King Hippo
Encyclopedia
is a fictional boxer from Nintendo
's Punch-Out!!
series. King Hippo first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System
game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
, as the second competitor in the Major Circuit. Hippo also garnered huge fame on the NBC
Saturday morning cartoon
Captain N: The Game Master
, which ran 34 episodes from 1989 until 1991. He was portrayed by Gary Chalk
in the Captain N cartoon, and by Scott McFadyen in the Wii
video game Punch-Out!!
. He is depicted as obese, only wearing the bare essentials for boxing in addition to a crown, introduced in the Captain N cartoon. He has a bandage on his stomach, which is the weak point that lowers his defenses. When it is hit, his shorts drop, and he is distracted by having to put them back on, allowing the protagonist Little Mac to attack him.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, King Hippo has received sizable reception. He has been referred to as one of the most well-known Punch-Out!! characters, reasons including his weakness as well as his appearance. He is popular amongst fans of the series due in part to his role in the Captain N cartoon. His distinctive style is stated to have set him apart from other boxers in Punch-Out!!. However, his Captain N design was met with criticism, which included criticism over the artists changing his skin from orange to blue.
, where his name is derived. He is an obese man from the sub-antarctic location of Hippo Island
, which is fictional since in reality nobody lives or could live on Hippo Island due to its ridiculously baron state. His age, weight, and height are all unknown, and he is often seen wearing a crown. He has tanned skin, though his skin is coloured blue in Captain N: The Game Master
, and a large mouth. When he opens his mouth and raises his fist, it gives the player's character, Little Mac, a chance to punch him in the face. When this happens, it causes King Hippo's shorts to drop, and lowering his defenses. While King Hippo frantically tries to get his shorts back up, Little Mac can pummel his stomach. He is so obese that when he gets knocked down, he can't get back up.
The Wii version added an incarnation which taped a manhole cover to his stomach, protecting his only weakness. While he originally was able to speak, the Wii Punch-Out!! game had him speak in grunting noises. He was portrayed by Gary Chalk
in the Captain N cartoon, and by Scott McFadyen in the Wii Punch-Out!!.
365lbs
video game Punch-Out!!. He would not appear in another video game until 2009, with the Wii
video game of the same name
. The advertisements for the Wii game featured protagonist Little Mac training to reclaim the World Circuit Title to King Hippo.
King Hippo also had a huge role animated series Captain N: The Game Master
as one of Mother Brain
's henchmen. Strangely, 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
. This version of King Hippo also appeared in the comic books based on the series. He makes a cameo appearance in the Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
comic book as part of a guest comic written and illustrated by Girly
creator Josh Lesnick. In it, the titular character Scott Pilgrim is battling him, and has to discover his weak point.
video game Punch-Out!!, King Hippo has received largely positive reception. He has appeared in several pieces of merchandise, including being included in a series of Punch-Out!! Topps
trading cards and figurines. Promotional merchandise was created for the Wii Punch-Out!!, which included replicas of King Hippo's crown and boxer shorts, as well as a King Hippo desktop punching bag. GameDaily
listed him as the 10th best Nintendo character ever, stating that he "stands out" more than the other boxers in the series, including Little Mac. They also listed him as one of video game's "most lovable lummoxes", commenting that he seems invulnerable until his weakness is discovered. They also described him as one of the series' "most memorable opponents," commenting that his appearance in the commercial "sets the stage for a dramatic rematch" against him, describing him as "tougher than ever." Game Informer
described the battle with King Hippo as being a "puzzle". He has been described by sites such as IGN
as one of the more famous boxers in the Punch-Out!! series, often being used as an example of what characters appear in Punch-Out!!. IGN listed King Hippo as the 64th best video game villain, though they describe him as a "push-over" in the NES Punch-Out!!. Cracked listed him as one of Nintendo's greatest villains.
Destructoid editor Colette Bennett featured King Hippo as a headline to her article "What makes a boss unforgettable?". She discussed how she became humiliated after losing to King Hippo in the NES Punch-Out!!, presuming him to be easy. She went on to discuss how King Hippo had a distinctive appearance, making him more memorable and more important to conquer as a result. IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas listed King Hippo as a character that he would want in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
, commenting that in spite of his exclusion from most later titles in the Punch-Out!! series, he is still popular amongst fans due to his role in the NES game and in the Captain N: The Game Master
cartoon. Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod, in praising the visuals of Punch-Out!!, commented that through them, King Hippo "gives new meaning to the term "fat slob."" N-Sider editor Brandon Daiker similarly praised the visuals, citing how King Hippo "launches fruit into the air once you knock him on his ample duff."
