Tag: Donkey Kong
Feature The Many Faces Of Donkey Kong, Nintendo's 40-Year-Old Gorilla
Four decades of DK
Nintendo’s monkey of manifold mantles – one Donkey Kong, Esq. – recently turned 40. Forty years young and still so vital, but it could be reasonably argued that the ol’ Kongmeister has been undergoing a bit of an identity crisis for most of his lifespan. The man-ape has turned from heel to face to heel more times than The...
Retro Remember When Acclaimed Novelist Martin Amis Rubbished Donkey Kong?
"Donkey, your days are numbered. The knackers’ yard awaits you"
One of the most influential and acclaimed novelists of his generation, award-winning writer Martin Amis – famous for books such as Money, London Fields and The Information – isn't the kind of name you'd perhaps expect to see on a site about video games, but in the early '80s, Amis...
Rumour Seth Rogen Will Apparently Star In A Solo Donkey Kong Movie
Well, it'll sure be interesting
It's fair to say that when the cast for the upcoming Super Mario Movie was revealed it led to a lot of chatter online. For one thing, it'll be strange that a series of characters from a fantastical Nintendo world will have the voices of some of Hollywood's biggest stars; it's sure going to be intriguing when the film...
News Check Out This Forgotten Donkey Kong Country Comic From The UK
Warning: Lots of images contained within!
Here's a bit of Donkey Kong trivia for you, and no mistake. The Donkey Kong Jungle Action Special was an officially licensed British comic based on Donkey Kong Country for the SNES and published in 1995 by Fleetway Editions. Richard Burton (no, not that one) is listed as the Managing Editor – comic fans...
News The Donkey Kong Series Has Surpassed 65 Million Sales Worldwide
As of March 2021
Nintendo has revealed that, as of March 2021, the Donkey Kong series of games have sold a whopping 65 million units worldwide. You probably know the story by now, but Donkey Kong was first brought to life by none other than Shigeru Miyamoto back in 1981, when the very first game in the series hit arcades. The game saw Jumpman, who...
News It's Official, Super Nintendo World Is Getting A Donkey Kong Expansion
"Set to open in 2024"
It seems the worst kept secret has finally been confirmed - Super Nintendo World is getting a Donkey Kong-themed "expansion" and it's set to open in 2024. According to an official Nintendo press release, this new area will allow park guests to walk through "lush" jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live. There'll also be...
Random Donkey Kong Blows? Of Course, And It's All Down To Shigeru Miyamoto
"We were like "What did we do wrong? What is he finding?'"
In a recent episode of Reece Reilly's Kiwi Talkz podcast, former Retro Studios developer and senior designer on Metroid Prime Mike Wikan revealed some interesting tidbits about his time working on Nintendo properties at the Austin-based studio. This included a fun anecdote involving Nintendo...
News This "Super Rare" Anniversary Edition Game & Watch Unit Just Sold For A Very Low Price
Requested by Gunpei Yokoi and bought for about $9k
We've seen a lot of retro Nintendo products selling for some insane prices in recent times, but this one is a bit different. Despite being a "never before seen for sale" Game & Watch, it's just sold for the "very low" price of ¥1,001,000 (around US$9100 / €8000). Quite reasonable, really...
Guide Best Donkey Kong Games Of All Time
Every DK game ranked for your pleasure
9th July 2021 marks 40 years exactly since the original Donkey Kong debuted in arcades and the world got its first look at the eponymous ape and his adversary, Jumpman (whatever happened to him?). With rumours of a new DK game and an animation project in the works, we're bracing ourselv
News DKC Artist Steve Mayles Shares Gorgeous New Piece To Celebrate Donkey Kong's 40th
"Nostalgic for Kongs"
Today marks Donkey Kong's 40th anniversary, with the original game hitting Japanese arcades back on 9th July 1981. To celebrate the occasion, ex-Rare staffer Steve Mayles – now of Playtonic Games – has shared a lovely piece of new artwork featuring our favourite ape duo. You can see the full piece for yourself in Steve's...
Rumour There's Supposedly A New Donkey Kong Animation In Development
"DK is being taken seriously at the big N again"
Donkey Kong has been missing in action since the port of Tropical Freeze arrived on the Nintendo Switch in 2018. More recently though, there have been rumours about Nintendo EPD (the team behind Super Mario Odyssey) working on a new video game entry in the DK series. Leaker Zippo
Random This Penny Has Diddy Kong Engraved On Abe Lincoln's Shoulder
Diddy Kong 'graving
Well, here's a story to fill your random Nintendo ephemera quota for the day: someone has micro-engraved Diddy Kong onto a 1 cent coin. You know, as you do. As shown off by @VolksDK on Twitter, a friend (later identified in the Twitter thread) used a process known as 'ion milling' which apparently strips layers of atoms and...
