Punch Out! comes back swinging. I’ve been waiting for this one to come and the wait is definitely worth it. It’s 15 years to be exact since the SNES version has been released. Now Little Mac has returned with Punch Out! for the Wii.

Punch Out! fans will find the Wii version to be loyal to the original. The developer stuck with the old formula but incorporated motion controls to it. You’ll recognize each and every boxer in the game except for one. New to the Wii version is the Disco Kid.

Expect the same comic-like characters to come alive in your TV sets. Each boxer will have its own fighting pattern. Once you discover the pattern, beating the boxer will be easy. But as you progress through the career mode, the boxers will be more defensive or offensive. They will also beef up their weaknesses so you can’t beat them that easy. King Hippo will guard his soft spot with a manhole cover taped to his belly.

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Indiana Jones fans might have to wait for a long time for the next movie but that doesn’t mean that we also have to wait that long for a new Indy game. LucasArt will be releasing Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings for the Nintendo Wii and DS on June 9. It will also be available for the Sony PSP and PS2 consoles.

The game takes the player to the year 1939. The Nazis are in the hunt for a new treasure and it’s up to Indiana Jones to make sure that they don’t get it first. While the missions are the same for all the consoles, the gamplay is optimized for the Wii.

We all know how Indy handles the whip very well and players can experience using the whip via the Wii remote. That reason alone should encourage gamers to get the Wii version of this game. Stay tune for a full review once the game is released next month.

In the past few weeks since it was launched, the DSiWare brought gamers calculators, clocks, and other unnecessary apps. Most gamers are not impressed with the downloadable content lineup. The Animal Crossing Calculator and Clock can be downloaded for 200 DSi points but players are waiting for worthy games to spend their points on.

Well Nintendo must have realized that the DSiWare needs something that will make gamers splurge their DSi points on. That must be the reason why they’re releasing Real Soccer 2009 for 800 DSi points. The game let’s gamers use the DSi’s camera and use their photos to customize the player faces and ball’s skins. I would definitely be downloading this game.

For the WiiWare there’s the Family Pirate Party. You can get it for 500 Wii Points. This is a board game where players roll a virtual dice to collect treasures on different islands. Then there’s the Galaxy Force II for the Virtual Console. This shooter game is originally from the Sega Genesis console.

A new Astro Boy game is in the works for the Wii and the DS. It will be based on the CG animation movie that will be released later this year. Working on the Wii game is High Voltage Software, the same company that gave us The Conduit. The DS version is being handled by Art Co.

I love Astro Boy. For those who are born much later than I did, Astro is a robot boy who fights evil robots. I used to want to be like him. The anime series is said to be one of the most influential series during its time.

This isn’t the first time Astro Boy has been made into a game. Sega made one for the PS2 in 2003, just in time for the re-release of the Astro Boy series. There’s also a Game Boy Advance version of the game. This time around the game will coincide with the screening of the new CG movie. Watch out for this one.

Future games, final review, company reports, delays, and a friendly ghost in this week’s Nintendo news roundup.

Look Ahead: May 2009 Games
Here’s a list of what to expect this month. There’s EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer, Pokemon Platinum, Virtua Tennis 2009, and a lot more.

Review: Echoes of Time Links Wii, DS for Unique Final Fantasy
The reviewer states that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time is the weirdest game concept of this year because it can be played on both the Wii and DS. Aside from that, he doesn’t like the game because of its thin and repetitive single game mode.

THQ Reports Fiscal 2009 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results
THQ enjoyed another fruitful year. Their annual report states that they have net sales of $830 million. But this is down from the $1,030 million they had a year ago. They felt the crunch of the global recession but still manage to pull off a decent sales number.

Sony Will Publish Ghostbusters Game in Europe
Sony will be publishing the PAL version of the new Ghostbusters game. That means there will be a delay in the release of the Wii and DS versions of the game. I’m hearing a resounding boo coming from European GB fans.

Casper to Haunt the DS and Wii Once More
Casper will be seeing action in the Wii and DS soon. It’s a sports theme game and Casper must beat Thatch in a series of events. In the DS version, players will use the mic in one minigame to scare people.

Definitely a staple of Nintendo handheld consoles is the Pokemon franchise. From the Gameboy to the current DS, there’s a Pokemon title. The gameplay doesn’t change but gamers still want to catch some more Pokemon.

