Donkey Kong (series)

is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong and his clan of other apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of platform games—originally single-screen action puzzle games and later side-scrolling platformers. The first game was the 1981 arcade game ''Donkey Kong'', featuring the eponymous character as the main antagonist in an industrial construction setting and the debut of both the Donkey Kong and Mario characters. The game was a massive success and was followed by two sequels released in 1982 and 1983. In 1994, the franchise was relaunched with the platformer ''Donkey Kong Country'', in which Donkey Kong is antagonized by a variety of anthropomorphic enemies, mainly the Kremlings, a clan of crocodiles led by King K. Rool, who has stolen the Kongs' banana hoard.

Games outside the platforming genre include spin-offs of various genres including rhythm games such as ''Donkey Konga'', racing games such as ''Diddy Kong Racing'', and edutainment such as ''Donkey Kong Jr. Math''. An icon of the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise is barrels, which the Kongs use as weapons, vehicles, furniture, and lodging. The Donkey Kong franchise has sold a total of over 80 million copies worldwide as of 2022.

History and development

Origins (1981–1984)

Arcade series

Developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released in July 1981, The original ''Donkey Kong'' arcade game was created when Shigeru Miyamoto was assigned by Nintendo to convert ''Radar Scope'', a game that had been released to test audiences with poor results, into a game that would appeal more to Americans. The result was a major breakthrough for Nintendo and for the video game industry. Sales of the machine were brisk, with the game becoming one of the best-selling arcade machines of the early 1980s alongside ''Pac-Man'' and ''Galaga''. The gameplay itself was a large improvement over other games of its time, and with the growing base of arcades to sell to, it was able to gain huge distribution. In the game, Jumpman (renamed Mario) must ascend a construction site while avoiding obstacles such as barrels and fireballs to rescue his girlfriend Pauline from Donkey Kong. Miyamoto created a greatly simplified version for the Game & Watch multiscreen. Other conversions include the Atari 2600, Colecovision, Amiga 500, Apple II, Atari 7800, Intellivision, Commodore 64, VIC-20, Famicom Disk System, IBM PC, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Atari 8-bit family, and Mini-Arcade versions. The game was converted to the Family Computer in 1983 as one of the system's three launch games and re-released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Both ''Donkey Kong'' and its sequel, ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', are in the 1988 NES compilation ''Donkey Kong Classics''. The NES version was re-released as an unlockable game in ''Animal Crossing'' for the GameCube and on the Wii's Virtual Console. The original arcade version appears in the Nintendo 64 game ''Donkey Kong 64''. The NES version was re-released on the e-Reader in 2002 and for the Game Boy Advance ''Classic NES'' series in 2004. It was re-released for Wii and 3DS in 2013 as ''Donkey Kong Original Edition''.

The success of the original game spawned several ports, and a sequel, ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', which was also developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. In this game, Donkey Kong Junior is trying to rescue his father Donkey Kong, who has been imprisoned. Donkey Kong's cage is guarded by Mario, in his only appearance as a villain in a video game. The game was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released in August 1982. In the arcade version, Donkey Kong Jr. has to climb chains to push keys to the top screen, while avoiding danger such as electrical wires. ''Donkey Kong II'', based on ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and was released in 1983, as part of the Game & Watch Multi Screen series.

''Donkey Kong 3'' was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released in September 1983, instead of Mario, the player controls Stanley the bug exterminator. Donkey Kong has taken refuge in his greenhouse and stirs up any insects that will soon destroy the flowers that Stanley must save by spraying his bug spray on Donkey Kong. The NES version of ''Donkey Kong 3'' was released on the Wii Virtual Console, 3DS Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console, whilst the arcade version was released on the Nintendo Switch eShop as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives series. In the VS. series ''Game & Watch'' version of ''Donkey Kong 3'', player one controls Stanley the Bugman and computer player (or player two) controls Donkey Kong in a duel against each other using exterminating spray cans to move the bees to the other side of them to make the bees sting their opponents. The modern version of this game included in ''Game & Watch Gallery 4'' for the Game Boy Advance features Mario in place of Stanley and a Boo and a Fireball in place of the bees. In 1984, Hudson Soft developed a semi-sequel to ''Donkey Kong 3'' for the Japanese-only NEC PC-8801, NEC PC-6601, and Sharp X1 personal computers titled This game is significantly different from the original. While the object to shoot Donkey Kong up in the air remains, it has 20 outdoor backgrounds such as a bridge, the planet Saturn, a desert, a pyramid, and a highway. Stanley can only move from left to right and is no longer able to jump.

