In terms of the animal kingdom's prominence in the video game world, primates have had one of the longest runs. Since the days of arcade cabinets, various monkeys have been digitized to be fought, or played as, by eager gamers. These types of video game primates include apes, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and spider monkeys.

Usually, these characters are portrayed as villainous creatures in their most popular video game appearances. Occasionally, a monkey character will be helpful to the player, mimicking the relationship between primates and humans in the real world. These primates, good or bad, represent the most iconic video game monkeys.

10 Conga The Ape (Banjo-Kazooie)

Banjo & Kazooie firing eggs at Conga the Ape on Mumbo's Mountain

The Banjo-Kazooie series features many anthropomorphic animals, from the titular bear and bird to moles, sharks, and walruses. However, one of the more formidable characters in the original game is Conga, an ape who resides on Mumbo's Mountain. Conga is possessive of his territory, attacking Banjo with oranges if he comes near.

While many animals are helpful to Banjo & Kazooie along their quest, Conga is tough to please. Only by using their cunning stealth can the duo defeat Conga, forcing him to sacrifice a jigsaw piece, or "Jiggy." Once he's helped the player, one can't help but feel bad for this short-fused ape speaking in broken English.

9 George (Rampage)

George swatting at a helicopter while destroying a building

The arcade game Rampage debuted in 1986, making George one of the earliest video game monkeys. In this game, players control George, a human who was transformed into a massive gorilla thanks to a scientific experiment. Alongside Lizzie the Reptile and Ralph the Wolf, these three are hell-bent on reducing cities to rubble.

George later re-appeared in several sequels to the series, including Rampage: Total Destruction. However, this monkey's biggest claim to fame is having his very own on-screen adaptation. In the 2018 film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, George is a regular gorilla who accidentally mutates, rather than a changed human being.

8 Agent 9 (Spyro)

A close-up of Agent 9 dangling upside down in Spyro Reignited Trilogy

Agent 9 made his first appearance in Spyro: Year of the Dragon, released for the PlayStation in 2000. He is one of six playable characters in the game (not counting Secret Speedway Challenges). After Rhynocs invaded the Professor's lab, the genius mole scientist trained Agent 9 to defend him in the future.

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While unlocking Agent 9 is not required to beat Spyro: Year of the Dragon, it's quite fun to defeat enemies with his iconic blaser weapon. Plus, fans can play as a more graphically interesting design for the character in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

7 Rajang (Monster Hunter)

A Rajang in Rage Mode roaring in Monster Hunter World

The Monster Hunter franchise features many iconic creatures, but not all of them are as infamous to fans as the mighty Rajang. This gorilla-like creature is one of the greatest threats in the series, even for experienced hunters. While it initially may seem like a berserk primate, just wait until it transforms into its fearsome Rage Mode.

When the Rajang goes into Rage Mode, players can expect to send a few hunters back to base camp. Rajang resembles Super Saiyan Goku as he begins inflicting Thunderblight damage, leaving hunters with a higher chance of being stunned. Defeating this monster is quite a testament to a hunter's strength.

6 Porter (Animal Crossing)

A player changing the flag in the Train Station near Porter in Animal Crossing New Leaf

Thankfully, Porter is one of the nicer monkeys in the pantheon of video game primates. This adorable monkey runs the train station in Animal Crossing, which originally released for GameCube. He's a significant character in the original game, as he's the first animal players interact with upon arriving at their new hometown.

While Porter always appears alongside the train station, some iterations of the series do not include this feature. Upon the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch, fans were disappointed when Porter was missing. However, he makes a welcomed return in the 2.0 update as a potential visitor to The Roost.

5 Andross (Star Fox)

Andross appearing in a battle in Star Fox Zero

Andross is a mainstay of the Star Fox franchise, consistently appearing as the main antagonist of the series, apart from a few select titles. In his initial appearances, Andross was nothing more than a gray polygonal face. This is even how the character appears in his Assist Trophy in the Super Smash Bros franchise.

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More recent Star Fox games updated Andross's appearance. He now resembles a monkey, though still only his head is seen by players. This character has a dark backstory that puts him at odds with Fox and his fellow crew members. Without spoilers, Andross may be next to Ridley in terms of Nintendo villain evil-ness.

4 AiAi (Super Monkey Ball)

AiAi in a red and blue ball in Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

The Super Monkey Ball series features many adorable primate characters, from the long-sleeved Doctor to the charming MeeMee. However, none shine as a more iconic character than AiAi, the series' mascot. To date, AiAi is the only Super Monkey Ball character to be playable in every entry of the series.

While the Super Monkey Ball series varies in popularity, AiAi has made many appearances outside the franchise. He's a playable character in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing alongside Sonic, B.D. Joe from Crazy Taxi, and Billy Hatcher. He also appears in that game alongside another video game monkey, Amigo!

3 Winston (Overwatch)

Winston charging at a player firing his Tesla Cannon

Before Overwatch even launched in 2016, many of the initial playable heroes were already iconic. Alongside characters like Tracer, McCree, and Genji, fans gravitated towards genius primate Winston. This tank character became popular among Overwatch players for his powerful weaponry, as well as his support tactics.

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Similar to Rajang, Winston has the ability to let loose, forcing members of the opposing team to worry. With his Ultimate, Primal Rage, Winston becomes a tank among tanks, with increased attack and health that make him near impossible to kill. Not only is he powerful, he's also easy to use for players new to the multiplayer game.

2 Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong)

Diddy Kong flipping his hat and waving in Super Smash Bros Ultimate

The enthusiastic sidekick has appeared in many entries of both the Super Mario and Donkey Kong franchises. Since his debut in Donkey Kong Country in 1994, Diddy Kong was made for Player 2's, assisting DK defeat King K. Rool. He's since made appearances in Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and many sports titles.

Additionally, Diddy Kong has also had his own starring roles from time to time. He was the titular character in Diddy Kong Racing, a 1997 racing game that introduced Conker and Banjo, future Rareware icons. He's also the main character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, relegating Dixie Kong to the Player 2 spot.

1 Donkey Kong (Mario)

Donkey Kong shrugging in Super Smash Bros Ultimate

While it's easy to love Diddy Kong, the little guy doesn't compare to his larger counterpart. Donkey Kong is one of the oldest video game characters of all time, first appearing in arcade classic Donkey Kong. While he technically debuted before Mario and Peach (at least, in their current forms), DK has been a big part of the Mario series.

Donkey Kong is a mainstay of spin-off Mario titles like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. He gets a bigger starring role in the Donkey Kong Country platforming series. Once Seth Rogen makes his debut as DK in the upcoming Mario movie, the character is bound to get even more mainstream appeal.

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