Apr 18 2009
Taking an early look at a heavyweight contender in Punch-Out!!
Just got home from work and I’m already a few dollars lighter. One copy of Nintendo’s May 19th slugfest is destined for this gamer’s Wii following a quick visit to the local GameStop.
I’ll be among those first in line to knock the croissants out of Frenchman Glass Joe and a cast of other culturally insensitive pugilists.
The original Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System is my unquestioned favorite game of all time. The pattern-recognition, timing and adrenaline-inducing action gelled for the perfect game. That it happened to be dressed up as a boxing game with enjoyable cartoon characters was icing on the cake.
That winning formula looks to hold true with Nintendo’s anticipated sequel. Punch-Out!! for Wii will see Lil Mac in 3D, feet glued to the mat, ducking, dodging and counter-punching against most of the crew from the original (Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, King Hippo and others), plus an untold selection of new characters like the Don Flamenco-esque Disco Kid.
Surprisingly, Nintendo has found ways to implement a lot of extra charm, elevating this title with Disney-quality animations during key moments of a fight, pre-match introductions, cutscenes and more. Don’t take my word for it, check it out in the YouTube trailer that’s circulating through the Internet.
Who knew the production values would be this high? Although, the jury’s still out on the whole “Giga Mac” thing. What’s that about?
Since the curtain was raised on the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, I’ve been waiting for May 19, 2009. Punch-Out!! is the game the Wii was built for, and with a simple control scheme that stays rooted firmly with the original, Punch-Out!! looks like it’ll live up to my lofty expectations.
But… come on, why not include Referee Mario again? I guess he’s busy training for the winter Olympics…
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