Punch-Out!!

Any self-respecting gamer has, at one point or another, played the original "Punch-Out!!" for the Nintendo Entertainment System. But those who crave the addicting gameplay and entertaining characters of "Punch-Out!!" need no longer dust off their 8-bit cartridges to get their fix. The new "Punch-Out!!," a modern version of the classic for the Wii, keeps all of the elements that made the original so fun, while introducing enough new material to give it an identity of its own.

At its core, the gameplay in "Punch-Out!!" remains unchanged. The player controls Little Mac with basic motion controls or by holding the Wii remote sideways like a classic controller and uses opponents' "tells" to determine when to dodge or block, after which he can counter with punches of his own. Mac makes his way through the minor, major, and world circuits, facing an extensive roster of opponents, each with their own unique fighting style.

This version of the game, however, introduces Title Defense Mode, which requires Mac to face all of his opponents again, except they all have clever and amusing new techniques or tricks up their sleeve. Glass Joe inherits headgear to protect his head from all jabs, King Hippo tapes a manhole cover to his vulnerable stomach, and in all cases, the player must adjust and find a way to circumvent these new obstacles.

Further extending the gameplay time, the player can also reach Mac's Last Stand Mode after plowing through all of his opponents for a second time. Here, Mac must continue to fight any and all comers, and after three losses, he has to hang up his gloves for good and the game's career mode ends. There's still plenty to do, however, as the game's exhibition mode allows for players to fight any opponent that they have already defeated. Each opponent comes with a set of three challenges, such as KO-ing an opponent in only five punches, that can be beaten for unlockable content.

Given the hardware capabilities of the Wii, the greatest graphical achievements of the system in have come in the form of unique or quirky visual styles, such as "Madworld" and "Okami," as opposed to attempts at realism, and "Punch-Out!!" is no exception. Sporting colorful, cartoonish graphics, the game features over-the-top characters of all different races whose personalities are enhanced by the game's art style. Animations are smooth and fitting for the characters as your opponents smile, laugh, grimace, or spin around and fall to the canvas.

The sound featured in "Punch-Out!!" is as excellent as the graphics, with fantastic voiceovers provided for each of the characters, embodying their ridiculous nature. The music assortment is also impressive in that each of the characters have their own music when you fight them, played in a style that corresponds with the fighter. For instance, when boxing Indian fighter The Great Tiger, the music is filled with the sounds of a sitar, while fighting Hollywood native Super Macho Man prompts riffs played by a distorted guitar.

This would be a good time to mention that if you're easily offended, perhaps this game's humor, which is widely derived from the use of stereotypes, is not for you. While those who take it all with a grain of salt may find it humorous that pieces of sushi float around the head of Japanese fighter Piston Hondo while he's dazed, or that croissants fly from the mouth of France's Glass Joe when he's hit, others may not.

The gameplay and presentation may be a knockout, but what the developers, Next Level, could have done with this title is its greatest weakness. It appears that Next Level was too apprehensive about upsetting fans of the original game by deviating too far from the source material. With the exception of a cameo made by a well-known Nintendo character much later in the game, only one new opponent is introduced, the hilarious Disco Kid. Likewise, while fun, the core gameplay is identical to the NES "Punch-Out!!"

I applaud the team for incorporating a multiplayer mode into the game, which is the first time this has been done in any iteration of "Punch-Out!!," but I couldn't help but feel as if this was also a giant missed opportunity to explore some new territory. It would have brought a whole new dimension to the "Punch-Out!!" series if players could use any of the fighters in multiplayer. Unfortunately, both players can only play as the game's main protagonist, Little Mac. The most diehard of fans say that playing as anyone else but Little Mac in "Punch-Out!!" is against the spirit of the original game but I say that's close-minded; rehashes of the same material can only rely on the nostalgic "old-school" appeal for so long before it just gets old.

That isn't to say that the multiplayer mode isn't fun. It greatly extends the playability of the game and introduces a twist in the form of Giga-Mac, a giant, Neanderthal-like version of Little Mac that the player transforms into after successfully blocking or dodging his opponent numerous times. How often you transform into Giga-Mac and how you fare as him are huge factors in whether you win or lose and it's that kind of new material and strategy that leaves players wanting more.

For those who are new to the "Punch-Out!!" series, this is a perfect way to be introduced to it. It's a great looking and sounding game that has wildly addicting gameplay. For those who have played any or all of the previous "Punch-Out!!" installments, there's still plenty here to take in, what with the creative art style and subsequent personality that the game inherits, as well as the new game modes like Title Defense and multiplayer. Old-school lover or not, there's no denying that in all his glory, Little Mac is back.

Score: 9.0/10