As many of you know, Punch-Out!! came out today after being in retirement for quite some time.  Little Mac is back with a slew of his old rivals and a few new ones to keep him on his toes as he fights his way to the top.  Naturally I was more than thrilled with this and got home from work as quick as I could so I could go snag a copy at my local, anonymous, super game store.  So how does it stack up against its predecessors?  Read on and I’ll let you know some initial impressions I’ve had and what you’ve got to look forward to as Doc Louis whips Mac into shape for the third time.

1. Doc Louis Still Wants his Chocolate

I’m not kidding- Mac’s consistently overweight trainer still goes on and on about a chocolate bar, often ad nausea.  In all seriousness though, Doc is back and still helps you out between rounds in classic style if you start to catch a beating from Don Flamenco.

2. Classic Play Style is Preserved

While I’m sure many of you were looking forward to a boxing game that doesn’t suck after that Wii Sports fiasco, Punch-Out!! doesn’t force you to play with waggle controls.  If you want, you can kick it real old school by turning the Wii Remote sideways and playing in classic style with 1 and 2 letting you perform left and right punches, A being used for star-punches, and the d-pad controlling your dodges, ducks, and blocks.

3. Nintendo’s Not-so Subtle Racist Stereotypes Preserved

I kid, I kid…mostly.  While I certainly appreciate Nintendo keeping most of the classic characters preserved, I’m sure there are those that might take offense to some of the characters.  I mean, look at poor Glass Joe over there- it’s not enough that he gets dropped like a prom dress, but he must also bear the humiliation of being dazed and surrounded by croissants? I’m just saying…

4. The Music is Fantastic

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but the original Punch-Out!!‘s music was some of my favorite from the entire NES era.  It had a distinctly Rocky feel to it and hit all the right notes depending on whether Mac was pummeling his opponents retarded or had just lost a title fight to begin his re-acquaintance with the comeback trail.  The Wii version keeps almost all of the original music, but re-mixed to be a little (forgive me) punchier.

5. The Timing is Solid

Anyone familiar with the original game knows that it’s not a game of luck, but pure, unadulterated skill.  Precise dodges, nerves of steel, and attention to cues is what keeps you alive in this game and this latest version is no exception.  Nintendo took a proven formula that’s withstood the test of time and didn’t ruin a good thing.

Stay tuned for the forthcoming podcast this week where Nicole and I will talk about our different views and a full review likely forthcoming in the next week or so.

Related posts:

1. Little Mac in Training!!