I’m one of the people who was absolutely ecstatic about Little Mac getting his Smash Bros place, I have very fond memories of the original on the NES and have probably bought the original at least 4 times…mostly down to Nintendo’s shoddy account service mind you. But, the hype surround Smash U got me really interesting in playing the Punch-Out title I missed, the remake ofnthe Wii by Next Level Games. So, with the prologue out of the way, let’s dive in.
The first apparent thing with Punch-Out is that it just oozes style, characters look unique and very well made and as a result even now, the 5 year old game still looks as striking as ever. The graphics are kept simple and adopt a cartoony style and it suits it to a tee, boxing has never looked so full of character. Speaking of characters, Punch-Out is full of them, taking border-line stereotypical charactures and making them into hilarious parodies is always hilarious, and it’s never been more apparent than in POWii. One particular character Aran Ryan(Irish) is just insane, and some of his quirks will have you struggling to focus and hold back the laughs. Just as mega fighters like Bald Bull will have you striking back in resentment, determined to give the Turkish animal a piece of his own medicine. The supporting cast aren’t the only thing that flourish however, Little Mac is as awesome as ever, with an amazing new redesign that looks great, complete with amateur boxer style looks and a heart full of gold, when Mac takes a hit, you feel it, and you want to make the punch thrower pay. Doc is at Mac’s side as expected, his quirks are as ambiguous as ever; think an old Chinese monk from the Bronx with an obsession for chocolate…that’s Doc Louis for you. I could talk for paragraphs about how all the characters are incredibly detailed and thought out, but you really do have to see it to believe it.
Gameplay wise, Punch-Out is a carbon copy of the originals with a few new hidden tricks thrown in for good measure. Baisically, POWii is best thought of as a Boxing-Puzzle mash-up, it’s as insane as it is perfect. You never doubt the game for a second, any mistakes made aren’t blamed on the game, it’s all on you. Throwing uppercuts left and right never felt so refrshing, and the static movement of the boxers make all the action focus on the punches(or even headbutts…) rather than Fight Night’s prancing around and relentless dodging. From that last sentence, it should be apparent that POWii isn’t looking to accurately replicate any fights in boxing history, but I’m sure nobody expected that anyway, this is pure fun and skill based learning, the mechanics are basically redone for every fight in the game. This does mean that it can get a tad stale in the long run if you complete the game(and it’s 2 hidden career modes) but in all honesty, it’s so fun that you forget that a fight will follow the same rhythm once you’ve completed it once.
The soundtrack is impeccable and truly captures the ‘underdog’ theme, using the Punch Out theme as it’s hook, the soundtrack is remixed countless times and still feels fresh. In fact, when the game does have tracks that arent based on the original NES you automatically feel it being out of place. The trumpet heavy renditions often mirror that of Super Mario Strikers, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Next level Games really didn’t spare any budget on this title.
Multiplayer wise, simply put – its tacked on. It was fun they put it in, but you won’t find anywhere near as much enjoyment in slugging out with a friend over the 2 of you trying to beat the single player campaign together, it’s easy to get carried away with a game whether spectating or playing and would make for a fun game around friends. Involving them in a versus match however much potential it had, misses the mark.
‘if at first you don’t succeed, keep trying’ Doc Louis will holler as you get battered around by a Russian soda maniac, it’s a line you better get used to. Because Punch-Outs trial-and-error gameplay is addicting and you won’t want to put it down, combined with a bright cast and insane soundtrack, this game is one of the wii’s most well hidden gems. Dig down deep, this one’s going to the decision.
Pros
- Incredible characters and cast
- Oozing Personality
- Gameplay is timeless and still amazing
- Soundtrack is god tier
- Motion controls are spot on
- Doesn’t lose track of it’s roots
Cons
- Multiplayer feels tacked on
- Ends far too soon
94%
