N-Philes :: REVIEW: Punch-Out!!

Viewing Entry

REVIEW: Punch-Out!!

Posted June 22nd 2009 by Brandon Schmidt.

It's funny yet sad to know that there is an entire generation of gamers out there who've never experienced the thrill and challenge of a Punch-Out!! game. Although the Virtual Console has recently added the ability to take the ring in the classic Super Punch-Out!!, we haven't seen a new game in the series in over a decade and a half. Thankfully the wait is over in the form of Punch-Out!! for the Wii from Next Level Games. Now the opportunity is there for the new gaming generation to take on the likes of Glass Joe, King Hippo, and all the blatant stereotypes us repeat players have come to love over the years. But is Punch-Out!! just another cash-grab sequel or could it be the next TKO from Tokyo?

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it's old-school gaming at its finest: Pattern recognition and reaction time. Through the course of three different boxing circuits, you'll take on over a dozen fighters each with their own blend of themed attacks, many reflective of the idiosyncrasies often associated with those of that culture. For instance, Glass Joe is portrayed as a weak and fearful Frenchman, whereas Super Macho Man is the attention-grabbing, egomaniacal Californian with punches that include poses for the camera. As outdated as some of these generalizations have become, the variety of colorful characters you'll meet add such a great mix to the game that Punch-Out!! would be lacking in its charm without them. It's something you really don't see in the Fight Night games of the world.

The game is difficult; I'm just going to go ahead and get that out there. It can be frustrating at times, particularly if you're a casual gamer. Unless you're a die-hard Punch-Out!! fan from series past, it takes a few failures before you'll figure out the different attacks each foe has in their arsenal and when they'll start adding new tricks. The reward is a great deal of self-satisfaction when the enemy finally doesn't get back up. Completing all three circuits yields a new mode, Title Defense, that has you fighting through each of your former foes whom all have added to their repertoire of moves in addition to having some cosmetic changes. There's enough of a variety in your opponents that the second play-through will feel like you're fighting entirely new brawlers. Advanced gamers may be able to breeze through the regular game, but this mode should definitely give you a challenge.

Exhibition mode is a great addition. It gives you the opportunity to practice against any fighter you've met during career mode without having to worry about getting knocked out or running out of energy from having your punches blocked. If you're struggling against a certain opponent and you really need to work on countering a particular special attack, this mode is a blessing. For those fighters which you've already bested in career mode, Exhibition mode offers replayability in the form of challenges. These challenges are goals you must meet in the course of fighting that opponent. For example, can you find Glass Joe's weak spot? It's a nice bonus that adds some length to your play-through of the game.

The game also includes a local multiplayer mode for 2 players. The viewpoint is reminiscent of the boxing in Wii Sports in that it's split-screen. Both players fight as Little Mac and when the tide of battle turns heavily towards one player, that particular player becomes a giant Little Mac and the screen changes to the standard single-player view with tiny Little Mac in the foreground. It's nothing terribly noteworthy, and it would've been nice to at least have had an online option available, but the meat of the game is the single-player mode anyway.

The interface for the game is very simplistic which is nice. The feel is reminiscent of Mario Strikers Charged, but that shouldn't be a surprise considering that game was also developed by Next Level Games. Unfortunately, actually navigating the menu system wasn't well thought out in that you have to use the IR pointer. For gamers who choose to use the Wiimote in classic gamepad style, you'll have to constantly change the position of the controller to point at the screen. It's not a big deal, but it seems like something someone would've recognized during development.

The cel-shaded animation in Punch-Out!! is excellent in both its execution and ability to bring up waves of nostalgia. It's really a treat to see a number of the old 8 and 16-bit animations that were once just a couple of frames turned into fluid art. Occasionally you'll get a knockout animation out of your opponent and these are often some of the best scenes in the game. Some of the characters, particularly Great Tiger, have had their signature moves given a make-over, and for the most part I think it's for the better. With only one completely new character in the game, it was a good way to help balance freshness with the nostalgia factor.

The audio in the game is largely subdued but, like the animation, has its roots in the previous entries in the series. The game has new takes on the in-fight and training themes, and will even throw in the occasional old-school sound effect such as the knockdown sound when you send your foe to the mat. For new players, all of this would be largely forgettable, but it's just one more example of the appeal the game has for series veterans. One gripe I have in the game is Doc. Half of the things he says between bouts has to do with his unnatural obsession with chocolate. I get it. He's a fat guy. He loves chocolate. The game runs this joke into the ground. Thankfully the fight-intro and between-round scenes can be skipped.

The game offers a variety of control options: Wiimote and Nunchuk, classic style, and even support for the Balance Board. Do yourself a favor and just play the game classic style. While it might be fun at first to use the Wiimote/Nunchuk combination, once you get to the tougher foes in the game, you'll be wanting the quicker response time of a button press. To be honest, even if the Wiimote/Nunchuk combo were responsive enough to be viable all the way through the game, you'd be worn out after just a few fights with all of the dodging, ducking, and swinging involved.

Final Thoughts

Although I'd have a hard time recommending this game to Grandma and Grandpa Casual Gamer, everyone else should give this game a try. Chances are if you're reading this review you probably aren't part of that casual market anyway. This is one of those rare occurrences where the relaunch of a cherished franchise is just as good as the original. The Wii, unfortunately, has had a lull in quality games for awhile now, so if you're looking for a reason to dust it off, Punch-Out!! is definitely worth picking up. If you're a fan of the series, there's even more incentive to do so. The game takes everything you loved from past entries in the series and brings it all into the current generation in a way that it feels both old and new.

Tags: Punch Out, Nintendo-Wii