“Punch-Out!!”
Genre: Sports
Developer: Next Level Games
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Wii
ESRB rating: “E10+” for everyone 10 and older
Price: $49.99
Grade: B+

Frankly, boxing games are kind of boring.

Well, most of them, anyway. The ones played just by mashing buttons over and over certainly are. Then Nintendo’s Wii came along with its wireless controllers and nunchucks that are motion-sensitive, and now the arm swings and jabs have more impact, so to speak, because in Wii boxing games you’re really swinging and jabbing.

Plus, if a lamp breaks from all that arm-swinging, well, all the better. Like my best friend in grade school used to say, you’re not having fun unless something winds up broken and in pieces on the floor — other than yourself.

That’s why “Punch-Out!!” for 2009 has so much potential. The goofy game that has lived for two decades in the arcade world or on NES now jumps to Wii, complete with Little Mac back in the starring role, and in a three-dimension simulation this time. Outrageous opponents from past titles also return, such as Von Kaiser of Germany, Soda Popinski of Russia and Don Flamenco of Spain.

Outrageous, too, is their behavior: the more punches they land, the bigger they loom on the screen. Fans of those first “Punch-Out!!” titles will appreciate the thematic loyalty that continues in this version. (Though they might not mind the ear-chewing Mike Tyson being absent this time around.)

But “Punch-Out!!” is more than just a tool for flailing at the past. Success requires timing and technique, as opponents’ reflexes and skills keep ramping up until some gamers could actually work up a sweat from level to level as they thrust the controllers at the screen to simulate punches. The game also allows use of the Nintendo Balance Board for bobbing and weaving, which is a nice touch but the board doesn’t react as quickly as one would want at the higher skill levels.

Fortunately for button-mashers, “Punch-Out!!” lets gamers exchange the wireless peripherals for a directional pad — not as fun though, in our view, because it’s harder to break things.

Multiplayer mode is a bit disappointing, too, with just Little Mac battling Little Mac in the featured bouts. In that, “Punch-Out!!” is reminiscent of the avatar-vs.-avatar battles featured in Nintendo’s aging “Wii Sports” boxing game. Yes, Mac-on-Mac action can be fun, but not for long.

In general, “Punch-Out!!” offers more enjoyment than one would think, if that one was like Game Guy and had begun lumping all boxing games into the same category: boring. Get into a few rounds and you’ll see.

Oh, and if you break something in the house, let Game Guy know what it is. He’s taking inventory on who’s really getting their money’s worth from this title.