Review: Punch Out!! (Wii)

It’s been a long time coming, but Nintendo, true to form, has released a Wii version of the all-time classic Punch Out!! from back in the NES days. Does this one score a knockout or does it survive a ten-count with the original classic?

This is one thing I’ll say out front… It’s your old man’s Punch Out. All the classic characters are present and accounted for. The simple but deep control is present. The knowledge of the fighters is everything. This is really a puzzle game that depends entirely on your reaction time. Your might know that Don Flamenco is going to throw a right hook when he dodges out right, but if you dodge out too soon he’s going to clobber you, and then he’s follow up with the left hook. Timing and finesse are everything in this game and that’s something that has translated perfectly from the original in the NES in ’86 and the follow up in ’94. Everybody from Glass Joe leaving himself open in the first round to the last fight Mr. Dream, laying down the law, are represented here in fine form. More on how they are represented later.

The Control

Anyone who’s played the game from back in the day will know that pressing down on the d-pad will duck down, left and right will dodge out and up throws your gloves up. Two A and B button represent left and right hooks or jabs. Nothing really has changed in the twenty-plus years (if your use the d-pad plus 2-button config) and that really is a testament to the gameplay. Duck, Dodge and Punch is the way to victory.

Another way is using the motion-controls. If you really want to feel like you’re IN the fight is to use the motion controls by blasting away with the Wiimote and Nunchuck. Left and right hooks and jabs feel so much more visceral when delivered by actually punching (by punching forward while holding the stick up or neutral) or by hitting an A or B button. But, while feeling more real, they lack the responsiveness needed for a game of this type. The timing needs to be spot-on when dodging or blocking (and the motion controls do a decent job of delivering the feeling of landing a massive punch to the midsection) but if you can’t duck out from the retaliation from your opponent, then that victory is stolen all too soon.

For the uninitiated, you duck, dodge and block using the d-pad or control stick on the nunchuck. Land blows with the A and B buttons (in the d-pad config) or toss them bad boys using your mitts with the motion controls. When you acquire Stars by finding weak spots in your opponents defense, you can smash them good by holding A and throwing a punch to take a good amount of damage off their meter. Like I might have said earlier, the d-pad (sideway Wiimote) control is better for responsiveness and timing.

Go with the Wiimote on it’s side if you plan on making a run at the title. It really is the only way to accurately smash opponents and not take as many knocks as you would using the motion-controls.

The Gameplay

‘Knowledge is everything’ as Sun Tsu said. How each fighter behaves and your ability to interpret his ‘tells’ are is key. Knowing that Great Tiger will go left instead of right, and timing your counterattack appropriately is the difference between pulling yourself off the canvas and celebrating with your coach in the corner. It really is a puzzle game, and that hasn’t changed in the years since ‘86, in the sense that you have to learn each fighter foibles and fallacies to see through their patterns to find the easiest way to victory. It takes dedication and timing to find the way to countering punches that earn stars which lead to match-winning punches that land your opponent on the mat for the 10-count. It totally worth it.

What doesn’t show it’s face are any new fighters. Well, that’s not exactly true. Two new boys that we haven’t seen from previous fighters end up in the ring, in the form of the metro-sexual Disco Kid and ‘ever-willing to throw a punch’ Angry Irish. Can’t say that Nintendo went out of their way NOT to recycle characters from over 20 years ago. But in 20 years we can’t find any new stereotypes to oppress?

We see the all original fighters plus some of the guys from the Super Nintendo version and a couple of extras. So, Nintendo took an already existing control scheme, recycled all the old charcters (besides 2, and there are only 12 in the final game [PLUS DONKEY KONG]), but added some motion controls. In all fairness, they announced this title in January of this year, but you have to know that they have been working on for WAY longer than that. Some more fighters… that is NEW fighters, would have been much appreciated.

The Graphics

This is the place where Nintendo placed their resources. The control scheme doesn’t need reworking. All it needs is an updating for the Wii. The triumph (uppercut if you will) is in the look.

Although I feel that Nintendo could have gone full bore, they have gone for a minimalist intro for each fighter. Go figure. If you’ve played Boom Blox, you’ll recognize what EA did for their cut scenes and why it worked. 4-scene vignettes introduce each fighter (from King Hippo eating his entire island to Angry Irish getting beat up by neighborhood kids) do a good job of setting up each fighter’s back story… as stereotyped as they are. Bear Hugger chugs maple syrup and Great Tiger hovers above the Tas Mahal.

The upgrade in the looks department isn’t lost in the gameplay either. Fighters take real-time damage in the form of cuts on the lip or swollen lips. It actually all looks really good, from pineapples swimming around King Hippo’s head (he’s from Hawaii?) when he’s dazed, to ,well, everything else actually. Everything looks convincing; from eybrows furling when they miss you to end-of-round bravado proclaiming false victory. Nothing graphically like what Fight Night 4 is promising, but it fits with the cartoon-y cell-shaded look of the game.

The Story

What is there to know? You’re an up and coming boxer (weighing in at a whole egg and a half at 107 lbs.) and your job is to take out everything and everything on your way to the top. ‘Rocky’ set the precedent and the story still resonates today. Little Guy takes on the World. That’s why your name in the game is ‘Little Mac’.

The Audio

Because the original training theme is so iconic, Nintendo decided to make that song the underlying theme of the entire game. While I felt that they leaned with a heavy on this one song throughout the ENTIRE game, they did it well and varied it enough. They really did a good job of imbuing each fighter with his own sense of style. And the catch-phrases. As soon as you heard Don Flamenco mutter ‘Carmen Amore’ you knew to doge left and counter with a quick quintuple jab. More so than original and ’94 versions of the game did you have to pay attention to the audible clues.

Besides Doc Louis, your coach, sounding like he needed help with his tuition and Great Tiger sounding like he was at a rub-and-tug throughout his match, all other fighters equally represent their appropriate stereotypes and bring more life and international feel to the game. Well done.

Multiplayer

Like a lot of Nintendo titles (which have always touted multiplayer-enabled enhancements) this seems like an add-on. You can play as your character from the Mii menu but are not represented graphically on screen. You engage your enemy with subtle ‘tells’ and throw down damage as your opponent bobs and weaves according to your jabs and hooks. Blah. Not worth the price of admission.

The Bottom Line

Punch Out!! for the Wii Is a great game… as much as the original was back in 1986. The original debuted simple and easy-to-get controls and that has translated to the Wii version. Kudos to Next Level for not messing up a winning formula. Equal accolades can be given for adding new health-winning techniques (dig around for them), and adding new depth (left and right dodging) to old enemies. A great formula that hasn’t been messed with but only enhanced. That is, besides old Doc Louis sounding like a ten-year old that needs help with the rent.