Punch-Out!! for the NES was one of those games that you looked back on and thought fondly of, only to play it again and find out that it still hasn't lost its magic even after all these years. Now, Nintendo plans to reinvigorate that feeling through Punch-Out!! for the Wii.

Intended to be a reimagining of the original game, Punch-Out!! contains all the contenders that you know and love along with some new faces for a total of thirteen opponents. Gameplay is remarkably similar to the original game; as Little Mac, you attempt to rise through the ranks and become the ultimate boxing champion. Your health is still expressed as a stamina bar, matches are still spread through 3 rounds, you can still gain special "star" moves by catching your opponent off-guard, and the quickest way to victory is still by finding your opponent's quirks and banking on them.



Even still like the original, Punch-Out!!'s controls are ridiculously simple and responsive. The game's primary control scheme utilizes the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck. Thrusting the Nunchuck forward causes Little Mac to jab with his left hand, and thrusting the Wii Remote forward produces a right jab. Face shots are done by holding up on the Nunchuck's analog stick and thrusting the appropriate controller. Left and right on the analog stick are reserved for dodging, and pushing A when you have one or more star points saved up unleashes Little Mac's trademark uppercut, which now increases in power with the more stars you collect. The controls feel natural and take only a minute or so to get fully accustomed to. If that's not your style, however, you can flip the Wii Remote on its side and play the game as if it was the original, though I never got to try this control scheme myself. Balance board compatability was mentioned as well, but no balance boards were on the show floor to demonstrate it.

Graphically, Punch-Out!! looks great. Though everything seems a little (quite literally) rough around the edges, many Wii developers have discovered that art direction is everything, and Punch-Out!!'s is beautiful. Next Level Games made the smart choice of opting for a cel-shaded style for the game, which perfectly matches the slightly offbeat feeling that the series has always had. A great amount of detail has been put into the game's presentation, from the rapid-fire camera flashes contrasting the dimly lit uproarious crowd to the artful cut-scenes in between each match that give the characters a bit more personality. Another welcome improvement from the original is the appearance of injuries, which used to only be visible in between rounds. Now, opponents will gain bumps on their head and "misplace" teeth dynamically as you continue to pummel them.



Okay, so we haven't exactly heard much of the game's soundtrack yet, but from what we have heard, it seems like the game is going to feature completely new renditions of the NES game's classic tunes, which is a more than welcomed design choice. The game also features voice acting for all the characters, adding even more personality to each contender.

When you combine everything that I've mentioned thus far, you're left with an experience that not only feels fresh but manages to maintain the feel of the classic game as well. My only gripe? Mario. Where's Mario as the referee? Probably too busy flying through galaxies and competing in the Olympics. Oh well, he'll get nostalgic about his first ever side job sooner or later. Punch-Out!! for the Wii comes out on May 18th. Grab it.