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King Hippo (キング・ヒッポ Kingu Hippo) first appeared on the 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as the second competitor in the Major Circuit. He is a very obese boxer known for wearing shorts (which fall quite often from the surprise), and is mostly often seen with his silver crown and a bandage on his stomach throughout all his appearances. Although his height and weight are a mystery, he is shorter than boxers like Soda Popinski, and is seemingly heavier than boxers like Bear Hugger. On each game he's been in, while it's not easy to knock him down, once this is done, it is impossible for him to get up due to his morbid weight.
King Hippo also gained fame on the NBC Saturday morning cartoon Captain N: The Game Master, which ran 34 episodes from 1989 until 1991. In the cartoon, Hippo starred as one of Mother Brain's top henchmen. He appears with blue skin and was often paired in a comedic duo with Kid Icarus enemy Eggplant Wizard. He was voiced by Gary Chalk. King Hippo also appeared in the comic books based on the Captain N series, as a Hasbro Action Figure, as an Applause action figure, and in a Topps trading card series.
Appearances
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
In Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, King Hippo is truly the most unique character of the World Video Boxing Association. He is the only character who did not have a palette swap (though his rotund body type resembles Bear Hugger's from the arcade version of Super Punch-Out!!). His defense is impenetrable until he opens his mouth. When his mouth is hit, Hippo reveals his one weakness: his overly large trunks start falling down, and he has to keep pulling them up whilst trying to fend off Little Mac's body blows. Uniquely, King Hippo has no opportunities to get stars (the only character with this distinction) and therefore can only be hit by regular punches. However, once Little Mac floors King Hippo, he does not get up.
Attacks:
- Jab: King Hippo raises one fist over his mouth before throwing a punch. Can be dodged or ducked, however, initiates no stun when dodged.
- Open-Mouthed Overhead: King Hippo opens his mouth, shouts, raises his fist, and throws a more powerful punch. By punching him in the mouth, he'll reveal his stomach, which can then be punched for a stun.
- Hippo Rush: King Hippo jumps around the back of the arena before performing an Open-Mouthed Overhead, a Jab, and then another Open-Mouthed Overhead.
- Open-Mouthed Rush: When Little Mac gets tired, King Hippo will laugh and then perform 3 Open-Mouthed Overheads. If Mac dodges the first two, he can counter the third.
Punch-Out!! (2009)
In the Wii version, it is shown in his bio that he lives in Hippo Island, somewhere in the South Pacific. Although it's never stated, his title of "King" and the fact he wears a crown suggests he is the head of state of Hippo Island. King Hippo spends his days eating enormous quantities of food, then sleeps in a hammock when the sun has set. Before challenging him for the Minor Circuit title, selecting King Hippo will make him bellow with a foghorn-like noise while his crown flies in mid-air off his head. It is also worth noting that he wears the title belt on his shoulder (probably because it doesn't fit around his waist). King Hippo's dialogue only consists of bellows akin to that of an actual hippopotamus, provided by Scott McFadyen.
Unlike his appearance in the NES, King Hippo now wears his crown when fighting. A similarity is that his shorts still fall down; however, his underwear now has multiple small pictures of the Starman from the Mario series of games. When punched, pineapples fly off of his face.
King Hippo fights somewhat similarly to his appearance in the NES, using powerful jabs and overheads. He leaves his mouth wide open much more often than in the original fight, such as when he misses a punch, and still opens his mouth before throwing his overhead. After Hippo is stunned from a jab, he will cover his mouth to block any subsequent one; only hitting him with a hook will continue the stun - however, once he is stunned from the jab and hook, any combination of punches will be able to land on him. While Hippo only needs to be knocked down once to defeat him (since he's too obese to get back up), unlike the NES game, he has a deceptive amount of stamina to make up for his vulnerability, and can tank Star Punches better than mostly other character (even most others in Title Defense), taking around nine of these to KO him. As a result, if the player is able to counterpunch Hippo for stars, it is highly recommended to save them for Three-Star Punches, then unleashing them for maximum possible damage.
He also gains a special attack called the Hippo Squeeze, which consists of a double hook that can only be ducked under and deals massive damage. This particular attack can be countered to make Hippo's crown fall, causing him to recoil to the ropes (this being the only time Little Mac is able to psyche himself up to recover stamina), then lose his temper and come at Mac; no matter how much stamina Hippo had left until that point, it will raise to a little more than half. Countering this attack again, however, will yield a OHKO.
When King Hippo sees Mac before the fight, he looks at him in surprise and laughs, probably because he doesn't see Mac as much of a challenge. If Mac loses to him, Hippo will pound his stomach victoriously; this makes his pants comically fall down, which embarrasses him. When KO'd, Hippo falls out of the ring in slow motion as his belly jiggles, making him one of the few characters that have a special KO animation every time they fall.
Attacks:
- Overhead: Hippo ducks his head into the shelter of his arms to block any jabs. Then he will charge, raise his hand, growl, and punch. This can be dodged or ducked under. Avoiding it will activate a stun long enough for six punches. If he is countered with a jab when he raises his hand (similarly to the NES fight), he will be stunned longer, for a total of ten punches. Countering him with a hook yields a Star instead.