In his celebration of "gaming's greatest fatties", Antista commented that the NES Punch-Out!! was King Hippo's game, in spite of featuring Mike Tyson
in its original release; he described him as being its most memorable character. When asked if the Wii Punch-Out!! would bring the cast of characters into "Nintendo pantheon" games such as the Super Smash Bros. games, Next Level Games
designer Bryce Holliday commented that he considered characters such as King Hippo and Little Mac as already being at that point due to their appearances in Captain N: The Game Master. Wired
editor Andrew Kardon commented that when he purchased the Wii
Punch-Out!!
game, he was worried that it may be too violent or scary for his children, but he was also excited to show them King Hippo, who he regarded as the best opponent in the NES game. 1UP.com
editor Scott Sharkey listed King Hippo as the fourth best fat guy in video games. GamesRadar editor Brett Elston called King Hippo one of the most famous boxers in video games. A parody article appeared on the web site The Onion
, purporting that a Mike Tyson interview featured an interview with King Hippo, amongst other Punch-Out!! boxers.
In discussing his race, Retronauts discussed how King Hippo was a racial stereotype of islanders, commenting that the stereotype was that they were all fat and lavish. Bit Mob editor Brian Shirk commented that the stereotypes utilized in King Hippo were uncalled for, stating that his "subhuman caricature is particularly offensive, and it likely stems from the typically savage portrayal of Polynesians in literature and film." GameDaily
commented that while he is a "lovable oaf," others may see him as a "fat Pacific Islander who loves stuffing his face."
King Hippo's weakness is considered one of the things that makes King Hippo iconic. Game Informer writes that the "secret to beating this flabby fighter was probably even more widely known than the 30-lives code in Contra". GamesRadar
editor Chris Antista commented that fellow Nintendo character Wart's "open mouth weakness" was the most notable since King Hippo's. His pattern was described as being the most difficult to discern by Shack News, who used it as an example of the idiosyncrasies of the game's boxers. Colette Bennett echoed sentiments of the notability of his weakness, stating that "anyone could tell you King Hippo's weak point". 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey also listed him as the third worst dressed video game character, commenting "Who could have guessed that a fat man and his ill-fitting shorts could have produced such an iconic moment in gaming?". Mackey added that King Hippo's shorts falling down was "talk of the schoolyards during the 80's".
His role in Captain N: The Game Master
, however, has been met with negative reception, in spite of contributing much of King Hippo's fandom. Destructoid
editor Conrad Zimmerman, while discussing the Captain N episodes, frequently criticizes the primary antagonist, Mother Brain
, for using King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard, an enemy from the Kid Icarus
series, also questioning why King Hippo was blue. In his review of the Captain N: The Game Master DVDs, DVD Verdict editor Judge Johnson criticized King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard as being idiots. However, GamesRadar editor Chris Antista comments that his role in Captain N was his biggest achievement. IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas described King Hippo in Captain N as being a "muscle-headed moron".
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!!
is a 1983–1984 boxing arcade game by Nintendo. It was the first in a series of successful Punch-Out!! games that produced an arcade sequel known as Super Punch-Out!!, a spin-off of the series titled Arm Wrestling, a highly popular version for the NES originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!,...
series. King Hippo first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!!, originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, is a boxing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Nintendo in 1987. It is a port of both the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games with some variations. It has consistently been ranked among...
, as the second competitor in the Major Circuit. Hippo also garnered huge fame on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Saturday morning cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
, which ran 34 episodes from 1989 until 1991. He was portrayed by Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk is an illustrator and model-maker who is perhaps best known for his contributions to the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks written by Joe Dever. He is also illustrating with original artworks the upcoming French edition of Mongoose Publishing’s Lone Wolf RPG, due to be released in late...
in the Captain N cartoon, and by Scott McFadyen in the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
video game Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
. He is depicted as obese, only wearing the bare essentials for boxing in addition to a crown, introduced in the Captain N cartoon. He has a bandage on his stomach, which is the weak point that lowers his defenses. When it is hit, his shorts drop, and he is distracted by having to put them back on, allowing the protagonist Little Mac to attack him.
