Punch-Out!! 2009

Is it still worth playing?

Next Level Games' 2009 boxing game for the Wii, the fifth mainline Punch-Out!! and a reboot of the series. You play Little Mac, working his way up the professional boxing circuits against a series of colorful, fictional boxers, and the game calls for reflexes to react to their moves. It has three control schemes: the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Wii Balance Board with them to duck or dodge, or the Wii Remote held sideways in a two button scheme. In each stage you rely on quick reactions and identify your opponent's tells to dodge or block their attacks, then hit back at the torso or head with either fist. Each fighter has a stamina gauge that causes a knockdown when depleted. Every fight is still a pattern you learn, against boxers with readable tells.