And there’s a new one brewing. Rumors has it that an announcement will be made on May 10 with regards to Pokemon franchise. Sources say that hosts of the Japanese Pokemon show, Sunday, made this statement while silver and gold balls were seen above them.

The silver and gold balls might mean that Nintendo will be releasing Pokemon Silver and Pokemon Gold to the DS. The two classic Gameboy games were released in 2000 and are considered as two of the best selling games of the franchise.

Nintendo has announced that Pokemon will remain in 2D to be faithful with the animated series. They also said that they are not planning to bring it to the Wii and will continue the series on the DS. Maybe it’s a new Pokemon game for the DSi. We’ll know ater May 10. Stay tune for more info on this one.

Nostalgia will be in full effect this coming week with the release of two vintage games remade for the Wii. First off is the classic Namco game Klonoa. If you’re familiar with the Playstation game then you’ll know that the players will be controlling the floppy eared character through each stage. The Wii version features new graphics and players use the Wii remote as controls. Old school gamers can still use the GameCube pad.

Also coming out this week for Nintendo’s New Play Control Line is the GameCube classic Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. This was first release in 2005 and used the GameCube’s Bongo Controller. Players will tap on the drums to control Donkey Kong through the adventure game. For the Wii version, players will use the Wii remote and nunchuk, thus making it a more traditional adventure game.

Other remake available this week is Jagged Alliance. This PC turn based game will be ported to the Nintendo DS. This is good news for strategy game fans.

Dokapon franchise’s entry to the North American market came via last year’s Dokapon Kingdom for the Wii and PS2. It was received well by RPG gamers. This must be the reason why Atlus decided to release Dokapon Journey for the DS.

Dokapon Journey arrived in North American shores one year after it came out in Japan. It has more strategies and RPG gameplay than Kingdom. The more battles you get into, the more experience you’ll get. The player must also liberate cities and collect items that can help him along the way.

The battle system of Dokapon Journey is turn based. Players get to choose among four actions – M Guard, Counter, Defend, or Give Up. There are lots of tactics and strategy one can do within the game. You can save other players by defeating the monster or KO them out of the battle to steal the victory for yourself.

But what it lacks is in the graphics department. The game looks like it was made for the GBA. Animation is limited. It looks too simple and low budget. It reminds me of the first Advance Wars. Dokapon Journey is something for those who loved Dokapon Kingdom on the Wii. At least they can bring the game wherever they want to. But if you’re new to the game, then I suggest you try out the Kingdom on the Wii or PS2 first.

Good music, wealthy publisher, new toys, slow gain and early birds in this week’s Nintendo News roundup.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits Interview
The IGN staff interviewed the president of Vicarious Visions and asked him about the latest Guitar Hero on Tour version. Modern Rock has songs from the last five to seven years, which includes Fall Out Boy, Lenny Kravitz and Weezer.

Ubisoft sales hit $1.5B, Splinter Cell Conviction due by April ‘10
Even with the global recession Ubisoft manage to hit the $1.5B marker with its sales. Its CEO boasted that his company’s margins are among the best in the gaming industry.

Nintendo DSi unboxing gallery
Now this is something new. A brand new DSi is taken out of its box and photographed. What’s the point in all this? Nothing. Check out their other unboxed gadgets.

Local Wii sales pass 500000
South Korea that is. Finally the Wii has sold half a million units since it was launched over a year ago. Compare that to the DS Lite, which already sold 2.5M units since it was launched last January. I guess Koreans can’t stop their PC gaming habits just yet.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” adaptation cuts up consoles
This game is supposed to be released today but there are a couple of gamers that have gotten their copies already from some retail stores. It looks like some stores sold before the official release date.

Tomodachi Collection (Friend Collection) might be a Sims clone but it does have some features that it can call its own. In this Nintendo Mii game for the DS, players start off by creating a Mii that will live on an island with other Miis. There you must interact, make friends and enemies, and form relationships.

You can also add characters to represent your friends and family members with different stats to match their personalities. You must feed your Miis, play with them, and give them advice. The game features a TV channel that shows the news twice a day.

Tomodachi Collection does sound like a Sims wannabe from Nintendo. These rumors have been floating since October of last year but there is no concrete news yet about its gameplay but it will be released on June 18 in Japan. More on this once I get my hand on the game.