- Jab: Hippo raises one of his hands up to his breast and punch. This can be avoided in any manner. Dodging will activate a stun long enough for six punches. Blocking it followed by a hook will yield a Star.
- Hippo Squeeze: Hippo growls, raises his arms and violently brings them for a two-handed hook. It can only be ducked under. Avoiding it activates a stun long enough for ten punches. Countering with a hook right before the attack will make Hippo recoil to the ropes (and his crown will get knocked off), then make him recover back with his temper thrown off. If his crown is already off and this attack is countered again, it'll result in an instant KO.
- Pants Drop: Ocasionally, Hippo's pants will start to drop, causing him to pull them up and flash yellow. Hitting him then and there will earn a Star.
Stars:
- Hook Hippo when he's about to throw an overhead punch.
- Duck or dodge Hippo's overhead punch as soon as possible, then hook him as he remains vulnerable.
- Block Hippo's jab and counter with a hook.
- Hook Hippo when he pulls his pants up.
Instant KO tricks:
- Avoid his Hippo Squeeze and counter with a Star Punch as his mouth is wide open.
- Counter his Hippo Squeeze to make his crown fall off. When he recovers from the move, counter the Hippo Squeeze again to immediatly KO him.
Title Defense
King Hippo returns as a challenger in Title Defense in World B. He sports a bigger crown (probably to stop it from being knocked off like in Contender Mode) and a manhole cover duct taped over his stomach to protect himself from body blows. His bio shows him wandering around New York City with his belly all bruised from the previous fight, looking for different items to protect his belly, including a frying pan and a colander, before settling for the manhole cover.
King Hippo's attacks, like other Title Defense opponents, are more varied than in Contender. He opens his mouth less often to attack, though any mouth-closed overheads or delayed jabs can be countered with a hook, which gives Mac a star. Similarly to his original fight in the NES, Hippo can only be stunned when he is about to throw a punch and his mouth is open. His jab is much more dangerous, as he will never open his mouth if he misses (so if he repeteadly performs this attack, he can easily run the timer down), and it can no longer be blocked, though it still can be avoided any other way. Additionally, attempting to jab Hippo while his mouth is closed results in a quick jab to the face (unless Mac reaches zero hearts when his jab is blocked).
Hippo also gains a version of his jab where he delays it by ducking to one side before throwing it - fortunately, he frequently opens his mouth before this attack, but countering him will make him cover his eye, requiring another jab from a different direction before he can be stunned for good. His Hippo Squeeze has gained a second attack, a double-axe handle that must be dodged to the side in order to counterattack him. Finally, Hippo is able to dodge Little Mac's Star Punch if he happens to have prepared an overhead punch when Mac releases it; otherwise, however, he'll take the hit. Nevertheless, it takes an even higher amount of Star Punches to deplete his stamina, so Three-Star Punches are encouraged much more.
The fight consists of two parts. The first part consists of punching off the manhole covering Hippo's belly by ripping away the duct tape pieces that keep the manhole cover from falling off. He will mostly throw punches where he opens his mouth; by countering him when he opens it, he will cover his head, leaving one of his sides vulnerable for hooks - succesfully hooking the manhole three times will break a piece. Breaking the three pieces will knock off the manhole, playing a comical scene where the manhole falls on his foot and he hops on his other foot from the pain, before getting enraged. The fight will go on normally from this moment on.
If Mac loses to him, Hippo will stand proud, and laugh evilly.
Attacks:
- Overhead: The same as in Contender mode. Punching him when he raises his hand stuns him long enough for six punches. However, if he is countered before he grunts, he'll get stunned longer, for a total of ten punches.
- Silent Overhead: Hippo does an overhead punch without growling. Hook him while his hand is raised for a Star.
- Jab: Same as in Contender, but the attack can't be blocked, and Hippo will never open his mouth, meaning the attack can't be countered.
- Delayed Jab: Hippo will put his hand in an uppercut position, growl, then throw a jab. While his mouth is open, jabbing him twice in different directions stuns him for six punches.
- Silent Delayed Jab: Hippo will do a delayed jab without growling. Hook him when he starts the attack for a star.
- Hippo Squeeze n' Squash: A Hippo Squeeze with a double-axe handle smash afterward to make sure the player gets hit. The Hippo Squeeze can still be avoided by ducking, whereas the double-axe handle is avoided by dodging to any side.
Stars:
- Counter his silent delayed jab with a hook.
- Counter his silent overhead punch with a hook, on the uncovered side of his belly.
- Counter his Hippo Squeeze with a hook.
Instant KO Trick: Succesfully avoid his entire Hippo Squeeze n' Squash, then hit him with a Star Punch as his mouth is wide open. The timing is strict.
Infinite: Counter the Hippo Squeeze 'n Squash, and as soon as he jumps back to the middle of the mat, use the Star Punch to hit him, This will prompt him to use his Hippo Squeeze 'n Squash again. Repeat the process for an infinite.
Exhibition challenges
Contender:
- Win the fight... without getting tired.