Miscellaneous genres

''Donkey Kong Jr. Math'' is an edutainment game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), wherein players must solve math problems in order to win. It is the only game in the "Education Series" of NES games in North America. One player enters arithmetic answers for points, or two players race to create a math formula to reach the number shown by Donkey Kong, incorporating platform gameplay.

''Donkey Kong Circus'' is a ''Game & Watch Panorama'' series game released in 1984. In this game, the player controls Donkey Kong, who is placed on a barrel while juggling pineapples and avoiding flames. This game is very similar to ''Mario the Juggler'', the last Game & Watch game, as they both involve a character juggling while avoiding objects.

''Donkey Kong Hockey'' was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released in 1984 as part of the ''Game & Watch Micro Vs.'' series. The game features one LCD screen and two attached control pads. The hockey features Donkey Kong as one of the players and Mario as the other.

Absence and remake (1984–1994)

Unreleased projects

''Return of Donkey Kong'' was a proposed Nintendo Entertainment System game announced in 1987 and to be developed by Nintendo. The player would have controlled Donkey Kong himself. No such game was ultimately released for NES.

A prototype game, ''Super Donkey'', was discovered in 2020 to have been in development for the SNES in the early 1990s. It was a platform game featuring similar graphics to the Nintendo game ''Yoshi's Island''. It features a protagonist wearing a pilot suit, and sprites of Donkey Kong alongside a barrel. The name suggests it may have been considered as a new ''Donkey Kong'' game before being repurposed for Yoshi.

''Donkey Kong'' for Game Boy

In June 1994, after ten years with no new games in the series, ''Donkey Kong'', a remake of the original arcade title was released for the Game Boy, adding 96 new levels. New gameplay mechanics were added, including some from ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' and ''Donkey Kong Junior''. Another decade later in 2004, Nintendo would revive this style of gameplay with the ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series.

Rare era (1994–2002)

Original ''Donkey Kong Country'' series

''Donkey Kong Country'' was the first fully new entry in the series for 10 years. Released in November 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and developed by British game developer Rare, the game took the ''Donkey Kong'' series in a new direction, becoming a showcase title to show off then-revolutionary computer-generated imagery (CGI) graphics. It was released mere months after the original game's Game Boy remake, which introduced the red tie worn by Donkey Kong. In ''Donkey Kong Country'', the original Donkey Kong's grandson, also called Donkey Kong, is the hero and he and his sidekick Diddy Kong have to save his hoard of bananas from the thieving King K. Rool and his Kremling Krew. It is an action side-scrolling game similar to the ''Mario'' series and was enormously popular for its graphics, music, and gameplay. The sequel, '' Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' involves Diddy and his girlfriend Dixie Kong embarking on a journey to Crocodile Isle to rescue DK from the clutches of K. Rool. In '' Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' both DK and Diddy are captured again by a mysterious robot named KAOS⁠—who is, in actuality, being operated by K. Rool⁠—and Dixie and her cousin Kiddy Kong have to venture to the Northern Kremisphere to save them in the final game of the series for the SNES.

