By Luca Newton
With the recent rumours spreading across the internet of Nintendo EPD, the team behind Mario Odyssey, working on a brand new Donkey Kong game for the iconic ape's 40th birthday; which is music to my ears as one of my favourite game franchises..
Donkey Kong as a character is one of the very first truly iconic characters in gaming. In 1981, an arcade game, simply called Donkey Kong, was released, and to great success. It followed a simple structure. An evil ape called Donkey Kong has stolen Jumpman's girl Pauline, and Jumpman needs to jump over the barrels DK throws down at him. Of course, Jumpman is also known as Mario himself. This arcade game was very popular, and with a popular game, usually comes some form of sequel - even with arcade games. In 1982, Donkey Kong Jr. was released. A direct sequel to the original with the roles reversed. Mario was torturing DK, and DK's son is now the playable character. You have to stop Mario. This game had a different form of platforming to get past the levels, and was also decently popular. After this, more was released such as Donkey Kong 3, and a lot later Donkey Kong '94, which kept to the arcade original's gameplay loop.
However, that wasn't the fate of the Donkey Kong series as a whole. Also in 1994, another Donkey Kong game released for the Super Nintendo, which started a completely different approach to the DK series..
The Donkey Kong Country Trilogy
Donkey Kong was a dormant series in Nintendo's catalogue, since the last arcade game. Nintendo hoped to rectify that by reviving the series. What's more is that they wanted to compete with Sega's Aladdin, a 2D platformer. Nintendo bought a minority share of Rare, and Rare then hired 12 new people to help them work on a brand new Donkey Kong game that changed up the formula. Rare made a 2D platformer, starring Donkey Kong and a brand new set of characters. Well, it's debated if the main DK is even the original. The game followed a very simple story of DK, and his nephew, Diddy Kong, embark on adventure to retrieve their stolen bananas from the King K. Rool.
The result was a success. Donkey Kong Country was a new take on the Donkey Kong brand. By using pre-rendered graphics to make an insanely distinctive art style from the SNES, having the talented, David Wise, compose a dynamic and iconic OST for the game. DKC was fresh all around. But DKC was still very much Donkey Kong. The integration of the barrels within the gameplay not only made this game stand out from other platformers, but also was a signifier that kept the game on-brand. This made it true to the original source material, while being different, new, exciting. Another thing it succeeded at was detaching Donkey Kong from Mario's big shadow. Donkey Kong Country established Donkey Kong as its own franchise in its own right.
It is a very important game, maybe the most important game I'll be talking about today, because it is the reason why the rest of the games exist. While it is an old game, it still aged pretty well. Donkey Kong Country is a very different feeling platformer to the Super Mario series. Where Mario was more floaty, simple and accessible, Donkey Kong was a lot more precision based, almost based on a rhythm, while also being weighty. In Donkey Kong Country, you...
Roll, Throw, Jump in the Jungle
In the DKC series, the gameplay is unique from other 2D platformers due to how you, as Donkey Kong: roll, throw and jump. Or a variation of that with Diddy, and eventually Dixie, and Kiddy. This loop makes the game so much fun to go through. The mix of David Wise's incredible soundtrack, while you roll to gain momentum, and jumping and rolling off and into enemies to gain more momentum, almost in sync with the music. And throwing the barrels at enemies or other variables. It's all part of the sense of rhythm that the Country series has come to define itself by, literally. This is enhanced with the animal friends. There is a large library of animals which Donkey Kong can ride and use for different purposes. Rambi the Rhino allows DK to storm through levels. Squawks carries DK, Diddy or Dixie for specific levels, Enguarde makes water levels easier. You can unlock coins to get bonus levels using these animal friends.
Donkey Kong finds himself in the jungle throughout the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy. All except the variety that is found in the sequels. Donkey Kong Country 2, beloved sequel, where Diddy, and his girlfriend Dixie, set out on adventure to save Donkey Kong from King K Rool, after he K Rool was defeated on his own pirate ship. With the variety of levels, does come an unfortunate misstep. The water level is a curse in most 2D platformers, in the DKC trilogy, it's no different. The continuity of the trilogy and its levels definitely made me appreciate them a lot more. The final boss of the original taking place on a pirate ship, with the first levels of Donkey Kong Country 2, being in the same ship is a really neat detail.
Over the course of the sequel, Diddy and Dixie find themselves in an even larger, and more colourful assortment of worlds. From a theme park, to a bee hive, to a swamp - the variety really made every time you played Donkey Kong Country exciting. By the end, you defeat a mad scientist version of King K Rool. Donkey Kong Country 3 is a lot more controversial, but the dynamic world map sets DKC3 in the "North Kremisphere". Islands based on Northern Europe and Canada. The worlds are completely different from the previous games, with a lot of tall forests, snowy mountains, tropical paradises. The variety isn't on par with the previous entries, however, it keeps consistent. Additionally, you play as Dixie and Kiddy, who tags along. Kiddy is basically the same as DK in gameplay.
King K's Kremling Charm
Another aspect that really cemented DK as its own thing - and something that is beloved to this day, is the Kremling King himself, King K Rool. He served as the main antagonist of the Donkey Kong series for the entire DKC trilogy, as well as serving as the main antagonist in DK64. King K Rool has a charm to him, unique to this series, and well and truly unique to Rare themselves. He is a crocodile, leading an army of Kremlings, with a small crown and a golden belly chestplate, and a red cape. K Rool has blood-shot eyes, and sports many attires. In the first Donkey Kong Country, K Rool was simply a king, on his own ship, trying to escape with Donkey Kong's bananas. In the sequel, K Rool is a Kaptain K Rool, a pirate, keeping DK captive. In the third game, Baron K. Roolstein is his identity. K Rool becomes a mad scientist. Finally, in DK64, he takes on the mantle of King Krusha K. Rool, a boxer persona.
