One of my all time favorite games is the original Punch Out on the NES (the Mike Tyson version is the best, by the way). From my early days of gaming through today, I always have gone back to the game. I think I’ve beaten the Virtual Console version about 20 times already. When Nintendo introduced the Wii version, I was both skeptical and excited. I think after getting my hands on the game on the GDC show floor, those sentiments still remain.

First off, the game looks terrific. There is a semi cell shaded look to everything that works great on the Wii. The crowd is jubilant, the ring is done well, and the fighters look and move nicely. I was sad to see an actual referee and not Mario there to count out a knocked down fighter, though. I can’t say much about how it sounds since the show floor is loud as hell.

I saw a few opponents that took their cues from their earlier counterparts, which is very nostalgic. Where the nostalgia broke for me was the new motion controls. While they worked fairly well, it just didn’t give the same feeling as the original Punch Out games. Switching to the classic control setting felt better, but at that point, it was like playing a prettier version of the original. While the visceral feeling of throwing punches works great for Wii Sports Boxing, I don’t feel that it works exactly the same way in Punch Out.

I’m going to reserve final judgment until I can get some more time with the game without hundreds of people walking around and watching. As for now, I’ll be happy with my original Punch Out from the Virtual Console.