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MCV 532:

Nintendo: ‘Punch-Out is Wii’s first heavyweight of the year’

Platform holder targets No. 1 chart position with veteran boxing release. Full TV marketing push planned


CLASSIC boxing re-make Punch-Out!! will be the biggest Wii launch of 2009 so far, Nintendo has told MCV.

Due for release on May 22nd, Punch Out!! is the latest entry in a series that debuted in the 1980s and has not been seen in Europe since 1995’s Super Punch-Out!! on the SNES. Nintendo feels that the new title could have the same impact as last year’s Mario Kart. “Punch-Out!! is our biggest Wii launch so far in 2009, and we see it as an important title that will appeal to gamers and families in a similar manner to Mario Kart Wii,” said Nintendo’s senior product manager for Wii Rob Lowe.

“It has a great pedigree with the previous titles on the NES and Super Nintendo, and this heritage is faithfully carried across to the new Wii version, along with a host of new functions and features.” Nintendo will be raising awareness of the return of Punch-Out!! with an extensive PR and marketing campaign, focused largely on television advertising to capture the widest possible audience.

There will be a full campaign, with ads appearing around family programming. The TV creative will show a father and son boxing with each other. There will also be full point-of-sale and trade marketing support, a bigscreen sampling tour and a PR campaign that will feature legendary names in boxing, settling old scores through Punch-Out!!

“Punch-Out!! will be a full triple-A launch as you would expect from such a longstanding Nintendo franchise,” concluded Lowe. “And hopefully we will be looking at a number one position in the Wii charts around the launch of the game.”

Nintendo: 01753 483700