Punch-Out!! Wii

[rashad]

KEY INFORMATION
One of the biggest names in boxing returns after a 15-year hiatus. Grab a Wii Remote™ controller in one hand and a Nunchuk™ controller in the other and step back into the ring with a modern update of the classic Punch-Out!!

* Little Mac is back! Everyone’s favorite underdog from the 1980s joins the best of the original Punch-Out!! cast in a modern re-imagination of the series. Players will find familiar names like Glass Joe, King Hippo and trainer Doc Louis. These boxers come to life again in cel-shaded 3-D, complete with hilarious fighting animations and back stories that capture all the fun and flair of the original Punch-Out!! games.

* The motion-sensitive controls of the Wii console mean that when players throw punches, Little Mac throws punches as well. Additionally, you can control hooks and jabs by combining motion control with control-stick movement. The motion-sensing Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers turn real-life swings into on-screen punches, so anyone can play. The game can also be played with classic NES-style controls by turning the Wii Remote sideways.

Characters: Little Mac, Glass Joe, King Hippo, Doc Louis, Von Kaiser and other unannounced favorites.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: Players can obtain special “Star Punches,” which allow Little Mac to take more Health from his rival in a single punch.

Control options:

* Motion Control (Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers)
Punch-Out!! uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to simulate throwing punches. Use the Nunchuk to throw a left punch and the Wii Remote to throw a right punch.

* Classic Control (Wii Remote NES™ style)
Fans of the NES version and core gamers will be excited to see Nintendo has also included the option to play Punch-Out!! using the classic layout from the original NES controller. Use the 1 and 2 buttons along with the cross pad to throw hooks and jabs or to dodge.

 

[rashad]

Punch-Out!! Box Art

Spoiler

 

[Mogwai]

this looks good.

 

[SuperFerret]

It's about damn time.

 

[Raiden]

I haven't purchased Wii games even since I brought 360, but it looks like a must-buy for any Wii owner.

 

[StrainedEyes]

I just hope it's not just the old Punch-Out with 3d graphics. I love Punch-out, but I already own that game.

 

[Mogwai]

^^i mean, i'm sure there are new fighters and features. maybe online?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Must buy...

 

[zeptron]

It definitely looks like it's going to take elements from the NES Punch-Out!!, such as the hearts and stars, but there will be new elements as well. For example, King Hippo in the video attacks with both fists in a Bear Hugger-like smash, which he did not do in the NES version. Also, Glass Joe throws an uppercut at one point, so boxers that have appeared before will not have the same moves. And, it's been pointed out already that there are new boxers in addition to classics.

Nintendo is not stupid enough to put out the same game with better graphics, especially when the original is one of the most popular downloaded Wiiware titles. At the very least, if it was just a remake, Nintendo would have let that be known by now. But the involvement of Next Level Games suggests that more must be involved than a simple remake.

Plus there's a new character on the cover, I'd say that's enough to show its not just a remake.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

New info:

http://kotaku.com/5177601/new-wii-punch+out-details-sneak-out-from-nintendo

The Wii re-imagining of the NES classic Punch-Out!! will come with a new two-player mode and see the return of more well-known old-school boxers, according to information released by Nintendo of Europe.

According to a press release from the publisher's web site, which has since been pulled, Punch-Out!! for the Wii supports "1-2 players."

Nintendo's release describes that mode like so: "Punch-Out!! includes a multiplayer mode that lets you and a friend slug it out to the bitter end. As in the single player mode, you'll want to land punches at the right moment to build up Star Punch points that translate into almighty haymakers! Landing and dodging blows in Head-to-Head mode also builds up a Giga Mac gauge. Once full, your fighter is ready to inflict some serious damage."

While we knew that Bronx-born boxer Little Mac and his trainer Doc Louis will go up against Punch-Out!! vets Glass Joe, King Hippo, and Von Kaiser, Nintendo confirms that Spanish boxer Don Flamenco will also return. The roster totals 13, according to the company, meaning there are nine more fighters still to be officially revealed. That includes the unnamed boxer who appears on the Wii game's box art.

 

[zeptron]

Okay I think I'm gonna take back what I said before. Seriously....13 opponents? Super Punch-Out had 16. Sounds more like a lazy ass remake of the original.

Glass Joe
Von Kaiser
Piston Honda
Don Flamaco
King Hippo
Great Tiger
Bald Bull
Soda Popinski
Mr. Sandman
Super Macho Man
Mr. Dream + 2 more?

I really was looking forward to a nice long single player mode with a healthy mix of old and new boxers. I figured they would put in at least 32 (or twice as many as Super Punch out on the SNES, three console generations ago). Even something like at least 20 would have been okay, if not spectacular. But 13? Just two more boxers than the NES version? (One less if you count P. Honda, B. Bull and D. Flamenco twice).

I hope there's more to the story than this. Are the fights significantly longer than the NES version? Will some of the 13 fighters return like the three mentioned above? If something like this is the case, Nintendo should let it be known as soon as possible.

Maybe I'm overreacting, and if I am I apologize. But after waiting 15 years for a new Punch Out!!, you'd think they'd be more ambitious than 13 opponents. What if Nintendo tried to put out a new Zelda game for the Wii that was just as long as the NES Version, except with two more dungeons? How about a new Mario game that was as long/short as the NES version, except with two new levels?

Okay, I think I got it out of my system. Sorry for the ranting.

 

[rashad]

NEW TRAILER!!!