The ''Donkey Kong Country'' SNES trilogy games are primarily platforming games in which players complete side-scrolling levels to progress forward. Each game contains approximately 6 to 8 different 'worlds', each of which contains 5 or 6 levels and a boss character battle which advances the player to the succeeding world. Each world is uniquely themed and levels consist of tasks such as swimming, riding in mine carts, launching out of barrel cannons, or swinging from vine to vine. Each game also includes two main playable Kong characters; if both Kongs are together, one follows the other (which the player controls), and the player can switch between them as needed. If the lead Kong then gets hit by an enemy, they run off the screen and the player will take control of the other Kong until they can later free the first one from a barrel. If the Kong is hit by an enemy when traveling alone, the player loses a life. To defeat an enemy, players can either execute a roll, jump or ground slam, which can also unveil secret items. However, some enemies cannot be taken down like this, so the player must either throw a barrel or use the assistance of a friendly animal. The player can gain additional lives by collecting items scattered throughout the levels, including 100 bananas; all four golden letters that spell out K–O–N–G; extra life balloons; and golden animal tokens that lead to bonus levels. There are also many secret passages that can lead to bonus games where the player can earn additional lives or other items.

In several levels, players can gain assistance from various animals, who are found by breaking open crates. These "Animal Buddies" include Rambi the rhino, Expresso the ostrich, Enguarde the swordfish, Winky the frog, and Squawks the parrot, among others. These animals have certain unique abilities that the player can use such as Rambi's ability to charge at enemies. Animal friends can sometimes give players access to otherwise inaccessible bonus games, examples being Rambi and Enguarde busting through walls.

''Donkey Kong Land'' series

The ''Donkey Kong Land'' games are handheld counterparts of the ''Country'' games adapted to the hardware of the Game Boy. ''Donkey Kong Land'' was released in 1995, ''Donkey Kong Land 2'' in 1996 and ''Donkey Kong Land III'' in 1997. They were presented in distinctive yellow cartridges instead of the typical grey ones.

''Diddy Kong Racing''

''Diddy Kong Racing'' is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rare. It is the first game to spin off from the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series. It currently stands as the Nintendo 64's sixth-best selling game. A racing game like ''Mario Kart 64'', ''Diddy Kong Racing'' also has a distinctive adventure mode and allows players to choose between three different vehicle types; cars, planes, and hovercraft. This game debuts Banjo the Bear and Conker the Squirrel, who appeared later in their own game franchises.

''Donkey Kong 64''

A Nintendo 64 sequel to Rare's ''Donkey Kong Country'' games was released in November 1999 as ''Donkey Kong 64'', a 3D platform game in the style of ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Banjo-Kazooie'', where Donkey Kong and his DK crew must save the Donkey Kong Island from being destroyed by King K. Rool. The playable characters are Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and the newly introduced Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong. Players must navigate 3D environments while collecting Golden Bananas and other items as they advance through the game. It also features multiplayer arena-battle modes for up to four players.

DK64 is only playable with the included Expansion Pak, and like the ''Donkey Kong Land'' series, features a unique banana-yellow cartridge.

Rare acquisition by Microsoft

Following the sale of Nintendo's 49% stake in Rare to Microsoft on September 24, 2002, which caused Rare to lose the rights to the ''Donkey Kong'' characters, Rare announced concentration on Xbox games, resulting in the cancelation of certain projects. '' Diddy Kong Pilot'' was a planned sequel to ''Diddy Kong Racing'', but with flying as the only means of transportation, a demo of which was shown as at Space World 2001. The first iteration was shown at E3 2001, but was not published by the time Rare was bought by Microsoft in 2002. After Rare was sold to Microsoft, the second iteration of ''Diddy Kong Pilot'' in 2003 was reworked into the game ''Banjo-Pilot'' in 2005. However, in November 2011, a collector who had purchased a prototype cartridge leaked its ROM onto the internet.

One was a GameCube racing game, ''Donkey Kong Racing''. It showed various characters, including Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Taj the Genie of ''Diddy Kong Racing'' racing each other while riding Rambi, Enguarde, Expresso, Ellie, Zinger, Necky, Army, and Chomps Jr., animals introduced in Rare's previous ''Donkey Kong'' games. Rare later reworked the game into ''Sabreman Stampede'', which incorporates many of the same ideas without the racing aspect, but this was also later cancelled.

'' Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers'' was a puzzle game prototype developed by Rare for the Game Boy Advance. Similar to ''Donkey Kong Racing'' and ''Diddy Kong Pilot'', the former was canceled along with this game in August 2002, one month before Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, while the latter received no official announcement of the cancelation. The game was eventually reworked into '' It's Mr. Pants'', and was released on December 7, 2004.

Post-Rare buyout and diversification of development (2003–2008)

Handheld remakes by Rare

Rare continued to support Nintendo's portable consoles, the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Rare developed new versions of the original ''Country'' games for the Game Boy Advance that were released between 2003 and 2005. ''Diddy Kong Racing DS'' was an enhanced remake for the Nintendo DS released in 2007, with Banjo and Conker being replaced by Dixie and Tiny Kong.

''Donkey Konga'' series

The ''Donkey Konga'' trilogy marked Donkey Kong's first appearance on the GameCube. Developed by Namco and released in 2003, this musical rhythm game relies upon use of the DK Bongos accessory to hit a beat in time with the tune. The tunes included pop songs and themes from some previous Nintendo games, including the ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' version of the DK Rap. A sequel, ''Donkey Konga 2'', was released in 2004, and Japan got exclusively a third installment, ''Donkey Konga 3'' released in 2005.

''Diddy Kong Racing Adventure'' prototype

''Diddy Kong Racing Adventure'' was a rejected pitch made by the Climax Group for a ''Diddy Kong Racing'' sequel on the GameCube around 2004. The project was never announced to the public and only became known after an amateur video game archivist acquired the prototype and published a video about it in November 2016.

''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''

''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'' was released in Japan in December 2004 and elsewhere in early 2005, it was a platform game that used the DK Bongos as a controller; tapping one drum repeatedly made Donkey Kong run, tapping both at the same time made him jump, tapping both alternately made him attack, and clapping or blowing in to the microphone caused an explosion, shown by a ripple in the screen, attracting assorted jewels or clearing obstacles to progress. A New Play Control! remake of ''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'' was released for Wii in Japan on December 11, 2008, and in North America and Europe the following year. The bongo controls were replaced with a more traditional control scheme; players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to control Donkey Kong instead of tapping on the DK Bongos.

Two arcade games were released exclusively in Japan based on ''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''. The first was ''Donkey Kong Jungle Fever'', a medal game released in 2005, and the second was a sequel, ''Donkey Kong Banana Kingdom'' (released on November 16, 2006). Both games were developed and published by Capcom on the Triforce arcade system board. Neither title has been released outside Japan.

''DK'' series

Released in 2005 for the Game Boy Advance, '' DK: King of Swing'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by Paon that features gameplay similar to ''Clu Clu Land''. Here, the player must navigate levels using only the GBA's left and right shoulder buttons. A sequel released in 2007, '' DK: Jungle Climber'' was Donkey Kong's only starring role on the Nintendo DS. It features pseudo-3D visuals that more closely resemble the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games, dual screen gameplay, and a team-up mechanic with Diddy Kong.

''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast''

Developed by Paon and released in 2007, ''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast'' was Donkey Kong's first title role on the Wii, but it was originally developed for the GameCube. It was to make use of the DK Bongos peripheral introduced alongside ''Donkey Konga''. Due to the declining sales of the GameCube, development shifted to Wii and its motion controls.

Retro Studios era (2010–2018)

''Donkey Kong Country Returns''

In ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', a 2010 Wii game that succeeded the original ''Country'' trilogy, new gameplay elements were added such as levels in which the characters and foreground environments appear as silhouettes, spawning several new gameplay mechanics. Collecting K-O-N-G letters will not award any lives to the player, but instead unlock all bonuses and hidden levels. Additionally, collecting puzzle pieces unlocks artwork. In the original trilogy, the player can switch between characters if they are both on the screen. This is changed in the Retro Studios games, where the player has to choose character(s) before each level. Each character has their own specific characteristics: Donkey is the larger and stronger of the two, and can defeat enemies more easily, while Diddy is faster and more agile, but not as powerful, and can use his barrel jetpack to glide the air over short distances and his peanut gun to stun enemies. A port of the game was released for Nintendo 3DS.

