Ahead of the grand opening of Super Nintendo World: Donkey Kong Country this week, some of the original Donkey Kong Country development team spoke to VGC about the IP being adapted to an entire theme park.
During the same chat, artist Steve Mayles - who helped co-found Playtonic Games (Yooka-Laylee) and create the Kong family, admitted he would "very much" like to work on another DKC game. It's now been "30 years" since he worked on the original entry. He also mentioned how happy he was to see the characters he created being "given such love after all this time".
Steven Mayles: "It’s quite surreal... Even though we borrowed the DK IP from Nintendo, and much of the park is themed on the latest DKC games from Retro, the strong theme we created for DKC remains...And yes, I would very much like to work on another DKC game…”
Donkey Kong Country artist and graphic designer Kevin Bayliss and composer David Wise also mentioned how impressed they were by Nintendo's new theme park expansion and were excited to see their work featured within the park.
Kevin Bayliss: " I only wish I’d known years ago that the models I had built were going to be blown up to ridiculous larger than life sizes, so that I could have modelled them better – but in hindsight, it’s probably just as well I didn’t know. I’d never had got them finished!"
David Wise: "It’s very cool to hear my Donkey Kong Country theme in a different setting. 30 years later and still going strong!”
The latest entries in the Donkey Kong series were created by Retro Studios - with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD due out on the Switch next month. Last week, Nintendo also added Donkey Kong Land 3 to the Switch Online Game Boy library.
The Super Nintendo World: Donkey Kong Country extension officially opens in Japan tomorrow on 11th December 2024.
Would you like to see more Donkey Kong Country adventures in the future? Let us know in the comments.
[source videogameschronicle.com, via gonintendo.com]
Comments 33
And we'd all very much like to play it. DK is overdue for a new, original game. It's been 10 years Nintendo.
Only if David Wise returns as the composer. DKC 1 and 2's music is perfect (never played the others, although I will be playing Tropical Freeze Christmas time).
I sure hope so. Nobody else has made a game close as good as the country games. I liked tropical freeze and returns well enough but they don’t have the same appeal to me.
The original trilogy are hands down some of the greatest platformers ever made and I'm still playing them to this day. I would very much love a continuation and now is the perfect time for it.
It would be nice if they could get into an agreement with Nintendo and/or Retro.
Nice to see David Wise here, absolutely love his DKC tracks, and I hope if we get a new DKC game that he's making the music!
Old Rare people need to make a studio and have Nintendo hire them. Retro will be busy with Metroid for the foreseeable future. And I need me some DKC.
The original Country games are so much better than the “new” stuff. I think they lost what made the originals so special
@Ultimapunch "Old Rare people need to make a studio" Technically they did that. It's called Playtonic.
I would welcome it. I love the original DKC games.
There's a magic with the original trilogy that only the old Rare could tap into. As for the new duology, it's actually really good and entertaining in its own right. All in all I'd be happy with a third DKC Returns game which should've been happened.
@KY502ShinyHunter Dude, you are in for a treat with tropical freeze. David Wise's soundtrack is especially exquisite in that game.
Maybe on the Switch 2? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a banana on top?
Now that we have the technology, I'd love a new DKC with the graphic style of the Snes trilogy, but fully realised looking almost like the DKC box art. A back to basics approach, with no jet packs or whatnot. That would be incredible.
@Ichiban ...so you want it to look like an semi-dated 3D render?
@BodkinDQ Only the original trilogy?
surprised to see some ppl here who also prefer the 90s look. the new games look terrible. dkc2 on the other hand is a work of art.
I would very much welcome it, but it will not be easy to replicate that 90's style and feel.
I'd love a new Donkey Kong Country game with the visual style of the SNES originals, which still look way better than the bland HD port that's coming to Switch.
Those original games are still gorgeous and I'll always remember first playing the likes of Snow Barrell Blast as the snow storm moves in from the background until you're in a blizzard
Nintendo still needs to finish up the New DKC series with a third entry, so there's still hope. But I don't understand how they value DK on the one hand, but fail to release any new platformers at the same time.
And where the hell are DK94, DK64 and Diddy Kong Racing on NSO?
Would love to see what they could come up with if they ever had the chance to work on a new Donkey Kong Country game!
Should remake Donkey Kong Land.
Nintendo should absolutely commission Playtonic to make the next DKC game. Many of their staff were original Rareware members
At the end of the day, Rare made the design of Donkey Kong used since 1994 and they also created Cranky, Diddly, Candy, Dixie, Kiddy, Wrinkly, Funky, Lanky, Chunky, Tiny, the Kremlings and all the animal buddies. Donkey Kong is more Rare than Nintendo, if you ask me. Oh, and David Wise composed the most popular Donkey Kong themes.
Think it would be cool if Nintendo worked on a project with Playtonic actually.
And bring back K Rool as the villain. The boss in TF was lame af.
Please yes. I can’t stand the controls of the new DK side scrollers. I’d love a new game in the SNES vein. Or even an HD remaster if possible of 1-3. The DKC snes trilogy is some of my fav games ever.
@JCLKaytwo Oh don't get me wrong, I like quite a few DK games like 64 and Tropical Freeze, but the SNES Rare trilogy are my absolute favs. Love em and play em more than any other platformers that aren't led by a certain plumber.
The Snes classics are still incredible to this day. I have em on original carts:)
Instead we only got ports of DKCTF/DKCR it's been waaaay too long
Playtonic deserve to make a new DKC game honestly. Impossible Lair is seriously fantastic and I consider it to be the truest continuation of the original games considering the people behind it. Not to put down Retro’s games- Tropical Freeze is my favourite of them all and clearly influenced Impossible Lair but the real heart of DKC is with the original guys who are mostly at Playtonic now.
Plus IL was probably made on a shoestring budget compared to what Nintendo could afford to put into a DKC game which just makes it even more impressive. Imagine what they could do with Nintendo’s backing 🤤
@Ultimapunch D}They did with Platonic, didn't they?
A DKC4 in the style of 2/3 would be a dream.
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