Single Player
The gameplay takes elements from previous Punch-Out!! games, featuring the star punches from the NES game, while also featuring stamina recovery from Super Punch-Out!!. It once again uses the round system from the NES game, featuring three rounds per opponent, with commentary by Doc Louis in between rounds. Players progress in one of three ways: by successfully KO'ing their opponent, by earning a TKO after knocking down the opponent three times in one round, or by winning by a decision. Players can store up to three stars by punching their opponent at certain times in order to perform a powerful Star Uppercut, but will lose them if hit. If the player is hit by a knockout punch that would make him lose the game, it is possible to recover and regain a little stamina.
The game features several modes, including Career Mode, which has Little Mac climbing the ranks of the World Video Boxing Association and defeating all of the boxers along the way. Mac starts off in the Minor Circuit, facing weak opponents that mostly serve as a means to help the player to get used to the controls. The Major Circuit has stronger opponents, but their techniques are still quite predictable. The World Circuit boasts the hardest boxers, including the world champion, Mr. Sandman.
A new feature in the game, available after beating the Career Mode once, is Title Defense Mode. This is a much harder mode, and some of the boxers have new tricks and ways to protect their weaknesses, requiring players to figure out how to exploit them once again. For example, in the rematch against King Hippo, he will wear a manhole cover protecting his weak spot, his stomach. If Mac loses to the opponent, he gives up the Champion Belt, however, he may still fight them again. Beating them will enable him to reclaim your belt and move on to the next boxer.
After completing Title Defense Mode, the Last Stand Mode becomes unlocked. In this mode, the player must face a series of randomly selected opponents with a high heart meter and a stamina bar that does not regenerate. Additionally, while the game features unlimited rematch attempts, once Last Stand is reached, Mac will retire after three losses, after which Career Mode becomes unplayable, and players must start a new file in order to play this mode again. This mode also disables the "Restart" and "Quit" options; the only way to quit in the middle of a fight in this mode is to reset the entire game from the HOME menu. Furthermore, there is no way to "win" this mode. Once ten fighters have been defeated, Champions Mode, an option for Exhibition Mode, is unlocked in which all of the fighters can knock Mac down with just one hit.
Also available is Exhibition Mode, where the player can face any boxer they have already defeated including both the regular version of the boxer and the Title Defense variety, and can try to earn three unique achievements per boxer, which if earned unlock the sound test for that character. If a player hasn't defeated a boxer, one can instead practice against a hologram of that boxer with unlimited stamina and hearts until they defeat him in the main mode.
Read more about this topic: Punch-Out!! (Wii), Gameplay
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