KO animations and impressive facial expressions.

Sound: 8.0
A little repetitive and slightly annoying (is it me or do the menu screen
jingles sound exactly like a sound effect from Pikmin?). But overall, the sound
and music are very well done.

Difficulty: Medium
Enemy attacks are tricky at first, but once you learn their patterns, the
game isn’t very challenging.

Concept: 7.9
The motion controls, Balance Board support and subtle game adjustments are
great. But underneath it all, Punch-Out!! isn’t that different from the NES
original.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The lack of online play and Balance Board support during multiplayer might
be disappointing to some. Still, the one-on-one combat is excellent.

Overall: 8.6
Boxing at its best. Many games have tried to capture the arcade essence of
the Punch-Out!! series, and all of them have failed. But nearly 20 years later,
the king is back and is better than ever.