- KO a CROWNLESS King Hippo!!
- Defeat King Hippo with ZERO landed jabs!!
Title Defense:
- Knock King Hippo's Manhole Cover off in under 30 seconds!
- Win the fight and never get knocked down!
- Land a Three-Star Punch when King Hippo's pants are down...
Quotes
Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES):
- "Do you like my new trunks? They are size XXX Large! Ha, ha, ha!"
- "Ha, ha, ha! I am the king! Ha, ha, ha!"
- "I feel like eating after I win. Let's go to lunch! Ha, ha, ha!"
- "I have my weakness. But I won't tell you! Ha, ha, ha!"
Punch-Out!! (Wii):
- GRAAAA!!!!
- RAAGH!!
- "GRAH Huh? Gruh heh heh heh heh." (Before Contender Match)
- "BLEH!! HUUH, HEEAAH. Hrrrm! (snort)" (During Contender Intermission)
- "GRRMM! GRAAA!!! GRRMM!" (During Contender Intermission)
- "GRAAH!" (Before Title Defense Match)
- "GRAAAW! HISSSSS!!!!" (After he loses his cover)
- "GRAAA!! GRRM! GRAH!" (During Title Defense Intermission)
- "GRAH! GRRM! GRRM! GRAAH!" (During Title Defense Intermission)
Doc Louis Tips
- "Serve this sucker a platter of star punches. He'll never want to eat again!"
- "This sucka's defense is tough, Mac. Make him shut his wide open mouth."
- "Hey, kid. King Hippo loves to eat. Why don't we feed him a knuckle sandwich!"
- "I'll tell you one thing, son. I never want to face this sucker on a food eating contest!."
- "Hey, Mac. If you can dethrone this king, the Minor Circuit is yours."
- "Ol' Hippo's wisin' up, baby. His mouth ain't open all the time, but when it is, feed him that knuckle sandwich, baby!" (title defense)
- "Hey, Mac baby. Maybe after you win, you could take ol' Hippo out to lunch."
- "Hey, Mac baby. Show King Hippo who's the king of the ring!"
- "If this sucka's the King, I wouldn't wanna meet the Queen!"
- "Okay, Mac baby! King Hippo's weakness is his belly! That's the target, baby! Hit it when it's wide open!"
Captain N: The Game Master
King Hippo as Seen on Captain N The Game Master
King Hippo appears in the cartoon as one of Mother Brain's men. He is frequently paired up with Eggplant Wizard from the Kid Icarus series. Much like Scratch and Grounder from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (another DIC cartoon series), Hippo and Eggplant are very comical and bumbling lackeys who often screw up their missions.
There are numerous differences that this King Hippo shares with his game counterpart. In Captain N: The Game Master, he has blue skin, yellow eyes, a smaller crown, burgundy shorts which closely resemble those worn by Title Defense Bald Bull and a tiny nose. He can also speak English, unlike his game counterpart, who didn't develop a language in Punch-Out!! Wii.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
King Hippo makes an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a spirit. In his spirit battle, he possesses the body of a King K. Rool puppet and the battle takes place in the Boxing Ring stage. The battle has the King K. Rool puppet giant and the battle format as a stamina battle. Upon beating the battle, the player will then have won King Hippo's spirit. King Hippo is a support spirit that strengthens the player's shield when equipped.
Trivia
General
- King Hippo is the only Punch-Out!! character who is from a fictional country.
- There is a Hippo Island in real life, though it is located in Antarctica and is much smaller than the Hippo Island in the Punch-Out!! universe.
- Despite being from a fictional country, King Hippo is still from an island in the South Pacific. In real life, this region is known for its massive obesity increase in recent times.
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!/Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream
- If a cheat is used to reduce the points required for split decision (this is impossible normally), if Mac wins, King Hippo will beat his chest and his pants will fall down, which is his victory animation.
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
- In one of the commercials for the game, Little Mac said he lost his title to King Hippo in 1989. A real-life version of King Hippo can be seen in this promo.
- King Hippo is one of the two characters whose items can be knocked off for the remainder of the battle (his crown), the other being Don Flamenco, who loses his toupee.
- After losing his crown when defeated, Hippo will still be wearing his crown when he's seen in the Minor Circuit ring. Something similar happens in Title Defense: if the manhole is knocked off and he is defeated, he will still wear it after the fight in the ring. This implies he might have picked them up.
- During his KO animation, a girl can be heard screaming right when King Hippo falls, probably because the latter landed on or near her.
- Strangely, the sound also plays in Practice Mode, even though there is no audience.
- When he gets hit in the face during Contender with Little Mac, it will instantly form a bandage on the cheek.
- It is possible to win by decision in the Title Defense fight without breaking off the tape holding the manhole up; the jabs required to expose his stomach cause minimal damage, but if the player throws as many jabs and dodges as many punches as they can, Mac can win by decision.
- One of Doc Louis's tips has him suggest Mac to "take the ol' hippo out to lunch". This is a reference to King Hippo's own line in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! where he says "I feel like eating after I win. Let's go to lunch! Ha, ha, ha!"