See the headline? I have been waiting nearly a year to unleash it. The wait has been nigh unbearable, but I have managed to maintain my sanity through therapy and ritualistic animal sacrifices.

Now that IGN has confirmed a North American Virtual Console release for the 16-bit classic, a new generation of gamers will get to enjoy a title that I fell in love with more than a decade ago. That is, if they can pull themselves away from “Wii Fit.”

The SNES iteration of Nintendo’s popular boxing franchise launched in North America in 1994. In it, players squared off against 16 outlandish pugilists, as they fought through four circuits. Each foe had a unique set of attacks, which users had to learn and evade.

Nintendo wisely chose not to stray too far from the original formula, though there were a few noticeable tweaks in the sequel. For instance, rather than earn star punches, players built up an “S” meter, which, once full, allowed them to throw haymakers. Said meter dropped if players took damage.

Rounds also lasted much longer. Each one still had a three-minute limit, but time passed much slower than in the NES iteration. As a result, bouts rarely lasted longer than a round.

The best change, in my opinion, was Nintendo’s decision to axe the heart system from the 8-bit installment. Gamers no longer had to fear the purple hue that left them offensively challenged.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been a “Punch-Out!!” game if it didn’t feature a roster of zany boxers. “Super Punch-Out!!” featured numerous combatants from all corners of the planet, including franchise favorites like Bald Bull and Super Macho Man. Some of the colorful fighters even chose to bend the rules in the ring. For instance, the elderly Hoy Quarlow wielded a deadly walking stick, while Dragon Chan attacked with his fists and his feet. My personal favorite, Masked Muscle, actually spat and threw head butts. Oh, and the final boss, Nick Bruiser, made Mike Tyson look like a punk. Dude was a damn tank.

If players grew weary of the Championship Mode, they could test their skills in Time Attack Mode. This mode allowed them to challenge a specific opponent, rather than fight through an entire circuit. Though, a fighter was only unlocked once his circuit had been cleared in Championship Mode.

“Super Punch-Out!!” is without doubt one of my favorite games of all time. I actually purchased an SNES off of eBay last year just to play it. Many consider its predecessor to be the crown jewel of the franchise, but those people are clearly just ignorant jugheads. Just kidding. Not really. “Punch-Out!!” games are defined by their characters; the sequel had a far superior cast.

I highly recommend this game to any nostalgic gamer, especially those who have never played it. The original game, sans Mike Tyson, is currently available on the Virtual Console and the upcoming franchise revival will hit U.S. shores on May 18. Europeans got the 16-bit sequel last week, but, according to Eurogamer, they will have to wait an extra four days for the Wii exclusive.

Source: IGN

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