Punch Out's Little Mac to appear in Smash Bros. Brawl

by Justin McElroy { Oct 18th 2007 at 2:26PM }

The green gloves, the at-the-ready stance, that uppercut ... it can't be! It is! It's Little Mac, the boxer that (ocassionaly) beat Mike Tyson in Punch-Out, set to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl! The only way we could be more excited is if he was a playable character. Yeah, you read that right. Apparently, much like Rocky Balboa, the past-his-prime sweet scientist can only handle brief bouts before risking his health.

OK, so maybe he's only going to be an Assist Trophy more than an actual fighter, but it's hard for us to not get a little excited (read: teary-eyed and nostalgic) about seeing Little Mac digitized for a new generation to enjoy. As it says on the official Smash Bros. blog: "Resurrecting this legend for the current generation is something we can all enjoy just a bit." We couldn't agree more.

Tags: littlemac, punchout, ssbb, supersmashbrosbrawl, wii

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

ThornedVenom @ Oct 18th 2007 2:30PM

GOTY.

ZenGaijin @ Oct 18th 2007 2:32PM

But it comes out next year.

smartguy1600 @ Oct 18th 2007 2:36PM

Doesn't mean it can't be the game of the year 2008.

Lemmiwinks @ Oct 18th 2007 4:32PM

Knuckleheaded
Opinions and
Needless
Net
Yapping

OTAM @ Oct 18th 2007 2:35PM

This game's roster is about to match the number of people in WWE Smackdown! games. Jesus.

AstroZombie @ Oct 18th 2007 2:51PM

Mac's not playable, he's an assist trophy.

ShortFuse @ Oct 18th 2007 2:58PM

I know! Melee had a decent sized list. 25 characters and 29 stages.

Koopaknight29 - (Nintendo Loyalist) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:31PM

Jesus?

Yeah, I heard rumors that he's in there too...

Konny @ Oct 18th 2007 2:33PM

No motion controls, GC graphics, online... this could have been done on GC 6 years ago (even the online).

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 2:39PM

Hey Konny, what does your name refer to?

Zertoss @ Oct 18th 2007 2:43PM

All the crap the 360 and PS3 can do my PC has been able to do for just as long. Welcome to the next generation of gaming.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 18th 2007 5:18PM

Konny-descending sand-vagina?

(GC graphics? Really? Methinks you've played neither GC nor Wii.)

ukickmydog (NDF - Earth) @ Oct 18th 2007 6:50PM

so ummm what happened to fernando?

McWeen @ Oct 18th 2007 2:35PM

I love the nostalgia characters/items etc. in SSBB but it makes me wish they still made new characters that I cared about too.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 2:40PM

We need some Elite Beat Agents and Captain Olimer in this game.

Zertoss @ Oct 18th 2007 2:47PM

An EBA assist trophy would be so awesome! It'd be cool if finding it and using it unlocked a new song.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 2:48PM

And some Drill Dozer.

Koopaknight29 - (Nintendo Loyalist) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:33PM

Ahem, my first reply was to OTAM up above...

Is the comments system always this buggy? This is like my fifth time experiencing a bug.

AstroZombie @ Oct 18th 2007 4:19PM

"FUCK. JOYSTIQ. COMMENTS."

I didn't mean that like it sounds. I was talking about the buggy reply system here.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 18th 2007 5:11PM

I think a Drill Dozer assist trophy was already confirmed in one of the IGN videos.

upz @ Oct 18th 2007 2:35PM

Oh man I saw those screenshots and thought there was a New Punch Out. As critical as I am of the Wii, even I have to admit that a new Punch Out would be incredible, especially with the control scheme.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 2:40PM

Wii Boxing didn't work out too well...I don't think a new waggle punch out would have much success either.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 2:41PM

Wii Boxing was/is great! A lot of fun if you don't spaz out while playing it.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 2:43PM

Bullshit

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 2:45PM

"Bullshit"

Oh no! The opinions of me and a lot of other people don't matter because Shag tried to do a windmill like an idiot was disappointed when the character didn't do it as well!

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 2:48PM

Look if you like a game that was more about fighting with the control scheme than your actual opponent great for you, enjoy it. I personally like good games however.

Shmil @ Oct 18th 2007 2:58PM

actually shagi is right, the game mechanics for wii boxing were horrible

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:10PM

"actually shagi is right, the game mechanics for wii boxing were horrible"

Which universe is this where an opinion is "right"?