Since appearing in Punch-Out!! for the NES, King Hippo has received sizable reception. He has been referred to as one of the most well-known Punch-Out!! characters, reasons including his weakness as well as his appearance. He is popular amongst fans of the series due in part to his role in the Captain N cartoon. His distinctive style is stated to have set him apart from other boxers in Punch-Out!!. However, his Captain N design was met with criticism, which included criticism over the artists changing his skin from orange to blue.
Concept and characteristics
King Hippo was originally created by Punch-Out!! character designer M. Wada. His most recent appearance was illustrated by art director Eddie Visser. King Hippo's face and girth resemble that of a hippopotamusHippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
, where his name is derived. He is an obese man from the sub-antarctic location of Hippo Island
Hippo Island
Hippo Island is a steep, rocky island, 0.5 nautical miles long, which rises above Shackleton Ice Shelf 1.5 nautical miles north of Delay Point. Discovered by the Western Base Party of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Mawson, 1911-l4, who so named it because of its shape....
, which is fictional since in reality nobody lives or could live on Hippo Island due to its ridiculously baron state. His age, weight, and height are all unknown, and he is often seen wearing a crown. He has tanned skin, though his skin is coloured blue in Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
, and a large mouth. When he opens his mouth and raises his fist, it gives the player's character, Little Mac, a chance to punch him in the face. When this happens, it causes King Hippo's shorts to drop, and lowering his defenses. While King Hippo frantically tries to get his shorts back up, Little Mac can pummel his stomach. He is so obese that when he gets knocked down, he can't get back up.
The Wii version added an incarnation which taped a manhole cover to his stomach, protecting his only weakness. While he originally was able to speak, the Wii Punch-Out!! game had him speak in grunting noises. He was portrayed by Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk is an illustrator and model-maker who is perhaps best known for his contributions to the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks written by Joe Dever. He is also illustrating with original artworks the upcoming French edition of Mongoose Publishing’s Lone Wolf RPG, due to be released in late...
in the Captain N cartoon, and by Scott McFadyen in the Wii Punch-Out!!.
365lbs
Appearances
King Hippo first appeared in the NESNes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
video game Punch-Out!!. He would not appear in another video game until 2009, with the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
video game of the same name
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
. The advertisements for the Wii game featured protagonist Little Mac training to reclaim the World Circuit Title to King Hippo.
King Hippo also had a huge role animated series Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
as one of Mother Brain
Mother Brain (Metroid)
is a fictional video game villain created by Nintendo for the Metroid series. She is a large brain with one eye, who sits in a large jar. From this jar, she controls the Space Pirates on Zebes. She is killed multiple times by series protagonist Samus Aran...
's henchmen. Strangely, he appears with blue skin, and was often paired in a comedic duo with Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
enemy Eggplant Wizard. He was voiced by Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk
Gary Chalk is an illustrator and model-maker who is perhaps best known for his contributions to the Lone Wolf series of gamebooks written by Joe Dever. He is also illustrating with original artworks the upcoming French edition of Mongoose Publishing’s Lone Wolf RPG, due to be released in late...
. This version of King Hippo also appeared in the comic books based on the series. He makes a cameo appearance in the Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
Scott Pilgrim
Scott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
comic book as part of a guest comic written and illustrated by Girly
Girly
Girly is a webcomic created by Josh Lesnick which generally centers around the romantic relationship between two girls named Otra and Winter, as well as other citizens of the city of Cute-Town...
creator Josh Lesnick. In it, the titular character Scott Pilgrim is battling him, and has to discover his weak point.
Promotion and reception
Since appearing in the NESNes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
video game Punch-Out!!, King Hippo has received largely positive reception. He has appeared in several pieces of merchandise, including being included in a series of Punch-Out!! Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
trading cards and figurines. Promotional merchandise was created for the Wii Punch-Out!!, which included replicas of King Hippo's crown and boxer shorts, as well as a King Hippo desktop punching bag. GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
listed him as the 10th best Nintendo character ever, stating that he "stands out" more than the other boxers in the series, including Little Mac. They also listed him as one of video game's "most lovable lummoxes", commenting that he seems invulnerable until his weakness is discovered. They also described him as one of the series' "most memorable opponents," commenting that his appearance in the commercial "sets the stage for a dramatic rematch" against him, describing him as "tougher than ever." Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
described the battle with King Hippo as being a "puzzle". He has been described by sites such as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
as one of the more famous boxers in the Punch-Out!! series, often being used as an example of what characters appear in Punch-Out!!. IGN listed King Hippo as the 64th best video game villain, though they describe him as a "push-over" in the NES Punch-Out!!. Cracked listed him as one of Nintendo's greatest villains.