News "Donkey Kong Country" Concept Art For Super Nintendo World Surfaces Online
"one of Nintendo's worst kept secrets"
There have been rumours for ages now about Super Nintendo World receiving a Donkey Kong expansion of sorts. Dataminers previously uncovered evidence of DK stickers within the Universal Studios' Super NIntendo World mobile app, and now, a Donkey Kong fan account on Twitter has shared some concept art of the...
Rumour The Next Donkey Kong Is Being Developed By The Super Mario Odyssey Team
Update: Another source chimes in
Update: Highly-respected Donkey Kong fansite DK Vine has chimed in on our report, and adds the following information: Development of the new Donkey Kong game purportedly began around 2017 or 2018, when Nintendo decided to bring Donkey Kong back internally for the first time since Nintendo EAD's Donkey Kong Jungle...
Random Updated Diddy Kong Render (With Fur) Spotted On Nintendo's Japanese Website
Looking good, Diddy
We've heard pretty much nothing from the Donkey Kong crew since the re-release of Tropical Freeze on the Switch in 2018, but today we've potentially got some exciting news for all of you Kong fans around the globe. Well, maybe... According to eagle-eyed DK enthusiast and Twitter user BlueCatBanjo73, Nintendo has updated the
News Aerial Photos Provide Further Hope That Super Nintendo World's Donkey Kong Land Is Real
New evidence supports our suspicions
Earlier this week, a report from VGC revealed that Japan's Super Nintendo World theme park contains a mysterious locked door that appears to be a tease for a new, upcoming area. Thanks to newly-spotted aerial photographs shared online, we can now see that there's more than enough reason to believe a new area...
News Japan's Super Nintendo World Has A Mysterious, Locked Donkey Kong Door
A new DK area on the way?
Just days ahead of the park's official opening, it's been discovered that Japan's Super Nintendo World contains a locked Donkey Kong door, hinting at a future park expansion. VGC reports that the mysterious door is located and 'hidden' towards the north of the park, featuring "a very DK-
News New Letter Details Why Donkey Kong 64's Innovative "Stop 'N' Swop" Feature Was Removed
"We must ask that you remove this feature"
Stop 'N' Swop was undoubtedly one of the N64's biggest mysteries, and even now, we're still learning new things about it decades later. With six coloured eggs and an ice key scattered across Banjo-Kazooie, it was designed as a means of unlocking special content in the sequel, Banjo-Tooie. It was never used...
Video 27 Years Later, Early Donkey Kong Country Concept Sketches Are Revealed To The World
Rambi, Kremlings, and other characters also shown
Back in the '90s, Rare had quite a reputation for being secretive about its internal practices. Though it has opened up significantly since being acquired by Microsoft, it's one of the reasons why we get interesting stories still
Video We've Ranked All 55 Kongs From Donkey Kong, For Science
Wait, how many?
Donkey Kong is a franchise that has been passed around numerous developers over the years, resulting in a lovely array of different genres and interpretations of the series. It also had a TV show made about it, which is something that some people would probably like to forget. After being banded around for 30 years as of 2021 it's...
News Dataminers Uncover Donkey Kong Stickers In Super Nintendo World Mobile App
You know him well
Where would Mario be without his old pal Donkey Kong? With this in mind, dataminers have supposedly uncovered evidence of DK stickers within Universal Studios' Super Nintendo World mobile app. There have been rumours circulating for some time now about a possible DK ride, so could this latest discovery be a sign of things to come?...
Feature How A Donkey Kong Clone Almost Scuppered Nintendo's Ambitions In The West
This Kong be CRAZY
The following feature is an excerpt from Ken Horowitz's excellent Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games and has been reproduced here with the kind permission of both Horowitz and the publisher. 1981's arcade smash-hit Donkey Kong created a surge in revenue that lifted Nintendo’s prospects for its North...
Video Donkey Kong '94 - The 101 Level Sequel to Arcade DK
It's on like (101 stages of) Donkey Kong
Nintendo's legacy owes so much to the original Donkey Kong; after all, this was the game that introduced the world to Mario. They could have played it safe with a Game Boy conversion – it still would have been impressive to have an arcade game in the palm of your hands – but Nintendo decided that wasn't...
News Beyond Donkey Kong Digs Deep Into Nintendo's Often Overlooked Arcade Heritage
New book sheds light on a coin-op legacy
While Nintendo has long been a major force in the realms of domestic and portable video gaming, it's important to remember that the release that truly put the Japanese firm on the map was an arcade one: 1981's Donkey Kong. Shigeru Miyamoto's first masterpiece transformed Nintendo from a coin-op also-ran into...
