Punch-Out!! (Wii)

Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii, and is the latest installment in the Punch-Out!! series. It has the player using both the Wii Remote and nunchuck attachment to swing punches at the opponents, thought there is also the option to hold the Wii Remote sideways and play it like an NES controller. The cast include a wide variety of characters from different nationalities, most of them being very stereotypical. The game also includes a controller option that allows you to play the game with the remote on its side, similar to the NES classic. It was developed by Next Level Games, the creators of Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged (among a variety of other games, see their page for the full list) and is being published by Nintendo. The game is the first in the series to feature multiplayer support. While this is the first in the series since the SNES, both the NES and SNES versions have been made for download on the Wii's Virtual Console.

Gameplay
The gameplay is exactly like that of the NES Punch-Out!!, wherein Little Mac avoids opponents attacks and counter attacks with his own attacks. Like the NES version, Mac can also gain stars to use for his signature "Star Uppercut", though in this game, the more stars Mac has, the most powerful the attack is, and he is able to keep stars throughout the match. If the player is knocked down, he or she will be able to recover by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Also, if the player knocks down their opponent, they can shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to regain health. This ability was present in Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES.

In the game, the player will have to defeat thirteen opponents. Unlike the original NES game, if you fail to defeat a character, you won't have to start the entire circuit over. In all there are three circuits, each containing four boxers. The final boxer in the game, Mr. Sandman, is not part of any circuit. After the entire game has been completed, players will be able to play the Title Defense mode, which will have them fighting all of the characters once again at a much higher difficulty level.

Controls
The gamer can choose to either play with the Wii Remote held on its side or use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk and box in a similar fashion to Wii Sports Boxing. The first option is similar to the way the player would control Little Mac in the original game. In fact, the Wii Remote held on its side is reminiscent of the NES controller. With this option, the player will dodge by pressing down on the d-pad, or left and right to move in the corresponding direction. After dodging, the player can counter attack, though as the game progresses, doing so will prove to be more challenging, especially when they choose to play in the Title Defense mode.

With the Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, the player can punch with the Wii Remote to make Little Mac punch with his right hand, and the Nunchuk to punch with his left. The player uses the control stick on the Nunchuk to dodge, and it will also determine which type of punch you'll deliver, a blow to the body, or a blow to the head.

Single-player modes
Like the previous Punch-Out!! games, there will be a mode in which the player (as Little Mac) will fight through various opponents in order to become W.V.B.A. champion.

After beating the main career mode, another mode becomes available, known as "Title Defense", in which Mac has to defend his title as champ by re-fighting every opponent from the career mode. This time, though, the opponents use different moves, and appear different from before. For example, Glass Joe now wears a boxing helmet (for losing 100 times), so blows to the head are ineffectual, and sometimes he fakes a punch.

Multiplayer
This game is the first game in the Punch-Out series to feature a multiplayer mode, or a "Head-to-head" mode. In it, two players can play as either Little Mac or a recolored clone of Little Mac and fight each other using the same methods used in the regular "Career mode". Additionally, if one of the players gains enough power, they can transform into Giga Mac, a larger, more powerful version of Little Mac. Here, the view switches from a split screen to a regular single player view, as Little Mac tries to overcome the larger and stronger Giga Mac.

Boxers

 * Little Mac - The only character who's been confirmed to be playable.
 * Giga Mac - A powered-up version of Little Mac in the Head-to-Head mode

Minor Circuit

 * Glass Joe - A French boxer who is usually the most simple character to defeat
 * Von Kaiser - A German from Berlin who taught boxing
 * Disco Kid - An African-American dancer with blond hair; he is new to the Punch-Out!! series
 * King Hippo - One of the most popular opponents in the series

Major Circuit

 * Piston Honda - A Japanese boxer who returns from the original NES game; renamed Piston Hondo
 * Bear Hugger - A huge Canadian boxer from both Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade and the SNES
 * Great Tiger - A boxer from India who is known for his Mirage Dance
 * Don Flamenco - The Spanish boxer who danced with a rose in his mouth returns from the NES version

World Circuit

 * Aran Ryan - An Irish boxer whose only other appearance was in Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES
 * Soda Popinski - A Russian boxer who drinks a lot; originally called Vodka Drunkenski
 * Bald Bull - A Turkish boxer who has been in nearly every Punch-Out!! game and is famous for his "Bull Charge"
 * Super Macho Man - A boxer/bodybuilder from Hollywood, California known for flexing his muscles before a match

Final Opponent

 * Mr. Sandman - An African-American boxer from Philadelphia who is usually one of the toughest opponents in the series

Other Characters

 * Doc Louis - Mac's trainer returning from the original NES game
 * Referee - A generic referee that looks over every match; speculated to be the same referee from the arcade versions

Reception
Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game a Gold Award, praising the game for its graphics, gameplay and and adaptable difficulty, but criticizing the weak multiplayer. Most critics praised the game for staying true to the series' roots while delivering new modes, backgrounds behind the game's characters, and amusing animations. GameInformer, who rewarded the game with a 9/10, stated that this was the "best arcade-style boxer" and "the core single-player experience gets everything right", while also criticizing the multiplayer as ONM did, stating that "the multiplayer doesn’t have the legs to keep it interesting".