Tips and Tricks - Punch-Out!! (Wii)

This week, it’s Bear Hugger’s encore at Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Wii. If you recall, your first encounter with Bear Hugger wasn’t overly difficult. But beware! This pugilist’s new attacks in title defense are designed to grind Little Mac into a bruised and flattened stump in no time. We’ll teach you how to level Bear Hugger.

Here are Bear Hugger’s moves and the necessary counters:

• When Bear Hugger raises his right arm (your left side) to strike you, sidestep quickly and counter with a couple of punches to his face.
• Pay attention to Bear Hugger’s new bonnet. When he raises the bonnet (revealing a small squirrel inside), you can punch him in the face and get a star.
• When Bear Hugger cocks back his left fist (your right side), you can punch him in the face before he attacks, gaining you a star.
• When Bear Hugger raises both arms and says “Need a hug?,” you can immediately punch him in the face as he turns yellow, giving you another star.
• As Bear Hugger raises his right arm and says “I’m gonna stump you,” the squirrel would peek from under the bonnet. You must sidestep after Bear Hugger says the phrase. After sidestepping, counter with punches to the head. If you have a star (or three), just give him one regular punch, then activate the star to knock the big fella down. If you have all three stars, Bear Hugger is knocked down even if he still has a lot of life left.
• When Bear Hugger raises both arms and says “Catch and release,” DO NOT try to punch him. You must press down to command Little Mac to duck from the two-fisted attack. After ducking, give Bear Hugger a couple of punches to the face.
• When Bear Hugger cocks his left arm backwards (your right side) and screams “Aaah!,” you must sidestep to avoid the hook, which goes from your right to your left. If you do manage to dodge, give him a couple of punches to the face.
• There’s a variation of Bear Hugger’s left arm hook—instead of screaming, Bear Hugger would grunt. However, this hook is pretty much the same. It goes from your right to your left, so sidestep then deliver the necessary counters.
• If you deliver a one-star punch, Bear Hugger would spin in place. While Bear Hugger is spinning, you can squeeze in a few more punches to the face. Doing this would stop Bear Hugger from spinning, but it lets you inflict more damage.
• Here’s another variation to Bear Hugger’s bonnet-raising move: As Bear Hugger raises his hat, he’d say “Hat trick.” As he turns yellow, smack him in the face for another star.
• Sometimes, when Bear Hugger prepares to bring down both fists and says “Need a hug,” it’s merely a decoy. He’d then say “Fooled you.” As long as Bear Hugger doesn’t land any attack, you’re fine.

If Bear Hugger somehow lasts until the third round, you’ll likely knock him out. As long as you play defensive and study his moves, you’ll do fine. The title defense against Bear Hugger isn’t particularly difficult, as long as you keep your nose clean. Good luck, Little Mac!

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