Punch-Out!! (Wii)/King Hippo

• Rank: 18-9 (18 KOs)
• Birthplace: Hippo Island, South Pacific
• Everything Else: ???
• Description: The Minor Circuit Champion. He eats in the morning. He eats in the afternoon. He eats in the evening, and at night, he sleeps.
• Difficulty:
• KO Count: 1
• Attacks:
  • Guard Breaker: Hippo's main attack. He brings his fist to his face and strikes your head. Guarding is useless here, so dodge if you can.
  • Smash: Hippo rumbles and lifts his fist in the air. Dodge.
  • Hippo Crush: Hippo's special attack. At around half HP after stumbling from your attack, he'll beat his chest and attack you with his two fists. You have to duck in order to dodge his attack.

This is the title bout of the minor leagues. He's a very unorthodox fighter which makes facing him trickier than usual. For one thing, he has an excellent guard for the battle, so punching is usually useless. The only way to stun and attack is to counter. If he uses the Guard Breaker, dodge it then tag a punch to his face. His guard will then come down allowing you to mail some potent body blows. If Hippo prepares his Smash attack, you can either dodge or time a counter to his face. This also leaves his gut open to attack. If you accumulate early Stars, use them in your combos to wear him down so that he starts using the Hippo Crush. It's a tough punch to work against, but it's also his big weakness if you can time your punches just right.

With a Knockout Count of just 1, knocking Hippo down in any way is enough to KO him and take his Minor Circuit belt.

Star opportunities

• If he ever uncovers his navel to pull up his trunks, throw a hook at it.
• Evade his Guard Breaker, then send a punch to the side of the navel currently exposed.
• Counter his Hippo Crush with a punch to the face.

Knockdown opportunities

• If you counter the Hippo Crush with a punch to the gut instead of the face, Hippo's crown will fall off and he'll reel against the ropes. Repeat the feat for a One-Hit KO.
• Directly counter the Hippo Crush with a well-timed Star Punch for a One-Hit KO.

Challenges

• Defeat King Hippo...without getting tired.

Practice makes perfect for this challenge. You simply have to defeat King Hippo without once running out of Hearts, which will only occur if you get hit or blocked too often. Practice consistent connecting and dodging to avoid getting tired.

• KO a crownless King Hippo

See "Knockdown Opportunities" to learn how to knock that crown off his head and then finish him off.

• Defeat King Hippo without using Jabs.

This challenge means you can't counter in your usual way. You can't counter or respond to the Smash, but you can use the techniques in "Star Opportunities" to answer the Guard Breaker as well as the occasional time he drops his trunks. Use the Star Punches to weaken him enough so he starts using the Hippo Crush. Then you can use the technique for the second challenge to finish the job.