Punch Out!! Wii (Wii) Review

This game is amazing. I love how it's a huge throwback to the original Punch Out games. They kept key scenes that are just such a staple of the Punch Out games, in other words, the pink jumpsuit. The controls are really responsive when you use the Wiimote and Nunchuck control scheme. The controls are VERY simple, (dodge left to right (left and right on joystick), block/face jabs (up on joystick), duck (down on joystick), and lastly throwing punches by swinging the Wiimote and Nunchuck to punch with the respective hands). For all you retro players, it also has the option to play with the Wiimote sideways which makes it feel exactly like playing the original Punch Out for the NES. And even for you new gamers, it is compatible with the Wii Balance Board as well. That's only used for dodging, however it is still fun to actually dodge punches. The difficulity ramp up seems very fairly done. It's not like you're fighting a really easy opponent then the next fighter is impossible. Obviously, they are going to get more and more difficult. Along with them getting more and more powerful. I made it all the way to the 2nd fighter in the World Circuit, and I couldn't beat him. The characters are really fun to watch. They're really dynamic from the thing that they show prior to the fight and even during the fight.



Really, my only complaints are the fact that it's really short. There are 3 circuits, the Minor Circuit, the Major Circuit, and the World Circuit. The Minor and Major Circuits have 3 fighters and 1 champion in each. The World Circuit, however, has 4 fighters and 1 champion, making it just a little longer. I also don't like that getting up doesn't become more difficult the more times you get knocked down. I was always able to get up by the count of 4. But if you get knocked down 3 times in a round, TKO. I would rather have me getting up become more difficult the more times I get knocked down, because I found myself numerous times losing because of the TKO.



They also added a multiplayer option to the game. Both of you fight as Little Mac and beat on each other until one loses. Thank god this was added because that adds even MORE replay value to the game (as if Punch Out didn't have replay value on its own).

All in all, if you liked the Punch Out games, get this game. If you're just looking for a different fighting game, get this game.

Rating: Shadow