Destructoid editor Colette Bennett featured King Hippo as a headline to her article "What makes a boss unforgettable?". She discussed how she became humiliated after losing to King Hippo in the NES Punch-Out!!, presuming him to be easy. She went on to discuss how King Hippo had a distinctive appearance, making him more memorable and more important to conquer as a result. IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas listed King Hippo as a character that he would want in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
, commenting that in spite of his exclusion from most later titles in the Punch-Out!! series, he is still popular amongst fans due to his role in the NES game and in the Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
cartoon. Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod, in praising the visuals of Punch-Out!!, commented that through them, King Hippo "gives new meaning to the term "fat slob."" N-Sider editor Brandon Daiker similarly praised the visuals, citing how King Hippo "launches fruit into the air once you knock him on his ample duff."
In his celebration of "gaming's greatest fatties", Antista commented that the NES Punch-Out!! was King Hippo's game, in spite of featuring Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
in its original release; he described him as being its most memorable character. When asked if the Wii Punch-Out!! would bring the cast of characters into "Nintendo pantheon" games such as the Super Smash Bros. games, Next Level Games
Next Level Games
Next Level Games Inc. is an independent video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in October 2002, Next Level Games specializes in creating console video games. Its first project was NHL Hitz Pro, which was published by Midway Games. Since then, it has worked with...
designer Bryce Holliday commented that he considered characters such as King Hippo and Little Mac as already being at that point due to their appearances in Captain N: The Game Master. Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
editor Andrew Kardon commented that when he purchased the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...
game, he was worried that it may be too violent or scary for his children, but he was also excited to show them King Hippo, who he regarded as the best opponent in the NES game. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
editor Scott Sharkey listed King Hippo as the fourth best fat guy in video games. GamesRadar editor Brett Elston called King Hippo one of the most famous boxers in video games. A parody article appeared on the web site The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
, purporting that a Mike Tyson interview featured an interview with King Hippo, amongst other Punch-Out!! boxers.
In discussing his race, Retronauts discussed how King Hippo was a racial stereotype of islanders, commenting that the stereotype was that they were all fat and lavish. Bit Mob editor Brian Shirk commented that the stereotypes utilized in King Hippo were uncalled for, stating that his "subhuman caricature is particularly offensive, and it likely stems from the typically savage portrayal of Polynesians in literature and film." GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
commented that while he is a "lovable oaf," others may see him as a "fat Pacific Islander who loves stuffing his face."
King Hippo's weakness is considered one of the things that makes King Hippo iconic. Game Informer writes that the "secret to beating this flabby fighter was probably even more widely known than the 30-lives code in Contra". GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
editor Chris Antista commented that fellow Nintendo character Wart's "open mouth weakness" was the most notable since King Hippo's. His pattern was described as being the most difficult to discern by Shack News, who used it as an example of the idiosyncrasies of the game's boxers. Colette Bennett echoed sentiments of the notability of his weakness, stating that "anyone could tell you King Hippo's weak point". 1UP.com editor Bob Mackey also listed him as the third worst dressed video game character, commenting "Who could have guessed that a fat man and his ill-fitting shorts could have produced such an iconic moment in gaming?". Mackey added that King Hippo's shorts falling down was "talk of the schoolyards during the 80's".
His role in Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
, however, has been met with negative reception, in spite of contributing much of King Hippo's fandom. Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
editor Conrad Zimmerman, while discussing the Captain N episodes, frequently criticizes the primary antagonist, Mother Brain
Mother Brain (Metroid)
is a fictional video game villain created by Nintendo for the Metroid series. She is a large brain with one eye, who sits in a large jar. From this jar, she controls the Space Pirates on Zebes. She is killed multiple times by series protagonist Samus Aran...
, for using King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard, an enemy from the Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus
Kid Icarus, known as in Japan, is an action platform video game for the Famicom Disk System in Japan and the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe and North America. The first entry in Nintendo's Kid Icarus series, it was published in Japan in December 1986, and in Europe and North America in...
series, also questioning why King Hippo was blue. In his review of the Captain N: The Game Master DVDs, DVD Verdict editor Judge Johnson criticized King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard as being idiots. However, GamesRadar editor Chris Antista comments that his role in Captain N was his biggest achievement. IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas described King Hippo in Captain N as being a "muscle-headed moron".