Punch Out!

ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy ohboy!!!

There are three (so far) Wii games I’m looking forward to this year. One of them just arrived today in the Philippines, it's now distributed by the local software shop and it’s now reserved under my name *ultra big smile*

Remember this guy?


Yup, that's King Hippo and he's from the old Punch Out game for NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). Man, did I love this game. I played this a lot with my childhood chums while it was still too hot out to go biking, play patintero or to play in nearby construction sites, particularly the sand mountains.

There were other family computer games that are close to my heart but Mike Tyson’s Punch Out is one of the closest (it’s right there with Twin Bee, Contra, Ice Climber, Jackal, Adventure Island, Double Dragon and my ultimate favorite: Mario 3). The family computer was one of the defining things in my generation which one would automatically belong as to if you knew "up up down down left right left right B A B A" and what it did.

I had a big rush of nostalgia back in 2007 when I was assigned to Chicago. I was bored one day and stumbled upon an old NES emulator application and a site where I can download some old roms. Punch Out was one of the things I looked for right away and playing it again after so long felt so happy. I was still rusty though and I had trouble playing it through a keyboard and even old Piston Honda (the level 3 opponent) put me down. I felt like a kid again.

A few months ago, I caught this ad while watching Red Sox clips online announcing that Punch Out will be making its return to the Wii gaming platform after so many years. I was just sooooo happy happy happy happy. *ultra big smile again*

Eventually, the game was released in the US and I was eager for it to arrive in the Philippines. I frequented the nearby software shop from my place but they didn’t carry it. They didn’t even know what it was. Over a month has past and still nothing, not even a peep. I was getting worried since I know I’m probably part of a small population that buys original games and it’s possible that not all games would make it here to Manila.

If it will come, it will come and true enough it did.

I called the shop again to ask about a different game (Grand Slam Tennis) and they said it was just recently released and it will probably take weeks before it arrives… “but oh, Punch Out’s available now, would you like to reserve one?”.

“ummm... ok”

Now define coincidence. That software shop is just beside the shop Jaye and I will be dropping by later (we’ll be getting some drivers for our laptop). That plus, it's a holiday tomorrow.

Oh happy day. =)