I enjoy the controls. I have learned the controls and can beat other people who have not played the game before because I have gotten better at the controls. What other game does this sound like? Oh yeah, ALL OF THEM.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:20PM

Victorious Boxers Wii looks to be a spiritual successor to Punch Out.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 3:20PM

"I enjoy the controls. I have learned the controls and can beat other people who have not played the game before because I have gotten better at the controls. What other game does this sound like? Oh yeah, ALL OF THEM."

In a good game you never think about the controls, you think about the strategy and get immersed in the game experience.

I'm not saying there couldn't be a genre where the actual precision of control is the game, I'm sure it could. The Wii however is a lousy platform for precision and therefore a lousy platform for this kind of game. Therefore Wii boxing doesn't indeed regardless of opinion suck balls.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 3:26PM

^^^ I meant that to read, 'DOES in fact suck balls'.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:26PM

"Therefore Wii boxing doesn't indeed regardless of opinion suck balls."

...

I'm glad we agree it doesn't suck.

There is precision in it. But you have to learn the controls to get there.

If, in any other game, I didn't take the time to learn the controls and just started button-mashing, I would complain about a lack of precision too.

I think that what you really mean is that you don't motion controls for games. Which is FINE. You don't have to like motion controls. You don't have to enjoy Wii Boxing. But that doesn't mean the controls suck.

I personally don't enjoy the Katamari controls. That doesn't mean they suck, I just don't like using two analog sticks at once.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 3:34PM

Ok we agree to disagree. However, where you see 'A difference of opinion'. I simply see shitty taste in games.

For example: You might like The Back Street Boys and claim that just beacuse I don't like them doesn't mean they are no good. But I can tell you that there are indeed some things that suck, and some people who have very bad taste in things.

josh @ Oct 18th 2007 3:48PM

"In a good game you never think about the controls, you think about the strategy and get immersed in the game experience."

Ehhhh... you don't think about the controls if you are an experienced gamer. Try tossing a novice player into a R:FOM or Halo 3 (or any FPS) and they have quite a few hurdles to overcome before they can get immersed in anything but getting angry and yelling "why won't my guy look up?!"... i say this after showing 3 of my non-gamer friends Halo 3 this weekend.

The Wii Sports games are designed so that non-gamers can be like "wooo i hit the ball!". It's not really an experience intended for the kind of person that reads Joystiq... though I do find Wii Sports to be a fun diversion, especially if i am with people who would never want to play a FPS or other more "hardcore" type of game.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:51PM

"Ehhhh... you don't think about the controls if you are an experienced gamer. Try tossing a novice player into a R:FOM or Halo 3 (or any FPS) and they have quite a few hurdles to overcome before they can get immersed in anything but getting angry and yelling "why won't my guy look up?!"... i say this after showing 3 of my non-gamer friends Halo 3 this weekend."

And I think a lot of traditional gamers are having trouble with Wii because they have to retrain themselves for motion controls.

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 18th 2007 3:54PM

"In a good game you never think about the controls, you think about the strategy and get immersed in the game experience."

Bull-mother fucking-shit, dude.
That would automatically make nearly every 2D fighter (or even 3D!), by your own definition, a crappy game.
And aren't you one of the ones who said Lair was a good game and most people didn't understand the controls? I could've swore you were.

He's right. You have to learn the Wii Boxing controls. If you know a thing or two about boxing, you'll find they're actually remarkably accurate. If you just Foxy Box and throw punches, it doesn't really work. But if you bring your arms in close and throw actual punches and bring them back in, it responds a LOT better.
Admittedly, it's NOT perfect. In the higher level matches when you have to start throwing faster punches, it tends to get confused...although, in fairness, maybe I'm just not that good a boxer.

But, like Lair, it also shows a fundamental problem with the controls that so many people responded to it the way they did. To me it's obvious that in hindsight, Nintendo should have made the game less "realistic" and more like a game where you just thrust the controllers forward and backward all willy-nilly like.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 18th 2007 4:09PM

"Ok we agree to disagree. However, where you see 'A difference of opinion'. I simply see shitty taste in games."

Way to offer a handshake and kick me in the crotch there, Shag.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 4:09PM

Samfish, In fighting games, you don't need to know all the secret moves in order to play the game and form a strategy without constantly thinking about the controller.

The more experienced players will definately beat the less experienced but its not beacuse the less experienced are wrestling with the controls, its beacuse the more you play the more you learn about the ins and outs of the game.

In Wii boxing its very simple to know what to do and how to play but it just doesn't work properly. You end up thinking more about the actions your taking to do what you want than actually the gameplay mechanics.

