Punch-Out: Re-Living the Glory Days

Punch-Out: Re-Living the Glory Days

Oct 07

Wii Punch-Out is Nostalgia at its best. Everything you loved about the original Punch-Out for the NES is present in this newly upgraded version.

This is still the same old goofy boxing game you remember from way back in the day, just upgraded graphically. Only now you punch with the Wii remote and nun-chuck instead of button mashing on the controller. This game is even compatible with the Wii balance-board for the duck and dodge moves although not recommended. It will add to the overall feel but you will have difficulty dodging Piston Honda’s quick set of punches.

The simple control scheme of using the nun-chuck is much easier to perform, and will cause a whole lot less frustration in the end. Wii Punch-Out even adds one thing that most of us dreamed of all those years ago, a 2 player head to head mode complete with Giga-Mac juice that transforms you into a hulk sized version of Little Mac to pound in your friends face with.

As fun as it is to fight your friends the career mode is what this game is all about. Click that button and transform yourself into the the little kid you once were playing, your way through all the fights your remember. Including the opening bout against Glass Joe, King Hippo, and even Soda Popinski.

A few of your favorites from Super Punch-Out were invited to the party to get knocked out as well. The only person curiously missing is Mario as the referee. He has been replaced by just some nobody. But the new ref is capable of judging a fight which makes it possible to win by decision even if you cant figure out how to expose the weakness of your opponent to knock them out in glorious TKO style.

The game play is the same as it always was. You will collect stars by hitting your opponent at opportune times. This time around the stars stack which allows you to unleash a super 3 star punch, which will bring down most opponents in one fell swoop. Just make sure you know your enemy, because one punch landed on you and all your stars are gone. So learn when to use your stars and when to save them.

The heart meter is also present starting at 30 and losing 1 point for every punch you block and 3 if your opponent lands a hit on you. Don’t run out of hearts or you will turn pink until you can successfully avoid an attack and regain some hearts.

Doc is still your corner man and will provide you with useful tips to help win the fight. Learn to exploit his weakness for chocolate and you can get a once per fight stamina boost between rounds. Doc even takes you out on your training jog though the city with you in your pink jogging suit just like the old days.

If you liked any part of the original NES version then chances are it is here. This is the best re-make I have seen in recent years. It holds true to the original and adds just enough tweaking to fix some of the old headaches. This is a great game for gamers of all ages.

Story: 6/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Graphics: 7/10

Replay Value: 7/10

Overall: 7/10