DESCRIPTION

Nintendo's 8-bit boxing sensation makes a comeback with Punch-Out!! for Wii, a fanciful re-creation of the well-remembered NES game that features cel-shaded 3D graphics and motion control options. Still striving under the tough-love tutelage of trainer Doc Louis, the diminutive boxer Little Mac once again hopes to fight his way up the ranks and take a shot at the championship belt. As in earlier arcade versions of Punch Out!! and Super Punch Out!!, the player's perspective is from directly behind Little Mac, who appears semi-transparent in order to allow a clear view of his opponents.

Although opponents and their quirks follow patterns similar to those manifested in earlier versions, the control scheme in the Wii version of Punch-Out!! is meant to be accessible to anyone, whether a fan of old NES games or not. Players hold the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, one in each hand, and simply punch with their arms to make their fighter throw punches in the game. No matter how quickly or forcefully the player swings, however, Little Mac can only punch so quickly and so hard on screen. Mac can throw a limited number of punches over time. He can't overpower his opponents, so the focus is on getting the timing right to make each one of those punches really count.

The analog stick on the Nunchuk controls Little Mac's dodges, and it also allows him to throw uppercuts, if held upward as the player takes a swing. Opponents include such notorious and nostalgic favorites as Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, and King Hippo. Each is more intimidating than the last, but each has a secret weakness that the player can exploit. For true fans of the 8-bit originals, the game offers a second control option, in which the Wii Remote is held sideways and operated as an NES controller, with the D-pad under the left thumb and the "1" and "2" buttons in place of the "B" and "A." ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide