Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch is a single-player boxing game developed by Inferno Games and Engine Software, and published by Destination Software, exclusively for the Game Boy Advance, in 2004.

The game takes a satirical, cartoony approach to the subject, with colourful, well-drawn characters and opponents, and humorous situations and dialogue.

The story is: during a trip out into the desert, you – as Wade Hixton – find yourself stranded when your car breaks down. By chance (and for essential plot development) a pickup truck comes by and takes you to the nearest town – Big Piney – to fix your car. The mechanic drops you off at the local pub, to wait while he does his thing. Inside the pub, Wade makes the mistake of sitting in the wrong seat, and is challenged to a boxing match by local thug Rocco McScrub. The game then cuts to a third-person viewpoint and the fight plays out.

After beating McScrub (you can keep trying, if you lose the first time), a local boxing manager approaches Wade and persuades him to fight some more, and from there the game opens up into a boxing adventure, where the aim is to fight your way through the local population and on to boxing stardom.

You’re given access to a local gym, to train and buy new moves, and by visiting various places in Big Piney you get to meet your opponents, and other NPCs who you can talk to.

The action in Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch is similar to most other boxing games (in particular, Nintendo‘s famous Punch-Out!!), where you move, block, dodge and punch, and try to outwit your opponent by either knocking them out, or beating them on points.

The game can be played in a non-linear fashion, and is a hoot from start to finish. The story and dialogue are well-written, and the fun it pokes at small town America is the essence of all the comedy. But it’s all done in good spirits, and Wade himself is a well-meaning redneck, with a likeable demeanour and a penchant for accidentally stepping on people’s pansies.

Anyone who likes a good boxing game will undoubtedly enjoy Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch.

More: Wade Hixton’s Counter Punch on Wikipedia