by RootSec
2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the original Donkey Kong, which first introduced the titular ape to the world. Though he debuted alongside a certain Italian plumber, Donkey Kong eventually starred in his own series of platformers on the SNES and has been a staple in Nintendo games ever since. Despite the popularity of the Donkey Kong Country series, and its relatively recent reboot, there hasn’t been a new Donkey Kong game since 2014.
The most recent game in the series was Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which originally came out on the Wii U. The title was re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, but a current-gen Donkey Kong project hasn’t been announced yet. With the Switch four years into its life cycle, it’s possible that DK won’t receive a new game anytime soon. However, a recent change on Nintendo’s web site might hint that a new title is on the way.
Twitter users noticed last Thursday that Donkey Kong’s sidekick, Diddy Kong, had received an updated model on Nintendo Japan’s website. The spider monkey’s fur was rendered in high resolution, matching the character model used in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While this could be preparation for an upcoming announcement of a new Donkey Kong game, the reality is probably less exciting.
Diddy Kong can be found in the same pose in Mario Party DS and Mario Kart Tour, albeit with less detailed fur. The website update brings Diddy’s model in line with his current iteration, but could just as easily be preparation for another ensemble game from Nintendo. It’s far from definitive proof that anything is on the way, but might offer a glimmer of hope for Donkey Kong fans.
Though Donkey Kong is best known from the platformer series Donkey Kong Country, the franchise has gone in many different directions over the years. The short-lived Donkey Kong series saw Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong climbing through trees to solve puzzles, and the Gamecube’s Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was a rhythm game that came packaged with peripheral bongos.
The success of Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze might lead Nintendo to sticking with a side-scrolling platformer for the next Donkey Kong game. The 2.5D presentation served as a callback to the series’ roots, adding in new mechanics that allowed players to move further away from the screen to explore other parts of the map. It created an experience unlike many of Nintendo’s other platformers, most of which have transitioned to 3D.
Of course, it’s also possible that Nintendo might try to recapture the success of Donkey Kong 64. The title was the only 3D platformer in the series, and it was incredibly popular when it released in 1999. Like Super Mario 64, it drastically changed the formula that Donkey Kong was known for. Many characters from Donkey Kong Country were nowhere to be seen, and each character came armed with their own weapon and instrument. The lack of a 3D Donkey Kong game in the two decades since seems to indicate that Nintendo is more interested in returning to the series’ roots.
One of the challenges of making a Donkey Kong game is that the character himself has never been especially interesting to play. The world he inhabits is incredibly compelling, but Donkey Kong doesn’t have many special abilities other than being slightly stronger than everyone else. This might be why Donkey Kong actually appears in fewer games than some of his allies, despite being the titular character of the series.
Each game in the series normally adds at least one new Kong to the roster of playable characters, making the gameplay feel fresh each time. However, Nintendo should also consider giving Donkey Kong a bit of a rework so that he can feel as fun to play as his allies. He’s meant to be the strongest of the Kongs, and gaining a few abilities that take advantage of that trait could help make him feel more unique. Super Smash Bros. toyed with the idea of Donkey Kong being significantly larger than other characters, and it could be fun to see a few stages where he turns absolutely huge.
Though the Kongs were fun to play, the true stars of Donkey Kong Country were its animal buddies. Each entry in the SNES series introduced a handful of new creatures to ride or even transform into. From Rambi the Rhino to Squitter the Spider, each animal companion represented a new set of puzzles to solve and abilities to master. Sadly, the feature has become less prominent in recent games. Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze only featured two of these companions, which may not bode well for their inclusion in future titles.
If Nintendo plans to announce a new Donkey Kong game, there’s a good chance it could do so at this year’s virtual E3 conference. Fans are already speculating that the gaming giant might use the event to reveal its plans for an upgraded Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, and Metroid Prime 4, and it’s possible that Donkey Kong could find himself on that list as well.
The actual anniversary of Donkey Kong‘s release is on July 9, so it’s also possible that Nintendo will wait until then. It’s hard to say if the company will celebrate, though; Nintendo was oddly silent when The Legend of Zelda turned 35 this February. Then again, the company released a slew of games last year to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., so it really could go either way. If Nintendo plans to release a new Donkey Kong game for the Switch, this would be the best year to do it.
Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s oldest franchises, and its return in the past few years has shown that the series still has a lot to offer. A new entry on the Nintendo Switch would not only be an an excellent gift for lifelong fans, but would help introduce DK to a new generation of gamers.
