punch out game review
Test: Punch-Out !!Mythical arcade game from the 80s, Punch-Out !! also made the heyday of the NES at a time when 3D was still just a fantasy. 15 years after its last appearance on Super Nintendo, it is on Wii that this video game gem decides to make its comeback. Come back successful?
Nintendo likes to recycle its old licenses. Since the success of the Wii, we can even say that the portages and other remakes are multiplied wrongly and through, often at the expense of quality. Fortunately, Punch Out !! clearly received special attention. Not only is its realization largely up to what one is entitled to expect from a current production but its gameplay has been improved in order to provide an optimal playing experience.
For those who have never tried the original version, Punch-Out !! presents itself as a completely crazy 2D boxing game in the purest arcade tradition. The camera is placed behind our boxer, a kid straight from the slums of New York, and his various opponents modeled in an inimitable cartoon style appear directly in front of him. Although it is up to him to dodge or block the blows that rain towards him, the player does not have to manage the slightest movement. In addition, he only has four basic attacks and only one special technique to fight. You would think that this minimalist gameplay considerably limits the fun potential of Punch-Out !!, reducing it to basic entertainment for casual gamers in need of accessibility. Well it is not!
In fact, the original gameplay of Punch-Out !! is not based on the palette of shots we have but on our reflexes and our sense of rhythm. Useless therefore to nag like a patient by agitating Wiimote and Nunchuk in all the directions (or by massacring the buttons of Wiimote if one opted for the controls with the old one). This only serves to exhaust the endurance gauge of our foal. Nor is it worth keeping guard permanently in the hope of protecting him indefinitely. sooner or later he will get a donut across his gums. In Punch-Out !!, it's all about anticipation and timing. It is a question of studying with attention the different techniques implemented by each of our adversaries and patiently picking up the flaws in order to exploit them at their expense. We will understand for example that it is possible to counter such a charge by placing a direct right at the right time, thus earning a star which will allow us to trigger a devastating special. We will realize that we have time to chain a series of hooks after dodging a blow supposed to knock us out. We will also note that it is impossible to block such fury or that we must use such a subterfuge to get our opponent to lower his guard. And after numerous attempts punctuated by bitter failures, we will end up sending boxers who seemed invincible at first.
These boxers, since we are talking about it, are thirteen in number. Coming from all regions of the world, they are full of stereotypes and totally wacky tics. Thus, Glass Joe the French, does not hesitate to exclaim "long live France" in the middle of the fight at the risk of being unscrewed. Let him be the victim of a knockout and here he collapses in the middle of an avalanche of croissants and baguettes. Silly but hilarious. Of course, thirteen fighters, this may seem derisory at first and it is true that the Career mode which invites us to beat them in turn ends in a few hours. However, we will be happy to see that unlike its original version, Punch-Out !! we have many other surprises in store. So, once the world title in your pocket, you can meet the experienced versions of all our former opponents to prolong the pleasure. New techniques, new timings, these will prove to be extremely dangerous this time. In addition, the Quick Combat section, not only offers us to organize fights against this or that boxer, it also sets us very specific objectives to achieve to win medals. Finally, if we have a friend by our side, we can launch multiplayer matches in split screen during which the most skillful will succeed in transforming into Giant Mac, a monstrously powerful version of the basic hero.
Definitely, we are hard pressed to find any fault with this high-flying remake which brilliantly demonstrates that the pure arcade has not yet said its last word. As basic as it is, the gameplay of Punch-Out !! turns out to be extraordinarily fun, technical and addictive as soon as you set out to meet all the challenges. The atmosphere is frankly hilarious, the realization is very convincing and the lifespan, main Achilles heel of the previous versions, has been significantly lengthened. We will therefore have no hesitation in recommending this software, which has escaped from the depths of the ages and yet so refreshing, to any owner of a Wii, even if it is a priori refractory to boxing.
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