''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''

Released in 2014, ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' for Wii U marked the debut of Dixie and Cranky as playable characters in the Retro Studios era. Dixie, returning from ''Donkey Kong Country 3'', can spin her ponytail into a propeller and slowly descend through the air, with an initial boost in height at the start, allowing her and Donkey Kong to fly up out-of-reach platforms or items, and can also use her candy gun to stun enemies. Cranky, in a similar mechanic to the ''DuckTales'' video game, can use his cane to bounce on dangerous surfaces such as spiky thorns and reach higher areas and defeat certain enemies the other Kongs cannot. In ''Tropical Freeze'', the Kongs are able to pluck items from the ground and pick up and throw stunned enemies. Additionally, filling up a 'Kong-POW' meter allows Donkey Kong and his partner to perform a special move which defeats all on-screen enemies and converts them into items depending on the partner. The game was ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2018 with Funky Kong being featured as a playable character, functioning similarly to Donkey Kong but with additional hit points, an extra jump, and the ability to stand on spikes.

Recurring elements

Barrels

Barrels appear prominently in the franchise, first appearing as obstacles that Mario must avoid. The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series would expand their role to weapons, powerups, vehicles, warps, and enemies. Examples include DK Barrels, which release a partner Kong from confinement when thrown, Blast Barrels, which act as cannons that launch the Kongs, and Invincibility Barrels, which provide temporary invulnerability.

Alternate protagonists

The arcade trilogy, SNES trilogy, and Game Boy trilogy all feature a different main playable character in each game: Mario, Donkey Kong Jr., and Stanley in the former and Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong in the latter two. The ''Country'' and ''Land'' games allow the player to swap to a second character when they are in their party. ''Donkey Kong 64'' eventually allows the player to swap between five different Kongs. The Retro games also implement character swapping.

Anthropomorphism

The Kongs and various other animals in the franchise have displayed varying degrees of anthropomorphism. While Donkey Kong originally appears as a simple ape, later characterization of the Kongs includes full speech, clothing and mechanical and alchemical knowledge. The Kremlings are depicted similarly, being shown as having invented advanced machines in some games. In ''Donkey Kong 64'', the Kremlings operate an mechanical island build by Snide the Weasel.

Other animals are usually less anthropomorphized, with animal buddies being depicted as akin to pets and enemies as simple obstacles.

Climbing and swinging

Climbing and swinging on vines and ropes has featured consistently in the series. Climbing appears first in ''Junior''. ''Donkey Kong'' for Game Boy introduces horizontal rope climbing. ''Country'' introduces swinging on vines.

Mine carts

The platforming trope of rideable mine carts, and analogous vehicles such as rollercoaster cars and toboggans, appear in all of the ''Country'' games. A rolling vehicle appears in the ''Donkey Kong'' attraction in ''Nintendo Land''.

Intertextuality and meta-reference

Characters in the franchise at certain points demonstrate full awareness of being in a video game. The premise of ''Donkey Kong Land'' is the protagonists intentionally reenacting the events of ''Donkey Kong Country'' on the Game Boy to prove that the gameplay would be as good as on the SNES. In other games, Cranky Kong makes references to the simpler graphics of the arcade games and some of the game manuals are written from his point of view.

Mario, Yoshi, and Link appear in ''Diddy's Kong Quest'', being acknowledged as video game heroes, while Sonic and Earthworm Jim are alluded to as "no hopers" in reference to their rivalry as other companies' platforming mascots.

Characters in the Kongs' world have been shown playing real video games. In ''Dixie Kong's Double Trouble'', Wrinkly Kong plays ''Super Mario 64''. ''Killer Instinct'' arcade cabinets appear in ''Donkey Kong Country'' and ''Diddy's Kong Quest''. A playable ''Donkey Kong'' arcade cabinet and ''Jetpac'' game appear within ''Donkey Kong 64''. Banjo and Conker play on Game Boy units in ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'' respectively, the former playing one of the ''Donkey Kong Land'' games and the latter ''Killer Instinct''.

