At first, I was skeptical that Nintendo could recreate the fun of the original game without radically altering the basic elements of what made the game so great. The original Punch-Out !! I had a somewhat repetitive game, but there was a lot of pleasure in figuring out how to knock out fighters, that the overall experience was very memorable.
I was concerned that a direct translation of the original game elements to the Wii without modifications would result in a repetitive and superficial experience. Glad to see that I was wrong. There’s more depth and strategy to this remake than meets the eye, and the exhibition matches and 2-player challenges add multiple levels of replay value.
The basic high-level strategy remains the same as the original: you are Little Mac, a boxer fighting his way through the minor, major and world circuit. Eventually you can take the title and fight to defend it. As you defeat various characters, you can see the next opponent’s cutscene. Cut scenes and other unlockable content become visible in the gallery.
The Wii Expands the Original Punch-Out! including various “challenges” that you can undertake during exhibition matches. Example challenges include K. O’ing an opponent with 6 hits in a single match, finding an opponent’s “weak spot” and knocking them out with one hit, winning a match without dodging / ducking / blocking, etc. I won’t spoil anything by saying what happens when you complete a challenge, but these add a lot of replay value after you’ve jabbed and uppercut your way through the world circuit. Exhibition matches are also great for practicing against an opponent without affecting your ranking, as the career mode will track your win / loss record.
The characters in the original are lovelier than you remember and the “celluloid” style (I’m not sure if that’s the exact term) of the animation is interesting and takes advantage of the somewhat limited graphical capabilities of the Wii (“limited” compared to 360 / PS3). You won’t even notice that the Wii isn’t processing millions of polygons and textures per minute because the cut scenes and character gestures are fun to watch.
Parents should keep in mind that although this is a boxing game, the “violence” is quite comical and there is no blood or malice. Overall, this is a must for fans of the original and Wii fans looking for a solid gaming experience.