On July 9, 1981, Donkey Kong released in arcades in Japan, and the video game world has never quite been the same. The game itself was revolutionary in the arcade era, and a foreshadowing of Nintendo's design philosophy and ideology moving forward. In 1981, few would know that the grinning gorilla would be around 40 years later: A character that would still be a rival to the same protagonist, who would race around in go-karts, dodging his own bananas, or have countless standalone games of his own.
It has been 40 years since Donkey Kong first graced gamers with his presence in the arcades. It is not hyperbole to say that the original Donkey Kong is one of the most important video games in history. Although that style of game is long gone and DK's titles have evolved with time, Donkey Kong himself has remained a mainstay character for Nintendo and the gaming world.
The History and Importance of Donkey Kong
The original Donkey Kong released in arcades back in July 1981 in Japan, and in the following months in the U.S. and Europe. The game was incredibly important for Nintendo, and in some ways the video game world. Arcade games were rather simple in the 70s and early 80s, even if very entertaining. Donkey Kong was one of the very early platformers, but also one of the first games to introduce a storyline and dynamic characters.
Even though the title is called Donkey Kong, players take control of "Jumpman," who of course would later be known as Mario. DK has captured Pauline, and Jumpman must save this damsel in distress through a series of challenging obstacle course-like levels. The gameplay itself was dynamic and engaging, but Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi — the masterminds behind the game and two of the most influential figures in gaming history — also managed to include cutscenes and even speech bubbles in-game to advance the story.
It is true that games like Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Galaga were part of the golden age of arcade gaming. However, the advancement and innovation in Donkey Kong are what made it such an important and memorable game of the 80s. For Nintendo, that momentum helped propel the company moving forward in several pivotal ways. The mustachioed protagonist of Donkey Kong, Mario of course, went on to be the face of video games — and wouldn't have existed without Donkey Kong.
Since then, Nintendo has gone on to create more Donkey Kong games than most big franchises. The result is that Donkey Kong's adorable mug is one of the more recognizable faces in gaming. The standard arcade-style games would live on with games such as Donkey Kong Jr. on both arcade machines and the NES, but one series, in particular, is where Donkey Kong and company attained recognition among the Nintendo faithful.
The Beloved Donkey Kong Country Series
While the arcade games and their NES counterparts were a good time, the Donkey Kong Country series is perhaps where Donkey Kong found its footing as a legitimate powerhouse franchise among the Nintendo core. Some could argue that the Donkey Kong Country series is Nintendo's most underrated. The Super Nintendo games are massive fan-favorites, and the recent revivals on the Wii, Wii U, and Switch have helped catapult the series into popularity again after a long hiatus.
Among many genres, the Super Nintendo was known for being a platforming and role-playing game machine. Even with Super Mario World, Kirby, Mega Man, and other stiff competition, the Donkey Kong Country titles were among the best platformers on the Super Nintendo. In fact, most sales numbers put the original "Rareware" developed trilogy as the second-highest selling on the console at about 18 million combined, with the first game in the series selling over nine million copies.
The original Donkey Kong Country in 1994 blew many away for its unique, 3D pre-rendered art style, its secret-filled level design, its co-op play, its gameplay, and its special sound design and soundtrack composed by David Wise. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest broke the mold in surprising ways, while cleaning up the experience as a whole. Donkey Kong is captured in this adventure, so Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong must save the day instead. The level design, music, and overworld are all ramped up to 11, as well.
Lastly, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! gives players a wild change and a chance to take charge with Dixie and Kiddy Kong. There are those who argue which Donkey Kong Country game is the best from the original trilogy, as many fight over the innovation of the first, the polish of the second, or the wackiness of the third. However, the impact that the games had, and continue to have, on so many players is impossible to deny.
In 2010, Donkey Kong Country Returns closed the fourteen-year gap since the last game in the series, with a release on the Nintendo Wii. The game was eventually ported to the Wii U and 3DS as well. Retro Studios captured the magic of the original trilogy, but perhaps the very well-received Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the Wii U, which was also ported to the Switch, did so even more valiantly with more tricks and ideas that the team had leftover.