Settings

The original game is set on a construction site that is alluded to many times in later titles. The Game Boy remake and ''Donkey Kong Land'' feature a world called "Big City," which in the latter is called both Big City and "Big Ape City." This city was acknowledged by Nintendo as the setting of the arcade game.Nintendo Power: "Cranky used to roll barrels at a plumber in the construction site here." ''Nintendo Power''. Nintendo of America. 1995. Volume 74, page 11. In the ''Super Mario'' series, "New Donk City" in ''Super Mario Odyssey,'' of which Pauline is mayor, features numerous references to the original ''Donkey Kong'' game. In ''Mario Kart Tour'', New York City, also the setting of ''Mario Bros.'', uses the same aesthetics as New Donk City, with Pauline and the original Donkey Kong featuring prominently.

A jungle setting is used first in ''Donkey Kong Junior'' and more expansively in ''Donkey Kong Country'', which depicts the Kongs' native habitat, Donkey Kong Island. This island is the primary setting of ''Land'', ''64'', ''Returns'', and ''Tropical Freeze''.

''Gangplank Galleon'' is a pirate ship commanded by K. Rool and featured in ''Country'', ''Land'', ''Country 2'', ''Land 2'', and ''64''. Many levels are set on the deck, inside the hull, on top of the rigging, and around the ship.

Crocodile Isle is home of the Kremlings and appears in ''Country 2'' and ''Land 2''. It features swamps, castles, volcanoes, caves, an amusement park and an enormous hornet's nest. After it is destroyed, the Kremlings build a mechanical version of Crocodile Isle and attempt to use it to destroy Donkey Kong Island.

The Northern Kremisphere is a region with a Second Industrial Revolution theme that serves as the setting for ''Country 3'' and ''Land 3''.

Characters

Spin-offs

''Mario'' franchise

After appearing in the original ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', the Mario character would star in his own franchise, beginning with the ''Mario Bros.'' arcade game, and followed by ''Super Mario Bros.'' With the success of the succeeding ''Super Mario'' series, Mario would go on to be become Nintendo's mascot. In addition to the ''Super Mario'' series, the ''Mario'' franchise would spawn other spin-offs, including ''Mario Kart'' and ''Mario Party''. Donkey Kong would appear as a playable character in the vast majority of the spin-offs.

The roots of the ''Mario'' franchise in ''Donkey Kong'' would be further acknowledged in ''Super Mario Odyssey'', with many elements of the ''DK'' franchise featured in the New Donk City level. DK and Diddy Kong have their own Amiibo figures as part of the ''Super Mario'' line.

''Banjo-Kazooie'' series

Following his appearance in ''Diddy Kong Racing'', Banjo went on to star in ''Banjo-Kazooie'', leading to the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' series. Although originally owned by Nintendo, Microsoft is the current owner of the ''Banjo-Kazooie'' series due to their acquisition of Rare in 2002.

''Conker'' series

Following his appearance in ''Diddy Kong Racing'', Conker the Squirrel went on to star in ''Conker's Pocket Tales'', leading to the ''Conker'' series. Unlike Banjo, Conker was never under the ownership of Nintendo; ''Conker's Pocket Tales'' and ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'' were self-published by Rare.

Crossovers

''Mario Kart'' series

The ''Donkey Kong'' series has been represented in every game of the ''Mario Kart'' series. Donkey Kong appears racing alongside characters from ''Mario'' and other franchises. The first character from the ''Donkey Kong'' series to appear as a playable character in the ''Mario Kart'' series is Jr. in ''Super Mario Kart''. The adult Donkey Kong first appears in ''Mario Kart 64'', Diddy appears in '' Mario Kart: Double Dash'', ''Mario Kart Wii'' and ''Mario Kart Tour''. At the era of partnership with Paon (2004–2008), Funky Kong appears in ''Mario Kart Wii''. He made returns in ''Mario Kart Tour'' along with Dixie Kong, which marks the first appearance in the ''Mario series'' since the partnership with Paon was ended. Additionally, the ''Mario Kart'' series features several ''Donkey Kong'' themed tracks, most notably DK Jungle from ''Mario Kart 7'' and ''Mario Kart 8'', which is based on the world of ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''.

