Reviews

For those of you old enough to remember the 80's, the era will bring back fond memories of some of gamings greatest triumphs. The NES was, at the time, the height of technology and so many iconic games were born. These, we will always remember but others we are reminded of later in life when we think, 'Oh yeah, I remember that game - That was quality!' Punch Out definitely falls into this category.

When it was first released in 1987, Punch Out was an overnight classic and so when Next Level Games took on the tall task of breathing new life into this retro classic, it would be fair to say we all hoped upon hope it would be a success.

That's quite a lump there

The thing that stands out about this game is the fact that it has retained its original format and with that, its charm, that we all fell for the first time around. You still compete as Little Mac, an underrated rookie looking to climb his way up the boxing success ladder. You still have to compete against the toughest of opponents that are ridiculously bigger than you. And you still have to use the classic dodge and attack technique.

Your opponents remain the same as in its predecessors with the likes of Glass Joe, Von Kaiser and the iconic King Hippo (remember him? The one with the plaster and the belly.) The moment you see these foes is the moment all the memories come flooding back. The moment you start fighting however, you remember how to defeat these foreign fanatics. That's right, you remember, dodge and attack. Keep this up then, when the time is right, star punch them from here to another dimension.

Ha ha! You missed me!

It's all here, all the elements that made this title great in the first place. The main game option is career mode. This is where you take on opponents one after another in a bid to make your way up the minor, major and world rankings. In total there are 13 bouts you must win to become the champion of champions as it were. The action does not stop here though as you must then defend you title against your old, newly equipped opponents bringing a lastability factor this game.