It looks like nintendo made a good move and released this great game back in the good ol' SNES days. If you liked the Punch Out! on the NES, you will not be dissappointed. This game retains the general look of the original with some added extras. Here is the overall analysis-
Gameplay-If you played the first punch out, the game plays exactly the same sans the extras I will discuss later. If you didn't, the game is simple. Just box your opponents with various punches until their life meter runs out and they fall to the mat. You have life too, so if you get it to zero, you get ko'ed as well. Anyways, controls are much smoother than the first, and you will not throw the controller because the controller didn't want to dodge Super Macho Man's spin punch. This game, IMO, was much easier than the first. If you beat all circuts without losing a match, an extra circut will open up. This circut is REALLY hard, almost as hard as the final fight on the NES, and if you beat this one, you will get a better ending. Some of the added extras are as follows. When your opponent is on the mat, tap buttons to recover life until they get up. The meter at the bottom of the screen fills up with successful hits and decreases when you get hit or use a special. Let the meter fill up and unleash one of two specials. One is the star punch from the NES while the other is a rapid punch combo that if done successfully can take someone from full to zero if unblocked.
GFX and Sound-The same cartoony look from the first game is here. Colors are richer and the fighters have more details and animation. Some of the returning fighters include Bald Bull, Super Macho Man, and Mr. Sandman. Your fighter is transparent, allowing for a psuedo-1st person view while you fight. Music is clear and is pretty good for the look and style of the game. Sounds are pretty clean, and some voices are present.
Funfactor-Like the first, this game will keep you hooked from start to finish. Some of the animations and sounds are kinda of funny, and the added extra challenge adds some difficulty to the mix. The added time trial modes and record keeping for each boxer give a small bonus too. Anyone who likes games will be sure to have fun with this game.
Replay-This game has moderate replay value. After you beat it the first time, you will not play for a while, but then you will want to go and unlock the special circut. After that, I found myself playing it from time to time to relive the memories. This is also a great game to watch or play. Clean off the dust and pop this sucker into your deck ASAP.
Overall-This is one of the few truly classic boxing games out there. Don't be fooled by the clones, Ready to Rumble Boxing 1&2. Great if you haven't played Punch Out! before, better if you liked the first.-Joel- Score:7.75
