Punch-Out!! for Nintendo Wii - Boxing Game Review

The new Punch-Out!! game for the Nintendo Wii is a real knock-out! This boxing game is so well put together that you won't ever want to play boxing in Wii Sports again. Not only is this game a lot of fun, but you will get some serious exercise playing it.

This game is the latest edition in an ongoing series of boxing video games going back to the early NES days with Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Many of the same characters, minus Mike Tyson, appear in this game plus there are some new ones. Like most sports games, this one features a single player 'career' mode and two-player modes so you can box a friend in your living room.

Gameplay is a mix of strategy and reflexes. Each boxer has strengths and weaknesses, and you often have to react with split second timing in order to win. There is a specific strategy to defeating each opponent, and each one is a slightly different and more difficult than the one before. The way it typically works is the other boxer will give some kind of clue before he comes in with a signature swing that devastates your character. When that clue appears, which is sometimes visual and sometimes in audio form, you have to react very quickly to take advantage of that brief window of opportunity to land a good hit. If you just swing and swing, you'll never win.

What I liked so much about this game was that it plays more like real boxing. By no means is this a realistic boxing simulator, but it is a lot more realistic than the boxing game in Wii Sports. Instead of just wildly swinging all over the place, you have to stay on defense and only punch when you know you can land a hit. The game is designed to play this way, especially since the fighter you play is often hundreds of pounds lighter than his opponent. Going all the way back to the original game design for the NES, the whole game is about a little guy taking on the big boys by using speed and strategy instead of pure muscle.

The graphics and sound in this game are excellent. The characters are all huge and take up half the screen, and they have a distinctive animated style that looks better than a lot of other games I have played on the Wii. The first person perspective makes you feel like you are really in the ring with your opponent. The sound is equally impressive with the crowd noise and audible taunts from the other boxers during the match. The controls are also very responsive and work much better than boxing in Wii Sports.

If you want a fun and challenging sports game for the Nintendo Wii, I highly recommend Punch-Out!! Be prepared to have sore arms the next day after you play it.