PSA It's Diddy's Kong Quest, Not Diddy Kong's Quest
But you already knew this, right?
Towards the end of last month, Nintendo added even more classic games to its Super Nintendo online service. The highlight for most was Rare's 1995 release Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. As happy as Nintendo is to see everyone enjoying this absolute gem once again, the company's official UK Twitter...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #62 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
A Kong time ago...
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, the video game cover contest that pits regional variants against each other in a fight for your vote. Last time we observed a thrilling duel between Okamiden North American / European cover and the Japanese variant. Ultimately, it was an easy victory for Japan with over 70% of your votes going to the...
And we would go bananas for a new entry
If there's one series we would love to see make a return, it's gotta be Donkey Kong Country. The last mainline outing was the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Wii U in 2014, and it was then enhanced for the Switch in 2018. So, who is willing to help out on a new Donkey Kong Country game?...
News King Of Kong's Stars Rack Up Personal Best Scores Within Days Of Each Other
"The basement dwellers can talk from their keyboards"
2007's King of Kong is one of the seminal video game documentaries. It charted the epic battle between legendary high-score holder and hot sauce-maker Billy Mitchell and the underdog Steve Wiebe. At the conclusion of the movie, Wiebe had made gaming history and the film has gone on to become a...
News Billy Mitchell's Donkey Kong And Pac-Man Scores Are Reinstated By Guinness World Records
"I wanted to clear my name"
A few years ago, scorekeeping organisation Twin Galaxies stripped Billy Mitchell of his scores following accusations of cheating. It has now been revealed that those scores have been reinstated by Guinness World Records, which means Mitchell is once again officially recognised as the first person to register a 1 million...
News Robbie Lakeman Is Apparently The New Donkey Kong World Record Holder
A former King of Kong returns to top spot
Nintendo's arcade game Donkey Kong is nearly 40 years old and there's still a competitive scene for it. What's even more impressive, in fact, is that the top players continue to set new high scores. According to a recent tweet by the one and only Billy Mitchell, the former champ Robbie Lakeman has returned...
Random Pirate Metal Band Alestorm's Latest Album Features Several Donkey Kong References
Something tells us they're big fans
It's always pretty cool seeing Nintendo games being referenced in your favourite films or music, so take a look at Curse of the Crystal Coconut, the new album from Scottish metal band, Alestorm. You can probably think of one reference immediately - yes, the Crystal Coconut is an item found in Donkey Kong 64, used...
News After 10 Years Away, The Original "King Of Kong" Is Making A Comeback
"It seemed only fitting to get back into the swing of things"
Steve Wiebe became a star overnight thanks to the documentary film The King of Kong back in 2007, but for the past decade, he has been content to step aside and allow other players to take their shot at high-score glory. However, Wiebe – who is now recognised as the first person to...
News Blimey, Donkey Kong Country 2 Looks Lovely In HD
The SNES classic gets a new lick of paint
Thankfully, fans of the Donkey Kong Country series have been treated rather well over the past few years, with Donkey Kong Country Returns and its sequel Tropical Freeze launching across all of Nintendo's latest systems. We can't sing the praises of Tropical Freeze enough - se
News Mario Kart Tour's Jungle Tour Brings Some Familiar Faces To The Races
You know them well
A recent update to Mario Kart Tour added multiplayer team racing and custom matchmaking to the mobile game, but now the Jungle Tour is live and it's bringing back some fan-favourite members of the Kong clan to race alongside Mario and company. DK and Diddy already feature as playable characters, but as you can see from the...
News Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze's Lead Designer Has Reportedly Returned To Retro Studios
Another talent for Metroid Prime 4?
Stephen Dupree, who was credited as the lead designer on the wonderful Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, has reportedly returned to Retro Studios after two years away. The news comes from VGC, who say that the ex-Retro employee will now return to work at the studio as a principal game designer. At present,...
Random Rare Forgot To Remove A Shotgun From Donkey Kong 64 Before Showing Miyamoto
There was a "look of horror" on his face
Last month, Donkey Kong 64 turned 20 years old. Since then, the development team behind the game has been doing the press rounds to celebrate the anniversary. During a recent interview with Games Radar, one of the creative leads George Andreas recalled a horrifying moment when Rare was showing the game to...
Random If Cranky Kong Was Once Donkey Kong, What Does The Future Hold For Funky Kong?
