Tag: Donkey Kong
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?...
Feature Best Donkey Kong Games Of All Time
Every DK game ranked for your pleasure
While Mario is the undisputed man when it comes to all things Nintendo, let it never be forgotten that it was Donkey Kong who gave the plumber a leg-up in the world of video games. The ape's original game not only conquered the arcade and introduced the world to the character who would become Nintendo's mascot,...
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...
News Disgraced King Of Kong Star Billy Mitchell Is Aiming To Reclaim His Donkey Kong Score
"Why? Cause I’m Billy Mitchell"
It's not been the best of times for Billy Mitchell, one of the most famous high score-chasers the gaming industry has ever known. Earlier this year, video game records organization Twin Galaxies stripped Mitchell of his high scores following
News Donkey Kong Country Designer Shows Off Early King K. Rool And Kremling Art Concepts
A much more serious design
Rare employee Gregg Mayles is at it again, giving us even more tasty insights into the makings of the Donkey Kong Country franchise. Earlier today, Mayles shared a list of the original names for Donkey Kong Country's characters and even the game itself, including the recent addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate...
Random Rare Employee Reveals Original Name Of K. Rool And Donkey Kong Country
"Slightly rubbish"
After what feels like forever, the king of the Kremlings is finally coming to Super Smash Bros. Following King K. Rool being officially revealed for the
News Yes, King K. Rool Really Is Coming To Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
It's finally happening
You almost had us, Nintendo. During today's special Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct, several new fighters were revealed, and at the end of the broadcast it seemed as if the prayers of Donkey Kong Country fans had been answered with the appearance of King K. Rool - only for it to turn out to be King Dedede in disguise...
News A Metroid Easter Egg Has Been Found In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze After Four Years
Hiding all this time
Nintendo games often have little nods to other franchises cheekily tucked away in hard-to-reach areas, giving fans a nice little burst of happiness and pride when they stumble across them, but this little easter egg inside Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze managed to remain hidden for more than four years. Until now, of...
Random DK Bongos Are The Perfect Substitute For Hori Taiko Drum Controller
Backup drummer
As exciting as it is to find out Bandai Namco will release Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun! in the west this November, we're still admittedly coming to terms with the fact the Hori Taiko Drum Controller will not be made available locally. The only way of obtaining it now is to import it from websites like
Random This 1/2 Scale Nintendo Arcade Cabinet Made From LEGO Is Completely Playable
We'll take five
Sometimes fan-made creations can simply blow you away, and this 1/2 scale Donkey Kong-inspired arcade cabinet made from LEGO is certainly one of those times. The creator of the cabinet, Helen Sham, has explained that over 15,000 LEGO bricks were required to build the entire piece. Standing at more than five feet tall, the cabinet...
Review Arcade Archives Donkey Kong
The true Original Edition
Released in 1981, Donkey Kong was Nintendo’s first big arcade hit, featuring the debuts of the titular ape, Mario and future mayor of New Donk City, Pauline. Despite its popularity, Nintendo has favoured re-releasing the cutdown (with one stage missing) NES port of this classic platformer over the...
News Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze Hangs Onto Second Place In UK Charts
Switch version has racked up 1/4 of all copies sold so far in the UK
Sony's PS4 epic God of War remains the UK's top-selling video game for a fourth week, but Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Switch proves it has some staying power, too - it's been able to cling onto second place for a second week. That's pretty impressive stuff when you...
News Consumers Go Bananas For Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze In This Week's UK Charts
Nintendo Labo goes in the recycling bin!
Last week we saw Nintendo Labo: Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit make a strong debut in the UK software charts at position three. Unfortunately for Nintendo, it's fallen out of favour this week in the UK, slipping all the way to 13th place. Poor old Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit, only charted at 20th...
Random Spot The Difference Between These Two Covers For Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze hits the Switch soon, and as you'll know from our review, it's well worth picking up - even if you already own the Wii U original. However, if for some reason you don't fancy trying out the latest Kong adventure, you can still entertain yourselves with a wee game of "spot the difference". For...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Disappears From The North American Wii U eShop
Update: Aaaaaaaand it's back
Update: And just like that, the game is back up on the Wii U eShop. We'll let you ponder why this might be in the comments section below. Original Story: The Nintendo Switch has had its fair share of Wii U ports, something which has divided the fanbase a little, but makes a whole lot of business sense. Considering the...
Video Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze's New Easter Egg is Only On Switch
Great for all the wrong reasons
Easter eggs are, in our view, a lovely way for developers to make little nods to other games, franchises, or any other subject that might otherwise pass a player by. We've discovered one such reference to the divisive Donkey Kong Country TV show in the Switch version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. As you...
Video Digital Foundry Explores Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze's Resolution And Frame Rate
Looks like a winner
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was one of the Wii U's gaming highlights; the platforming fun was great from start to finish, but it also looked great and played nicely, too. To explore the differences between the WIi U version and the upcoming Switch version, though, and to check for any improvements, the folk at Digital...
Feature The History And Evolution of Donkey Kong
37 years in the making
Few gaming characters have hung around as long as Donkey Kong, and over the years we at NL towers have garnered a healthy respect for the giant, tie-wearing ape. That's why we decided to throw together a short audio-visual retrospective to take a look at how DK managed to get where he is today. What's your favourite entry...
News Billy Mitchell Breaks His Silence To Address Accusations Of Cheating
"Everything was done professionally, according to the rules"
It's fair to say that it's not been a great year for Billy Mitchell, the former "King of Kong". Earlier this year he was accused of cheating in order to claim his famous Donkey Kong high score, and last week Twin Galaxies responded and
"We must repeat, the truth is the priority"
High score record-keeping site Twin Galaxies has removed all of Billy Mitchell's rankings from its database and banned him from competition following accusations of wrong-doing relating to the classic Nintendo title Donkey Kong. Earlier this year, Mitchell's scores were called into doubt by Donkey...
