| Punch-Out!! Posted: As a fan of the original Punch-Out!! titles on NES and SNES, I knew that this game was a must have for me. Having finally played the title yesterday, I am glad to report that it certainly does not disappoint! This is hardcore Punch-Out gameplay at it's best!
The thing that I love about Punch-Out!! is that, like the original games, it really isn't a brawler. You can't button-mash your way through the game. Rather, it really is more of a puzzler, in that each opponent has a "tell", and a specific fighting style. Once you have him figured out, it is just a matter of countering him. Don't be mistaken, however: this game's difficulty get's hardcore really quickly (much like the original games!). For instance, last night, I was able to breeze right through the Minor Circuit (using the motion controls), but in the second circuit (Major Circuit I believe), the fighter "Great Tiger" (a welcome import from the original NES game!) gave me a really hard time! I found myself REALLY challenged, much to my delight! Also, much like the original games, once you defeat several of the players in the game, you get to fight them again later in the game.... however, their fighting style (the puzzle element of the game) has completely changed, and the difficulty is ramped up drastically. I am confident that this game will provide hours and hours of gameplay. Anyway, here are some of my observations about the game:
LOVED-
*Art style - everything is hand drawn, colorful, and animated. This game looks great, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Also, several humerous head-nods to the original games were included (lik Doc urging you to join Club Nintendo ringside!). Also, some of the knockout animations (like the original games) are REALLY satisfying and funny. When I knocked out Disco Kid, he spun around like a top and hit all four corners of the ring while making pinball machine noises. Now THAT'S classic Punch-Out!! if I've ever seen it!
*Difficulty - one thing that games are missing these days is hardcore difficulty. The original Punch-Out!!, as well as titles like the Contra series or the Mega Man series tended to be so difficult at times that you were tempted to throw your controller at the wall! There is nothing worse to me than just breezing through a game. I was pleasantly surprised that, even though I knew how to beat most of the fighters that I have faced so far (since they were in the original games), they still were no push-overs this time around. The characters are FASTER than they were in the old games, and the motion controls ad a new dimension of difficulty.
*Achievements - this game has a simple achievement system where you are challenged, for instance, to beat a character in one round, or with only right jabs, etc. Achievements are something special for any Wii game, since so very select few developers are including them in Wii titles. This ads loads of replay value in my opinion (I am STILL trying to get all the trophies unlocked in Smash Bros Brawl! What can I say... I'm a perfectionist!)
*Multiplayer - the game includes a simple multiplayer mode where you play head to head with a friend as Little Mac. It is really simple, but it is fun. I only wish that you could have played as other boxers and that some kind of online play was included... but this was still a welcome feature!
*Controls - Wii Sports Boxing was fun, but really left me wanting a great boxing title where the motion controls really work well. Punch-Out!!, while not really a "Boxing" game (it's no Knockout Kings for sure!), has implemented some really smooth motion controls. Rather than relying solely on motion controls, you simply swing right and left. You hold a button while swinging to do an upwards swing, and press a button while swinging to do a star punch. The motion controls are simple, and they work. Later in the game, as the difficulty ramps up even higher, I have a feeling that I will switch to the classic NES controls rather than the motion controls (Wii remote on it's side), as this will allow for more speed and responsiveness (since a button press is always faster than a swing of the wiimote), so I'm glad this was included.
Disliked:
*Could have included a few more original/new boxers
*No online play
All in all, this game is really wonderful. Certainly a must-have for any hardcore gamer who owns (or is thinking about buying) a Wii.
Scores:
Presentation: A
Gameplay: A+
Replay Value: A
Multiplayer: B
Overall: A |
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