My thumbs say otherwise, but Punch-Out!! is awesome.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Written by: Jed

Punch-Out!! is one of those games, I could never put a name to. Growing up with a Family Computer in the Philippines, images like these will forever be ingrained in my memory:

I don’t remember how well I played it. But I would be surprised if I even saw Super Macho Man, let alone beat him (the original Famicom was minus Mike Tyson). Fast forward 10 or 15 years later, and I’m playing Super Punch-Out!! on the Wii’s Virtual Console. It then became clear that I could never have been good at the game; not at all. Regardless of the fact I could never see past Piston Honda, I found the experience enjoyable.The game has a timeless charm. A little bit of Rocky, and just enough Mario – the best of both worlds.

It wasn’t until recently that I was made of aware of the Punch-Out!! revamp on the Wii. The game released earlier last week, and it’s given my otherwise brick of a console, new life. This time around however, I actually understand what makes the game tick – pattern recognition. It’s a factor that my six or seven year-old mind couldn’t fathom. And one that my 22-year-old mind was too lazy to try and comprehend when I revisited the game on the Virtual Console in all its 8-bit glory. But give the game a new paint job without losing any of its charm or classic Punch-Out!! gameplay, and I’m all onboard.

As simplistic as Punch-Out!! was and is, there’s a surprising amount of depth involved. It’s one of those easy to play, hard to master type-things. And after a few plays, I was hooked. I’m now having to force myself to stop playing. Yes, I’m talking about a game on the Wii. It’s not that I’m necessarily good at the game either. It turns out that while I’m usually mild-mannered and polite – Glass Joe and company bring the vulgarity out of me. It’s just that I’ve convinced myself that the game should be easy. I mean, it’s a D-Pad and two buttons? I see the patterns, even memorize some of them. Yet, every match is a struggle – a fun one at that. It’s a test of reaction time, and mine apparently aren’t up to snuff. I managed to get through the initial run of circuits; play my way through the end credits – only to discover that I also had to defend my belts (whatever happened to retiring on top?). This meant going through an improved roster, and another series of patterns to relearn. Which I’m doing happily. Replayabiliy? Check.

Despite the fact that the game is a Mario referee short, the added multiplayer mode seems like it’ll give Wii Sports Boxing a run for its money. I also appreciate that they didn’t force the typical Wii motion controls down our throats – though that is an option. I haven’t given that a whirl, and I really have no intention to – a sideways Wii Remote is adequate (for the most part), and is really the only way to play the game. What became obvious after a while however, was that the Wii Remote, doesn’t make for a comfortable standard controller – the tiny D-pad and face buttons aren’t the most ergonomically designed (ask my thumbs). But it sure opens up a market for that classic controller.

But minor gripes aside, I love this game. Not only has the refresh done justice to those who grew up playing it; it’s also introducing Little Mac to a whole new generation – and most important, it’s given me a reason to turn on the Wii. And really, in today’s console landscape – that deed alone is miraculous.

Thank you.