DK devs weigh in
With Donkey Kong Country turning 25 last week and soaking up the lion's share of the anniversary headlines, we thought we'd give its younger sibling a chance to shine. Donkey Kong 64 celebrated its 20th birthday on 22nd November and we caught up with Mark Stevenson and
Feature Donkey Kong 64 Devs On Bugs, Boxing And 20 Years Of The DK Rap
Put your hands together if you want to clap
In the last few days we've had a spate of video game anniversaries with Pokémon Gold and Silver, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong Country and
News Playtonic's Steve Mayles Releases Special Donkey Kong Country Artwork To Mark Its 25th Birthday
As other staffers share mementoes from the period
Donkey Kong Country turned 25 yesterday, an event which is sure to have made many of us feel very old indeed. To celebrate the anniversary, Playtonic's Steve Mayles – who worked on the game during his tenure at Rare – has posted a special piece of artwork showcasing the game's heroes: Mayles...
Anniversary Feel Old Everyone, Donkey Kong Country Turns 25 Today
And the birthdays keep on comin'!
Hmm. It's almost like video games themselves are conspiring to make us feel our age recently. Earlier this week Super Smash Bros. turned 20 in the PAL region, and today we posted about Pokémon Gold and Silver re
News John Kirby, The Man Who Saved Donkey Kong, Passes Away Aged 79
And Kirby's namesake, of course
John J Kirby, Jr., the lawyer who successfully defended Nintendo in a legal battle against Universal in the '80s to save the Donkey Kong franchise, has passed away aged 79. John J Kirby, Jr. (1939-2019) Kirby was a prominent attorney who represented the likes of Pepsi, America Online, and Nintendo. He successfully...
News Billy Mitchell Threatens To Take Legal Action Against High-Score Sanctioning Bodies
The King of Kong wants his crown back
The one and only Billy Mitchell – best known for claiming high-scores in arcade games like Donkey Kong and then being officially stripped of the records – is reportedly threatening to take legal action against the sanctioning bodies Twin Galaxies and Guinness World Records. Polygon reveals Mitchell's...
Random Turns Out DK Gives Diddy Kong A Little Cuddle Every Time They Sit In A Barrel
In Donkey Kong Country Returns, at least
Let us improve your day dramatically by sharing the most wholesome piece of Nintendo trivia we've stumbled across in recent times. Anyone familiar with the Donkey Kong Country Returns series will likely remember the barrels used to transport DK around each stage; hop into one of these explosive beasts and...
Rumour Super Nintendo World Rides And Layout Potentially Revealed In "Leaked" Images
Including a Donkey Kong area!
As part of Nintendo's goal to maximise the potential of its beloved franchises, a 'Super Nintendo World' theme park is planned to open next year at Universal Studios Japan. You may well be aware of this already, but these new images might just have given us our first true look at how the park will look. The images come...
News Wii's Donkey Kong Country Returns Is Now Playable At 1080p And 60fps On Nvidia Shield
See it in action
As you may well be aware, a number of Nintendo's first-party Wii titles have been ported to the Nvidia Shield in China. The latest to make the jump is Donkey Kong Country Returns, and it's looking just as tasty as you might expect. The Wii game has been treated to the usual upgrades for the Nvidia Shield release, meaning it plays...
News Save Up For Your Switch Games With This Officially Licensed Donkey Kong Money Box
Super Mario Savings!
Saving up for all of your favourite video games can be tricky, and while even the coolest of money boxes can't help you to buy them all, it can certainly help you store your cash in style. This officially licensed Donkey Kong money box is set to release next month, available directly from Merchoid. It stands at 30cm tall and...
News The Next Smash Bros. Ultimate Spirit Board Event Is A Donkey Kong Family Reunion
Starts later this week
The next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit board event is a Donkey Kong-themed family gathering. It starts this Friday and as usual runs for a total of three days. During this period, you'll be able to collect more Donkey Kong spirits than usual, including the likes of Tiny Kong and Chunky Kong from DK64. Here's the official...
Feature The Day I Met Donkey Kong On Live TV
Alex Norton talks of TV fame and people in ape suits
No, you're not suffering from déjà vu; this article originally appeared on the site in August this year, and we're republishing it as part of our 'Best of 2018' series which celebrates what we feel were our finest features of the past twelve months. In this special one-off piece, reader Alex...
News Billy Mitchell Live Streams 1,050,100 Point Donkey Kong Game
The Return of the King of Kong
After the apparent fall from grace, 'video game player of the century' Billy Mitchell has been live streaming arcade gameplay sessions of Donkey Kong on Twitch. His latest effort was different from the regular broadcasts. In Billy's own words: While that impressive high score is still not enough to claim the crown...
News Nintendo Grabs Smartphone-Related Trademarks For Zelda: Spirit Tracks And Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
As well as 'download' and 'game program' trademarks
Nintendo Co., Ltd. has applied for trademarks for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Mario Vs. Donkey Kong - which isn't massive news in itself, as the company is forever renewing its trademarks to cover older IP. However, what makes these two near-identical applications interesting is that...
