When Punch-Out!! for the Wii was first announced last October, I have to be honest: I was a little nervous. The game looked great, but something about it felt a little rushed and, I don’t know, empty. Then rumors started that it was going to release only on WiiWare and would be nothing more than a straight-up remake of the original game. Luckily, these rumors proved to be false.

All of these initial fears, though, were immediately alleviated once I viewed this brand new trailer.

The trailer -- which you can view after the jump -- shows off a whirlwind of nostalgia-flavored images. While the reappearance of classic characters like King Hippo and Glass Joe are sure to get your 8-bit heart pumping, it was the quick shot of Doc Louis riding his bike by the river with a pink sweatshirt clad Little Mac jogging behind him that sent a tear down this retro gamer’s cheek.

And don’t even get me started on the introduction of new character Disco Kid! One thing the Punch-Out!! series does very well is feature hilarious, well-designed characters. Here’s hoping a slew of new opponents makes an appearance in the final game.

What do you think? Does this trailer get you excited for Punch-Out!!? What do you think of the new fighter? Does he fit into the eclectic cast of Punch-Out!! characters or is he not wacky enough?