Since appearing in the NES video game "Punch-Out!!", King Hippo has received positive reception. IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas stated that despite his exclusion from some "Punch-Out!!" titles, he is still popular among fans due to his role in the NES game and the "" cartoon. "Destructoids" Colette Bennett called King Hippo distinctive and well-designed. GameDaily listed him as the 10th best Nintendo character ever, stating that he "stands out" more than the other boxers in the series, including the player-character. GamesRadar's Chris Antista made a similar comment, stating that he was more memorable and significant in the NES "Punch-Out!!" than all of the other characters. He also called his role in "Captain N: The Game Master" King Hippo's greatest achievement. Kotaku writer Kevin Wong listed King Hippo as his third favorite boxer in the "Punch-Out!!" series. He praised his "completely unique" design as a "stroke of brilliance" by Nintendo. He also stated that the tension of having to counterattack King Hippo to win as another aspect of why he ranked so high. Nintendo World Report writer Justin Berube listed King Hippo as one of the most deserving characters to be playable in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". He cited both his desire to see Little Mac have an antagonist to fight as well as how memorable King Hippo was to him. An editor for Wired called King Hippo his favorite opponent in the NES "Punch-Out!!" and discussed how his kids would punch him in the gut as if he was King Hippo. IGN listed King Hippo as the 64th best video game villain, though they describe him as a "push-over" in the NES "Punch-Out!!".