Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan
Encyclopedia
Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, known in Japan as and , are two Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. They were originally conceived by Game Freak
's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori
. First appearing in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and subsequent sequels, they have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. The Japanese names are derived from the names of Japanese fighter
s Tadashi Sawamura
and Hiroyuki Ebihara
respectively, while the English names are derived from the names of martial artists Bruce Lee
and Jackie Chan
.
Hitmonlee, known as the Kicking Pokémon, has amazing balance, and can kick in any stance for long periods of time. Hitmonchan, known as the Punching Pokémon, can punch through a concrete wall by using its arms in a drill-like fashion. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, they are introduced to a pre-evolution, Tyrogue, and a third counterpart, Hitmontop. Tyrogue evolves into one of the three depending on the levels of its Attack and Defence stats
. Since appearing in the Pokémon
series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have been met with generally mixed reception. They have appeared in several forms of merchandise, including figures, plush toys, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game
.
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were originally known as "Sawamura" and "Ebiwara" respectively in Japanese, which are based on Japanese kickboxer
s Tadashi Sawamura
and Hiroyuki Ebihara
respectively. Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Similar to the Japanese names' origins, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan's names are derived from the names of martial artists Bruce Lee
and Jackie Chan
respectively.
Hitmonlee, known as the Kicking Pokémon, is a humanoid fighting type Pokémon with no discernible head, instead having a face on his chest. Hitmonlee's legs freely contract and stretch. Using these springlike legs, it bowls over foes with devastating kicks. When it runs, it can lengthen its legs to run more smoothly. Its kicks are very powerful, as the sole of its heel can be as hard as a diamond. With amazing balance, it can kick in any stance for long periods of time. If its foe tries to get away, Hitmonlee will stretch its legs to take out the opponent. To overcome fatigue after a battle, it rubs the muscles on its legs to loosen them.
Hitmonchan, known as the Punching Pokémon, is a humanoid fighting type Pokémon with two natural boxing glove shaped hands as well as training clothes. Unlike Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan have heads with spiky ridges. It punches lightning fast, which makes it impossible to see. It can punch through a concrete wall by using its arms in a drill-like fashion. After three minutes of fighting, it needs to take a short break. Spinning its arm before punching increases its strength. The slightest touch of its punch could cause a burn. This Pokémon has an indomitable spirit, and will never give up in the face of adversity.
. After the player defeats the Karate King, they can chose to obtain either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan. It later appeared in several sequels, including Pokémon Gold and Silver
, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
, and Pokémon Black and White
. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, they are introduced to a pre-evolution, Tyrogue, and a third counterpart, Hitmontop. Tyrogue evolves into one of the three depending on the levels of its Attack and Defence stats
.
Outside of the main series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have appeared in Pokémon Pinball
and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
games. Hitmonlee appears in Super Smash Bros.
as a summon-able Pokémon who will perform a kick dealing a great amount of damage on whoever it hits. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
, Hitmonlee, together with Bronzong and Regigigas, are statues that came alive to battle the player in Aegis Cave.
's Geodude, and a trainer named Anthony's Hitmonchan, before losing to Ash
's Primeape. A Hitmonlee owned by Corey was one of the Pokémon owned by that were captured and cloned by Mewtwo
in Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Hitmonlee clone was seen again in Mewtwo Returns. The The Legend of Thunder! special starts off with the main character, Jimmy, battling a Hitmonlee with his Typhlosion. In Stage Fight, Hitmonchan was a major performer in a Pokémon show, where the plot was around a boxing match between him and a glove-wearing Machoke. In Chikorita's Big Upset, a Hitmonchan was part of a group of Fighting-type Pokémon that roamed the streets of the city as a gang. In Pasta La Vista, Ash and May were lent a fighting dojo's Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to battle with. A Hitmonlee appeared under the ownership of Barry, where it fought against Paul's Ursaring, and lost. Hitmonchan also appeared owned by Elite Four member, Bruno; Orange Islands Gym Leader, Rudy; and Karate King Kiyo.
manga, Hitmonlee first appears as a mysterious Pokémon aboard the S.S. Anne. Hitmonlee appears as one of Bruno's Pokémon, who destroyed Bill's house. Bruno explains that Hitmonlee's legs are so flexible, it's impossible to locate the position of its knees and attack them. Bruno also has a Hitmonchan which is capable of using Fire Punch, ThunderPunch, and Ice Punch at high caliber. Bruno remarks that Hitmonchan is like having three Pokémon in one. Hitmonlee was seen as one of Chuck's Pokémon. In the Gym Leader faceoff, it used Mind Reader and Reversal to turn Blue's tactics against him. Crystal is seen with a Hitmonchan, which is capable of blindingly fast punching attacks.
In Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys, Gold borrows a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to use in a tournament.
series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have been met with generally mixed reception. They have appeared in several forms of merchandise, including figures, plush toys, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game
.