Even when your really good at wii boxing its still all about the controls not the strategy...thats the difference I'm pointing out.

And for the record I never said Lair was a good game I simply said it wasn't as bad as many of the reviews it got.

Vidikron (FU) @ Oct 18th 2007 4:11PM

LOL... it's funny that people defending the Wii boxing are sounding exactly like those people that try to defend LAIR. IMO, I found Wii Boxing to have sloppy and imprecise controls. Half the time I'd punch and my character wouldn't do a damn thing or he would do the wrong punch. Perhaps if you are very "deliberate" (hey, like LAIR!) with your punches it sort of works... but it's supposed to be a boxing game, it would work best if it was simply straight 1:1. As it is though, it barely passes as a demo.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 4:12PM

"Way to offer a handshake and kick me in the crotch there, Shag."

Lol, sorry nimblewick, I think I picked that up from my girlfriend.

and before anyone says it, no shes not made of plastic...shes made of latex.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 18th 2007 4:24PM

But she does kick you in the balls, right.

arrrgh @ Oct 18th 2007 4:27PM

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring):
And I think a lot of traditional gamers are having trouble with Wii because they have to retrain themselves for motion controls.

HUGE MOTHERFUCKIN POINT. People seem to forget that IT'S A NEW CONTROLLER. We've had the same "thumbs=movement" control style for 20 fucking years! Obviously ppl have ADJUSTED to it pretty well.

The Wii controller is new. It takes a while to get used to how new things operate. When the "mouse" first came in to popularity, TONS of people had trouble using it accurately (see double click) :P. Now we would consider those people half retarded.

Just like how if you can't deal with Wii boxing....well then you've probably been retarded for a while ;)

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 18th 2007 5:24PM

You're not supposed to fight with the controls Shagi. You must join them. Be one with the Wiimote and nunchuck. Only then can you truly master Wii Sports boxing. I know both non-gamers and hardcore gamers who suck at it, and I know both non-gamers and hardcore gamers who kick ass at it.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 7:10PM

"I know both non-gamers and hardcore gamers who suck at it, and I know both non-gamers and hardcore gamers who kick ass at it."

But they all wear helmets and ride the short bus.

busydoingnothing @ Oct 18th 2007 8:04PM

"In a good game you never think about the controls, you think about the strategy and get immersed in the game experience."

Is that seriously your opinion? Have you ever played a 360 game before? I've been gaming since the age of 2, starting with the Atari 2600. I left the console world between the SNES and the Wii for the PC, and I now own a Wii and a 360. I still prefer PC gaming. Any time I play a new 360 game, I burst out laughing when I am presented with a colorful, highly detailed map of all of the button controls (where half the buttons perform at least three different actions). By your logic, the only good games that exist are games which do not rely on controls (such as card games, though technically, the mouse could be considered a control).

Never means NOT EVER, NO, just so you know. Even if you said "rarely," Wii Sports would still be included, because you are rarely thinking of the controls (unless you've never thrown a ball, swung a bat, tennis racket, punch, or golf club). Are the motions 1:1 real? No, and therefore, you have to adjust your movements to fit the mechanics of the game. Did Nintendo ever claim 1:1 movement? No. Therefore, the player adjusting his or her movements to match what is expected by the game is a part of how the system works. Therefore, you present a very weak argument.

I wish all trolls would just take an Intro to Logic class, though I guess they'd actually have to go to college for that.

I will agree, though, that the Wii Boxing controls are frustrating, although it might be that we're overthinking it or playing too hard and without enough strategy. When I brought my Wii to my best friend's house to play (he's an ex-Marine), he was kicking ass at boxing in no time. He was actually controlling it better than I was. He was a lot more strategic and calculating; I tended towards throwing punches like crazy and trying to force hooks rather than actually throwing them properly.

playwhutyalike @ Oct 18th 2007 8:14PM

Yeah, Shags, um, you don't like the Wii.

WE F'N GET IT.

Get over it. Get on with your life. Seriously, you can bitch all you want about how bad the Wii sucks and people are still going to like it no matter what you say.

Oh, Shags said the Wii Boxing controls are not precise. So they must not be.

Shagittarius @ Oct 18th 2007 9:16PM

If you can't pick up a game and master the joystick controls in short order then I think your should stay with the Wii, its controller is made for casual gamers, which is what you are if you struggle with memorizing controller layouts.

Congrats you found your console...now recognize that you shouldn't dictate the way the games industry goes (beacuse your games are the equivalent of Earnest goes to Camp) and we can all move on.