May 19 2:42 P.M.
It's unanimous -- the new Punch Out!! is a knockout.
Return Of the Champ
Nintendo's old fighter proudly marches back to the ring today in a brand new remake for the Wii. The original game first conquered arcades in 1984, but became a true classic when it stormed the Nintendo Entertainment System in a rebranded version starring then-heavyweight champ Mike Tyson. The series was last seen in a 1994 sequel, making this 15-year gap between entries one of the longest in game history.
But while most boxers would be seriously rusty after such a long layoff, the Wii-make is scoring big on critics' cards.
IGN definitely digs it, giving it a 8.8/10 while praising it left and right (and uppercut). "Nintendo's finally revived its old-school arcade boxer with the help of developer Next Level (Mario Strikers Charged)," they write, "and the studio absolutely nailed the essence that made the original such a hot property on the NES back in 1987." Game review site 1Up certainly agrees, awarding the game a whopping A+ while insisting that it is "isn't as good as the original. It is, in every aspect, far and away a much better game" and is "worth the 50 bucks." Gamespy is on board as well with a 4.5/5, praising the "beautifully animated cel-shaded character models, cute pre-fight cut-scenes, and catchy theme music (endlessly remixed from the NES soundtrack)..." Mmm...old-school.
But while everyone seems to agree that it's a high-quality title, the game isn't perfect. Leading print magazine Game Informer doles out a hefty 9/10, but notes that "the multiplayer doesn’t have the legs to keep it interesting." Gamespy also calls the multiplayer "weak" and "lackluster," while props from popular video site Gametrailers come with a concern about the controls: "It's hard to say that a game as polished as Punch-Out!! is coming out too early, but an extra couple months of development and it could have used the upcoming MotionPlus accessory to replicate true punching and dodging motions."
Nitpicking aside, the game is enjoying close to a 90 rating on aggregate site Metacritic, putting the old warrior in the system's all-time top ten already. That's good news for Nintendo, who have unfortunately watched their last few major releases (Wii Music, Animal Crossing, Excitebots) fail to light up the charts. Time will tell if Punch-Out!! has the power to change the trend, but so far, it looks like it's got a fighting chance.
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Posted: 19 May 2009
