Wade Hixton's Counter Punch

"Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee!"

In a land far, far, away, Punch-Out reigned supreme. Now, the new legacy is born! You are Hixton…Wade Hixton. The greatest boxer to ever live! Well… you’re going to have to earn that reputation.

Graphics: 9
Excellent. That’s all you need to know!

The graphics are crisp and clean. You fight a variety of detailed boxers who are colourful and very well done! The city is fair, and nothing is overlooked.

Sound: 6
There’s not much to complain about the sound, and nothing too great. Simple fighting music and simple sound effects, for a fairly simple game. Although nothing outstanding, you’ll be too busy boxing to even notice the music and the sound effects are appropriate enough.

Control: 9
Once you get a hang of the game, you will find yourself floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee. The controls are simple and effective. A/B is for regular punches, R is for an uppercut, and L is for a side-jab. Combos are as simple as holding A+B and up, left/right, or down. Pressing left/right dodges, and up/down blocks, letting you choose how you would like to defend. Float like a butterfly, block like the Great Wall of China!

Story: 7
You are Wade Hixton, who’s stuck in the city after your car has broken down. You set off to find boxing matches, and raise your popularity. Nothing eye-opening here. Again, a simple story for a simple game. You will be greeted by a few characters here and there, and you won’t find yourself in any over-difficult areas.

Gameplay: 9
Here’s where it gets fun. Going around the city, you can fight a variety of opponents, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Once you get the hang of the game, you’ll find yourself having tons of fun boxing the stuffing out of your most hated opponent. From dodging to blocking, jabbing to low-blowing, you have the right moves to make it big! Go get ‘em tiger!

Play Time/Replayability: 7
At first, it’s very addicting. With combos to unlock, techniques to master, and hats for the referee to buy, you can find yourself playing this for a fair amount. After that, it’s all a matter of how much fun you had playing, and going back to meet old friends (or enemies) can be fun too (not much fun for them if you’re boxing their face off!)

Final Recommendation: Buy
This is a simple, fun game. Fans of Punch-Out will love this, and others will too. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable game, and is far too under-rated.

Final: 8 (Not an average)
Go Wade go!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/03/04