The game’s Career mode is comprised of three circuits: Minor, Major and World. You only have to face 13 opponents, but, as I said before, don’t expect to blow through the ranks. Glass Joe is still a punching bag, but the later boxers provide much more resistance. In fact, the game gets downright cruel at times. Fortunately, there is a restart match option in the pause menu, which should help allay some of the frustration that you will experience.

Trainer Doc Louis provides humorous commentary between rounds, as do Mac’s competitors. These in-game cutscenes are akin to the text interactions in the NES game, except that they feature voice work. The only problem is that comments tend to get recycled. It is funny to hear Doc express his love of chocolate once, but the bit grows stale after a dozen recitations.

A short photo sequence rolls before each fight, which provides some insight into the upcoming opponent. There is no voice work, but classic Punch-Out!! tunes, including Piston Honda’s ring theme, can be heard in the background.

As for the in-ring action, you have three rounds to down your adversary. If the battle isn’t over after nine minutes, the match goes to a decision.

The trademark star punches and hearts return for Mac’s latest title run. Star punches are earned by hitting opponents at opportune moments, such as prior to an attack or when they flash gold. However, unlike in the NES game, stored strikes are depleted each time you bring down the thunder. That is, your star total determines your punch strength. So, if you have the maximum three stars, you will do significantly more damage than if you have one. These special attacks can be lost during battle, but it is advantageous to save them.

Hearts function as they did in the 8-bit classic. Once you lose your allotted amount, Mac turns purple and becomes unable to attack. Though, a successful dodge will cure his ills.

Title Defense mode unlocks after you finish the World Circuit. As the name suggests, you have to defend your new belt against the same fighters you just defeated. However, this time around, the boxers are much more difficult. Some have new attacks, while others wear protective gear to negate their flaws. For instance, Glass Joe wears a padded helmet that protects his melon. Thus, you have to find a way to remove his headgear if you want to exploit his glass jaw.

There is something beyond Title Defense, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

Exhibition mode allows you to battle any opponent that you have defeated in Career, or practice against a hologram of your upcoming foe. This is particularly helpful if your title run is at a standstill.  The developers also added opponent-specific challenges, some of which will probably require a few visits to YouTube.

Head-to-Head mode allows you to challenge a friend or a family member for the first time in the history of the franchise. Unfortunately, Punch-Out!! only supports splitscreen local play. This is particularly disappointing, since Mario Strikers Charged, a Next Level title from 2007, featured online functionality. With only local multiplayer available, I was not able to test Head-to-Head mode.

Punch-Out!! is essentially an updated version of the 22-year-old classic. Next Level Games retained the addictive gameplay and larger-than-life characters of the NES and SNES games, but also expanded the package with some additional modes. Despite its familiarity, the game manages to feel like a new experience that will challenge new and old players.

Punch-Out!! doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it is an incredibly fun game that is worth the $50 price.

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