The long awaited return of Nintendo's most ignored franchise.
Ever since I first played Wii Sports boxing, I thought that a motion controlled Punch-Out game would be cool. Actually, it goes back even further, to a Konami Arcade game called Mo-Cap Boxing. And I'm sort of right about the motion controls, but we'll get to that later. The point is, I've been hoping and praying for a new, fully 3D Punch-Out for a while. And when it was revealed in October of last year, it was a dream come true. All I knew was that Glass Joe, Von Kaiser and King Hippo would back. I dreamed up what the roster might consist of. Every week I scrounged the net looking for hints of new characters. I haven't been this excited over a game in a long time.
And I gotta say, now that it's finally out, and I've had a good week to play with it, I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Yeah, there are some things that could be improved upon. But overall, this is one of the most solid games on the Wii, in my opinion. But, the devil is in the details.
First off, let me talk about the control scheme. Like the majority of the recent first party Nintendo titles, Punch-Out doesn't try to pigeon hole the motion controls into the game, and instead gives you a few options. If you use the Wii remote by itself, the game detects that, and defaults to the "classic" style game play - you turn the remote on it's side, and play it much like an NES game on the virtual console - 1 and 2 are your left and right punches, + is Start, - is select, and the d-pad is... the d-pad. Anyway, if you're a Punch-Out purist, and you're serious about getting good times, this is probably the way you're going to play.
If you plug in a Nunchuk, the game then switches to motion controls, which is pretty much what you'd expect. You make punching motions to throw body blows, and holding down B or Z will turn your punches into head shots. When you have a Star punch, you can hold A or C to throw an uppercut. Dodging, ducking, and blocking are all done with the control stick on the Nunchuk.
A third input option that works in conjunction with the Wii remote & Nunchuk is to use the Balance Board to control your dodging and ducking. I was very excited when I first read that this game had Balance Board support, but I've got to say I'm disappointed with it. Punch-Out is a game the relies on quick movements and precise timing, especially in the later fights. The Balance Board does not offer that. It's nowhere near accurate enough. It doesn't really add anything to the game - in fact, it detracts from it.
The Wii remote and Nunchuk without the Balance Board set up isn't a bad control scheme, but it really doesn't add to the game. It's not a huge hindrance like the Balance Board is, though you might fight it not detecting the odd punch here and there. The point is, I've tested out every control method, and I've found myself sticking with the classic controls for my main career play through. I can see myself doing the motion controls and maybe even the balance board in exhibition, especially if I have friends over, but I don't want to taint my career with a loss due to controller inaccuracy.
As for the gameplay itself, it plays a lot closer to the NES version of Punch-Out than either of the arcade games, or the Super NES version. Which is a great thing in my opinion. That means you've got three 3 minute rounds - which is actually a little less than 3 minutes since the clock is sped up - to take your opponent down. Like a real boxing match, there are three ways to win: knocking your opponent down and they stay down for a count of 10 (KO); knocking your opponent down 3 times in one round (TKO); or going to the time limit and winning by the referee's decision.
Like the NES game, if you land a well timed punch, you can earn a Star, which will allow you to unleash a devastating, unblockable uppercut. New to the series is the ability to save up to 3 Stars, and use them all at once for a punch that will drain the majority of your foe's energy meter. Now, the thing with Stars is that if you get hit, you lose them all. So hanging on to them might seem like a good idea, but if you mis-time a dodge, you're back to square one. It's all about deciding whether you're going to play conservative or aggressive. And your tactics will change with each boxer.
Speaking of the boxers, I am for the most part happy with the roster. I'm glad to see pretty much all the NES boxers have made a comeback. Especially my old Major Circuit rival that I love to hate, the Great Tiger. I'm kinda disappointed that Super Punch-Out didn't get much representation with only Aran Ryan and Bear Hugger making it - though I guess you could count Bald Bull, Super Macho Man and Mr. Sandman. Even more disappointing is the fact that there's only one "new" character, Disco Kid, and he's just a rework of Kid Quick from the old arcade game. Including another hidden character, there's a total of 14 boxers in this game.
14 seems like a bit of a disappointing number at first, but there's actually two versions of every character. After you've won the world championship, you'll have the option of going back through "Title Defense" mode, which will present you with new and improved versions of the character you've encountered on your way to the top. And this time, they've all got a grudge with you, and they've covered up their weaknesses. King Hippo, for example, has duct taped a manhole cover over his gut, so you can't hit him there. Title Defense is a much welcomed addition, and for all intents and purposes, it gives you a second set of characters to fight, since the TD versions are almost nothing like their original counterparts.
Also of note, for the first time in the series, Punch-Out now offers multiplayer. What's disappointing is that it seems like an afterthought. Both players are Little Mac, though you can transform into Giga-Mac - think of Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk. Honestly, I've played one match, and that was enough for me. I didn't find it particularly fun, and I'm not even sure why it's there. You can't even go online with it.
Overall, I'd have to give the gameplay a solid 9 out of 10. The only things I can complain about are the smallish roster, and the poor multiplayer.
The graphics are cell shaded, and I've got to say they look great. Cell shading for me is one of those things that I LOVE when it fits, but I hate it when it's used in the wrong kind of game. But it definitely goes well with the over the top, cartoonish style of Punch-Out. The characters are all large and detailed, which is a necessity in the series. But it's the little things - the sushi that flies off Piston Hondo as you smack him in the face. The steam that shoots out of Bald Bull's nose as he prepares for his bull charge. The art direction was very well done in this game - the presentation is superb, and the it's honestly one of the best looking games on the Wii to date.
But what really stands out to me is the sound. The music is absolutely awesome. The classic NES Punch-Out fight theme is one my favorite video game songs ever, and it's been appropriately updated here. Plus, each fighter has their own little remix of it. Soda Popinski's Russian chanting remix of it is my favorite, I'd say. Plus, the classic training in between circuits theme is back - complete with a training montage capping off with Doc stealing Mac's biking and riding it in front of the Statue of Liberty.
While we're on the subject of the audio, a thought just occurred to me that I want to mention. Prior to this version, the opponents in the Punch-Out games all just seemed so... bland. I mean, sure they all had a fighting style of their own, but no personality. Now, they ooze charm and endear themselves to you, mostly due to their voice work. Sure, I might not understand what the hell Bald Bull is saying, but I can tell he's getting pretty angry. And Aran Ryan's spastic in your face taunting never gets old. It's like I'm getting to know my old favorite characters on a completely new level.
Overall, Punch-Out on the Wii is a great game, and if you're a fan of the series, there is absolutely no reason not to get it. If you've never played a Punch-Out game, this is a great place to start. This is one of the best games on the Wii to date, gloves down.