As you can tell, K Rool is a very distinctive character, and the main antagonist of the series. He is part of the reason the series is beloved, and even managed to land a spot in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, however, King K. Rool made his last appearance in Super Mario Sluggers, before Smash. He was neglected for a while, but with Smash, who know what's next for his character.
After Donkey Kong "Country"
After Donkey Kong Country 3, in 1996, the Country name wasn't used for a while. Rare followed up DKC3, with a brand new take on the formula of Donkey Kong, a 3D platformer collectathon, Donkey Kong 64, in 1999. Rare were famous for the beloved Banjo-Kazooie. However, with DK64, the gameplay was a lot more controversial. In DK64, you could play as a lot of the Kongs, some completely brand new, others not previously playable. Donkey Kong 64 helped increase the roster of the DK cast, even creating a "DK rap", which people can still remember. Anyways, the gameplay loop of DK64, was each playable character being able to collect individual collectives exclusive to them. This meant having to switch to different Kongs at all times to get all collectibles. Unfortunately, you had to backtrack to a specific area to switch, making DK64 far too draining to constantly go back and forth to get every collectable, which there was a monolithic amount. Still, fans do still find value in much of the additions from Donkey Kong 64, but overall agree it was a weak entry.
After Donkey Kong 64, there wasn't any major Donkey Kong Country entry, and in 2002, it was made public that Microsoft had bought out Rare. Due to this, Donkey Kong no longer had its prime developer who revived and reinvented a once dormant series. Many feared for the series.
In 2003, Donkey Konga, was released for GameCube, and was a rhythm game, with DK characters developed by Bandai Namco. It included an accessory of DK's Bongos, and was really just a rebranded rhythm game. They made more of these games. As well as Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, which used the bongo accessory and made a platformer game using the drums. In addition, there was a small series for Nintendo's handhelds called Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, that saw Mario and DK fighting over who gets Pauline, by using mini robot versions of Mario, in a puzzle platformer series. I could go on, but it's sufficed to say the Country brand was completely dead, in favour of spin-off series. After Rare was gone, Nintendo didn't know what to do with the series. Until..
From Rare to Retro
Retro Studios, an American company which Nintendo previously had them work on the Metroid Prime series, decided to give them Donkey Kong Country, to return it its former glory. Donkey Kong Country Returns released in 2010 on Wii, to a huge success. Showing Nintendo the worth of the franchise. It was not only financially successful, but critically as well. Returns was celebrated as a return-to-form, and harkened back to the original trilogy, except with its own original gameplay - and antagonists. DKC Returns sadly didn't include the return of King K Rool and the Kremlings, replaced with new enemies based in Tiki masks.
While Retro managed to captivate everyone with Returns, Nintendo fans were very eager for another Metroid Prime game, and Retro had been working on something for a few years. At E3 2014, it was revealed to the world; Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. The reaction was unfortunately pretty negative. Fans wanted their Metroid, and thought they were owed it since DK "already had a game". Despite that negative reaction, Tropical Freeze, released to high critical acclaim, and many adored it, including me. Unfortunately, its release on the Wii U didn't help sales. However, with a later Nintendo Switch port, it definitely had established itself as an incredible 2D platformer.
While Tropical Freeze failed to return the Kremlings again, it made up for that in the best way possible. No other Donkey Kong comes close to how incredible movement feels. Instead of switching between characters, you can have Diddy, Dixie or Cranky on DK's back, and each help DK in different ways - though Dixie is clearly the only option. Furthermore, the level design completely outdoes even the original trilogy. Where the original trilogy has a rhythm to it, Tropical Freeze is like a fully formed song. Each level is so dynamic and feels so much like a 3D environment played in 2D, and the aesthetics are so unique and fun. A jelly factory in a jungle, a tropical beach full of ice, a savannah. Each level introduces new and interesting mechanics, and uses them in the best ways possible and manages to wrap it all up in a fun level.
It has been 7 years since Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze released, and 4 years since the port of it came to the Switch. Nothing new, however, rumour has it, something is coming soon..
The Future of DK
Here we are in present day. Waiting for E3 2021, where, rumour has it, a brand new Donkey Kong game will be revealed, with the minds of Mario Odyssey. It has come from multiple sources, and I do not choose to believe in Zippo. However, I do trust that NintendoLife and DK Vine's inside sources hold some weight. I do believe a Donkey Kong game is in development, and I do believe that Retro had originally intended to make it before Metroid Prime 4 was brought upon them.
But let's say that it is, indeed, true. What should it be? What do I want it to be? Well, the rumour also implies that the Country label is going away, while still using the Country characters. The rumour is also completely unclear on whether the game is 2D or 3D. I personally believe it will be 2D. I just hope that it is a unique 2D platformer, worthy of the series that is behind it. Embrace the past, bring back King K Rool.
Donkey Kong Country is a legendary series, pioneered by Rare, that torch was passed down to Retro, and now seemingly Nintendo EPD. Retro managed to improve on Rare, and it's possible EPD could outdo Retro. Donkey Kong is such an iconic character, and his games are filled with charm, passion, and a rich aesthetic unique to that series. Each game has genuinely fun movement, and precise platforming which is riveting and addictive.
The masterclass level design, mixed with glorious soundtracks, beautiful worlds, great characters and a 40 year long legacy, makes this next era of Donkey Kong incredibly important - all I hope is that they can successfully continue the legacy of a legendary series, my favourite 2D platforming series.
Thanks for reading.
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