Overview:

Who doesn’t love Punch Out? I don’t think I know a single person. When Punch Out was first released it was widely regarded as the single best and most innovative boxing game available. Period. Here we are, over 20 years later and it’s still one of the funnest games out there. If you’ve never played Punch Out, you can download it on the Wii’s Virtual Console for 5 bucks and score yourself endless fun.

Review:

Gameplay:
In Mike Tyson’s Punch Out your goal is to climb your way through the boxing championship ranks all the way up to the legendary Mike Tyson himself. Of course after Tyson turned out to be a flesh eating zombie they had to change the game’s name to Punch Out Featuring Mr. Dream and Mr. Tyson was promptly removed from the game. Which sucks, I love zombies.

The control scheme in Punch Out was one of the most revolutionary features of the game. A simple push of the A or B button throws Mac’s left or right fist, respectively, aim high or low with up or down on the d-pad, build up enough energy for an extremely powerful punch and press Select to deliver it and knock Bald Bull flat on his ass! Yep, simple and innocent fun at it’s finest. While the controls in Punch Out may not be as deep as any fighting game released since, they stand up to this day and still offer more than enough strategic opportunities for some interesting and fresh fights.

Graphics and Audio:
The visuals all work just fine. Characters all have a distinct look and several unique animations for each punch thrown. There’s also a special cameo appearance by Mario as the referee, which is totally awesome.

On the audio front there is just a little to whine about, though. While music is all catchy and perfectly fits the mood of the fights, the sound effects aren’t all that great. But! Keep in mind this is an NES game and you’ll get over it in no time.

Final Words:

Man, the review’s over already? I wish there was more to write about, as this game is simply awesome. Sadly though, I’ve covered just about everthing that needs covered. If you have never played this game and have a working NES then run down to a pawn shop and pick it for 10 bucks, or, if you have a Wii you can dowload it for 500 points. It’s an awesome game that has given me some wonderful childhood memories, and I’m sure it’s done the same for you.

Pros

• Mario is the referee
• Shameless, awesome fun
• Graphics are all well-detailed for an NES game

Cons

• Character voices can get annoying
• It’s freaking hard

Score:

Overall: 8.8/10 (Great)

Gameplay: 9.5/10 (Lotsa fun. Simple controls)
Graphics: 8.5/10 (Animations range from hilarious to terrifying)
Audio: 8.5/10 (Well executed for it’s time)
Fun: TKO/10

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