GDC: Punch-Out!! has multiplayer

In the first press preview of its Wii revival Punch-Out!! at GDC this week, Nintendo and developer Next Level Games have revealed that the game will have a multiplayer mode - but they haven't said quite what it will be yet.

"We're trying to broaden the experience of the game to more fans, so having a multiplayer mode, - while challenging with the Punch-Out!!-style gameplay mechanic - was something that we were interested to do from the outset of the project," said gameplay director Bryce Holliday, speaking to Eurogamer as part of our hands-on preview.

It's a departure for the boxing game series - moribund for 15 years, since Super Punch-Out!! on the SNES. Every previous Punch-Out!!, even in the arcades, has been a purely single-player game.

Nintendo showed the press the first four opponents on the game's "minor circuit", and both classic NES-style and Wii motion control schemes. On most other things, Nintendo chose to remain coy, even though the game's out in May - including whether it might support the new MotionPlus peripheral when that appears this year.

"We did consider including that. Whether we've actually used it or not, you'll have to wait until the production version comes out," said Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe.

"There are hidden elements in the Punch Out!! universe," added Holliday. "The original game is about finding the tells, finding the weaknesses, solving the hidden puzzles. So there are a few elements to the controls that aren't quite visible but users will discover over time while they master the game."

For more on Punch-Out!!, check out the full preview.