A blast from the past that is better than I remember!
Well it seems that the old is indeed becoming the new these days. Every time I look at the games news there is some old franchise or classic either being remade or, as is the case with PunchOut!!, re-imagined. And whilst I am a lover of all things retro, at times I do wonder if it is always the right thing to do, mess with a classic. Straight remakes often leave you feeling that you were better off remembering how good a game was, rather than trying to compare it to a modern game. I often feel that remakes destroy my happy memories of games. Then we have the reimagining. Taking a classic and then buggering about with it for a new generation of gamers. This often goes terribly wrong (Bubble Bobble I am looking at you!).
It is FUN with a capital F!
When I first heard that PunchOut!! was to be recreated for the Wii I was both excited and terrified of what may come from such a venture! On the one hand you have pretty much the first NES game I ever played, and one of my favorite games of all time coming to my favorite modern games system. On the other you have the possibility that it will be a straight remake that plays like a dog and destroys all my happy memories, or you have a new version that the developers have messed around with until it is unrecognizable! Imagine my joy when neither of these was the case!
You see, what Nintendo have done is create a game that feels like and plays like how I remember the original PunchOut!! playing, not how it actually played. Let me explain.
I remember the opponents being the size of the screen, each punch felt like a ton of bricks hitting the screen. The punches were lightning fast. But when you actually go and play the original, it is not quite how you remember. The opponents are a bit smaller than you remembered, the games response time is a little slower, and all in all it is not quite how you remember it!
PunchOut!! on the Wii play and feels just how I remember the original. The opponents DO fill the screen, the punches feel solid and the reactions are faster than I could have hoped for (when using the Wii mote as a game pad at least). It is a dream come true and them some.
Following the career of little Mac, you must take on increasingly tough and bizarre boxers on the minor, major and world circuits. Each boxer has their own unique style. One may go for big bear hug style attacks, where another may favor uppercuts. Whatever the style, they all have their way of telling you they are about to punch. First they will flash red, then they will actually go for the punch. You have to predict / remember the patterns and dodge the right way or block appropriately. After successfully avoiding the hit, it is your turn to dish out some damage. At your disposal you have a left and right straight to the face or left and right hooks to the body and a special star uppercut. That’s it and that is all you need!
The roster of boxers includes most of the classic NES foes, such as King Hippo and Glass Joe, a couple from the SNES, Super PunchOut and a couple of new guys. This gives the game an instantly familiar feel and helps you get back into the swing of it after all these years!
Once you have completed the World Circuit a new mode opens, Title Defense. This is much harder as the boxers have a few new tricks up their sleeves and will defend their weak spots much more effectively. This gives you a huge amount of replay value!
There are 2 different control methods available. First you can use the WiiMote and Nunchuck control. This is great fun in the minor circuit, but the controls are not really responsive enough once you hit the harder opponents. You can also use the WiiBoard to dodge, but this is not really worth talking about! So far the only game I have played that makes good use of the WiiBoard is WiiFit! You are best off using the WiiMote on its side. 1 and 2 act as your left and right body punches. Push forwards and 1 or 2 to hit to the face and press A to use your special star punch (once you have collected a few that is!) Left and right let you dodge and back blocks. Although this seems a bit to simple in this day and age of Fight Night, it really is all you need and all you have time to use! It is perfect in every way as a control system.
This is one of the best games I have played in a long time. It looks amazing, it sounds great (with a few updated NES sounds just for that nostalgia factor!) , and it plays like a dream. The learning curve is perfect, with the minor circuit lulling you into a nice sense of security whilst the next ones force you to really make use of your timing and memory!!
I have said it before, and with luck I will say it again, stop reading this review and go and buy it now! It is FUN with a capital F!
The Bad: More of the same (if that is a con)!!
Gold Y Award