Punch-Out!!

T.K.O. Next Level Games!

Posted 4 years ago By - Zach R.

Re-imaging, re-introducing, or re-working a franchise is a dangerous business when it comes to entertainment. The problem with doing it is that people hate change, even if it’s only minor adjustments. Naturally, when Nintendo announced that it was going to bring back Punch Out!!, there were more than a few people with mixed reactions. The original Punch Out!! was and still is considered one of the greatest sports titles ever made. How do you compete with that? Well, let’s take a look at just how Next Level Games answer that question.

Gameplay

The first thing you should know is that Next Level seems to really respect what made Punch Out!! such a great game. They’ve taken that feeling of fun that went with playing the NES classic, and expanded on it, to help it live up to today’s gaming expectations. Almost everything that made the NES game such a classic is here, only bigger and better. You simply can’t want anything more than that.

From the moment you start your illustrious career, you’ll notice that nearly everything is as you remember it, with a few minor alterations here and there. You’ll still play through as Little Mac, where you’ll blast through Glass Joe, pummel King Hippo, and work your way to the champ; Mr. Sandman. Alright, so Mike Tyson’s missing from the game, but Sandman is a reasonably fine stand-in, all things considered. The biggest change to the single player game is that the characters have been fleshed out into even more ridiculous caricatures of their previous NES incarnations. You’ll see brief scenes that show you what has become of fighters after they fall to Little Mac. Sure, it might not add anything to the gameplay, but it gives you a bit of perspective that was lacking from the NES days. Some will probably appreciate this more than others, but for the most part, it was a neat idea that really fits with the games cartoon-like style.

Now, for anyone who remembers anything about the NES game, you’ll definitely find yourself in familiar territory once you hit the ring for the first time at least initially. Punch Out!!! is all about pattern recognition, and for the most part, what you remember about each fighter will be relatively similar. If you’re just checking out the game for the first time, don’t panic, it will take you a couple of fights, but you’ll eventually get the hang of things and be able to pick up the intricacies of each of the opponents patterns. Of course, for the veterans out there, you should know that your opponents aren’t just carbon copies of the NES versions. You’ll have to try to fight the urge to use the same strategies you used in the NES version here, because just when you think you’ve got it down, your opponent will pull out a move that wasn’t in the original. That’s not to say the changes are so great you won’t be able to master them after a fight or two, but as a vet of the original, I often had a tendency to follow the old strategies and wound up on the mat more than once. Newcomers will definitely be at more of an advantage, as they won’t have those expectations.

Alright, so you’ve mastered the tricks of each fighter, and got yourself a shiny new belt. Now what? Well, whereas in the previous game, you won the belt and that was pretty much it, this time, you’re going to have to defend it. This means that everyone you bested to win that title is now gunning for you, and they’re coming back better prepared. That’s right, your second play through wields bigger, stronger and well prepared opponents than your first play through. What do I mean by well prepared? Well, in the case of King Hippo, his previously bandaged belly which was a glaring weak spot is now covered up by a manhole that he’s taped to himself. Needless to say, you’re going to have a tougher time working through the game the second time. Thankfully, Next Level Games has improved the previous NES system. Losses no longer send you back to the beginning. If you need a few more tries to perfect the strategy required to defeat a certain opponent, you can have however many you need. It’s a welcome design choice that will alleviate some of the frustrations that newcomers may have had with the older system, (though core gamers might have appreciated the old way a bit more for the sense of accomplishment.)

The controls here are handled spectacularly. Motion controls are pretty much what you’d expect them to be. It’s a bit more refined than the controls in every other boxing game on the Wii, but as opponents get harder, the motion controls start to show cracks. I definitely recommend giving the motion controls a try, simply for something different, but as the game progresses, you will want to switch to the more effective and classic NES control style. To do this, you just need to turn the Wii remote on its side and use the D-pad and buttons to provide a more accurate, and let’s face it, less exhausting method. There is also support for the Balance Board if you happen to have one handy. Again, this works relatively well, but for the tougher fights, it’s just not as accurate as you need it to be, and you’ll find yourself switching back to the classic control style.

Graphics & Sound

Punch Out!!! is one of the best looking Wii games available, period. The cel-shaded characters, the fantastically brutal punch animations, all just fit so well here. The opponents are still larger than life, and will often times take up the entire screen with their immense presence. Punches that land will effectively leave comically large bumps on your adversaries head, and the reactions to hits make you feel like you’re not just boxing some lifeless bot, like in other arcade boxers. 

On the audio side, there’s a few difference that may surprise and delight fans. The big change here is that characters now have voices. While that may not seem like a huge leap in the current generation considering games have come a long way since the original game, it adds just a shade more entertainment to the proceedings. Mac still doesn’t speak, but listening to Piston Hondo and others spout off will definitely bring a smile to any fan of the originals lips. The music is Nintendo’s classic theme given the modern treatment. In short, it’s exactly what you want to hear when you think of Punch Out!!

Value

Aside from the career mode, there are a few extra modes to toy around with. There’s a training mode, exhibition, and even a multiplayer mode. Training mode is a great way to learn the ropes for any newcomers, but won’t hold much value for the vets out there. Exhibition offers a few "achievement" like goals that have you trying to best fighters that you’ve beaten in different ways. (ie: beat a boxer under a certain amount of time, etc.). Of course, it’s the multiplayer that really adds any value outside of the main career mode. Unfortunately, you won’t be playing through as any of the other characters in the game. Instead, both players fight as Little Mac. The goal is to land enough punches to become "Giga" Mac. This has the player who reaches that goal first "hulking up" and becoming a giant version of Mac that’s basically a one man wrecking-crew. While it’s a nice addition, it’s not necessarily the deepest mode out there, and most will likely stick to the single player mode to get the most out of the game.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of the original or even if you’ve never picked up a Punch Out!! game before in your life, you owe it to yourself to get this game. Quite simply, one of the best NES games has now been re-made into one of the best Wii games available.

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