Is Punch Out on the Switch?

With a studio size of slightly over 100, even after the acquisition by Nintendo in 2021, the possibility that Next Level Games is working on more than one title at a time is little. Kind of like Little Mac, which means that a sequel to the fantastic Punch Out for Wii, will have to wait longer, if it’s coming at all.  

At the February Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Next Level Games is developing the third entry in the Mario Strikers series which is due out in June. The only reason this makes sense is due to the World Cup also happening in 2022 as the stars aligned for Mario Strikers fans. In their 2006 earnings report, the first strikers game sold 1.61 million copies with the sequel selling a similar amount with 1.77 million in the first year and both averaged reviews in the 70’s. Neither the sales or critical reception justify a sequel.

Punch Out for the Wii was an excellent game with character, a fantastic art style that added some modern touches but remained faithful to the original because that formula was simple and worked. It sold over a million and became part of the Nintendo Selects Series on the Wii but Next Level was clearly onto something as it has an average review closer to 90’s.

If you’re looking for a silver lining, Punch Out! and Super Punch Out! are both available as part of Nintendo Switch Online.

Hopefully they will bring Wii games eventually and add the fantastic 2009 reboot from Next Level Games. Although Game Boy and GameCube with likely be added first, so as it appears, a new Punch Out from next level games or the Wii version doesn’t look to be happening anytime soon.