In discussing the localization of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan's names, author Joseph Jay Tobin praised the localizers' "keen sense of nuance", adding that while few Japanese or American children would recognize the references, they inserted them anyway, suggesting that this was done to attract a wider audience consisting of both younger and older players. IGN
noted that while they were not fans of Fighting types, Hitmonlee was an exception. While they say it is not great for a lead Pokémon, it's good for specialized situations. They praised Hitmonchan as a reliable Fighting type, though less reliable than Hitmonlee. In regard to their inclusion in Pokémon Stadium
, IGN commented that Pokémon Yellow players would be excited to get Hitmonlee. They commented that it is less popular, adding that players likely did not pick it. They specifically criticized its Special statistic, stating that it is so low that it would be difficult to recommend Hitmonchan over Hitmonlee. In spite of Hitmonchan's somewhat negative reception from IGN, IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" commented that she did not understand the hate that Hitmonchan gets, calling it "quite the contender". She described Hitmonlee as the "freakiest Fighting type to ever enter the fray", citing its lack of a distinguishable head, though noting that it seemed normal compared to Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver
and beyond. Joystiq
editor David Hinkle called Hitmonlee "awesomely bizarre". GamesRadar
editor Carolyn Gudmundson listed Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan as a humanshape Pokémon, which they describe as an overused Pokémon design. Fellow GamesRadar editor Brett Elston described Hitmonlee as a "useful creature", while praising Hitmonchan as a diverse Pokémon in spite of its disadvantages to Hitmonlee. He commented that Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan would be proud.
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....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. They were originally conceived by Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
. First appearing in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and subsequent sequels, they have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. The Japanese names are derived from the names of Japanese fighter
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
s Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura is a Japanese former kickboxer whose real name is Hideki Shiraha...
and Hiroyuki Ebihara
Hiroyuki Ebihara
Hiroyuki Ebihara was a Japanese world-champion flyweight boxer from Fussa, Tokyo. His record includes 62 wins , 5 losses, and 1 draw. He was the first world flyweight champion certified by the World Boxing Council, and he was also certified by the World Boxing Association and The Ring...
respectively, while the English names are derived from the names of martial artists Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
.
Hitmonlee, known as the Kicking Pokémon, has amazing balance, and can kick in any stance for long periods of time. Hitmonchan, known as the Punching Pokémon, can punch through a concrete wall by using its arms in a drill-like fashion. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, they are introduced to a pre-evolution, Tyrogue, and a third counterpart, Hitmontop. Tyrogue evolves into one of the three depending on the levels of its Attack and Defence stats
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
. Since appearing in the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have been met with generally mixed reception. They have appeared in several forms of merchandise, including figures, plush toys, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
.
Design and characteristics
Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are two of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken SugimoriKen Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were originally known as "Sawamura" and "Ebiwara" respectively in Japanese, which are based on Japanese kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
s Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura
Tadashi Sawamura is a Japanese former kickboxer whose real name is Hideki Shiraha...
and Hiroyuki Ebihara
Hiroyuki Ebihara
Hiroyuki Ebihara was a Japanese world-champion flyweight boxer from Fussa, Tokyo. His record includes 62 wins , 5 losses, and 1 draw. He was the first world flyweight champion certified by the World Boxing Council, and he was also certified by the World Boxing Association and The Ring...
respectively. Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. Similar to the Japanese names' origins, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan's names are derived from the names of martial artists Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
and Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
respectively.
Hitmonlee, known as the Kicking Pokémon, is a humanoid fighting type Pokémon with no discernible head, instead having a face on his chest. Hitmonlee's legs freely contract and stretch. Using these springlike legs, it bowls over foes with devastating kicks. When it runs, it can lengthen its legs to run more smoothly. Its kicks are very powerful, as the sole of its heel can be as hard as a diamond. With amazing balance, it can kick in any stance for long periods of time. If its foe tries to get away, Hitmonlee will stretch its legs to take out the opponent. To overcome fatigue after a battle, it rubs the muscles on its legs to loosen them.
Hitmonchan, known as the Punching Pokémon, is a humanoid fighting type Pokémon with two natural boxing glove shaped hands as well as training clothes. Unlike Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan have heads with spiky ridges. It punches lightning fast, which makes it impossible to see. It can punch through a concrete wall by using its arms in a drill-like fashion. After three minutes of fighting, it needs to take a short break. Spinning its arm before punching increases its strength. The slightest touch of its punch could cause a burn. This Pokémon has an indomitable spirit, and will never give up in the face of adversity.
In the video games
Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan first appear in the first Pokémon video game, Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. After the player defeats the Karate King, they can chose to obtain either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan. It later appeared in several sequels, including Pokémon Gold and Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
are enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
are enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
, and Pokémon Black and White
Pokémon Black and White
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, they are introduced to a pre-evolution, Tyrogue, and a third counterpart, Hitmontop. Tyrogue evolves into one of the three depending on the levels of its Attack and Defence stats
Statistic (role-playing games)
A statistic in role-playing games is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. That piece of data is usually a integer or, in some cases, a set of dice....
.
Outside of the main series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have appeared in Pokémon Pinball
Pokémon Pinball
is a pinball-based Pokémon spin-off video game for the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on April 14, 1999, and in North America on June 28, 1999. In it, the ball is a Poké Ball, and most of the objects on the table are Pokémon-related....
and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Manga :*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team*Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, manga adaption of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky.-...
games. Hitmonlee appears in Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros., known in Japan as , is a fighting game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan on January 21, 1999, in North America on April 26, 1999, and in Europe on November 19, 1999. Super Smash Bros. is the first game in the Super...
as a summon-able Pokémon who will perform a kick dealing a great amount of damage on whoever it hits. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
, Hitmonlee, together with Bronzong and Regigigas, are statues that came alive to battle the player in Aegis Cave.
In the anime
In Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan's first appearance, Team Rocket stole a Hitmonlee in order to compete in the P1 Grand Prix. It defeated BrockBrock (Pokémon)
Brock, known as in Japanese versions, is a video game character in the Pokémon franchise. In the Pokémon video games, he is the Gym Leader of Pewter City and mainly uses Rock -type Pokémon; in the anime series, he left his position as a Gym Leader to travel alongside Ash Ketchum and become a...
's Geodude, and a trainer named Anthony's Hitmonchan, before losing to Ash
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
's Primeape. A Hitmonlee owned by Corey was one of the Pokémon owned by that were captured and cloned by Mewtwo
Mewtwo
is a fictional creature in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, it first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and their sequels, and later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles, as well as animation adaptations of the franchise...
in Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Hitmonlee clone was seen again in Mewtwo Returns. The The Legend of Thunder! special starts off with the main character, Jimmy, battling a Hitmonlee with his Typhlosion. In Stage Fight, Hitmonchan was a major performer in a Pokémon show, where the plot was around a boxing match between him and a glove-wearing Machoke. In Chikorita's Big Upset, a Hitmonchan was part of a group of Fighting-type Pokémon that roamed the streets of the city as a gang. In Pasta La Vista, Ash and May were lent a fighting dojo's Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to battle with. A Hitmonlee appeared under the ownership of Barry, where it fought against Paul's Ursaring, and lost. Hitmonchan also appeared owned by Elite Four member, Bruno; Orange Islands Gym Leader, Rudy; and Karate King Kiyo.
In the manga
In the Pokémon AdventuresPokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga, Hitmonlee first appears as a mysterious Pokémon aboard the S.S. Anne. Hitmonlee appears as one of Bruno's Pokémon, who destroyed Bill's house. Bruno explains that Hitmonlee's legs are so flexible, it's impossible to locate the position of its knees and attack them. Bruno also has a Hitmonchan which is capable of using Fire Punch, ThunderPunch, and Ice Punch at high caliber. Bruno remarks that Hitmonchan is like having three Pokémon in one. Hitmonlee was seen as one of Chuck's Pokémon. In the Gym Leader faceoff, it used Mind Reader and Reversal to turn Blue's tactics against him. Crystal is seen with a Hitmonchan, which is capable of blindingly fast punching attacks.
In Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys, Gold borrows a Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to use in a tournament.
Reception
Since appearing in the PokémonPokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan have been met with generally mixed reception. They have appeared in several forms of merchandise, including figures, plush toys, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
.
In discussing the localization of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan's names, author Joseph Jay Tobin praised the localizers' "keen sense of nuance", adding that while few Japanese or American children would recognize the references, they inserted them anyway, suggesting that this was done to attract a wider audience consisting of both younger and older players. 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...
noted that while they were not fans of Fighting types, Hitmonlee was an exception. While they say it is not great for a lead Pokémon, it's good for specialized situations. They praised Hitmonchan as a reliable Fighting type, though less reliable than Hitmonlee. In regard to their inclusion in Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium
Pokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
, IGN commented that Pokémon Yellow players would be excited to get Hitmonlee. They commented that it is less popular, adding that players likely did not pick it. They specifically criticized its Special statistic, stating that it is so low that it would be difficult to recommend Hitmonchan over Hitmonlee. In spite of Hitmonchan's somewhat negative reception from IGN, IGN editor "Pokémon of the Day Chick" commented that she did not understand the hate that Hitmonchan gets, calling it "quite the contender". She described Hitmonlee as the "freakiest Fighting type to ever enter the fray", citing its lack of a distinguishable head, though noting that it seemed normal compared to Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver
Pokémon Gold and Silver
are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
and beyond. Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
editor David Hinkle called Hitmonlee "awesomely bizarre". 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 Carolyn Gudmundson listed Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan as a humanshape Pokémon, which they describe as an overused Pokémon design. Fellow GamesRadar editor Brett Elston described Hitmonlee as a "useful creature", while praising Hitmonchan as a diverse Pokémon in spite of its disadvantages to Hitmonlee. He commented that Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan would be proud.