Lost in Time: Doc Louis’s Punch-Out!!

With the Switch launch only a few days away as of this posting, the Nintendo Wii is officially old. And with the thus far complete lack of backwards compatibility in the digital space for Wii U and Wii games, some WiiWare titles have entered the danger zone of potentially being lost in time. This game might just be at the top of that list because it was never really commercially sold. It was part of a rewards program, and then later offered as part of the death of that very same rewards program. It’s a real shame too, because it’s a rather spectacular, albeit incredibly short, little experience. Oh yeah, and it’s part of the Punch-Out!! series. 

Doc Louis’s Punch-Out!! is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s finally an opportunity to jump into the ring with Little Mac’s overweight, bicycle-riding, chocolate-loving trainer Doc Louis. Honestly, I’ve always wanted to know what Doc had up his sleeves. I mean, he’s riding his bike while I’m jogging in a pink track suit? What he heck? Well, as it turns out, Doc is hiding quite a lot of talent under his pudgy exterior. He apparently invented the star punch, and he isn’t afraid to use it on you. He’s also audibly training you the whole time you’re fighting him, which adds a nice, good-natured feeling to the whole affair. It’s made in the same engine as the sublime Punch-Out!! Wii, so it looks and plays as smooth as butter. But even though it isn’t much more than a couple of exhibition matches against Doc Louis, it’s got some really fun bits of personality that make it really memorable. 

See, Doc loves his chocolate, and if you manage to prevent him from eating said chocolate enough times, he gets really mad. And what does he do when he gets really mad? He rips off his trademark red and while track jacket to reveal… another track jacket underneath! And this one is leopard print! It’s honestly hilarious. Much like the full Punch-Out!! release this is based on, there are fantastic facial expressions and animations abound. If you’re a long-time Punch-Out!! fan, it’s a unique and satisfying treat. 

So how do you go about getting a copy? Well, that’s a great question. As far as I know this game is completely unavailable to download on any service, unless you already have it. As for it getting some sort of re-release down the road, that’s tough to say. Punch-Out!! Wii managed to sell enough copies to make it to the Nintendo Selects line, so maybe some sort of HD remake could potentially happen? That would be swell, but I wouldn’t bank on it. But if you’re a fan of the Punch-Out!! series and you haven’t tried this yet, do yourself a favor and track down someone who has it. Or at the very least catch a YouTube playthrough. It’s very well worth your time.