 

[November Rain]

it doesn't look like it's evolved much from the super nintendo version

it would be nice to move around the ring and have corner special moves and ropes special moves

 

[rashad]

It would be nice, but I don't want this series turning into Ready 2 Rumble. I kinda appreciate the fact it's staying true it's roots. With a little added depth here and there. The art style/animation looks fantastic though.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Gotta love the classic pink "stole my bike" jumpsuit.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

The Wii Balance Board will be compatible with the game. Seems you will use it in tandem with the Wiimote and Nunchuk.

http://kotaku.com/5183241/wii-punch+out-has-another-control-scheme-your-feet

 

[SuperFerret]

NEW TRAILER!!!

Awesome.

 

[Raiden]

The Wii Balance Board will be compatible with the game. Seems you will use it in tandem with the Wiimote and Nunchuk.

http://kotaku.com/5183241/wii-punch+out-has-another-control-scheme-your-feet

Too bad you can't get another Wii board for the 2nd player on head-to-head matches.

 

[rashad]

GDC Hands On Impressions!
http://wii.ign.com/articles/965/965798p1.html

From IGN

We only have four fights to go by in the game's very simplified "Minor Title" circuit, but in this hands-on it's clear that Next Level's nailed it. This is true Punch-Out!!, 15 years later and designed with current gaming standards in mind.

The darkened arena surrounding the ring bristles with life, and we're sure we caught a glimpse of a joke or two in the sea of the crowd. The characters lip sync all their dialogue, of which there's a ton of well-acted sound bites. Doc Louis is incredibly charming as your ringside coach and offers the same level of advice, both useful and useless, all voice acted. He even hilariously asks you to join the Nintendo Fun Club before correcting himself, advertising Club Nintendo instead.

The first fight in the demo kicks off just like classic Punch-Out!!: a fight against Glass Joe, the brittle boxer who'll hit the canvas faster than a dropped sack of flour. The Wii rendition of Glass Joe has changed from a generic, weak white guy to a baguette-loving Frenchman who speaks in fluent Pepe le Pew dialect. Fight two features the return of Von Kaiser, an old-timey fisticuffs boxer who clearly has issues of being abused as a child – pummel him repeatedly and he'll cower into a shell calling for his Mommy. Literally. A new character returns for Fight Number Three: Disco Kid. His grinning anime-inspired smirk was a joy to smash, and he swishes his backside before big attacks with the dancing skills of a young John Travolta. The final bout was against the immense King Hippo, who had the same attack patterns as he did in the NES: nail him in the face, then pound him in his bandaged gut to weaken him severely.

Though I was reluctant to test the motion controls, I gave them a shot. And I actually wasn't disappointed. The motion sensing is extremely responsive, and it's simply used for right hand/left hand punches – it's not trying to recognize direction or strength.

 

[rashad]

GamePro Interview

GamePro: Who do you want to adress with this remake, old fans or new audiences?
Kensuke "Kenji" Tanabe: To be honest: at first hand, old fans. We love the original and have -hopefully just like your readers - many fond memories of it. But we think it's with the new controls we can also create new fans of the series. I mean: everyone on the world knows how to hit someone right? It's also easy to learn, and the true game mechanics are tried and tested and easy to learn.

GamePro: In comparison to other current games, the amount of characters is a little poor with 13 fighters. Is there more to unlock or download?
Tanabe: Oh, there's gonna be a lot to unlock! For example characters, new ring surroundings, challenges, vicory animations, etc. We packed the disc to the brim and there were a few things we had to leave out because there wasn't any space left. We're the first internal Nintendo dev team that came across this problem with the Wii DVDs, so you're definitely getting a lot of things!

GamePro: Are there going to be minigames?
Tanabe: Not really. But there are a lot of challenges that don't take place in the ring. Like tutorials, trainings, etc. But we're not going to talk more about that yet.

GamePro: What about multiplayer?
Tanabe: We're can't tell you anything about that either. Just this: our multiplater mode will feature two players maximum, to put more people in the ring just doesn't make any sense. Our focus is the single player mode.

GamePro: Just like the original the new Punch-Out!! uses a lot of stereotypes, the arrogant German, the Frenchman with his croissants etc. Is using these clichés still alright in this age of political corectness?
Tanabe: Well, we're not too concerned about that. They're characters, like something from comic books. Obviously we don't think all the French just eat baguettes, scream for their mommys and have a glass skin. Our Glass Joe is exactly like that, but that all there's to it.

GamePro: Why Punch-Out!!? Nintendo has - besides the usual suspects Mario, Zelda, etc. - a lot of old classics which deserve a new iteration. Like Ice Climber, or Rad Racer. Is there more to come?
Tanabe: I'm obviously not going to reveal other titles, but it's like this: we look at all the classics and ask ourselves if we can improve the game in a meaningful way with a Wii version. Just like it's the case with Punch-Out!!. When we notice an old game improves with new controls, we will consider a remake.

GamePro: Last question: Why can't Mario be the referee anymore?
Tanabe: Miyamoto wouldn't allow it. No just kidding, actually there's a much more practical reason for it. For exampre he just doesn't fit the graphical style of the remake. To make him look good in the ring, we would have to adjust his physical measurements. But then he wouldn't be Mario anymore.

 

[Go Web Go!]

This is sweet. Everytime I went to my older cousin's house as a kid I'd spend it playing the original. As "meh" as I am about today's video games as a whole, I'll have to check this one out.

 

[zeptron]

Looks like Little Mac found his final smash for the SSB game.

 

[zeptron]

 

[Go Web Go!]

Nice find. When is this game due out? Didn't catch a date after skimming through the posts.

 

[zeptron]

May 18.