Read more about Bear Hugger at: Wikipedia

Official Site: Nintendo

is a fictional character from the Nintendo-produced Punch-Out!! video game series. He is a Canadian boxer who hails from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada, and is the boxing champion of Canada. He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade, and again in Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES. Most recently, he appeared in Punch-Out!! for the Wii. In the latter game, he was designed by Eddie Viser, and voiced by Richard Newman. He is depicted as a stereotype of Canadian people, depicted as having an obsession for maple syrup and a love for the wilderness. He is powerful, yet also fast. He is bald, and has a thick, brown beard and mustache. He also has a tuft of chest hair, and wears overalls.

Since his appearance in the arcade Super Punch-Out!!, he has received mostly positive reception. He was described as a favourite of the series by IGN and Official Nintendo Magazine. In discussing stereotypes in Punch-Out!!, GamesRadar editor Brett Elston listed ice hockey, an affinity for nature, maple syrup, and his husky stature as stereotypes utilized in his character. Fellow GamesRadar editor Tyler Wilde jokingly stated that Canadians only drink maple syrup on special occasions. Editor Scott Jones stated that Bear Hugger drinks alcohol between matches, misinterpreting the maple syrup jar as a "jug of booze."

Bear Hugger is a Canadian boxer. He first appeared in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade, and then again in Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES. He most recently appeared in Punch-Out!! for the Wii, where he was designed by Eddie Viser and voiced by Richard Newman. He has several Canadian stereotypes, including a love for maple syrup, ice hockey, and the wilderness. He is bald, and has a thick, brown beard and mustache, as well as a tuft of chest hair. He also wears overalls. As seen in one of the cutscenes, Bear Hugger does boxing training with bears. He also uses a squirrel in his boxing. Eurogamer described Bear Hugger's attack style as using "sheer force to send opponents to the mat." In their walkthrough, IGN noted that he was fast considering how large he was.

Since appearing in Super Punch-Out!! for the arcade, Bear Hugger has received mostly positive reception. He has been described as a favourite of the series by IGN editor Levi Buchanan, a statement that Official Nintendo Magazine editor Tom East echoed. University Chronicle editor Joe Brown commented that fans of Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES would be familiar with Bear Hugger. Bucks Herald editor Damien Lucas agreed, stating that anyone would recognize him. GameSpy described him as "one of the wackiest opponents you'll ever see." Operation Sports editor Christian McLeod stated that Bear Hugger was "no pushover." The Escapist editor Greg Tito commented that he giggled every time Bear Hugger called player-character Little Mac "hoser." In discussing King Hippo's girth, GamesRadar editor Chris Antista commented that King Hippo weighed as much as Bear Hugger and Mad Clown. In their list of the seven best second quests, GamePro listed the Title Defense mode of Punch-Out!! for the Wii, stating that losing to the "squirrel-assisted" Bear Hugger would demonstrate the difficulty and creative talent of the developers. Allgame editor Skyler Miller commented that while he was humorous in Super Punch-Out!! for the Super NES, he wasn't quite "out there" compared to boxers from Punch-Out!! for the NES.

Bear Hugger has not been a contender in any CBUB matches.