
Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo have lifted the lid on the upcoming Donkey Kong Country expansion, coming to Super Nintendo World in Osaka, Japan. And in today's Nintendo Direct, we finally know when the expansion is opening to the world — 11th December 2024.
We've had a few teasers sneak peeks at the park over the years, but this Direct gave us a really good look at what to expect. If you're lucky enough to be in Japan when it opens, well... we're pretty jealous!
To get to the new park, you have to go past the 1Up store and walk through a tunnel covered in rocks and bricks. The new area is fantastic, sporting palm trees, Donkey Kong's treehouse, and the Golden Temple.
Showing us around the park, Miyamoto took us to a music-themed game using conga drums, where you'll need three people to team up and hit the drums in time with the lights. There's plenty of banana-flavoured food and drinks you can try (as well as a special hot dog which has avocado-flavoured sauce... hmm) as well as Funky's Fly and Buy, a store where you can buy lots of DK-related merch.
Just like the main Super Nintendo World, there are also plenty of secrets that interact with the Power-Up Bands. But the big one will be familiar to Donkey Kong Country fans — letters have been tucked away in the park, which you can "collect" and register on the Universal Japan app to spell out Kong.
Inside the Golden Temple is a mine cart ride, and here's where you'll find lots of impressive animatronics for various Donkey Kong characters and companions. It looks like a chill little roller coaster — and we're delighted Dixie is there to greet you. Could we get some Lanky Kong or King K. Rool though, Nintendo?
The Donkey Kong Country expansion was announced back in 2021 and was originally slated to open the barrel in Spring 2024, but it turns out, building parks takes a long time! At least we finally have a date. If you can't get to Japan this December, then don't worry, as Donkey Kong Country will be part of the Super Nintendo World opening at Universal Florida in 2025.
What do you think of the new expansion? Are you going to be in Japan when it opens up? Peel back your thoughts in the comments.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 31
Is the hotdog beef or pork?
Well... that Direct sucked. Lol.
I went to watch this hoping we’d get Miyamoto and a Donkey Kong mascot and we got both so this is a W
This really made me want a new Donkey Kong game, the world was so well realised!
Where is King K. Rool?
I'm definitely just overly hopeful, but the pikmin found at around 36:40 in the live stream makes me hopeful for a pikmin section of Super Nintendo World.
Toon soon to start talking about the next expansion?
That ice cream in a barrel??
While the direct was really anticlimactic, I find something stupidly funny in Miyamoto baiting coaster enthusiasts like he does in game showcases.
You know the real fun of Super Nintendo World is the mini games and activities around the park you interact with the power up band. There is so much to collect on the app.
What a wonderfully ridiculous hot dog.
I had a ton of fun at the Uni Studios Hollywood Super Nintendo World this past May (power up band highly recommended).
This makes me want to visit Japan and/or Florida's even more.
Universal already has a King Kong attraction- won’t this cause confusion?
In the shop, I also mainly saw articles about DK and Diddy. This is probably because DK is Nintendo's own character, and Diddy, even though he was invented by Rare, was originally intended as a redesign of DK Jr. and is also considered a Nintendo character. Dixie, the other Kongs, the Animal Buddies and K. Rool, on the other hand, do not get their own merchandise. They should have chosen the Zelda series instead, as they could make a lot more products from The Legend of Zelda instead of being limited to just two characters like with DK.
Won't Nintendo have to pay royalties to Rare for the use of Rambi?
It's going to be interesting to see who ends up voicing Cranky and Sqwaks in English, but I'm only interested in knowing when I'll be able to take a selfie with K. Rool.
Not becasue I'm a DK fan. He reminds me of my Poppop
Of course they don't want to show too much, but it looks like a cool, little Returns-themed area so far. I should've seen a Donkey Konga game coming. The Cranky and Squawks animatronics gave me a big smile.
I obviously want to see more DK characters, but I'm keeping those dreamy expectations firmly in check. We haven't even seen Snowmads yet.
I don’t know why but that dumb 3 player bongo drumming made me so happy.
@AnonyQ No, when Microsoft bought out Rare back in the day, Nintendo retained the rights to any Donkey Kong characters, music etc that Rare created
So underwhelming
Stuff like this looks ACE! (Until you realize that it'll be hell once it's full of thousands of people)
Donkey Kong Country Expansion I'm In.
Just embrace the RARE created stuff Nintendo.
@AlanaHagues “To get to the new park, you have to go through the 1Up store”
No you don’t. As someone who has visited USJ’s Super Nintendo World about 6 times in the past year, you have to go past the 1up Store to get to DKC. The entrance has been blocked off for months, and you do not walk through the 1up Store to get to it. That’s why in the Direct, Miyamoto continues to walk past the store’s entrance, instead of into it.
@TAndvig How can it suck when it said exactly what it was. It showcased the expansion, and that’s it.
Thats on you if you truly thought we’d be getting anything else lmao.
I could see the top of the shrine from Harry Potter world when I was there last year. Man it looks great
I realized why I was confused at first yesterday other than me being still kind of sleepy, it's because this is coming to the Orlando park, too.
Anyway, personally loved the Direct, great that the Japanese park has a date and I'm looking forward to visiting it when I finally go to Japan!
So Nintendo introduces new weird hardware, no direct... nintendo introduces a new app which finally gives their music some room, no direct, but adds a part to an already existing theme park: direct... a deal with universal or something..
not that it really matters, since a direct is a youtube video anyway.. (and as a format it quite leight weight) .. but wouldn't a direct featuring 'nintendo beyond the switch' be more interesting...
@Markiemania95 Fixed - appreciate the spot!
I think my favorite part of the Direct was:
"There's another mural here.
...
It looks kind of familiar..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8OtALOr8JI
6:46-6:59
That was sweet.
Looks great, kind of hope we see more characters like daddy and the ride involves the rapids. Glad they added DK, give him this one and await what is yet to come.
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