''Mario Party'' series

In the ''Mario Party'' series, Donkey Kong debuted as a playable character in ''Mario Party'' for the Nintendo 64, a role he kept until ''Mario Party 5''. Here, he was given a space on the board maps as a foil to Bowser. He returned as a playable character in ''Mario Party 10'' for the Wii U, '' Mario Party: Star Rush'' for the Nintendo 3DS, and ''Mario Party Superstars'' for the Nintendo Switch. Diddy Kong makes cameo appearances in ''Mario Party DS'' and ''Mario Party 9'', and is an unlockable character in '' Mario Party: Star Rush'' and ''Super Mario Party''.

''Mario'' sports series

Donkey Kong has appeared as a playable character in almost every game of the ''Mario'' sports series since the Nintendo 64 era, including ''Mario Golf'', ''Mario Tennis'', ''Super Mario Strikers'', and ''Mario Superstar Baseball''. The first character from the ''Donkey Kong'' series that appears as a playable character in the ''Mario'' sports series is Donkey Kong Jr. in ''Mario's Tennis''. Diddy is also featured as a playable character in many games. At the era of partnership with Paon (2004–2008), other additional characters apart from ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Diddy Kong'', such as Dixie, Funky, Tiny, and Baby Donkey Kong, but also Kritter, Klaptrap and King K. Rool, have made sporadic appearances. Donkey Kong appears as a playable character in ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'' and every game in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series thereafter. Diddy was introduced to the series in ''Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games''.

''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series

Nintendo's first ''Donkey Kong'' game for the Game Boy Advance after Rare left was ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'', a return to the earlier arcade-style games that incorporated many elements from the Game Boy version. While its style was that of other games, the Rare design for Donkey Kong carried over. The modern Donkey Kong assumes the villain role in the game: wanting a Mini Mario clockwork toy, he finds that they are sold out at a local toy store. Enraged, he terrifies the Toads at the factory and steals the toys. This sets up the game's plot, where Mario chases Donkey Kong until he can take the Mini Marios back from Donkey Kong. The game was followed by '' March of the Minis'' for the Nintendo DS, '' Minis March Again'' on DSiWare, '' Mini-Land Mayhem'' in 2010 for the DS, '' Minis on the Move'' for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 and '' Tipping Stars'' for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in 2015.

''Super Smash Bros.'' series

Donkey Kong has appeared as a playable character in every game of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series first appearing as one of eight characters in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' for the Nintendo 64. He is the first heavy fighter in the series, and featured many slow but powerful attacks. Diddy Kong was later introduced as a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' as an agile fighter. In ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', King K. Rool was introduced as a playable character, bringing with him an arsenal of his attacks from the Rare games' boss fights. Banjo and Kazooie were revealed as part of the first Fighter Pass for ''Ultimate'' in 2019 in a trailer set at Donkey Kong's treehouse, acknowledging Banjo's origins in the Kongs' world. Other characters, like Cranky and Dixie, have appeared throughout the series as collectible trophies. There have been many stages based on games in the ''Donkey Kong'' series, including Congo (Kongo) Jungle in ''Super Smash Bros.'', Kongo Jungle and Jungle Japes in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', Rumble Falls and 75m in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', and Jungle Hijinx in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U''. Kongo Jungle from ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', renamed Kongo Falls, returns in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', along with the N64 Kongo Jungle, Jungle Japes, and 75m.

Other media

Television series

The ''Saturday Supercade'' is the character's first role in a television series. In it, Donkey Kong (voiced by Soupy Sales) has escaped from the circus and Mario (voiced by Peter Cullen) and Pauline (voiced by Judy Strangis) are chasing the ape. As with the original game, Donkey Kong will often grab Pauline, and Mario has to save her.

