Donkey Kong: Difference between revisions

Donkey Kong was created by Shigeru Miyamoto as the titular character of the [[mariowiki:Donkey Kong (game)|arcade game of the same name]], based on the character Bluto/Brutus from the ''Popeye'' cartoons.,<ref>[https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/01/early-donkey-kong-design-document-from-miyamoto-showcases-popeye-origin]</ref> According to Miyamoto, he chose the name "Donkey" to reflect the character's stubbornness,<ref name=Wired>Kohler, Chris (October 14, 2016). "[https://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Miyamoto Spills Donkey Kong’s Darkest Secrets, 35 Years Later]. ''Wired''. Retrieved October 14, 2016</ref> while "Kong" was chosen as a surname due to being considered a generic term for large apes in Japan.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp "Donkey Wrong" - An article about the origin of Donkey Kong's name]. Snopes.com. 2011. (Retrieved June 28, 2012)</ref> Although Miyamoto was informed by Nintendo of America staff that the word "donkey" is not a synonym for "idiot" in English despite what the dictionary he consulted had said, he nevertheless decided to ignore this particular suggestion because he liked the name "Donkey Kong".<ref name=Wired/>

In ''Donkey Kong'', the titular ape is [[Mario]]'s first enemy who held his girlfriend, Lady (later known as [[Pauline]]), captive over a {{s|mariowiki|construction site}}. Mario had to make his way to the top of the site to rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong - in the first level, 25M, Donkey Kong would begin by jumping so hard that the girders tilt, and impede Mario's progress by throwing barrels, but in the later levels he would simply stand by and let the enemies do the work. Donkey Kong would later return in ''{{iw|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Jr.|game}}'', which saw his [[mariowiki:Donkey Kong Jr.|young son]] rescuing him from Mario's captivity. He would once again be featured in ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong 3}}'', which saw him go up against {{s|mariowiki|Stanley the Bugman}}. Donkey Kong would prove to be a highly popular character, spawning cartoons, cereal, toys and multiple other merchandising ventures - though a lot of said merchandising would portray Donkey Kong as a misguided animal instead of a villain, somewhat foreshadowing the character's future - eventually, Mario would begin appearing in games without Donkey Kong, and following the success of ''Super Mario Bros.'', the gorilla would disappear into the background, with his son receiving very infrequent cameos in ''Mario'' games such as ''Mario's Tennis'' and ''Super Mario Kart''.

For a time, Donkey Kong seemed to be largely forgotten in the video game industry, that is, until former Nintendo partner Rare developed ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country}}'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], released alongside a new instalment in the classic arcade ''DK'' series for Game Boy. ''Donkey Kong Country'' saw the debut of a new Donkey Kong alongside a new supporting cast including his chimp friend [[Diddy Kong]], loyal rhino steed [[Rambi]], and nemesis [[King K. Rool]]; the new Donkey Kong sports a characteristic tuft of hair and signature tie, and has a somewhat slimmer and muscular physique. This Donkey Kong was said to be the son of Donkey Kong Jr., with the original Donkey Kong taking the title of "[[Cranky Kong]]" and appearing as an elderly character who complained about the modern state of the gaming industry through meta-humor. Compared to his grandfather, Rare's DK is most consistently depicted as a laid-back, simple-minded character who only retaliates when either his friends or prized banana hoard are threatened. In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', DK would not be playable, and instead would have been kidnapped by Kaptain K. Rool, meaning that players would control Diddy Kong and the new character Dixie Kong instead; a role he would reprise in ''Donkey Kong Country 3'', followed by a complete absence from ''Diddy Kong Racing'', before DK would become the main protagonist of a ''Donkey Kong'' game again in ''Donkey Kong 64'', where he had to rescue the other Kongs and team up to stop King K. Rool from blowing up the DK Islands with his [[Blast-O-Matic]]. Following Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise would exist in a somewhat unusual place, receiving multiple experimental spin-offs, most notably the peripheral-based rhythm series ''Donkey Konga'' where Donkey Kong discovers magic bongos and performs licensed music - this would change with the release of Retro Studios' ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', a continuation of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' franchise where DK once again has to retrieve his banana hoard, this time from a new organization of villains named the Tiki Tak Tribe, who can hypnotize animals - although the Kongs cannot be affected by it - the ending of the game infamously has Donkey Kong perform a comically exaggerated feat of strength, punching the moon so hard that it falls to the ground and destroys the Tiki Tak Tribe's base. This would be followed by ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'', where DK Island has been thrown into a state of perpetual winter by the Snowmads, a sea-faring organization of arctic and antarctic animals, such as penguins, walruses, owls and rabbits, based on stereotypical depictions of Vikings, and the Kongs have been exiled, where they must return to the island and save it.

Additionally, Donkey Kong remains a part of the {{uv|Mario}} universe, appearing in many of the ''Mario'' spin-off games since ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Kart 64}}''. Donkey Kong also appears as [[mariowiki:Baby Donkey Kong|baby DK]] in ''{{s|mariowiki|Yoshi's Island DS}}'', the main playable protagonist of the ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Adventure}}'' story expansion of ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle}}'', the primary antagonist of the ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario vs. Donkey Kong|series}}'' series and as an ally to Mario in ''{{s|mariowiki|The Super Mario Bros. Movie}}''. Though relatively unchanged, his design has been slightly changed since Donkey Kong Country. Starting with ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Kart 64}}'', Donkey Kong was given new design, with more detailed fur. His appearance in ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Party 4}}'' onwards mark the first use of the current variation of his modern design, with fur colored a lighter brown, more detailed fur, in addition to more realistic proportions than his prior design. Starting with ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', a new Donkey Kong design has been introduced, harkening back to the 1980s-era design.