On release day, I got Punch Out! for the Wii. I never pick up a game when it is new. My theory is any game I find for $10 is as more fun for the money than one I pay full retail, which is usually $40-$60. There are two reasons I did this, the first being that many Wii games do not drop in price. Mario Galaxy is still around $35. The main reason is this game has a long history with me. First, let me say that I am not a very good player. I am still stuck on the newly renamed Piston Hondo. However I do enjoy this game.
I first saw Punch Out! back when it was an actual arcade game. You could hear it from anywhere inside the arcade. "Body Blow, Jab, Jab", it would call out and many would come to watch. The first time I saw this, the guy playing was really good, and he got very far. I decided to try after waiting my turn and I was quickly knocked out by Glass Joe.
A few years past, and I had the NES. I found out there was a "Punch Out! featuring Mike Tyson". I must have went to every store in town looking for this title to no avail. I called Nintendo and asked if the game was still in production. They were very helpful, and told me there was one in my state, Texas, but they did not realize it was in a town 800 miles away.
No problem, as I knew some people living there, and the Nintendo representative gave me the number of the store, which was a K-mart.
It is amazing the level of customer service, I received back in what must have been 1989. I dare say that I would not get any service like that today.
Also remember that in 1989 long distance cost and cost big. I called the K-mart and quickly explained I was calling long distance and Nintendo said they had Punch Out. I was transferred to the electronics department where I reiterated the story. The lady there pulled the game for 48 hours so I could have someone pick it up.
Now I called my friends, again long distance, and they agreed to go pick it up the next day, and they would bring it to me on their next trip to town. It took about several months before I got this Punch Out, and shortly afterward licensing changed and it was no longer Mike Tyson, but Mr Dream who was featured in the game.
I was glad to have the Tyson version. This is the only game I ever beat on the NES. I studied whatever stragedy guides I could find in the time before the internet existed and such things were not just a google search away.
Years went by, and I abandoned my NES. I only recently found out there was a Super Punch Out! video game in the arcade and for the Super NES, which I never owned.
One day on Amazon, I saw a recommendation for Punch Out! for the Wii. I own a Wii so there was no need to find what was a one time the must difficult system to find. I quickly pre-ordered the game, and impaitently waited until the release date in May.
I could hardly contain myself when it arrived. I was giddy with delight. I quickly took of the celophane wrapper and ran to play. I setup the Wii balance board, and played it with the motion controllers instead of the keypad, which is an option.
I got through Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, but the Disco Kid wore me out. It was a few days later when I tired King Hippo and after about 20 tries, I eventually won. Now I am stuck on Piston Hondo.
I find that the motion controllers and balance board slow me down a bit as I try to throw punches, but I am having so much fun with this game I don't mind.
If you are a fan of Punch Out! I would definitely suggest getting this game. I am thinking of hitting ebay and finding an old SNES and Super Punch Out just so I can say I played it.