The ''Donkey Kong Country'' television series was developed based on the game of the same name. The animation was produced in Canada, but located in Toronto and aired in France in 1997 and in the United States on Fox Kids in 1998 to 1999, the series lasted two seasons with 40 total episodes featuring exclusive characters including Bluster Kong, Eddie the Mean Old Yeti and Kaptain Scurvy.

The ''Planet of Donkey Kong'', later ''DKTV.cool'' was broadcast in France from 4 September 1996 to 1 September 2001. It was presented by Mélanie Angélie and Donkey Kong, voiced by Nicolas Bienvenu. After the departure of Angélie, the programme continued without a host and was renamed as DKTV.cool on 1 July 2000. The show had several editions, especially during the summer, including "Diddy's Holidays", airing on weekends around 7 am during mid-1997, and ''Donkey Kong Beach'' at 9.30 on Saturday mornings in the same year.

Film

A 2007 documentary, '' The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters'', chronicles the competitive following for the arcade version of ''Donkey Kong''.

The original arcade version of Donkey Kong is the last villain of the 2015 film ''Pixels''.

Donkey Kong is set to appear in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', scheduled to be released in early 2023, voiced by Seth Rogen.

Reception

The ''Donkey Kong'' franchise has generally received positive critical reception, despite some spin-offs received more mixed reception.

Both ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Donkey Kong Country'' are frequently cited as two of the best video games of all time; the former for its impact on the golden age of arcade video games, and the latter for its "groundbreaking" usage of pre-rendered 3D graphics and atmospheric music. ''Maxim'' included ''Donkey Kong Country'' at number 14 on their list of 'The 30 Best Video Game Franchises of All Time', describing the series as "some of the best platforming games on Nintendo's consoles". In the 2017 book the ''100 Greatest Video Game Franchises'', ''Donkey Kong'' is characterized as "a symbol, representing both the timelessness and ''timeliness'' of video games".

Legacy

After the first ''Donkey Kong'' was released, Universal Studios sued Nintendo, alleging that the video game was a trademark infringement of ''King Kong'', the plot and characters of which Universal claimed for their own. In the case, ''Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.'', a United States District Court ruled that Universal had acted in bad faith, and that it had no right over the name ''King Kong'' or the characters and story. The court further held that there was no possibility for consumers to confuse Nintendo's game and characters with the ''King Kong'' films and their characters. The case was an enormous victory for Nintendo, which was still a newcomer to the U.S. market. The case established the company as a major player in the industry and arguably gave the company the confidence that it could compete with the giants of American media.

The success of the ''Donkey Kong'' series has resulted in ''Guinness World Records'' awarding the series with seven world records in the ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008''. The records include: "First Use of Visual Storytelling in a Video Game" for the rudimentary cut scenes featured in the original ''Donkey Kong'' arcade game, and "Most Collectible Items in a Platform Game" for ''Donkey Kong 64''.

The original game is the focus of the 2007 documentary '' The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters''.

In 2007, the USHRA Monster Jam racing series licensed Donkey Kong's appearance for a monster truck. The truck is driven by Frank Krmel, and is owned by Feld Motorsports. The truck is decorated to look like the character and has Donkey Kong's tie on the front. The truck made its first introduction in the Monster Jam event at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on December 8, 2007. It went to the Monster Jam World Finals 9, as well as World Finals 10, where it was the fastest qualifier.

"It's on like Donkey Kong" is an expression used in pop culture that is inspired by the original game. Nintendo requested a trademark on the phrase with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in November 2010.The Application for trademark was filed on 11/09/2010, the serial number is 85173084.

Explanatory notes

Transliterations

Sales notes

References

External links

''Donkey Kong''
at MobyGames

''Donkey Kong''
at Classicgaming.cc

''Donkey Kong Rap''
on YouTube

{{Portal bar, 1980s, Video games, Japan

Nintendo franchises
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 1981
Video games adapted into television shows
Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto