80s Gamers Rejoice As ‘Punch-Out!!’ Comes To The Wii U
If you still have a score to settle with Glass Joe, Popinski, or Bald Bull, today is your chance. Punch Out!!, a favorite game originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, is available on the Wii U eShop today, according to Hardcore Gamer, and at 50 percent off what will be its price of $19.99.
@QaraKoyunlu also it’s Good as Hell (i mean it’s just more of punchout but thats good, in a way)
— justice maléfique (@glod14k) January 23, 2015
Back in the days when you had to blow on game cartridges to get them to work, Punch Out!! was the boxing game to play. With opponents that should have been gimmicky and annoying and instead were quirky and incredibly fun, the game was a hit in its day. Brian Fore, at Game Informer, discusses.
“The N64 and GameCube came and went without even a boxing-related rumor. Three consoles later, Nintendo finally caved and hired the development house from Mario Strikers to reinvent this beloved franchise. So many things could have gone horribly wrong, but the core single-player experience gets everything right.”
Fore describes a practice mode that helps players figure out the timing and the tricks needed to defeat each opponent on the circuit, and goes over cut scenes after each fight that add to the fun of the game.
“New cutscenes in the second career show how they’ve dealt with defeat at your hands and what they’re planning for revenge. These guys must have trained well, because the second career is incredibly difficult. Boxers have added defense skills, new attacks, new looks, and more strength to their punches. It’s almost like you’re fighting a new set of rivals.”
This isn’t the only Wii title that’s gotten a port over to the Wii U. The first, according to Game Informer, was Super Mario Galaxy 2, released last week. Next week will bring gamers a fresh port of the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and will also be $9.99 during its first week.
Photo: jamesartsystuff: In honor of the recent digital release of Punch-Out!! Wii (via the Wii U eShop), an… http://t.co/44w1PCEbkR
— Alexis Bonilla (@Lord_Arek) January 22, 2015
If you’ve been looking for something to do until you can get your hands on a new GameCube adapter for the Wii U, Punch Out!! might be perfect. You use the motion controls to play the game, though Fore warns that players may be better off using the NES controls for the more difficult second career.
Downloading punch out on wiiu right now, Got to go back to the source to wreck some fools in for glory later!
— WiiDude83 (@wiidude83) January 22, 2015
Thrilled to play Punch Out!! again on the Wii U? Tell us in the comments!