Tropical Freeze allows players to have fun with Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and even Cranky Kong in a myriad of unique, beautifully designed levels all while listening to arrangements from the same composer from the original trilogy: David Wise. As great as the Donkey Kong Country games are, however, they make up only five games in Donkey Kong's 40 years of existence.
Donkey Kong Appearance in Countless Nintendo Games
Donkey Kong has been one of Nintendo's most popular mascots; not only because of the Gorilla's own games, but also because of the countless appearances in Nintendo's many other titles. Donkey Kong has appeared as a villain in games like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, as a surprise cameo in games like Super Mario Odyssey with New Donk City, and as a playable character in multiplayer games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, Super Smash Bros., and the Mario sports games.
Along with the original arcade titles and Donkey Kong Country, the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is another franchise of games that found popularity in the early to mid-2000s. The titles were released mainly on handheld consoles, but the Switch could be a nice home for Mario vs. Donkey Kong now that Nintendo has such a successful hybrid console.
It would not be a surprise to see Nintendo bring back the puzzle-platformer which has its roots in the original arcade saga. There have been plenty of one-off games or small experimental titles with varied successes as well with Donkey Kong at the helm, whether it be Donkey Kong Jr. Math on the NES, DK: King of Swing on the Game Boy Advance, DK: Jungle Climber on the Nintendo DS, Donkey Kong 64, or Donkey Kong (94) on the Game Boy.
There were also multiple games that took advantage of a DK Bongos peripheral, each with different levels of acceptance from fans. The Donkey Konga games were music-based, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast was a racer (which was originally designed with the DK Bogos in mind before being delayed for the Wii and its motion controls instead), and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was a short but interesting platformer that Retro Studios seemed to draw some inspiration from later on for the rebirth of Donkey Kong Country. Along with those games, recently a fan played Modern Warfare with DK Bongos, so it is still being used.
Of course, the Donkey Kong crew has been right beside him all along, whether that be Donkey Kong Jr., Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, Funky Kong, or others. Because DK has had so many games of his own, as well as countless Super Mario and Nintendo games, the character has earned his popularity throughout his 40-year history. Donkey Kong is not someone who has come from nowhere and vaulted his way to Nintendo and video game fame.
What is Next for Donkey Kong and His Pals
The next big question revolves around what comes next for Donkey Kong and the rest of the DK crew. Diddy, Dixie, and company are awaiting the chance to prove themselves — and it is clear that the Switch needs a new Donkey Kong game. With Donkey Kong being around for 40 years, the franchise certainly deserves a chance on Nintendo's hybrid console.
There have been plenty of rumors that Nintendo has been working on a massive Donkey Kong game for years. According to the reports, the game is being spearheaded by the same team behind Super Mario Odyssey, which is one of the most critically acclaimed Mario games in years. If true, this could be an amazing opportunity for the franchise. Retro Studios did an excellent job with Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, coming directly off of the Metroid Prime games, but the franchise could use a fresh approach.
It makes all the sense in the world to put DK and his pals on Nintendo's current console, as the Switch could go down as the best-selling console of all time. Even with Donkey Kong thriving for so long, the games certainly are a step down from those in the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises, in terms of popularity and excitement. However, if the rumors are true of this new Donkey Kong title, Nintendo is presumably hoping to bring Donkey Kong up to that level. The idea that Nintendo is reportedly using its Super Mario A-team to work on this new Donkey Kong title would lend credence to that.
A new grand-scale Donkey Kong title on the Switch would be a great way to celebrate the 40th year of Nintendo's beloved member of the Kong family. That being said, it doesn't take a new title to appreciate what Donkey Kong means to Nintendo. The last 40 years have been filled with excellent games based on the neck-tied hero. Whether it be the original arcade title, the Donkey Kong Country franchise, or the countless appearances in which DK graces his presence, Donkey Kong is certainly one of Nintendo's best mascots--and he deserves recognition and love.
Donkey Kong originally released on July 9, 1981, in Japanese arcades.