Inside Nintendo's classic boxing game—no, not that one
No, not ARMS, either.
This week on Virtual Boy Works, the third launch title and another example of the extraordinary sprite-pushing capabilities of the system. When you view the graphics minus the 3D effects (which in this case are really just there for the wow effect), you get a sense of just how well the Virtual Boy compared to its predecessor Game Boy. And to its successor, Game Boy Color. And even to Game Boy Advance, arguably.
You also get a sense of what Nintendo was thinking with the system's oddball controller... though whether or not it panned out as planned is probably a matter of some debate.
Teleroboxer looks cool and brisk, but the control scheme is incredibly technical. Much more so than Punch-Out!!, the obvious antecedent here. It's even more complex than ARMS, which manages to use a similar dual-arm input scheme but uses motion controls to make things a bit more accessible.
Anyway, it would be swell to see Nintendo revisit Teleroboxer someday. It's a great-looking game with a fun and interesting personality, but it would be nice if it weren't so complicated. The general consensus I've heard on this game has been, "Yeah, it's crazy hard." People either get stuck at the second opponent or stick with it long enough to perfect their mastery of it, so I don't feel so bad about bumbling through it myself. Though I did try playing it today on BX-Foundry's dual-stick Virtual Boy controller, and it's a lot friendlier that way!
...that's a lot of hoops to jump through for a game like this.
